The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 317: what you’re looking at

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

288 REYNOLDS’ WORKS dared not immediately descend from the tree, though stronger and stronger grew his belief and his hope that the serpent was now powerless to hurt him. The effluvium continued most poisonous, most sickly, for it mingled with the heavy, sultry air, which was itself stagnant and dead, and there was not the slightest breath of a healthful breeze to carry that odour away. Time was passing; the snake lay completely motionless, and at length the Burker ventured to agitate the branches. This experiment strengthened his belief and his hope, for not even so much as the reptile’s head was raised from amidst the folds into which the boa had gathered itself at the foot of the tree. There it lay like a hideous shapeless mass, inert, to every appearance de- prived of vitality. Summoning all his courage to his aid, the Burker de- scended from the tree. A dread convulsing shudder shook him coldly as his feet touched the ground, —a shudder produced by the hideous apprehension that the snake might dart at him. But no, it still lay motionless. Then away he sped, away he sped as if for his very life, and he breathed not freely until, a considerable distance being com- pleted, he looked back and saw that he was safe from all pursuit. Yet still he rushed on, anxious to place as long an interval as possible betwixt himself and the scene of the horrible spectacle which he had beholden. At length, thor- oughly exhausted, he sank upon a sward of short, sweet herbage, near the brink of a well, the mouth of which was surrounded by granite blocks to a height sufficient to pre- vent any one from falling in if walking incautiously in the daytime or journeying that way in the dark. Yes, the Burker was utterly exhausted, both in mind and body. He wondered how he had possibly survived the tremendous spectacle he had witnessed. It even ap- peared to him a dream, though it was indeed all a terrific reality. For awhile he forgot the cravings of hunger; he thought not even of strengthening himself with the con- tents of his gourd. It seemed as if he could not sufficiently reason his mind into the conviction that he had actually escaped with his life from the hideous perils which he had so recently encountered. But at length he addressed himself to his provisions, and he was exhilarated with the potent fluid which he imbibed from the friendly gourd. CORNICE IOOLKKS (E(0)