The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

22 THE COURT OF LONDON “‘ Well, here’s success, then,” said the captain, raising to his lips the tumbler which Joe Warren had filled with grog for his behoof. “1 shall drink that toast in a bumper,” exclaimed the Beggarman, helping himself to a copious supply of the rum. ‘“‘ And so will I,” said the Magsman, receiving the bottle from his friend’s hand. But, quick as thought, and as if suddenly obeying a galvanic impulse, Joe Warren grasped the bottle by the neck and raised it above his head as if it were a short club. The captain perceived the movement in an instant, saw the intended treachery, and sprang to his feet, thus encountering, as it were, half-way the tremendous blow which the ruffian dealt him with the bottle. Crash it descended upon the seaman’s head, and into a thousand pieces it flew. A cry burst from the victim’s lips as he staggered back, the blood pouring down his face and blinding him with its sanguine flood; and, although half-stunned, he mechanically thrust one hand into the inner pocket of his pea-jacket to clutch a pistol. But, like a tiger springing upon its prey from the thicket of an Indian jungle, or as the boa-constrictor flings itself from a bough on the traveller passing beneath, did the Magsman rush upon the doomed mariner. Down they fell together, a savage growl escaping from Joe Warren’s breast; and at the same moment the Big Beggarman, falling on his knees, fixed his iron grasp upon the captain’s throat. Like two demons did the murderers appear as they did their awful work, one keeping the victim down, despite of his desperate struggles and agonized writhings, the other throttling him in his savage gripe; the former gnashing his teeth and foaming at the mouth with the ferocious excite- ment of the deed, the latter with compressed lips and cor- rugated brows indicating all the tremendous power of the muscular energy which his entire frame furnished to accom- plish the task of strangulation. And in the meantime the roar of the tempest had re- commenced, and the terrors of the storm were added to the horrors of that foul iniquity. "Twas done, and the captain lay lifeless on the cabin-floor, his countenance livid and blue, his eyes starting from their bloody sockets. CORNICLOOO S (CO)