Останній з Могікан

           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.