The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 303: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXII THE TIGER On awaking in the morning, the Burker seriously reflected upon his position, and he came 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 knapsack with the remnant of his provisions and slung it over his shoulders. He likewise took with him the gourd, for it still contained no inconsiderable 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 supplies of pro- vision, but after the tragedy which he had beholden in the jungle, he could not linger in a neighbourhood which ap- peared to be infested with human monsters as formidable as those which belonged to the brute creation. The Burker accordingly set out, with his gourd and his knapsack, 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 consternation of those mariners of the olden time who were the first to penetrate into the awful watery solitudes of the South Pacific, if their compass had been lost. But almost equally hopeless was the task now entered upon by this man, exposed to a thousand perils, without firearms or weapons of any kind to protect himself against the wild animals that swarmed in the solitudes of that jungle, ignorant of the way he ought to pursue, and 274 CORNIELNOOLKS (E(©)