The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 377: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

364 They advanced rapidly, and at first showed by their looke that they were surprised at finding a European of hie appearance in such a spot as that: then their eyes fell upon the corpse that‘lay upon the ground—and with shouts of mingled rage and horror they rushed towards the Burker. Two of them had huge clubs—the third had a long knife, which he drew from his girdle and brandished testify his innocence, and likewise to make the Gosecons aware that he’*had found the corpse in the cavern. They seemed to comprehend him: but two of them held him fast, while the third pro- ceeded to examine the corpse with the minutest scrutiny. We should observe that they were all ' three men of middle age—strong built, power- ful, and looking more like ferocious depredators than the votaries of a religious sect. All of a sudden the man who was examining the dead body, pointed out the little punctures to the view of his comrades: and they at once let go their hold upon the Burker. They then all cthree began lamenting after their own rude fashion, howling, beating their breasts, and making bor- rible contortions; while the one who possessed the knife, took it and hacked himeclf in half-a-dosen places until hd was covered with hig own gushing bloods The other two took the knife in their turns, and did the same to themeelves,—while the Barker looked on with horror lest they should ex- pect lim to follow their example, or should else offer to perform the disagreeable service for him. But they were evidently paying no attention to him: they seemed fully satisfied that he was not the murderer of their brother-gossoon; and thus, as the Burker's .confidence revived, he began to refiect on what had taken place. That the Gos- aoons regarded the punctures as the cause of their friend’s death, he felt convinced; antl the idea stole into his mind that they were produced by the bite of a snake. If so, ten even that cave iteslf was not proof against the fearful visitations of the stealthy .reptiles!—and thé man’s blood ourdied with horror at the idea that he had pos- sibly passed the night in that cavern with the very serpent that had pierced the unfurtunate dervish with its envenomed fange. The three Gossouns at length made “an end of their lamentations; and they addressed the Burker in their own language: but he could not compre- j‘induce hend a syllable they ssid—neither did they upder- | jungle—and too reckless of life not to seek their « stand him when he spoke to them in bis English vernacular. They now intimated by signs th&t he was to leave them: he joined his hands in en- treaty—but they shook their heads sternly, and motioned him to depart. Again he perserered in his endeavour to give them to understand that he Desought permission to accompany them: but their signs only grew more peremptory—and the knife was brandished before his gyes:—he was therefore pompelled to sling on his knapsack and hasten awéy. But ae he moved off, the thought occurred to him that might probably only re- quire his.@@mporary absence while they performed some, tite or ceremonics in respect to the de- osaded. He therefore resolved to watch them from s distance, and to approach them again if he be- held a suitable They however seemed determined that he should leave their vicinity al- A THE MYGTERIES OF THE COURT. — ieee wh GE, 2 - together; and they quickly disabueed him in re- epect to his last hope: for the one who was armed with a knife, followed the Burker for ea litele while; and every time he looked round, the Gos- soon kept making impatient signs for him ww hasten still farther away, | The wretched man was thus debarred of the which for a littla while had seemed to ch menacingly. The Burker made vehement signs tq! favour him, of being guided oug of that dreadful jungle. He continued his way; and when the Gossoon was no longer in aight, he sat down by the side of a rock from which @ crystal spring gushed forth. With that water he refreshed him- self: but he still remained sitting there, pqadering most despondingly hie forlern and desolate condi- tion. Every now and then he awoke as it were with a kind of start from his reverie, and flung his anxious looks ‘around, with the dread lest the Strangler were qreeping stealthily towards him. Heé however beheld no one; and after a while he resolved to cgntinue his way once more. He was pursuing bis path along a rough uneven ground, —diways taking care to awid the vieinity of trees as much as pogible, and likewise to avoid the long grass, when he was suddenly startled by a rustling amongst some shrubs at a little distance; and the next moment he beheld a black animal, consider- ably larger than a cat, rush forth in pursuit of some smaller prey. It was at panther of diminu- tive size: but the instant it caught sight of the Burker it bounded towards him. The man turned to fly; for the green eyes of the panther gleamed at him with a terrible flerceness: but all in a mo- ment a strange ory or yell of agony reached his ears; and glancing back, he observed that the panther had been seized upon by a oubra di eapello of considerable sise—the largest indeed that the Burker had as yet seen since first he set foot upon the soil of India. He remained not however to witness the result of the conflict between the ani- mal and the reptile: but he sped on with all the swiftness that be could command. Without at firet perceiving it, he was retracing hie way towards the cave: but he didenot become aware of the fact until he reached the rock from whose side the crystal spriog was gushing forth. Almost maddened by the sense of this last peril which he had escaped,~-once again embracing the hope that by means of piteous entreaty he might @ Gossoons to guide him ont of the presence once mo, even though he should perish by the sharp blade which they had used against their own persons,—the Burker resolved to go back to the cavern. It was now by no means dif- ficult for him to find his way thither: but when he came in sight of the eminence in the bowels of which it was hollowed,he beheld nothing of the Goseoons. Nor as he drew near its entrance did he behold the corpse of the deceased on the spot where he bad last seen it. Jt struck him that the Gossoons had probably buried it, and that they might be reposing themselves in the cave, As suming an aspect of the most piteous entreaty, be approached the cavern: but he beheld no one within. He however saw a wallet lying upon the ground; and he recognised it as that whieh had belonged to the deceased, and from which he had taken the ries. Bofore he touched it he assured himself thet no one was in the cavern,—tbe dead SS (CO) ECOMRniclacae