The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 366: what you’re looking at

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CHAPTER OLV. THE TIGER. Ow awaking in the morning, the Burker seriously reflected upon his position; and he eame to the fixed resolve of escaping out of that jungle, or perishing in the attempt. Being thus determined to abandon the hospitable cave, the Burker filled the knapeack with the remnant of his provisions and slang it over his shoulders, He likewise took with him the gourd; for it still contained no incon- siderable quantity of spirits, which being of a very potent character, produced much effect with even the smallest dram. It cost the Burker some regret to leave the cavern that had sheltered him; for he felt like a man who was leaving a harbour of comparative safety to enter upon the terrific perils of unknown seas. Perhaps, indeed, the miscreant would have remained altogether in that place, trusting to the benevolence of wayfarers to continue their sapplies of provision; but after the tragedy which he had beholden in the jungle, he qpuld not linger in a neighbourhood whieh appeared to be infested with human monsters as formidable as those which be- longed to the brute creation. The Burker accord- ingly set out, with his gourd and his knapeack, to enter upon the stupendous task of finding an issue from the jungle. Let the reader conceive how great would have been the danger and the ounster- nition of those mariners of the olden time who were the first to penetrate into the awful watery solitudes of the South Pacific, if their compase had been lost. Bat almost equally hopeless was the task now entered upon by this man—expoeed to a thousand perils—without fre-arme or weapons of any kind to protect himself againet the wild animals that swarmed in the solitades of that jangle—ignorant of the way he ought to pursue— and going forth to trast entirely to hasard and to accident to guide him out of this dread inhoepi- table region. Not far had the Barker when at a distance of about a bundred yards ahead he per- ceived a tall object, which he had at first taken fur a tres, or shrub, suddenly put itself in motion. What at the outest he had fancied to be the branches, all in an instant expanded and seemed to be flapping violently. The idea that it could be a bird flashed through the Burker’s mind: but a bird of at least seven feet in beight sppeared to him an impossibility. Yet a second thought made him reflect that a country which could produce gsuakes so monstrous as those which he had seen, might contain amongst ite zoological wonders birds as coloveal as the object which he now-beheld at a little distance. He stood still, less terrified per- haps than he had been at the sight of other living things the very names of which made the blood run cold and the flesh creep upon the bones: but atill he was far from feeling comfortable. It was indeed a bird which the man was con- templating ; and it was now walking slowly away from the spot where he first saw it. Wo may as well inform the reader that it was one of the adju- tant species, which often attains the height of five feet, and sumetimes grows to the proportions of this specimen which the Burker was now survey- THE MYSTERING OF THE COURT. 355 ing. Slowly it prsceeded, until appearing sad- denly to catch sight of a form to which the eye was unaccustomed, it advanced towards the Burker. Now the man was seized with a complete terror: he turned and fled. But the giant adjutant bird was speedily in his close vicinage ; and, apprehend. ing a sudden attack, ho snatched up a large stone against which his foot kicked. Fortunate for him wae it that he stepped back at the same moment with the speed of lightning: for from the very spot whence he had picked up the stone, a cobra di capello darted forth, raising ite hideous hooded head, hissing, and preparing to spring at him. In another moment the adjutant bird seized the cobra in ite bill; and the Burker availed himeelf of the circumstance to place a still greater interval be- tween himeelf and that colossal specimen of the feathered tribe. He looked back :—the reptile had disappeared from the bill of the bird ; and the bird itself was slowly walking away in a contrary direction to that which the Burker wae pursuing. Relieved from that fource of apprehension, the wanderer continued his path—if path it could be called where beaten road there was none, and where he advanced amidst thick underwood or rank grass—or else over patches of sward where the herbage was short and sweet, constituting the few vases of wholesome vegetation in that wilder- ness. For a couple of hours the Burker pro- oeeded without experiencing any fresh peril or alarmi—until all of a sudden he was startled by a terrific crashing amongst a neighbouring thicket ; and thence emerged a huge animal, which by the trunk and the long ivory tusks he knew to be an elephant. The brute seemed to be cither in a naturally wild or else frightened etate: for on emerging from the brake, it stood snorting, elevat- ing ite trunk, and pawing, or rather trampling the ground with its feet. The Burker stood transfixed with terror for a few moments: he was then about to turn and fly, when there was a sud- den rush frum the same thicket—and another animal made its appearance. The next moment the elephant and this new-comer closed as it were in combat; and still was the Burker transfixed, gasing upon the awful scene. The brute with which the elephant was thus engaged, was of considerably less dimensions; and it had a long ‘curving task, or horn, on the upper part of its snout. The wanderer in the jungle know not what it was: but the reader has by this time comprehended that it was a rhinocerce— the deadly foe of the elephant. Each seemed to be fully aware of the mode of attack that would be adopted by the other. The elephant rushed at the rhinoceros to pierce it with its long tusks: bat the rhinocoros, though apparently so un- wieldy, wheeled about, eecaped the meditated blow, and then rushed in with the intention of ripping its opponent’s belly with its own tusk. Then the elephant iteelf displayed a similar agility; and with a sudden movement received the blow upon its haunch, where ite impenetrable skin was an effective armour of resistance. Then front to front they were again:—this time the elephant’s sharp-pointed tusks pierced the side of the rhinoceros, near the shoulder; and the next moment the horn of the wuunded brute was driven up qith all the force of the impulsive head into the belly of the elephant. Down fell the GOnNGIOOKSHeOn