The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 322: what you’re looking at

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

THE STRANGLER 293 blows with his great thick boots at the bare legs of the Strangler, so that the latter, unable to endure the agony, loosened his hold. But not a sound fell from his lips. No accent of either rage or pain escaped him; in total silence did he conduct his hostile proceedings, as if he were dumb. His hold was loosened but for an instant, and then he closed in such a manner with the Burker that the latter was no longer able to use his legs as weapons of offence, but had quite enough to do to prevent himself from being thrown down. Mustering up all his strength, arming him- self, as it were, with all the energies that he could possibly call to his aid, he made a tremendous effort to bring down his foe. But quick as lightning the Hindu darted away to a little distance; in the twinkling of an eye the lasso was taken from over the folds of his garment, and its length was flung forth as rapidly as the boa-constrictor had ere now thrown itself from the tree upon the tiger. The Burker was however fully on his guard, and as the noose approached him he caught it in his hand. With a sudden jerk it was torn away, and the Strangler disappeared amidst the bushes and long grass at a little distance. The Burker waited for some minutes with all the keen wariness of one who was not to be taken by surprise, but the Strangler reappeared not. The man sat down to rest himself, still, however, keeping his eyes fixed upon the spot where the Hindu had vanished. Half an hour passed, and no sign was there of the Strangler; no sound indicated his return. The Burker gave vent to a bitter imprecation that the encounter should have finished in such a manner, for he could not help thinking that his enemy would dog him through the jungle in the hope of taking him unawares. Thus the Burker’s position acquired a new horror, for he was not only exposed to the ferocious attacks of wild beasts and the more stealthy hostility of reptiles, but he had now to guard against a monster in human shape possessing the fierceness of the former and the subtlety of the latter. He rose and continued his way; but like Robinson Crusoe on the island, after having seen the print of a man’s foot upon the sand, he kept looking around him, with anxious uneasiness and nervous alarm, in every direction. Thus he toiled on through the jungle until night began to close in, and then, utterly exhausted, he felt the absolute necessity GOMIIGDOG SS) (S©)