Hi again, Anton!  This is a continuation of my previous message to you:

AH>  Folks often resort to pills when their state of health
AH>  or whatever is in doubt,

AS>  And all the readier because taking pills takes only a
AS>  negligible effort.


           Yup....  :-)



AH>  When pigeons find something to eat on a public sidewalk
AH>  they tend to congregate there until something startles
AH>  them, then they "scatter".  Human beings tend to congregate
AH>  in pubs, restaurants, and coffee shops for similar reasons.

AS>  Well said!


           Thankyou....  :-)



AS>  We scatter like a flock of pigeons when it is startled. But
AS>  how does your reading treat the complement "with pills"?


           More examples:

                The dog retreated with its tail between its hind legs.
                The butler absconded with the family silver.
                The train departed for Montreal with Harriet on board.
                John left without saying goodbye.


I would describe "with [...]" as an adverbial phrase, however....  :-)



AS>  If "scatter" is intransitive, there is nothing to scatter
AS>  with pills, is it?
                 |is there?


           That's my take on it....  :-)



AS>  And what are "woes" and "ills" if not the objects of
AS>  "scatter"?


           I interpret these "woes" and "ills"... which may be psychological or
physical or both... as what often motivates human beings to use pills.  The way
Bierce alludes to the former, however, implies a bit of poetic licence....  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+