The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 391: what you’re looking at

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

362 . REYNOLDS’ WORKS It did not appear that the wild beast chose to banquet upon the dead man; the tiger was doubtless waiting for the living one. Its maw required to be refreshed with the warm blood gushing from veins just torn open, and it could not be appeased by the blood that had stagnated in the veins of the dead. But ever and anon the tiger came to the trap- door at the mouth of the cavern, scraping, scratching, and tearing with its paws, as if by some means to widen the chink left by the partially opened masonry. Then, at those times, the Burker’s blood would curdle almost as completely as that of the dead gossoon, for he was tortured with the horrible apprehension that the tiger might manage to tear open the trap-door, or, rather, make it slide completely back. And during the intervals between the wild beast’s visits to the trap-door other frightful ideas crept into the Burker’s mind. Perhaps there might be reptiles in that cav- ern? Perhaps some deadly snake was gliding toward him, stealthy, insidious, and noiseless, to dart at his leg or twine up it? Oh, what maledictions did the Burker invoke upon the jars of treasure which he had discovered! How heartily did he wish that the instant the gossoon was dead he had rushed away from the spot! An hour passed in the frightful manner which we have been describing, until at length the tiger stretched itself down upon the trap-door, as if resolved to wait until its intended victim should be by some means or another com- pelled to come forth. At first the wild beast was restless and uneasy, continuing to claw at that trap-door, and erowling, sometimes loudly, sometimes in a subdued manner, until at length it appeared to fall asleep, or at all events it remained perfectly still.. The Burker was fearful lest the monstrous beast should lie so completely over the chink as to shut out all the fresh air, for he had already become sensible of the close and stagnating nature of the atmosphere in that subterranean. But it happened that the tiger did not thus cover up that opening with its furred form; no doubt it was lying there with its muzzle close to the very opening itself, so as to be in readiness to seize upon its victim at his first endeavour to issue from the subterranean trap in which, mouselike, he was caught. Thus passed the night. -We might fill whole pages by depicting the horrible thoughts which raged and agitated CONNIE IOOLKKS (E()