The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 397: what you’re looking at

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

~ A 884 ‘ THE MYSTERIES khan. He had: some idea of playing the part of howling mendicant by himsclf: but beholding a couple of Peons proceeding through the street, he thought of the tortures—and he quitted the town. For, several hours he wandered through the country, reckless in which direction he proceeded —having no fixed ain—but wondering what would become of himself. At length he reached a pile of ruins, which seemed to,be the remains of some ancient temple. He remembered the ruined temple he had seen in the jungle; and his blood‘ ran cold at the recollection of how he had there beheld snakes coiling all over the black marble image. He therefore hesitated to enter amidst these ruins,—although the beams of the meridian sun were pouring down with all their burning heat upon him. He was faint and exhausted with hunger, with weariness, and with the intolerable sultriness of the day : he therefore at last mustered up courage sufficient to penetrate into the ruins. Amidet huge blocks of granite did the English- man work his way—over prostrate pillars and crumbling columns did he step—until.he at Jength found himeelf inside as much as remained of she edifice iteelf. He perceived one large image upon @ pedestal, and another lying amidst the runk grass which grew where a pavement of stone or marble once had been. ‘ As,,he was proceeding cautiously,‘the Burker’s foot kicked against something alnidst the grass; and it being of a very hard substance, he had no fear that it was any coiled-up reptile, He stooped down, and felt about upon the spot :—his hand en- countered an iron ring fastened to the middle of a stone about two feet equare. Thinking thet the Circumstance was worth while to be further inves- f OF THE OOURT. some neighbouring spring. But scarcely had he advanced a dogen yards from the dilapidated edi- fice, when he beheld the unmistakable form of the squint-eyed Gossoon approaching. It was with a sudden yell of rage that the Burker bounded to- wards his late companion: but the latter, with e malignant grin, drew forth a sharp poniard from beneath his garments; asd holding its point to- wards the Burker, seemed to say, “Come on if you dare !” ’ The Englishman stopped sxort, scowling hor- ribly: the Gossoomburst out into a laugh, which only irritated the Englishman more than ever, if possible, against him; so that at all riske he was on the very point uf springing at the treacherous dervish, when this individual suddenly tatsed his wallet towards him. Th8 Burker picked it up; and as he opened it, his hand first of all encoun- tered a flask. This he at once applied to his lips; and the potent alcohol he imbibed tended to appease his raga somewhat ,and improve his dumour. He glanced at the Gossoon, who was now gtinning, nddding, and wagging his head, and squinting more horribly than ever with his right eye. . The wallet cintained some tempting provisions ; and the’ Burker was already commencing a ravenous attack upon them, when the Gossoon spoke some- thing and made him a sign,to repair to the ruins of the temple. The Burker hesitated and looked suspicious: but the Hindoo‘ replaced his dagger beneath hi garments, and made signs of amity and peace. The Burker thought that after all the Gossoon could entertain no murderous inten- tion towards him ; for if 60, he might have already carried it into effect while ‘he was inspecting the tigated —and having ideas of buried treasures | wallet; and therefore he no longer hesitated to floating through his mind—the Englishman began to remove the long grase which grew all about the return into the temple. There they sat down together, eating and drinking just as if their stone; and when he had torn up the rank herbage | companionship had never once been interrupted by the roots, the midst of surrounding pavement, upon which a surface of earth had accumulated sufficient to pro- duce and nourish the grasa whieh he had thus cleared. He:dow endeavoured to raise the stone : but vain were his attempts.c Exhausted thereby, he desisted—and began to console hfnself for his failure in a fashion somewhat similar to that of the fox with respect to the grapes im the fable. He muttered between his lips that the stone with the ring doubtless covered the mouth of a well, aed that any ridiculous. he found that the stone was set in | idea of a buried treasure was idle and | 4 by the perfidy of the Hindoo; and when the meal was concluded, the Gossoon rose and begat to examine the interior of the ruins, evidenfly with the air of a man aho beheld them for the first time. The Burker meanwhile was wondering whether his companfon still hed the bags of rupees about him; ani if so, how he could turn the tables and become the despoiler. All of a sudden an ejaculation escaped the lips of tRe dervish :-— he had diacovered the stone with the iron ring! The Burker now approached the spot; and partly by signs, partly by means of the fow words of Hindostanee with which be was acquainted, he’ The exceeding sultriness of the sun compelled | gave the Gossoda to understand that it was he the Burker to remain within the shade afforded by | the ruined temple. He was faint with hunger ' and parched with thirat: he resolved at the ap- proach of evening to quit bis present quarters, himeelf who had torn up the grass, but that be had vainly endeavoured to lift the stone. The Gossoon attempted the task ; but appeared equally unable to perform it. He then took his dagger, and appeal to the charity of some dweller at any ' and with the point endeavoured to work away neighbouring cottage for food and a night's rest. : the coment which urited the stone to the sur- Perbaps through the man’s mind floated the idea ' rounding ones. While he was thus occupied, an of enriching himeelf once more Uy means similar idea entered into the Burker’s head. He thought to those which hac temporarily put him in posses. | that he might seize the opportunity of gratifying sion of a bag of rupeese for crime is horribly sug- | his vengeance, and recovering possession of his gestive, even on the p own misdeeds would appear to stand in need of no such hints at ail. te In o short time the thirst of the Burker grew eo intolerable that he wus compelled to issue forth , art of those who by ther bag of rupees,éwith the Gossvon's treasure like- wiso, all at the same time. His eye settled upon a fragment of masonry which lay conveniently near, and which was of dimensions suitable to be wielded for his murderous purpose,—when the (rom -the ruined temple in the hope of finding | Gperoon, suddenly starting up from the work in — @ LOAO© (C©) SS (CO)