Diana the broomstick. An intruding weasel was pursued and slaughtered;
but not till two fowls, fat and fine, had been sacrificed by the
invader and the tongs together. The children were all hungry, with
the exhaustion of the cold weather, and clamoured to have these
victims cooked for supper. Nor was Hannah unmoved by the appeal. Her
own appetite seconded. The savoury stew came just in time. It aroused
them to new life and spirits. Hannah regained courage, wondering how
she could have lost heart so far, and said to Dolly, as they washed up
the supper dishes:

"I guess we'll keep together, Dolly. It'll be spring after a while,
and we'll stick it out together."

"I guess I would," answered Dolly. "And don't you believe we should
all feel better to kill off them fowls--all but two or three? They're
master hands to eat corn, and it does seem as though that biled hen
done us all a sight o' good to-night. Just hear them children."

And it certainly was, as Hannah said, "musical to hear 'em." Joe had a
cornstalk fiddle, and Eben an old singing book, which Diana read over
his shoulder while she kept on knitting her blue sock; and the three
youngsters--Sam, Obed, and Betty--with wide mouths and intent eyes,
followed Diana's "lining out" of that quaint hymn "The Old
Israelites," dwelling with special gusto and power on two of the
verses:

"We are little, 'tis true,
And our numbers are few,
And the sons of old Anak are tall;
But while I see a track
I will never go back,
But go on at the risk of my all.

"The way is all new,
As it opens to view,
And behind is the foaming Red Sea;
So none need to speak
Of the onions and leeks
Or to talk about garlics to me!"

Hannah's face grew brighter still. "We'll stay right here!" she said,
adding her voice to the singular old ditty with all her power:

"What though some in the rear
Preach up terror and fear,
And complain of the trials they meet,
Tho' the giants before
With great fury do roar,
I'm resolved I can never retreat."

And in this spirit, sustained, no doubt, by the occasional chickens,
they lived the winter out, till blessed, beneficent spring came again,
and brought news, great news, with it. Not from the army, though.
There had been a post rider in Nepash during the January thaw, and he
brought short letters only. There was about to be a battle, and there
was no time to