Последний из Могикан
Chapter 24
Inordertorendertheirgamesasliketherealityaspossible,oneoftheboldestoftheirnumberhadconveyedafewbrandsintosomepilesoftree-topsthathadhithertoescapedtheburning.TheblazeofoneofthesefireslightedthewayofthechiefandDuncan,andgaveacharacterofadditionalwildnesstotherudescenery.Atalittledistancefromabaldrock,anddirectlyinitsfront,theyenteredagrassyopening,whichtheypreparedtocross.Justthenfreshfuelwasaddedtothefire,andapowerfullightpenetratedeventothatdistantspot.Itfelluponthewhitesurfaceofthemountain,andwasreflecteddownwardsuponadarkandmysterious-lookingbeingthatarose,unexpectedly,intheirpath.
TheIndianpaused,asifdoubtfulwhethertoproceed,andpermittedhiscompaniontoapproachhisside.Alargeblackball,whichatfirstseemedstationary,nowbegantomoveinamannerthattothelatterwasinexplicable.Againthefirebrightened,anditsglarefellmoredistinctlyontheobject.ThenevenDuncanknewit,byitsrestlessandsidelingattitudes,whichkepttheupperpartofitsforminconstantmotion,whiletheanimalitselfappearedseated,tobeabear.Thoughitgrowledloudlyandfiercely,andtherewereinstantswhenitsglisteningeyeballsmightbeseen,itgavenootherindicationsofhostility.TheHuron,atleast,seemedassuredthattheintentionsofthissingularintruderwerepeaceable,foraftergivingitanattentiveexamination,hequietlypursuedhiscourse.
