Then it was gone and the blackness, thicker and heavier than ever, settled down over island, lake and mountain.

But Robert, Tayoga and all the others had seen the prize they were seeking, and their course lay plain before them now.
Robert's emotion was so intense and his mind was concentrated so powerfully upon the object ahead that he was scarcely conscious of the fact that he was swimming.

An expert in the water, he kept afloat without apparent effort, and the fact that he was one of fifty all doing the same thing gave him additional strength and skill.

The lightning flashed again, blue now, almost a bar of violet across the sky, tinting the waters of the lake with the same hue, and he caught another glimpse of the Indian fleet drawn up against the shore, and of the Indian sentinels, some sitting in the boats, and others standing on the land.
Then the wind strengthened, and he felt the rain upon his face.

It was a curious result, but he sank a little deeper in the water to shelter himself from the storm.