The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 344: what you’re looking at

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

THE ITINERANTS 315 rough, uncouth manner in which his gourd had been re- jected, and he could not help thinking likewise that in return for his civility the gossoon might have spared him a drop of the contents of his flask. He did not, however, make any demonstration of his anger; he thought it better to let the brutal Hindu enjoy the slumber of which he might possibly find himself in great need after a toilsome journey, and the Burker consoled himself with the hope that when the gossoon should wake up, the time for his deliverance from the depths of that horrible jungle would be at hand. Hours passed; still the gossoon slept on, and still the Burker sat at the entrance of the cavern, anxiously awaiting the moment when the Hindu should arouse himself. All the rice was gone from the knapsack, for the gossoon had made light work of the provision which it contained. This was, however, scarcely a source of uneasiness to the Burker for the present, for he felt assured that his strange com- panion must have the consciousness of being speedily en- abled to procure another supply. And while thus reflecting, the Burker buoyed himself up with the hope that probably they were not so far from the extremity of the jungle as he had previously imagined, or that the gossoon was acquainted with some outlet that would speedily take them to an in- habited spot. But time passed on, the day was wearing away, and still the gossoon slept. The Burker might have supposed that the man was dead, were it not for the unmistakable indica- tions of life which the nasal sounds of his slumber gave forth. Though looking to that dervish as the means by which he hoped to escape from the jungle, the Burker nevertheless hated him, not so much for his uncouth conduct as for this procrastination of the journey which he expected to enter upon under his guidance. For that entire day did the Burker remain sitting in front of the cavern, with the exception of two or three tempo- rary absences to slake his thirst at the spring; and as the sun drew nearer and nearer to the western horizon, the impatience of the Burker grew into a perfect rage. Oh, how he hated that gossoon! In what bitter aversion did he hold him! He could have even killed him, so tremendous at length grew his vexation and his spite when he beheld CORE Oe SS) (©)