All the people near From red horizon dwelt in abject fear, Mastered by them; their figures darkly grand Had ruddy reflex from the wasted land, And fires, and towns they sacked.
— from Poems by Victor Hugo

It was like a farmer's barnyard in most respects, save it was so constructed that the outside world could never see the human cattle that were herded there.
— from Twelve Years a Slave Narrative of Solomon Northup, a Citizen of New-York, Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841, and Rescued in 1853, from a Cotton Plantation near the Red River in Louisiana by Solomon Northup

We had now eleven ships in all, and everything, thanks to Providence, was going on well, when letters arrived from Diego Velasquez with peremptory orders that Cortes was to be deprived of the command.
— from The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 1 (of 2) Written by Himself Containing a True and Full Account of the Discovery and Conquest of Mexico and New Spain. by Bernal Díaz del Castillo

Island and opposit to this near the middle of the river nine Lodges are Situated on the upper point at a rapid which is between the lower point of the 1st Island and upper point of this; great numbers of Indians appeared to be on this Island, and emence quantites of fish Scaffold we landed a few minits to view a rapid which Commenced at the lower point, passd this rapid which was verry bad between 2 Small Islands two Still Smaller near the Lard.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark

We learned a few minutes after witnessing this phenomena that the fire was occasioned by the conflagration of a large board yard near Market Street Bridge.
— from The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2) Including Public Addresses, Her Own Letters and Many From Her Contemporaries During Fifty Years by Ida Husted Harper

Custom decides that the bridesmaids should be spinsters, but there is no legal objection to a married woman being a bridesmaid, should it be necessary, as it might be abroad, or at sea, or where ladies are few in number.
— from The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness Being a Complete Guide for a Gentleman's Conduct in All His Relations Towards Society by Cecil B. Hartley

Then she went into the house and a month went by and the snow was gone, and two months, and then everything was green, and three months, and then all the flowers came out of the earth, and four months, and then all the trees in the wood grew thicker, and the green branches were all closely entwined, and the birds sang until the wood resounded and the blossoms fell from the trees, then the fifth month passed away and she stood under the juniper-tree, which smelt so sweetly that her heart leapt, and she fell on her knees and was beside herself with joy, and when the sixth month was over the fruit was large and fine,
— from Household Tales by Brothers Grimm by Wilhelm Grimm

For want of a nail the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the horse was lost, and for want of a horse the rider was lost.
— from Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources Including Phrases, Mottoes, Maxims, Proverbs, Definitions, Aphorisms, and Sayings of Wise Men, in Their Bearing on Life, Literature, Speculation, Science, Art, Religion, and Morals, Especially in the Modern Aspects of Them by Wood, James, Rev.

At first they are like a flock of wild geese or swans; and from behind, the wind, like a falcon, drives them into a dense throng; they crowd together, grow and increase; new marvels!
— from Pan Tadeusz Or, the Last Foray in Lithuania; a Story of Life Among Polish Gentlefolk in the Years 1811 and 1812 by Adam Mickiewicz

Then entering the public assembly, they incited 26 the Thebans to revolt from Alexander, holding out to them as pretexts the ancient and glorious words, liberty and freedom of speech, and urging them now at last to rid themselves of the heavy yoke of the Macedonians.
— from The Anabasis of Alexander or, The History of the Wars and Conquests of Alexander the Great by Arrian

There Cerizet recovered his good-humor; he was like a fish out of water suddenly returned to his native element; for he had reached that state of degradation when he felt ill at ease in places frequented by good society; and it was with a sort of sensuous pleasure that he felt himself back in the vulgar place where they were noisily playing pool for the benefit of a “former conqueror of the Bastille.”
— from The Works of Balzac: A linked index to all Project Gutenberg editions by Honoré de Balzac

She burst into talk; she was loud and familiar—ashamed of her own boldness, and quite unable to control it.
— from Heart and Science: A Story of the Present Time by Wilkie Collins

To console himself, he turned towards the Great Stone Face, which, like a faithful and long-remembered friend, looked back and smiled upon him through the vista of the forest.
— from Junior High School Literature, Book 1 by William H. (William Harris) Elson

He felt all over it but nowhere else, so he said the elephant was "like a fan".
— from Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Literature by Ontario. Department of Education

The idea of a merger of the two organizations with reasonable differentiation as well would probably meet with little approval from their directors just now, but is worth considering as an answer to the urgent problem of providing social contacts for young people in large cities.
— from Applied Eugenics by Roswell H. (Roswell Hill) Johnson

Madeline was leaning anxiously forward now, with her eyes fixed full upon Dan's face.
— from The Long Patrol: A Tale of the Mounted Police by H. A. (Hiram Alfred) Cody

The speed is now too great for that rough-and-ready hit-and-miss at distance run: and with its disuse, worse luck, a fund of old-time pleasant raillery has been eclipsed.
— from Ocean Steamships A popular account of their construction, development, management and appliances by A. E. (Albert Edward) Seaton

Why, the people here would lose all faith in me if I was afraid to take my own big medicine.
— from Tom Burnaby: A Story of Uganda and the Great Congo Forest by Herbert Strang

There was, likewise, a farther circumstance in which these people perfectly resembled the other islanders: and that was, in their endeavouring to steal whatever came within their reach; or rather to take it openly, as what would either not be resented or not hindered.
— from Narrative of the Voyages Round the World, Performed by Captain James Cook With an Account of His Life During the Previous and Intervening Periods by Andrew Kippis