The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 386: what you’re looking at

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

SHB MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. to wach his cars; and though disguised as it were by their vesy plaintiveness, yet had he the con- viction that they came from a human All of a sudden the thicket through whieh he was ad- vancing, ecased; and then a frightful spestasie mot his For there, at tho foot of the tree, lay the aldeat of the three Gosseans, ‘encircled ia the folds of a boa constrictor, whose tail wae ooiled round the lower part of that tree's trunk. The reptile raised its head om beholding the Burker— who did not however remain there another instant to contemplate more of that scene of stupendous horror: but he fled, goaded by tha agonising ap- prehession that the snake might quit its held upon the Gossoon and mark himself as its prey mstead. Qn he ran,—ustil breathless and exhausted, he reached a rocky eminence; sad om the slope he threw himself down. There he lay for some mi- autes, until his presence of mind began to return ; end he reflected with shuddering horroz upon what he had sean. Two of the Gessoons had met a hideous fate :~—had the third escaped ? or was he likewise doomed to perish in the jungle, to the perils of which he as well as they had abandoned @ fellow-creature? And would the Burker himself issue with his life from that wilderness of dangers that wild and awful district where death was to be confronted in so many ghastly, frightful, aud appalling shapes ? : The Burkes sat in a despondiug mood,—asking himeelf these questions, and reflecting on all these things,—when it struck him that he beard a slight rustling sound higher up behind; and starting with tho idea that a reptile was gliding towards him, he just escaped the noose of a lasso which was thrown at his head, For there, upon that rocky eminence, stood the Strangler—the remain- ing companion of him whom the Burker had alain. With a cry of vindictive rage, the Burker sprang up the slope, om the top of which the shark-teethed Hindoo tarried to meet him. Now for another battle—another conflict—as- obher struggfe, to whioh the only end that could be expected was the death of one of these mortal foes ! A glance showed the Barker that the Strangler hed in his hands ne other weapen than the lasso: @& simultancous glance made the Hindoo aware that the Englishman had no visible weapon but his club. Yet neither knew whether the other sight not have a knife or dagger, or even e piatol, concealed about the person. With his olub held up over his hoad—alike as a means of defence against the lasso, and to be in readiness to deal a ferriflo blow—the Burker rushed on to the combat. The Strangler atoad firm, holding his cord in a pe- Gulier manner; and as the Burker drew near, tat was thrown out with euch sudden violence that the knot of the noose struck him upon the mouth. The blood gushed forth; and he was for an instant staggered :— but maddened with the pen, he made one bound towards his enemy. The trangler darted aside, and gathered ap his lasso with incredible rapidity for the purpose of using it again: but the Barker’s club reached his left arm, as a blow was dealt with all the energy of the in- furiate : ee That arm fell crushed and powerless By the Strangler’s sido: but the right hand again threw forth the lasso,—and again too with more or lees effect. It struck the Burker in 876 the middle of the forehead, with such violence as to make him reel even more than the former blow; and lightning appeared to gleam before his eyes But again did he rush towards the Strangler, who however dasted baek; anzi tho lasso was once more whistling through the air,-~its noose this time being thrown at the Burker’s neck. Is was a marvel that he avoided ié,—and yet he did. Then, at the same instant, he hurled his cudgel with all his might at the Strangler: it struck the Hindoo a tremendous blow upon the face; and the wretch toppled over the side of the rock, which in that direction was precipitous. The Burker loked down into the abyss of about thirty feet in depth; and there he beheld the Steangler darting away: for, to the Englishman’s astonishment, his opponent had ewidenily slighted on his feat. The lasso having fallen from the Strangler’s haud, ley upon the top of the rock; and if was now evident that the Hindoo miseseans himself had oxperionced enough of the con flict for the present occasion. He was flying; aad the Burker remained a victor upon the battle ground. Ata very little distance a broad stream was rolling ; and the thoughé struck the Burker that he would pursue his enemy and despatch him altogee ther. That river appeared to bar the Strangler’s progress; for how could he awim across it with the use only of his right apm? And the elveam made eo sweeping a curve likewise, that if the Strangleg followed ite course along its bank, either to the right hand op to the left, it would bring him again in close proximity to the roek, which now seemed te serve as a fortalice commanding the entize posic tion; so tha’ the Busker conceived thas he had only ta sally down on either side, aesording to cire cumstances, and cut off the Strangler’s retroas. All these ideas passed through the Bunker's mind during the space of the few memenés ia which the Stsaugler was flecing towands the river. Straight he went, neither diverging te the sight nor or the left!—straight te the centre of the are formed by that bead of the stream} The weeda, the sedges, and the grass grew high upon the rives’¢ bank :— through thas margining fringe sushed the Strangler, ao that the Rurker now became sad. denly conviaced that his foe did pveally intend te pass it by swimming, or by fording it—if it wore indeed fordable. Am imprecation burst from the | Englishman's lips at the ides that the Hindea 1 would after all escape him ! But what is that dark object which exddenly ap- | pedza amongst the weeda and sedges ? The Strangien turns to retrace his way: that object is class bew hind him :-its whole form is now developed :-~it is a tremendous alligator! The Hindoo no lager flies in @ straight direction: he tarms round and round, describing small circles, 40 as ta avoid the Tong jaws of the unwieldy monster, whieh twas likewise. I¢ is a scene of horrible excitement for the Burker, who beholds it all from the suxamit of that rock. For upwardg of ten minutes does the spectacle, as strange as it is frightful, endure—the Strangler describing those circles which eonstitate the charm by which only is his life safe—the mom ster persoveringly turning and turning likewise, but unable to clutch the man in its vast gapiog jaws. Allin a moment the Strangler diseappeara from the Burker’s view: he has either fallea COM (G NOOK (CO