midnight
Heaven help us ! '' Then , scornfully throwing off the fear which for a moment had seemed to overtake him , he resolutely snatched the torch from the man 's hand and plunged it into the pile . We stood and watched the fire , as first it crackled amidst the under - layer of twigs and dry heather , then caught the branches above , and finally shot up in a grand tall column of flame skyward , showering high its sparks , and casting a fierce glow far and wide over land and sea . 'T was a strange , a wondrous sight ; yet , as I looked , the midnight fire itself was not so strange as the sight of Ludar standing there , noble , huge and motionless , illumined by the strong light , gazing out with shaded eyes into the far distance . To me it seemed like a scene in some weird play of which I forgot that I was myself an actor . But as soon as the flame , bursting forth with a great roar , reddened the sky overhead , Ludar drew me to a little distance , and pointed seaward . Then I perceived , suddenly , on our right a twinkle of light which presently increased to a lurid flame .