It was while observing and reflecting on all these things,
a suspicion first crossed the mind of le Bourdon that this great
council was about to be held, at that midnight hour, and so near his
own abode, for the purpose of accommodating Peter, whose appearance
in the dark crowd, from that instant, he began to expect.
The Indians already present were not seated. They stood in groups
conversing, or stalked across the arena, resembling so many dark and
stately spectres. No sound was heard among them, a circumstance that
added largely to the wild and supernatural aspect of the scene. If
any spoke, it was in a tone so low and gentle, as to carry the sound
no farther than to the ears that were listening; two never spoke at
the same time and in the same group, while the moccasin permitted no
footfall to be audible. Nothing could have been more unearthly than
the picture presented in that little, wood-circled arena, of velvet-
like grass and rural beauty. The erect, stalking forms, half naked,
if not even more; the swarthy skins; the faces fierce in the savage
conceits which were intended to strike terror into the bosoms of
enemies, and the glittering eyes that fairly sparkled in their
midst, all contributed to the character of the scene, which le
Bourdon rightly enough imagined was altogether much the most
remarkable of any he had ever been in the way of witnessing.
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