Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of ExileMelville, Herman
General
Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile
Melville, Herman
Potter, Israel, 1744-1826? -- Fiction
Shortly after, the dreamer with loud snores fell back into dead sleep.
But by something in the sound of the breathing of the other soldier,
Israel knew that this man remained uneasily awake. He deliberated a
moment what was best to do. At length he determined upon trying his old
plea. Calling upon the two soldiers, he informed them that urgent
necessity required his immediate presence somewhere in the rear of the
house.
“Come, wake up here, Phil,” roared the soldier who was awake; “the
fellow here says he must step out; cuss these Yankees; no better
edication than to be gettin’ up on nateral necessities at this time
o’night. It ain’t nateral; its unnateral. D—-n ye, Yankee, don’t ye
know no better?”
With many more denunciations, the two now staggered to their feet, and
clutching hold of Israel, escorted him down stairs, and through a long,
narrow, dark entry; rearward, till they came to a door. No sooner was
this unbolted by the foremost guard, than, quick as a flash, manacled
Israel, shaking off the grasp of the one behind him, butts him
sprawling back into the entry; when, dashing in the opposite direction,
he bounces the other head over heels into the garden, never using a
hand; and then, leaping over the latter’s head, darts blindly out into
the midnight. Next moment he was at the garden wall. No outlet was
discoverable in the gloom. But a fruit-tree grew close to the wall.
Springing into it desperately, handcuffed as he was, Israel leaps atop
of the barrier, and without pausing to see where he is, drops himself
to the ground on the other side, and once more lets grow all his wings.
Meantime, with loud outcries, the two baffled drunkards grope
deliriously about in the garden.
After running two or three miles, and hearing no sound of pursuit,
Israel reins up to rid himself of the handcuffs, which impede him.
After much painful labor he succeeds in the attempt. Pressing on again
with all speed, day broke, revealing a trim-looking, hedged, and
beautiful country, soft, neat, and serene, all colored with the fresh
early tints of the spring of 1776.
Bless me, thought Israel, all of a tremble, I shall certainly be caught
now; I have broken into some nobleman’s park.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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