The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 384: what you’re looking at

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

rf THY MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. was partaken of. Afterwards the two Goseoons aecended the hillock ; and both looked intently in the same direction from which they themselves had respectively come,—as if they were awaiting another arrival. The Burker began to fear that if the company of Gossoons were increased, he might be abandoned by them, as he was by those who had taken away the dead body with them ;—and painful misgivings agitated in the wretched man’s soul. That day passed like the preceding one,— the Gossocons sleeping for hours together— the Barkor watching at the mouth of the cavern—and having to collect the firewood in the evening. No other Gossoon made his appearance: there was no fresh arrival of any kind; and another night was passed in the cavern. Again, in the morning, when the meal had been pertaken of—and which meal completely emptied the bag,—the two Gossoons ascended the hillock, the Burker following them. No new-comer was to be seen; and there the Gosscons sat, watching in silence for a couple of hours until the heat of the sun became intolerable with its sultriness. Then the dervishes gave vent to ejaculations of mingled rage, astonishment, and disappointment: and the Burker had no difficulty in comprehending the cause. They evidently expected some person or persons, who however came not. They descended into the cavern, and stretched themselves to shum- ber,—the Burker taking his accustomed post just within the entrance, so as to shade himself against the piercing rays of the sun. It was evening when the Gossoons awoke; and then they both hastened with avidity to inspect the niche under the loop- hole: but there were no provisions there. They sade impatient signs to the Burker to inquire whether any one had beenf—and on his signal- ing a negative, they looked as if they were very much inclined to wreak their rage upon himeelf, It was indeed with a sort of menacing peremp- toriness that they pointed to the thicket as an intimation that fe shoald gather the firewood; and he hastened to obey—for he was now more than ever afraid of these men. His fears in that respect so operated upon his mind as to enhance the poignaney of the apprehensions with which he eet foot in the thicket—the lurking place of the reptile, and which had likewise recently proved the ambush of the tiger. While treading amidst the long grase, he fancied that cobras were coiling up his logs; and the ice-chill of terror struck to the very marrow of his bones. Upon those bones too did the flesh appear to creep, as he epproached the trees from which he had to tear away the branches—those trees whence the fatal coils of the boa constrictor might possibly unwind to fling down its huge slimy length and envelope hic form. Bat his task was achieved without the occurrence of any of theee terrible casualties; and he set to work to pile up the wood in front of the cavern. ‘Whether it were that he was not quick enough fn his movements to please the elder Gossoon—or that this individual required some object on whom to wreak the vindictive spite with which hunger filled him—we cannot say: but certain it is that with an ejaculation of rage, he snatched up a stout branvuh and dealt the Burker a savage blow upon the head. In a mumuent the Englishman flew like a tiger at the Hindoo: but the latter, suddenly akipping aside, caught the Burker round tho waist, 373 just as the other Gossoon had done, and hurled him to a distance with as much ease as if he were merely thus toasing away from him an infant child. Again was the Burker compelled to put up with the rough treatment so sustained; and he had a severe experience that the strength of the elder Gossoon, emaciated a wretch though he wore, was in no wsy inferior to that of his younger com- panion. Both were hie masters, and seemed re- solved to prove themselves so. In a mood of sullen resignation and dogged submission, did the Barker continue his task; and when it was com- pleted, he and the two Gossoons stretched them. selves supperiess to repose. The itinerants speedily slept: but the cravings of hunger kept the Barker awake for the greater part of the night. At length sleep visited his eyes also; and if his dreams were less horrible than usual, it was per- hape because he had all the leas to tax or trouble his digestive organs. In the morning the Gossoons again ascended to the top of the hill,-again too followed by the Burker, who was as much interested as themselves in the arrival of any one bearing a supply of pro- visions. But no approaching form was to be seen. Crashing through the jungle at a little distance, was that phenomenon, a white elephant—ealled an albino : but it was speedily lost to the view—and the straining eyes of the two Gosscons and the Barker were again riveted in the direction whence the former evidently an arrival. And now, the Burker’s ideas changing, he began to hope that no one would come after all; for in this case he saw the necessity of the Gossoons leaving the cavern and betaking themselves to the nearest inhabited spot where provisions might be procured, — in which case he was resolved to accompany or to dog them, unless overpowered by their supe- rior brate force. All of a sudden, however, ejaculations of joy burst from the lips of the Gossoons; for they, with eyes more accustomed to mark the move- ments of human beings in their own native land, than the Barker's could possibly be, beheld some one advancing. In a short time the Barker him- self discerned the form which came hastening along with light step; for the expected individual was quite young. He likewise was a Guossoon— not above two or three and twenty years of age ; and he was as remarkable for his personal beauty as those whom he came to join were for their ugli- ness. He was of the medium stature—slender and well made—with a faultless aquiline profile, and superb eyes. He was attired with somewhat more neatness than the other Gossoons—but still in a poor styles; and his person displayed more cleanly habits. He had at hic back a wallet, or knapsack, of considerable size: he advanced ra- pidly, and eoon joined the Gossoons and the Burker, who descended from the top of the hil- lock. } When the new-oomer cast a look of wondering inquiry upon the Burker, the Gossoon who had firet of all arrived at the cavern, gave a few hasty words of explanation—as the object of the remarks could understand ; while the eldest Gossoon, with hands of greedy impatience and ravenous lvoks, began to take off the knapsack from tho new- oumer’s shoulders. On being opened, it was found to contain a quantity of provisions of a better (COLL G OOO SS} (CO