The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 382: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTHRIBE OF THE COURT, eonduct, as for this procrastination of the joyr- ney whieh he expected to enter upor under his guidance, For thes entire day did the Barker remein sit- ting in front of the cavern, with the exception of two or three 4emmpoxery absences to elake his thirst at the apsing; and as the sen drew seerer end mearer to tho western horizon, the impatience of the Burker grew into a perfect rage. Ob, how he hated that Gossoon !-—in what bitter aversion did he hold higa-—~he could have even killed him, eo tremendous at length grow hie vexation and his spite when he beheld him contioning to enjoy a slumber so profound thatit eppeared as if it never eould have a waking. At length the Surker, aiterly bereft of all patience, wes about to lay his hand om the Gos- soon’s shoulder and sheke him with an enraged violence thet would speedily dispel his slumber, when the derrish eudcenly started up to a eitting posture. He rubbel his ayes—looked at the Burker with a cortrin air of astonishment as if having totally forgesten that he had seen such a pereon ia thet piace before--and then apringing up, he hastened 40 inspect the niche underneath the loophole. Dut there was no food in #; and the Goescen gave euch a hideous how! of rage thes the Busker was for an inetents fri lest the suund ed from the threat of como wild ani in the immediate neighbour- hood. he Gossocon advaneed towards the Bar- ker, making threatening digns — pointing to the vacant niche end the empty on much as to accuse him of having devoured the provisions whioh ought tobe there? The Burker’s temper, never the eweetest at any time, was parti- eulasly ruffled by the entire conduet of the Gos- orgetting his eoncilietory policy, he soon; and fi replied by signs shat were irate and manaciag. A terrific expression of rage awept over the Gossoon’s countenance; and saddenly seising the Bueker with both arms round the body, he isfted him up and deshefi hiss down upon the granite blacks which ley close by the mouth of the cavetn. Hereulean was the strength of the Gosscon—s strength too that was exercised with a skill and expertness which made the achievement the work of a single inatant. Powegloss as a dwarf in the hands of a gient--and taken completely auawares the Burker was utterly unable to offer any re- sistance ; so that with lightning rapidity did he find himeelf thus thrown, half-tanned, upon the granite blooke. There he lay fora few instants ; and es he slowly pieked himeelf up, it was in the moet sombre euilenness of mood that he eubmitted to this treatment without an effort to avenge it. Fer in the midet of the concentrated rage and vin- dictive spite which filled his soul, was the con- sciousaeses that even if he had the power to slay the Gossson, it would be an aet of madness, thereby cutting off this lest remaining ehance of eseape from the jungte. For the same reason too, he dog- gediy resolved to return to his consiliatory policy towards the man on whom he felt himself to be eo completely dependent. The Gosscon surveyed him with a kind of sombre contempt as he slowly raised himeelf to his feet; and then he grinned with a horrible satis- faction, as if contented ‘with having shown the European that he was hie master. That he was 871 well acquainted with the cave the Burker had already poroceived, from the fact of his searching the niche so promptly after his arrival; and another proof thereof was now furnished by the eircum- atance that the Gosecon passed round to the back of the well to drink of the water. The sun was by this time beginning fo set; and the Burker therefore knew that it was useless to think of set. ting out upos a journey through the jungle during the hours of the night. He made a sign to the Gossoon to the effect thet be would pile up the stones at the mouth of the caverm: but the itine- rant Dervish buret out into e scornful laugh, as if ridiculing such a proegution or means .of defence. He eet to work to gather together a quantity of dried weed; and he made a sign to the Burker to imitate his example, Jearlessly the Gogsoon plunged into the long gras in the phicket, and tore down some branches of the moat resinous trees, When an immense quantity of fuel was thus col- lected, the Gosscon it in the form of a semicircle the front of the cave; end churl- ishly motioning the Burker 40 follow hin within the rampart, he set fire to it by the means of igni- tion which he carried about his person. Ho then threw himself down in the cavern; and composing himself to sleep, was soon wrapped once more in a slumber as profound as that which throughout the livelong day he had eajoged. But the Burker could not sleep. He was half famished with h : he trembled leet the Strangler should insidiously work his way, despite the fire, into the cave: he was afraid likewise of the repulsive Gossoon who lay snoring at a little distence. Perhaps the wretch, thought the Burker, wes only pretending to be asleep in order to wateh en opportuniky of taking his life ?—though he cer- y could nes geo of what avail such a proceed ing would be to the Hindeo. The fire eontinued to burn steadily for a long time; and as there was no wind, but the night-air wes etill and stagnant, the emoke beat not into the cavern, bat ascended straight upward. Af length a sonsation of drow, giness began to steel upon the Burker; and after several sain efforts to ehake i off, he gielded to ita influence. He fell asleep. Horrible dreams haunted bim, as usual; for the mind reproduced with edded horror the waking thoughts of the wretched man; and now in imagi- nation he beheld the dead Strangler’s eompaniog atealing upon him: he saw the hideous Gossoon bending over him with a terrible feroeity of coun- tenance, and with a long sharp instrument in his hand. Then he fancied that he was in the depths of the jungle’s wilds, pureed by a tiger—that he strove to fly—but that his feet became as heavy as if they had turned into lead, and he could nef essape the ravenous animal that was every inatans’ gaining upon him. But all of a sudden the sub» jeet of bis visions changed ; end he was writhing and convulsing in the huge folds of a boa cone gtrietor. With a shriek of agony he awoke. He was lying in the cave: the duskiness of night still prevailed—the fire hed sunk into a eomicirouler pile of smouldering embers, just throwing out jight sufficient to show him the eyes of the Gussoon etering wide open as the mendicant doervieh still lay stretched along the floor of the cave at a little distance. In which direction the eye with the horrible squint was COUMIUC NOOK (CO