The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 338: what you’re looking at

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

THE ITINERANTS 309 the itinerants, when all of a sudden a terrific howl, or, rather, ferocious yell, burst upon every ear, and forth from an adja- cent thicket darted an enormous tiger, apparently leaping with a single bound for at least a dozen yards. With the wildest shrieks the women sprang to their feet, while fearful cries of horror and alarm pealed from the lips of the men. Flight became general, with the single exception of the old snake-charmer, for it was upon him that the tiger pounced with that terrific bound which it made. Encircled as he was with the twisting snakes, was he thus seized by the ravenous animal, and borne off, yelling fearfully, into the thicket whence the brute had emerged. The Burker sank down in his cavern, horrified at this scene, but in a few moments the evidences of the old man’s agony ceased, death had no doubt put a termination to his frightful sufferings, and he was feeding the bloodthirsty maw of the tiger. But when the Burker ventured to peep forth again from his hiding-place, not a human form was to be seen; the dancers and the flageolet-player had all vanished. Mad- dened and desperate at having lost this chance of being suided forth from that dreadful wilderness, the Burker hurled down his barricade and rushed out, in the hope of distinguishing the forms of the fugitives, in whatsoever direction they had taken. But he beheld them not, and throwing himself upon the ground, he beat his breast and tore his hair with mingled rage and disappointment. Heaven itself seemed to be warring against him. If he beheld human beings in that jungle, it was first in the form of travellers who were to be assassinated before his eyes, then in the form of Stranglers seeking his own life, or in the shape of wander- ing dervishes who would have no communion with him, and lastly, when there appeared to be every prospect of falling in with friendly disposed persons, the jungle vomited forth one of its most dreadful monsters to scare them away. No wonder that the wretched man should fling himself upon the ground, and lie writhing and convulsing there with a mental anguish as terrible as if he were enduring the agonies of death. But after awhile the fury of his enraged disappointment abated, and he rose up from the ground. He now looked about him on the spot whence the itinerants had disappeared, and no trace of their recent presence did he behold except GOMiulGdoG SS) (©)