"
Behind, before, on every side, we were surrounded by a wall of
fire, burning furiously within a hundred yards of us, and cutting
off all possibility of retreat; for, could we have found an
opening through the burning heaps, we could not have seen our way
through the dense canopy of smoke; and, buried as we were in the
heart of the forest, no one could discover our situation till we
were beyond the reach of help.
I closed the door, and went back to the parlor. Fear was knocking
loudly at my heart, for our utter helplessness destroyed all hope
of our being able to effect our escape. The girl sat upon the
floor by the children, who, unconscious of the peril that hung
over them, had both fallen asleep. She was silently weeping;
while the boy who had caused the mischief was crying aloud.
A strange calm succeeded my first alarm. I sat down upon the step
of the door, and watched the awful scene in silence. The fire was
raging in the cedar swamp immediately below the ridge on which
the house stood, and it presented a spectacle truly appalling.
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