The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 353: what you’re looking at

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

324 REYNOLDS’ WORKS He had at his back a wallet, or knapsack, of considerable size; he advanced rapidly, and soon joined the gossoons and the Burker, who descended from the top of the hillock. When the newcomer cast a look of wondering inquiry upon the Burker, the gossoon who had first of all arrived at the cavern gave a few hasty words of explanation, as the object of the remarks could understand, while the eldest gossoon, with hands of greedy impatience and ravenous looks, began to take off the knapsack from the newcomer’s shoulders. On being opened, it. was found to contain a quantity of provisions of a better sort than any the Burker had as yet seen in the jungle. There were not only rice and fruits, but cakes of bread and pieces of cold meat, and the gossoons quickly sat down to the welcome meal. The Burker was liberally treated in respect to the food on the present occasion, and when the flask which the young gossoon pro- duced had passed around from his own lips to those of his friends, the Burker was not forgotten. He found it to contain the same sort of potent spirit as that which the gourd of the assassinated travellers had furnished him, and, encouraged by the apparent friendliness of the gossoons, he imbibed a deep draught. The meal being over, the gossoons proceeded to stretch themselves to sleep in the cavern, the handsome young newcomer following in this respect the example of his ugly elder comrades. The Burker experienced the soporific effect of the potent alcohol, and yielding to drowsiness, he likewise laid himself down in the cave. Slumber soon stole upon his eyes, and when he awoke the sun was considerably past the meridian. But the gossoons, where were they? They were not to be seen! Half-wild with despair, the Burker ascended to the top of the rocky hill; but ‘no, not a glimpse of them could he obtain. They had evidently abandoned him to his fate in that horrible wilderness. He cried aloud in his anguish; he mingled lamentations with imprecations; he beat his breast, tore his hair, and dashed his clenched fists violently against his brow. At length his rage began to moderate, even if his distress of mind were not alleviated. He saw that it was useless to trust to travelling gossoons as guides from the depths of that jungle, and despite all dangers, he would make one more desperate effort to issue thence, or die in the (EO) CORIIEOOOKS