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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from Little Rivers by Henry van Dyke: both canoes around the western end of the lake, thirty miles, to
the Hotel Roberval. While we were talking, we came to a dry old
birch-tree, with ragged, curling bark. "Here is a torch," cried
Damon, "to throw light upon the situation." He touched a match to
it, and the flames flashed up the tall trunk until it was
transformed into a pillar of fire. But the sudden illumination
burned out, and our counsels were wrapt again in darkness and
uncertainty, when there came a great uproar of steam-whistles from
the lake. They must be signalling for us. What could it mean?
We fired our guns, leaped into a canoe, leaving two of the guides
to break camp, and paddled out swiftly into the night. It seemed
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