The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

THE ROYAL GEORGE 23 Springing to their feet when they were assured that the death-struggle was ended, the two murderers took possession of their victim’s pistols. Then they opened one of the stern- windows, and, raising the corpse between them, they thrust it forth into the ocean, which was now lashing itself up into foaming fury. The waters sucked in the dead body, and at the same instant a tremendous wave beat against the stern of the vessel. To draw down the wooden lids protecting the ports in which the windows were set was now the work of a few moments with the Magsman and the Big Beggarman; and having done this, their eyes met with looks of savage triumph, as they saw in the assassination of the captain the accomplishment of the first and most important step in their grand nefarious scheme. ‘“‘ Now, Stephen,” said the Magsman, as he examined the priming of the pistols and assured himself that it was quite dry, the great rough coat of the captain having effectually defended the weapons from the spray which had beaten over their owner when he was alive and performing his duty upon the deck, “ now, Stephen, you must go up above and play your part, as already agreed on.’ ‘“‘ T understand, old feller,’ responded the Big Beggarman, putting on his hat as firmly as possible so as to encounter the fury of the gale. Then, having tossed off a dram of raw spirit, he quitted the cabin, closing the door behind him. On ascending to the deck, the atmosphere was at first so dark that the Big Beggarman could distinguish nothing: all seemed black as if the air were a solid mass of pitch. But ina few moments his eyes began to grow accustomed to that dense obscurity, and the masts, spars, and cordage gradually stood out in lines of jet against the inky sky. The forms of the seamen appeared like black objects of uncouth shape, and the bulwarks of the vessel stretched forward on either side until they seemed lost in the darkness at the farther extremity. The wind was howling, sweeping, and roaring in all the variations of its voice of terror; the spray beat over the deck, and the motion of the ship was so great that the Big Beggar- man would have speedily lost his balance had he not in the © first instance clung to a rope, and then made a rush, as it were, to the mainmast. Unobserved by the sailors, who were busting about performing the orders issued from the lips of the first mate, (C(O) Anyi } CS {