The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 376: what you’re looking at

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eutterly ignorant on these points. THE MYSTERIES OF TIE COURT. firet thought was to look and sco if thers were any provisions in the niche under’ the loophole: but there were none. He ect about to fortify the cavern with even greater precautions than he had used on the former ocqasions ; and when his task 3h3 Cd ee) ww ae mop Gee ‘Zhe cave was soon reached; and the Burker’s , horrors and dengers of the jungle —the perils of wild beasts, of serpents, an? of ronsters in hursan form: but even in the cave which he bad at least fancied to. bo a comparatively cure retreat, be found *himself a prey to thoughts and fosliags which were sufficient to drive bim to madnoss, was, accomplished, he partook of the food and I Nut onee did the maan olose his eyes that night: liguor which be still possessed, and of which ha had aaupply sufficiont for the morrow. His former experiences at the cave had led him to believe, or et least to hope that it was safe against the iutra- sion of venomous reptiles: but hoy far secure it might prove agninst the designs of bis buman foe, he kney not. He therefofe dreaded the approach of slumber when he fel#a drowsiness stealing over hiro ; and in order to shake it off he rose up and whiked abont the cave, which penetrated to the distance of about six or seven yards under the hillin which it was hollowed. , All of a sudden his foot kicked against something soft—apparently ehuman form. Acry of alarm wag on tho very point of bursting from the Burker’s laps, as_he fancied that4t might possibly be the Strangler who had got before him co that hiding-placg: but he kept buck the exclamation at the very instant that it was about to peal forth: for though his foot bad come in strong concussion with that ob- ject, whatever it were, there was no movement on its part. The Burk®r stooped down, in the utter darkness which prevailed in the cave ; and full of horrified suspenss be passed his hand over the ob- ject. He encountered garments of some sort ; and now his hand came in contact with another hand: but its touch was that of death ! human corpse in that cave. The Burker’s blood congealed in his veina: he shuddered from head to foot: a glacial korror took possession of him. He had barricaded himeelf in that cave with a corpse |—hbis soul revolted in superstitious dread from the unseen body; and yet he dared not dash down his granite barriers and issug forth from, that cavern, for fear of becoming a prey to the terrible Strangler who might bo lurking outside. But, oh ! to pass an entiro night—short though an Eastern night be—in that den, along with a dead hody, — the idea was intolerable! If he had scen it —if he knew precisely how it louoked—if he were aware of the manner in which the person had died—it would be all different: but’ he was Ife sat himseif down in the cave, pear the barricade at the en- trance, so as to be as remote as possible from the subject of his horror; and then ten thousand hideous ideas began trooping through his miud. He fancied he could hear the corpse move —that i¢ was gliding towards him as ndiselossly as the Strangler was creepings to approach him sume hours back; and the wretched man thus went on giving way to his terriflo imaginings until his heir atood on end, his oy were staring through the darkness in yildest-almost frensied horror. No inclination had he for slumber now: no nuoed was there to battle against a sensation of drowsiness ; for it stole not over him; he wae broad awake ; — never was he more completely awake in his whole Mier 8 Thue the hours passed un,—hours that constis tated one long mortal agony for that wretchod, wretched man. It was not enaigh to endure phe eo 8 ihere was a 6 ee ee ee but there he sat, irresletibly abaddoning himself to reflections and wisgivings which would have mado aluost any other person suddenly shrick forth as a maniac, At length thé glimmering of dawn began to penetrate through the interstices of the barrier he had Sxed at tho entrance of the cavern: but stil, the end of the cave remained enveloped in total darkness. Morning advances rapidly in the eastern clime; and the sua soon poured forth ite full effylgence. The Burker’s mind felt relieved ; and he began to remove the barricade from the mouth of the cavern. When this task was ac- complished, be advanced towards the dead body, and drew it forward by the feet until the light re- vealed the entire form completely to the Burker’s eyes. It was tho body of an old Hindoo, with a long grey beard ; and its dress enabled the Burker to comprehend that the man hed been one of those Gossoons, or wanderipg Dervishes, whom he had secon during dis journey’ from Calcutta to Indera- bad, when a prisguer in the auite of Queen Indora and her husband. But how came the man by his death P—waa it from natural causes? had he iu ill- ness dragged himself fo that oxve to die? or had he, when reposing there, been suddenly switten by the hand of the destroying angel? The Burker knew not. Thero were no marks of violenco upon tho old man’s person: but ae the Burker examined him more and more closely, he perceived two little epota clow together upon the oalf of one of the thin emaciated legs. These spots resembled the unctures 6f a lancet, or of some other small harp-pointel instrument. Thoy were of a livid huo va the dusky afin of the deceased; and it was only after the closest inspection that they were discernible at all. *The Burkeredi] not however fancy that thess wore in avy way connected with the man’s @eath; and he therefore came to the conclusion that he had died from some natural cause. lasuing forth from the cave, the Burker locked cautiously about,—keeping himself upon @ his guard against the doadly lasso of Strapgier: but no one was to be seen. He dragged the corps? curnpletely out of the cavern; and he found that ia a species of wallet which the dead Gussoon had about his person, there was a quantity of cold boiled rice. The Burker could not affurd to let pass such an oppor. tunity of replenishing his own knapsack, even though the provander had been lying for hours ia such near contact with a corpse. While he was engaged in transferring tho rice to his wallet, he suddenly beheld three persons advancing from a little distance. Hoe started up from his kneeling posture, and rapidly sonatinised them with mingled bope and apprehension. They might prove friendly disposed and help him to escape from the depthe of the dreadfal jungle: or thoy might prove as hostile as the Stranglers themselves. He saw that they wore threo Gussoons; aud now he was emitten with the dread that they migh¢ fascy he had murdered tho individual who ley at ble seet w = Te En Srey ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)