The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 399: what you’re looking at

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

/ TOE MYSTERGES OF TIIE COURT. USU Buiker that they should quit the cavern for tka present. The Englishman now once again aban- dgnod himself to*the guidance of the Gussoon; and he offered no objection when that individual began to lead the way up the stone steps. They had each lighted a second torch: but these were alroady burnt so low as to last but for a minute or | two longer. : | The Goggoan, aa we have aqid, began to Jead the | way up the eteps, tho Burker following. [ut all jiu arnomont i6 struck the latter that the L{indoo was hasteuin up with @ suspicious quickness; and an idea of trfaghery flashod through the English- mang mind, The Guesvon sprang out of the apor- =vwn- iit “Soe Cl Jength succeeded s and with but little difficulty he | moved the stone—or rather, we should say, not : merely the one which contained the ring, but the surrounding smaller ones to which it was joined. | Inatead of opening hke a trapedang, tho roass of masonry rolled aside, discloging qn aperture large | enough for a stout person to throgyh. An | @jaculation of joy burst froth the Gossaan’s lips; and the Burker was now full of exoited curiosity and suspense. The stone covering” of the apertura was fixed by rings, on its underneath part, to two iron bars running horizontal and parallel threo or four inches below tho aperture; so that thegmasonry could not be raised, hut it alid with comparative |} ture; and the next inséant the Burker, to hie ease sideways, when the spring which retainod j¢| horror, beheld the masonry gliding over him. fast was acted y by the ‘turning of the iron | With a gry, or rather yell, at the hideous thought | ring. There waqa flight of atone steps leading | of being buried ‘alive in that tomb, he thrust up down into utter g@grkness: nor was it possible tu | his right hand, which held tho frarment of the | conjecture to what depth the abyss descended. ; bfazing torch; and it came in cuntact with the The Gossoon collegted together a guautity of dry | Gussoun’s hand, which was upon tho ring of tio branches and leaves feain some frees in the jn- | oenfral gtone. A howl of agony burst from the mediate vicinage of the temples and ipaking a loose faggot, he sot fire to thege aombustiblo mate- rials. He threw the blazing toreh into the sub- terranean; and the glare waa sufficient to show that it was a room, or cavern, af ¢bous ten feet in dépth, to which tho steps led clown. The Gossoon rubbed bis hands, laughed glee- fully, and gave every evidenca of his conviction that some discovery tovst important to himself and his companion was about to be made. He then proceeded to manufactura three or four torches; and when this task was aggomplisbed, he signalled the Burker to descend into the cavern for the purposes of research. But the Englishman, terribly suspicious of perfidy, shook his head, and intimated that it was the Goesuon eee ee who ought to be the fret to descend. The Hindvo, thinking that bis companion required some fres proof of his sineerity towards him, drew furth his poiguard, snapped the blade jn halves, and tossed the fragments. anidet tho rufus. The Burker now thought that ho need no longer hesitate: but stilP he made a sign for the Gossvon to fofow him. The Hindoo assented: two torchcs were lighted; and the Burkor, carrying onc, began the descent of the stone stepa. The ILindoo, carrying the other, was close behind him, we amall room of about the depth which we heve al- ready specified; and ic was probably eight fvvt equare, by six in width. Along one of the walls several small vases were ranged; and on the lids of these being lifted off, they wero found to be filled with coins, but so disculuurel as to afford the idea at first that thoy were all of copper or even of a baser metal. But the dervish, with another ejaculation of joy, rang a few of them on tho paved fluor, bit them with his teath, and proved them to be silver. He then danced in the gleeful- ness of his mood; and the Burker was likowise go overjoyed that he forga’ all his past enmity and hatred towards the man through whose instru- mentality this colossal treasure. was discovered. Some minutes elapsed bofore the Gussvon could 0 far regain bis composure as to reflect upon the course which was next to be adopted. Nor did 1t appear as if he were very well able to mako up bis mind ig a hurry: for he signalled to tho a rare a They found themselves, as they expected, in a‘ eee eee ee flesh; his hang quitted its hold on ¢he ring: tho Burke rallied back the masonry, and leaped forth fron the subterranean. Now, these two men stood facing cach other with aspects of flerce aud malignant doflance. Tho Gossoon's treaohery was bus tov woll underetoud by tho Buykor; for tho porfdiwus Hindoo had in- | tended to accomplish his death by starvation or suffovation in the subterranean, sv that he might possogs himeclf of the whole of tho treasure. ho Burkor evull no more repose tho slighteut confi- denoe in him : the Guagaon evidently felt this; aud thus the two ion stood confronting cach other, as if with the mutual conviction that oov must now die in order for the survivor to be safe. Bota were unarmed, and each seemed fearful of come | mencing the attack. The Gussoon had uob tho | saino confidarce in himself as when he suddenly ° pounced upon the Burker and hurlod him down | at tne oave in the jungle. Perhaps he know that, he had thon merely taken him by surprise, anil | that by aheor agility he had performed a feat for we | repetition of whieh he sould not hope, now that | juts uppoucnt stuod entirely upon his guard. On | | | | Hfadoo as the blazing faggot broke all ovor his | tho other hand the Englishman ways equally rm lue- tant to ko tho first to closo in the death-struy le, for fvar lest the Gossoon should havo some fresh manguvre or practise somo artifice for which he was unprepared, ‘Thoy were hke two wild beasts, determined upon an encountcr-—— whose fvro- cious instincts could not bo otherwise appeasot—- yet neither daring to commoncey tho attack—each waiting to tako the other at disadvantago—their eyes glaring —thoir forme quivering, witn every muscle and tendon vibrating under the influence of torrific excitement and suspense. At length, with characteristic desperation, the Burker sprang at his foe, whom he endeavoured to clutoh by the thr iat : but the Gusanon to a cer- tain extent avoyling tho attack, seized the Burkor round the waist aud hurled hia to the grouud— thus repeating the feat which he had performed at the cave in the jungle. The Kugnehman however held fast to lis oppunont ; and amidst the grass did thoy etrugule in tho immediate vicinugo of the nuth of tho subterrancan. All in & moment there was the sharp, quick, viminons biss of @ ¢ &@ ElOOOKS Lo) (CO)