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Chapter 23
Adozenblazingpilesnowshedtheirluridbrightnessontheplace,whichresembledsomeunhallowedandsupernaturalarena,inwhichmaliciousdemonshadassembledtoacttheirbloodyandlawlessrites.Theformsinthebackgroundlookedlikeunearthlybeings,glidingbeforetheeye,andcleavingtheairwithfranticandunmeaninggestures;whilethesavagepassionsofsuchaspassedtheflames,wererenderedfearfullydistinctbythegleamsthatshotathwarttheirinflamedvisages.
Itwilleasilybeunderstood,thatamidsuchaconcourseofvindictiveenemies,nobreathingtimewasallowedthefugitive.Therewasasinglemomentwhenitseemedasifhewouldhavereachedtheforest,butthewholebodyofhiscaptorsthrewthemselvesbeforehim,anddrovehimbackintothecentreofhisrelentlesspersecutors.Turninglikeaheadeddeer,heshot,withtheswiftnessofanarrow,throughapillarofforkedflame,andpassingthewholemultitudeharmless,heappearedontheoppositesideoftheclearing.HeretoohewasmetandturnedbyafewoftheolderandmoresubtleoftheHurons.Oncemorehetriedthethrong,asifseekingsafetyinitsblindness,andthenseveralmomentssucceeded,duringwhichDuncanbelievedtheactiveandcourageousyoungstrangerwaslost.
Nothingcouldbedistinguishedbutadarkmassofhumanformstossedandinvolvedininexplicableconfusion.Arms,gleamingknives,andformidableclubs,appearedabovethem,buttheblowswereevidentlygivenatrandom.
