Останній з Могікан
Chapter 24
HowlongthenervesofHeywardwouldhavesustainedhiminthisextraordinarysituation,itmightbedifficulttodecide;for,happily,hesoonfoundrelief.Aglimmeroflighthadconstantlybeenintheirfront,andtheynowarrivedattheplacewhenceitproceeded.
Alargecavityintherockhadbeenrudelyfittedtoanswerthepurposesofmanyapartments.Thesubdivisionsweresimplebutingenious,beingcomposedofstone,sticks,andbark,intermingled.Openingsaboveadmittedthelightbyday,andatnightfiresandtorchessuppliedtheplaceofthesun.HithertheHuronshadbroughtmostoftheirvaluables,especiallythosewhichmoreparticularlypertainedtothenation;andhither,asitnowappeared,thesickwoman,whowasbelievedtobethevictimofsupernaturalpower,hadbeentransportedalso,underanimpressionthathertormentorwouldfindmoredifficultyinmakinghisassaultsthroughwallsofstonethanthroughtheleafycoveringsofthelodges.TheapartmentintowhichDuncanandhisguidefirstentered,hadbeenexclusivelydevotedtoheraccommodation.Thelatterapproachedherbedside,whichwassurroundedbyfemales,inthecentreofwhomHeywardwassurprisedtofindhismissingfriendDavid.
Asinglelookwassufficienttoapprisethepretendedleechthattheinvalidwasfarbeyondhispowersofhealing.Shelayinasortofparalysis,indifferenttotheobjectswhichcrowdedbeforehersight,andhappilyunconsciousofsuffering.
