The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 374: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE OOURBT. The cave was soon reached; and the Burker’s first thought was to look and see if there were any provisions in the niche under the loophole: but there were none. He set about to fortify the cavern with even greater precautions than he had used on the former occasions ; and when his task was accomplished, he partook of the food and liquor which he still possessed, and of which he had a supply sufficient for the morrow. His former experiences at the cave had led him to believe, or at least to hope that it was cafe against the intra- sion of venomous reptiles: but how far secure it might prove agninst the designs of his human foe, he knew not, He therefore dreaded the approach of slumber when he felt a drowsiness stealing over him ; and in order to shake it off he rose up and walked about the cave, which penetrated to the distance of about six or seven yards under the hillin which it was hollowed. All of a sudden his foot kicked against something soft—apparently @ human form. A cry of alarm was on the very point of bursting from the Burker’s lips, as he fancied that it might possibly be the Strangler who had got before him to that hiding-place: but be kept back the exclamation at the very instant that it was about to peal forth: for though his foot had come in strong concussion with that ob- ject, whatever it were, there was no movement on its part. The Burker stooped down, in the utter darkness which prevailed in the cave ; and full of horrified suspenss he passed his hand over the ob- ject. He encountered garments of some sort ; and now his hand came in contact with azother hand: bat ite touch was that of death! ‘here was a human corpée in that cave, The Burker’s blood congealed in his veins: he abuddered from head to foot: a glacial Lorror took possession of him. He had barricaded himeelf in that cave with a corpse !|—his soul revolted in superstitious dread from the unseen body; and yet be dared not dash down his granite barriers and issue forth from that cavern, for fear of becoming a prey to the terrible Strangler who might be lurking outside. But, oh! to pass an enotire night—short though an Kastern night be —in that den, along with a dead body,— the idea was intolerable! If he hed seen it —if he knew precisely how it looked—if he were aware of the manner in which the person had died—it would be all different: but he was utterly ignorant on these points. He sat himsef down in the cave, near the barricade at the en- trance, so as to be as remote as possible from the aubject of his horror; and then ten thousand hideous ideas began trooping through hie mind. He fancied he could hear the corpse move —that it was gliding towards him as noiselessly as the Strangler was creeping to approach him some hours back; and the wretched man thus went on giving way to his terrific imaginings until his hair stood on end, his eyes were staring through the darkness in wildest~—almost frensied horror. No inclination had he for slumber now: no need was there to battle against a sensation of drowsiness ; for it etole not over him: he was broad awake ;— never was he more completely awake in his whole life | Thus the hours paseed on,—hours that consti- tuted one long mortal agony for that wretched, wretched man. It was not enough to endure the eee GT 363 horrors and dangers of the jungle—the perils of wild beaste, of serpents, and of monsters in human form: but even in the cave which he had at least fancied to be a comparatively sure retreat, he found himself a prey to thoughts and feelings which were sufficient to drive him to madnoas. Nout once did the man olose his eyes that night: but there he sat, irresistibly abandoning himself to reflections and misgivings which would have made almost any other person suddenly shriek forth as a maniac. At length the glimmering of dawn began to penetrate through the interstices of the barrier he had fixed at the entrance of the cavern: but still the end of the cave remained enveloped in total darkness. Morning advances rapidly in the eastern clime; and the sun soon poured forth ite full effulgenoe. Tho Burker’s mind felt relieved ; and he began to remove the barricade from the mouth of the cavern. When this task was ac- complished, he advanced towards the dead body, and drew it forward by the feet until the light re- vealed the entire form completely to the Burker’s eyes. It was the body of an old Hindoo, with a long grey beard ; and its dress euabled the Burker to comprehend that the man had been one of those Gossoons, or wandering Dervishes, whom he had seen during his journey from Calcutta to Indera- bad, when a prisoner in the suite of Queen Indora and her husband. But how came the man by his death P—was it from natural causes? had be in ill- ness dragged himself to that cave to die? or had he, when reposing there, been suddenly smitten by the hand of the destroying angel? The Burker knew not. There were no marks of violence upon the old man’s person: but as the Burker examined him more and more closely, he perceived two little © spots close together upon the calf of one of the thin emaciated lege. These spots resembled the uncturea of a lancet, or of some other small sharp-pointed instrument. They were of a livid hue on the dusky skin of the deceased; and it was only after the closest inspection that they were discernible at all. The Burker did not however fancy that these were in any way connected with the man’s death; and he therefore came to the conclusion that he had died from some natural cause. Issuing forth from the cave, the Burker looked cautiously about,—keeping himself upon his guard against tho deadly lasso of the Strangler: but no one was to be seen. He dragged the corpse completely out of the cavern; and he found that in a species of wallet which the dead Goesoqn had about his person, there was a quantity of cold boiled rice. The Burker could not afford to let pass such an oppor- tunity of replenishing his own knapsack, even though the provender had been lying for hours in such near contact with a corpse. While he was engaged in transferring the rice to his wallet, he suddenly beheld three persons advancing from a little distance. He started up from his kneeling posture, and rapidly scrutinised them with mingled hope and apprehension. They might prove friendly disposed and help him to escape from the depths of the dreadful jungle: or they might prove as hostile as the Stranglers themecives. Ho saw that they were three Gossoons; and now he was smitten with the dread that they might fancy he had murdered the individual who lay at his feet. e ee | GOnNGIOOKSHeOn