Satanstoe; Or, the Littlepage Manuscripts. A Tale of the ColonyCooper, James Fenimore
General
Satanstoe; Or, the Littlepage Manuscripts. A Tale of the Colony
Cooper, James Fenimore
Antirent War, N.Y., 1839-1846 -- Fiction
By this time the Indian was awake, and exercising his authority in the
canoe, again. Gliding among the islands, he shortly landed us at the
precise point where we had embarked only five days before. Securing his
little bark, the Onondago led the way up the ravine, and brought us out on
the naked cap of the mountain, where we had before slept, after an hour of
extreme effort.
If the night had been so memorable, the picture presented at the dawn of
day, was not less so! We reached that lofty look-out about the same time in
the morning as the Indian had awakened me on the previous occasion, and had
the same natural outlines to the view. In one sense, also, the artificial
accessaries were the same, though exhibited under a very different aspect.
I presume the truth will not be much, if any exceeded, when I say that a
thousand boats were in sight, on this, as on the former occasion! A few, a
dozen or so, at most, appeared to have reached the head of the lake; but
all the rest of that vast flotilla was scattered along the placid surface
of the lovely sheet, forming a long, straggling line of dark spots, that
extended to the beach under Fort William Henry, in one direction, and far
as eye could reach in the other. How different did that melancholy, broken
procession of boats appear, from the gallant array, the martial bands, the
cheerful troops, and the multitude of ardent young men who had pressed
forward, in brigades, less than a week before, filled with hope, and
exulting in their strength! As I gazed on the picture I could not but fancy
to myself the vast amount of physical pain, the keen mental suffering,
and the deep mortification that might have been found, amid that horde of
returning adventurers. We had just come up from the level of this scene of
human agony, and our imaginations could portray details that were beyond
the reach of the senses, at the elevation on which we stood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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