The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 400: what you’re looking at

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

ee =e ©@ — gee —= = deadly reptile; and a cobra, uprearing its hooded head, darted at the face of the Gossoon, who was uppermost at the instant, his Bands clutching the Burxer’s clothes, and tho Burker retaining him likewiso in his powerful grasp. The Burker in- stautaneously sprany up to his feet, horrified and di§mayed, a cold perspiration breaking out all over him; whilo the Crossoua, with an anguished yell, likewice started upgthe cobra Laving bitten hin on the cheek, uick as Webtung the half- maddened dervish snatched up a stune, and hurled it at tho serpent as it was gliding again amidst tho grass. Tho reptile was stricktn just behind ite hooled head; and it continued to writhe be- neath tho stone whicheheld it firmly down to the eurth. Making a piteous sign to tho Burker to leave him unmolosted, the Gussvon hastily gathered sorne herbs, which he selected ftom amongst tho grass; and putting them into hig inouth, he began ! to chow them,—lis wholo frame quivering wit | the nervous cxcitainent and suspeng of his feel- ' ings. For a fow minutes tho Barker lookfd_on, he himeelf being scareely able to shake off tho | hornfying sensation which had soigod upon him at this terrific interruption of the strugglogvith the | Gussoon: but as ho praduully collected his ideas, ho began to deliberate on tho course which he | should pursue. Tho Gossvon, having chewed the ' herbs into a poultier, applied it to his cheek with one hand—while with the other he pade depre- cating signs to the Burker, evidently entreating him to let bim have this one last chance of hile, and that under existing circumstances all personal hostility should be suspended. But the English- man wns already reflecting that if the medicinal properties af the herbs sbould neutralizo the venom of tho snake-bite—in short, if the Gosavon should continue to enjoy a hale and vigorous lifo—they would stand towards each other in pre- cisely the same position as before. They would have tle same fecling that the security of the ono could only be guaranteed by the death of tho other —- for they were mutually suspicious,—the Burker especially could no Roger trast tho Gos.‘ suon,—and the latter hed moreover given him a euspestion, to tho effect that the treasure might as well be possegsed by one as by both. Thus was it that the Burker camo to the con- elusion that it wero ridiculous to loso tae presont opportunity, and to suffer the Gussvun to obtan! ean advantage over him. IIo therefore all ina moment darted back a fow yavwds, caucht up a huge stone in both his hands, and hurled i6 at the Hindoo. ‘Tho latter boheld the mouvement and ‘started aside: bué that movement was too rapid to fail altogether in its effect; and the stone, 1n- atead of striking the head of the detvish, smoto him on the shoulder. Down ho fell, sending forth a howl that reverberated through tho ruins: but the Burker suffered not an instant to clapso ere be repeated tho assault. Another stouo was flung— this timo with bettor effect: it struck tho Gossvon upon the head. Tho crashing ofyhis ekuil would have sounded horriblo upun the cars of any other person but the Burker, who remorselessiy hastened to despatch his victim. Thus wits the Burker rid of the Gossoon—tho san who had been Ins companion -in some seus his friend—but chiefly an enemy. Sole maston of tho treasure was tho Burker nas : but how could 8 ¢ PE A SL A =a as = eS RT rE LTT i LO TE OE Seneca Sees See ee Ge THE MYSTIRIES OF THE COURT. . $87 a e he render it available? He had no means of con- veyance for such a quantity of jars; and if he were to load himself with the coin, he gould bear bat comparatively a small portion of it away with him. Iie must havo time to reflect. But he remembered that if any of the inhabitghts, or authorities of the district, or auy wayférers sliould happen to find him amongst those ruine with a corpse, it would be instantaneously éupposed that he had cuinmitted a foul murder, without provocation, and without the faintost shadow of excuse for the crime. Ho therefore resolved to conczetl tho doad body; and having rifled it, he dragged it to the extrom¢y of the ruins, where he Govered it with fragments of the dilapidated masotry. When this was done, the Burker sat down uvon a mass of granite ¢o think of the course which he should now pursue. To remove the treasuro without a vehicle, was impossible: to obtain ond without ox- citing suspicion of some sort or another, scented equally impracticable for @ person situated as he was. True, he had a quantity of money about him, bis own bag of rupees, and the Guasnob’s likewise; for he had taken this from about the person of the corpse :—but his wretched apparel, his ill-looke, and his guspicious appearance would inevitably buing him into trouble if he were to proceed to any &ouse and exhibit sufficierft coin fur tho hiro or purchaso of a cart. Then, what was hoto dof The only plan appeared to bo the first which ho had thought of—namely, that of securing about his porson as much of the treasure as possible, and taking his departure from that Bpot. Having made up his mind to the pursuance of this course, the Burker proceedod to manufacture a couple of torches similar to those which he had just now seen the Gnssoon make; and inasmuch as from the’ rifled garments of the corpse he had procured the materials for striking a light, he pre- pared for anothor descent into the subterranean. The sliding trap-door of masonry was opened; and, having lighted Sne of bis torahes, the Burker desconded thersteps. | But not many moments had he been in gho cavern, whon he was startled by hearing a sort of subdued grow! eomowhere within tho ruins. g He thought that it must be faney—or at least enJeayoured to persuade himself that it wi: “but the sound was repeated—~and it was ac- companied by a slight rustling of the long grass whey it was not cleared away. For a few in- etants the Englishman was 60 paralysed by mortal terror as to be unable to take any decisive step, until suspense grow horrible boyond all endurance ; and then, with a torch still burning in his band, he began to ascend the steps. With oxceeding caution—shuddering from head to fuot—and hor- ribly alarmed Icet somo wild animal should spring at him, the Burker thus raised himeelf up until his eyes could gust look over tho level of the aper- ture. Then a fierce growl saluted his ears, tnetan- tanevusly followed by asocond sound whieh may ¥e described as a sivage low] of affright; and he bé- held a huge tiger retreating slowly, evidently in alarm at tho light of the torch. The Burker was so smitten with consternation that he nearly fell down the steps: but suddenly recovering his pre- sence of mind, he closed tho trap-door, all except about an inch; and ho left it tbus far open for two reasons. The first was that the epring might Lo) COMIC OOS SS (CO)