The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 372: what you’re looking at

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

ewe RCL SO ar Wary mEyrte® rr} Sao BAadas CER THE MY*T°RIRS OF THE COURT. 861 =e OS DDG, eve. It likewise occurred to the Burker that the Stranglers might have no powder and ball to render their fire-arms available; for he did not rememb-r to have ecen them take any such ammunition from about the persons of the murdered travellers. But what was the Burker to do in order to escape from the enemy, or enemies, as the case wight beP® While lying flat upoo the grass, he was safe from the lasso: but this position could not bo maintained for ever. He believed a deadly struggle to be inevitable with whomecever the well contained ; for that it was really an enemy, or enemies, ho was equally convinced: or else why shoald such seoret ambush be maintained? After all the horrors endured in respect to reptiles and wild beasts, it was positively a relief to the Burker’s mind to reflect that he had now to deal with human beings. I¢ was a warfare more after hie own fashion; and as the man naturally pos- sessed a dauntless courage, be was not now to be No. 98.—Fourty Sueigs. overawed by the vicinity of a haman foe. Indeed he had become so reckless of life that he cared not how soon it was lost: at the same time it wasa matter of satisfaction to reflect that if it were now to be eurrendered it would not be to a snake nor a wild beast;—and he was resolved also to sell that life of his as dearly as possible. After some few minutes spent in meditation, he bethought himself of a stratagem to draw the enemy from the ambush, and thereby make him- self aware of the number whom be might have to encounter, as well as of the nature of the hostile weapons againet which he might be called upon to defend himself. He accordingly feigned to be asleep. Gradually ho suffered the hand with which he had shaded his eyes, to fall away from his face and drop upon the grass, with the languid uncontrolled movement of one who was veritably slumbering. At the same time he turned himecif a little moro sideways, as if the beams of the sun comicibooks.conm