The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 392: what you’re looking at

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

THE RUINED TEMPLE 363 in the mind of the Burker, — thoughts which fastened like vulture talons on his brain, thoughts which at one time goaded him almost to madness, and which at another froze all the blood in his veins and produced a sensation which struck like an ice-chill to his heart. But all these details we must leave to be elaborated by the conception of our readers. Suffice it to say that the Burker passed such a night as must have atoned —if earthly penalties ever can atone — for no small portion of the misdeeds that had branded his life. As the morning began to dawn, the tiger rose from off the trap-door, and walked around and around it for upwards of an hour, giving vent to subdued growls the whole time. Then, suddenly, with one tremendous roar, it ap- peared to fling itself with a kind of desperation upon the partial opening of the trap-door, tearing at it with its claws, lashing its own sides and the ground with its tail, evidently furious and frantic at being thus kept away from the victim it sought to clutch; but at last finding its efforts were all of no avail, the animal desisted, and the Burker could hear its catlike paces retreating from the vicinage of the trap-door. Nearly an hour passed, and there were no evidences of the return ofthe tiger nor of its presence anywhere within the precincts of the ruins. The Burker began to take courage; he knew that wild beasts seldom prowl about in the open country during the broad daylight, and he was resolved that the monster should not catch him there again in the evening. Cautiously sliding back the trap-door, he looked out, and the coast seemed clear, at least within the range of his vision. He felt cheered and invigorated by breathing the fresh air, and emerging completely from the cavern, he looked in the direction of the spot where he had concealed the gossoon. A hideous spectacle met his eyes. All the clothing was stripped off the corpse, and lay scattered about in rags and tatters. The stones with which the dead body were covered had been cast or rolled to a considerable dis- tance, thereby proving the strength of the wild beast. As for the corpse itself, it was frightfully lacerated, mangled, and mutilated; in many places the flesh was completely torn off the bones by the claws of the tiger, but it did not appear as if the animal had banqueted upon any of the flesh. The Burker had possessed himself of the dead gossoon’s COnillE Oe SS) (©)