is horse
onward as if he were more familiar with the path, or else more reckless!
I wondered at this without making any remark.

After half-an-hour's struggling we reached the angle of the rail-fence,
where the enclosure ended and the woods began. Another hundred yards
brought us under the shadow of the tall timber; where we reined up to
take breath, and concert what was next to be done.

I remembered that there was a pawpaw thicket near this place.

"If we could find it," I said to my companion, "and leave our horses
there?"

"We may easily do that," was the reply; "though 'tis scarce worth while
searching for a thicket--the darkness will sufficiently conceal them.--
Ha! not so--_Voila l'eclair_!"

As D'Hauteville spoke, a blue flash lit up the whole canopy of heaven.
Even the gloomy aisles of the forest were illuminated, so that we could
distinguish the trunks and branches of the trees to a long distance
around us. The light wavered for some seconds, like a lamp about being
extinguished; and then went suddenly out, leaving the darkness more
opaque than before.

There was no noise accompanying this phenomenon--at least none produced
by the lightning itself. It caused some noise, however, among the wild
creatures of the woods. It woke the white-headed haliaetus, perched
upon the head of the tall taxodium, and his maniac laugh sounded harsh
and shrill. It woke the grallatores of the swamp--the qua-bird, the
curlews, and the tall blue herons--who screamed in concert. The owl,
already awake, hooted louder its solemn note; and from the deep profound
of the forest came the howl of the wolf, and the more thrilling cry of
the cougar.

All nature seemed startled by this sudden blaze of light that filled the
firmament. But the moment after all was darkness and silence as before.
"The storm will soon be on?" I suggested. "No," said my companion,
"there will be no storm--you hear no thunder--when it is thus we shall
have no rain--a very black night, with lightning at intervals--nothing
more. Again!"

The exclamation was drawn forth by a second blaze of lightning, that
like the first lit up the woods on all sides around us, and, as before,
unaccompanied by thunder. Neither the slightest rumble nor clap was
heard, but the wild creatures once more uttered their varied cries.

"We must conceal the horses, then," said my companion; "some straggler
might be abroad, and with this light they could be seen far off. T