The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 386: what you’re looking at

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

SHB MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. to wach his cars; and though disguised as it were by their vosy plaintiveness, yet had he the con- viction that they came from a human tongue. of a sudden the thicket through which he was ad- vancing, ecased; and then a frightful spestasie mot his cyes. For there, at tho foot ef tho tree, lay the aldeat of the three Gosseans, ‘encircled ia the folds of a boa constrictor, whose tail wae ooiled yound the lower part of that treo’a trunk. The reptile raised its head om bebolding the Burker— who did not however remain there another instant to contemplate more of that scene of stupendous horror: bust he fled, goaded by the agonising ap- prehession that the snake might quit its held upon the Gossoon and mark himself as its prey mstead. Qn be rvau,—ustil breathless and exhausted, he reached a rocky eminence; sad om the slope he threw himself down. There he lay for some mi- autes, until his presence of mind began to return ; end he reflected with shuddering horror upon what he had seen. Two of the Gessoons had met a hideous fate :—had the third escaped ? or was he likewise doomed to perish in the jungle, to the perils of which he as well as they had abando @ fellow-creatureP And would the Burker himself issue with his life from that wilderness of dangers that wild and awful district where death was to be confronted in so many ghastly, frightful, and appalling shapes? = The Burkes sat in a desponding mood,—asking himself these questions, and reflecting on all these things,—when it struck him that he beard a slight rustling sound higher up behind; and starting with tho idea that a reptile was gliding towards him, he just escaped the noose of a lasso which was thrown at his head. For there, upon that rocky eminence, stood the Strangler—the remain- ing companion of him whom the Burker had slain. With a cry of vindictive rage, the Burker sprang up the slope, om the top af which the shark-teethed Hindoo tarried to meet him. Now for another battle—another conflict—as- obher struggie, to whioh the only end that could be expected was the death of one of these mortal foes ! A glance showed the Barker that the Strangler hed in his hands ne other weapen than the lasso: @ simultancous made the Hindoo aware that the Englishman had no visible weapon but his club. Yet neither knew whether the other might not have a knife or dagger, or evon 8 piatol, concealed about the person. With his olub held up over his head—alike as a means of defence inst the lasso, and to be in readiness to deal a The Strangler atood firm, holding his cord in a pe- Guliar manner; and as the Burker drew near, that lasso was thrown out with such sudden violence that the knot of the noose struck him upon the mouth. The blood gushed forth; and he was for an instant staggered :— but maddened with the in, he made one bound towards his enemy. The trangler darted aside, and gathered up his lasso with incredible rapidity for the purpose of using it again: but the Barker's club reached his left arm, as a blow was dealt with all the energy of the in- furiate _ aoe That arm fell crushed and powerless By the Strangler’s sido: but the right band again threw forth the lasso,—and again too with more or less effect. It struck the Burker in 875 the middle of the forehead, with such violence a to make him reel even more than the former blow; All| and lightning appeared to gleam before his oyes, But again did he rush towards the Strangler, who however dasted baelz; anzl tho lasso was once more whistling through the air,-~ite noose this time being thrown at the Burker’s neck. Is was a marvol that he avoided i¢,—and yet he did. Then, at the same instant, he hurled his cudgel with all his might at the Strangler: it struck the Hindoo a tremendous blow upon the face; and the wretch toppled over the side of the rook, which in that dizection was precipitous. The Burker lboked down into the abyss of about thirty feet in depth; and there he beheld the Steangler darting away: for, to the Englishman’s astonishment, hie opponent had enidenily alighted om his feet. The lasso having fallen from the Strangler’s haud, ley upon the top of the rock; and it was now evident that the Hindoo miseseans himself had experienced enough of the cen flict for the present ocoassion. He was flying; aad the Burker remained a victor upon the battle ned | gsound. Ata very little distance a broad atream was rolling ; and the thought struck the Burker that he would pursue his enemy and despatch him altoge- ther. That river appeared to bar the Strangler’s progress; for how could he swim across it with the use only of his right apm? And the stream made so sweeping a curve likewise, that if the Strangley followed ite course along its bank, either to the right hand op to the left, it would bring him again in close proximity to the roek, which now seemed te serve as a fortalice commanding the entize posie tion; so that the Busker conceived thaé he had only to sally down on either side, aesording to cir« cumstances, and cut off the Strangler’s retreat. All these ideas passed through the Busker’s mind during the space of the few momenés ia which the Stsangler was fleciug towasds the river. Straight he went, neither diverging te the sight nor or the left!—straight te the contye of the are formed by that bead of the streams The weeda, the sedges, and the grasa grew high upon the river’¢ bank :— through that margining fringe sushed the Strangler, so that the Burker now became cad denly conviaced that his foe did yeally intend te pass it by swimming, or by fording it—if it were indeed fordable. Am imprecation busst from the Englishman's lips at the ides that the Hindea | would after all escape him ! But what is that dark object which exddenly ap- again ; Pedra amongst the weeds and sedges 2 The Strangien terrific blow—the Burker rushed on to the combat. | turns to retrace his way: that object is clas be- hind him :--its whole form is now developed :-vit is a tremendous alligator! The Hindoo no longer flies in @ straight divection: he tarms round aod, round, describing small circles, 40 as ta avoid the long jaws of the unwieldy monster, whieh twas likewise. It is a scene of horrible excitement for the Burker, who beholds it all from the suxamit of that rock. For upwardg of ten minutes does the spectacle, as strange as it is frightful, endure—the Strangler describing those circles which eonstitate the charm by which only is his life safe—the mone ster perseveringly turning and turning likewise, but unable to clutch the man in its vast gapiog jows. Allin a moment the Strangler disappears from the Burker’s view: he has either fallea =f Goin G OOO SS} (CO