The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 381: what you’re looking at

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

352 REYNOLDS’ WORKS As he was proceeding cautiously, the Burker’s foot kicked against something amidst the grass, and it being of a very hard substance, he had no fear that it was any coiled up reptile. He stooped down, and felt about upon the spot; his hand encountered an iron ring fastened to the middle of a stone about two feet square. Thinking that the circum- stance was worth while to be further investigated, and having ideas of buried treasures floating through his mind, the Englishman began to remove the long grass which grew all about the stone, and when he had torn up the rank her- bage by the roots, he found that the stone was set in the midst of surrounding pavement, upon which a surface of earth had accumulated sufficient to produce and nourish the erass which he had thus cleared. He now endeavoured to raise the stone, but vain were his attempts. Exhausted thereby, he desisted, and began to console himself for his failure in a fashion somewhat similar to that of the fox with respect to the grapes in the fable. He muttered between his lips that the stone with the ring doubtless covered the mouth of a well, and that any idea of a buried treasure was idle and ridiculous. The exceeding sultriness of the sun compelled the Burker to remain within the shade afforded by the ruined temple. He was faint with hunger and parched with thirst; he resolved at the approach of evening to quit his present quarters, and appeal to the charity of some dweller at any neighbouring cottage for food and a night’s rest. Perhaps through the man’s mind floated the idea of enriching himself once more by means similar to those which had temporarily put him in possession of a bag of rupees, for crime is horribly suggestive, even on the part of those who by their own mis- deeds would appear to stand in need of no such hints at all. In a short time the thirst of the Burker grew so intolerable that he was compelled to issue forth from the ruined temple in the hope of finding some neighbouring spring. But scarcely had he advanced a dozen yards from the dilapidated edifice when he beheld the unmistakable form of the squint- eyed gossoon approaching. It was with a sudden yell of rage that the Burker bounded toward his late companion, but the latter, with a malignant grin, drew forth a sharp poniard from beneath his garments, and holding its point to- ward the Burker, seemed to say, ‘“‘ Come on if you dare! ” CORNIELIOOLKKS (E(0)