The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-12-25

himself that he had reached the western
boundary Of the world. and,saw the very
spot where the sun passed over tho edge |
of the great terrestrial plano. Yes"
lie solemnly exclaimed, "there is the
end Of the world how fortunate am
to have approachedit it in daylight, and
with guide otherwise ] might have
slept over in the dark, and fallen -
know not where !"
The Indian girl had seated herself on
the grass and was composedly waiting
his pleasure, when he discovered large
masses Of smoke rolling upward in the
west. He pointed towards this new
phenomenon, and endeavoured to obtain
some explanation Of it's meaning. The
obliging girl rose, and led the way tow.
ards il. They walked for more than an
hour. The sun had gone down, the breeze
had subsidized, and. the stiffness of
death was around them.-Pierre began
to have awful feelings, and would have
back, but the pride Of a French getleman
and marquis in anticiption. prevented
him. He had taken a step contrary to
the advise Of his father copfessor, and
was in open rebellion against the church
and he began to fear that some evil spirit,
under the guise Of an Indian maid, was
seducing him away to destruction: At
all events, he determined not to 60 much
further. IA
The shades of night had begun to
close, when they again ascended one
of those elevations which swell SO
gradually that the traveller scarcely re-
marks them un,ilhe reaches the summit
and beholds from commanding emin-
ence boundIess landscape spread before
him. The veil of night, without conceal
ing the scene, rendered it indistinct the
undulations of the surface were no lon
ger perceptible and the prairie seemed a
perfect plain like that of the ocean in q
calm. One phenomenon as:onished and
perploxed him before him the plane was
lighted up with dim hut supernatural
brilliance, like that of distant Ere,
while behind him was the blackness of
darkness. He looked again and the
horizon glea med brighter, until a fiery
redness arose above its dark outline,
while heavy, slow-moving masses of
cloud, curled upward above it.-It was
evidently the intense reflection, and the
voluminous smoke, of vast FIRE In
another moment the blaze itself ap-
peared, first shooting up at one spot,
and then at another, and advancing, un-
til the whole line of horizon was clothed
with flames that rolled onward, and
curled and dashed upward, like the an
cry waves of blazing ocean.
Pierre could gaze no longer. A sud-
den horror thrilled his soul. His worst
feais were realized in the tremendous
scene. He saw before him the lake of
fire prepared for the devil and his an
gels. He thought he could easily dis
tinguish gigantic black forms dancing in
the flame, throwing up their long, mis-
shapen arms, and writhing their bodies
into fantastic shapes. Uttering pier
cling shrek, he turned and fed with the
swiftncss ofan arrow. Fear gave new
vigour to the muscles which had before
been relaxed with fatigue, and his feet,
SO lately heavy, now touched the ground
with the light and springy tread Of the
antelope. The Indian girl clapped her
hands, and laughed loud as she pursued
him. That laugh, which in the morn. :.
ling of this eyentfal day had enlivened
his heart by its joyous tones, now filled
him with terror. 1t seemed the yell of
a demon-the triumphant scream of he'll
jlisb pleasure over the downfall of his
soul A supernatural strength and
swiftness seemed to give him wings as
he bounded away with the speed Of the
}, chased ostrich of the desert; but he
seemed to himself to crawl heavily, and
whenever he cast glance behind, he
saw that the dark maid of the prairie
was laughing at his heels. He tried to