The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 390: what you’re looking at

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

THE RUINED TEMPLE 361 a way that the flame ascended through the crevice. So furious a roar burst from the throat of the tiger that the ruins appeared to be all alive with horrible sounds, and the Burker was terrified at the result of his proceeding. He listened with suspended breath; he could hear nothing, he hoped that the wild beast was gone. The torch was burning out; in a few more minutes he would be in darkness. All continued silent; he began to breathe more freely, but now the torch was extinct. Should he ascend from the cavern? Dared he leave his hiding-place? At all events, should he not first carry out his design of securing as much coin as possible about his person? Scarcely had he mentally asked himself these questions, or rather, we should say, scarcely were they shaped by the current of his thoughts, when another subdued growl reached his ears, and this was speedily followed by different sounds. There was the tearing down of masonry, the hurling about of stones, the rushing movements of the wild beast, all mingled with fierce and savage, but still subdued growlings. The Burker speedily comprehended what the monster was about. The tiger had discovered the corpse of the gossoon in its rude, uncouth sepulchre, and the beast was clearing all ob- stacles away previous to dragging it forth. Now the Burker could at length tell that this was achieved, for the noise of the tiger’s savage gambolings reached the ears of the horrified wretch who was pent up in the cavern. As a cat plays with a mouse, so was the wild beast disporting with the dead body. The Burker was in utter darkness, save and except where a feeble glimmering penetrated through the chink caused by the slightly opened trap-door, but this gleaming was eradually growing fainter and fainter as the shades of evening were closing in upon the earth. Good heavens! was the Englishman to remain all night in that cavern, with the hor- rible tiger watching an opportunity to make him its prey? The thought was enough to turn his brain. There he was, surrounded by riches sufficient to enable him to revel in all luxuries for the remainder of his life, however extended that life might be, but he would gladly give all the contents of those jars for the privilege of being seated in some wretched khan, over a sorry mess of rice, so long as it was in the midst of a town within the limits of which the tiger would not be likely to come. GOMIIGIOG SS (S©)