lough, than be ploughed. Farming weans man from his sorrows. That tranquil pursuit tolerates nothing but tranquil meditations.

ing, and shipwreck, and fighting with whales, and all his other strange adventures, had not a

emselves. Companies were formed in most of the New England towns, whose members, receiving the name of minute-men, stood ready to march anywhere at a minute's warning. Israe

of Berkshire on the 20th about noon. The next morning at sunrise, Israel swung his knapsack, sho

e finished-he whipped up his team and finished it. Before hastening to one duty, he would not leave a prior one undone; and ere helping to whip the British, for a little practice' sake, he applied

nexperienced marksman; hinting, that every shot which the epauletted grenadiers received from his rifle, would, upon a different occasion, have procured him a deerskin. And like stricken deers the English, rashly brave as they were, fled from the opening fire. But the marksman's ammunition was expended; a hand-to-hand encounter ensued. Not one American musket in twenty had a bayonet to it. So, wielding the stock right and left, the terrible farmers, with hats and coats off, fought their way among the furred grenadiers, knocking them right and left, as seal-hunters on the beach knock down with their clubs the Shetland seal. In the dense crowd and confusion, while Israel's musket got interlocked, he saw a blade horizontally menacing his feet from the ground. Thinking some fallen enemy sought to strike him at the last gasp, dropping his hold on his musket, he wrenched at the steel, but found that though a brave hand held it, that hand was powerless for ever. It was some British officer's laced sword-arm, cut from the trunk in the act of fighting, refusing to yield up its blade

he South to take the command. Israel witnessed

y water, from tories and other disaffected persons, the General equipped three armed vessels to intercept all traitorous cruisers. Among them was the brigantine Washington, of ten guns, commanded by Captain Martiedale. Seamen were hard

n-half way across the sea-formed a scheme to take the ship, but were betrayed by a renegade Englishman. As ringleader, Israel was put in irons, and so remained till the frigate anchored at Portsmouth. There he was brought on deck; and would have met perhaps some terrible fate, had it not come out, during the

rd a hulk. And here in the black bowels of the ship, sunk low in the sunless

geman of the commander's boat is sick. Known for a sailor, Is

-house door, our prisoner is suddenly reminded of still more imperative calls. Unsuspected of any design, he is allowed to leave the party for a moment. No sooner does Israel see his companions housed, than putting speed in

eisurely passing a public house of a little village on the roadsi

ho

ays Israel,

to

replies Israel coolly. And next minute he lets grow his wings again; fly

e cry. Numbers rushed f

se, the poor panti

to guard him for the present. This was towards evening; and up to a late hour at night, the inn was filled with strangers crowding to see the Yankee rebel, as they politely termed him. These honest rustics seemed to think that Yankees were a sort of wild creatures, a species of 'possum or kangaroo. But Israel is very affable with them.

having heard that the Yankees were extraordinary dancers. A fiddle is brought in, and poor Israel takes the floor. Not a little cut to think that these people should so unfeelingly seek to be diverted at the expense of an unfortunate prisoner, Israel, while jigging it up and down, still conspires away at his private plot, resolving ere long to give the enemy a touch of certain Yankee steps, as yet undreamed of in their si

ad upon the floor at the side of the bed in which his two keepers are to repose. Expressing much gratitude for

confined until the close of the war; years and years, perhaps. When he thought of that horrible old hulk, his nerves were restrung for flight. But intrepid as he must be to compass it, wariness too was needed. His keepers had gone to bed pretty well under the influence of the liquor. This was favorable. But still, they

ed the other, who was not yet asleep. "Keep

isoner, I say. Cat

again hiccoughed his comrade, violentl

srael knew that this man remained uneasily awake. He deliberated a moment what was best to do. At length he determined upon trying his old pl

ep out; cuss these Yankees; no better edication than to be gettin' up on nateral necessities a

m, 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-tre

pede him. After much painful labor he succeeds in the attempt. Pressing on again with all speed, day broke, revealing a trim

ble, I shall certainly be caught now; I

ry act of escaping from its prison. Israel looked at the budding leaves, and round on the budding sod, and up at the budding dawn of the day. He was so sad, and these sights were so gay, that Israel sobbed like a child, while thoughts of his mountain home rushed like a wind on his heart. But conquering

says Israel, taking off his hat

ponding expression in Israel, who now perceived that they were men, and not women. He had mistaken

thought ye were something

red at the stranger, and with

ad go to Lond

ad!" cried on

echoed t

rs now took a good long look at Israel, meantime sc

go to London? Be kind enoug

un, are yees? Weel-

he two human steers, with wonderful phlegm, applied themselves to their

enerable trees, with great trunks, and overstretching branches. Next moment he found himself entering a village. The silence of early morning rested upon it. But few figures were seen.

h had arrested the stranger's attention. Well knowing that his peculiar dress exposed him to peril, he hurried on faster to escape the village; resolving at the first opportunity to change his garments. Ere long, in a

n, correspondingly improved in his aspect; though it was rather ludicrous than otherwise, owing to the immense bagginess of the sailor-trowsers flapping about his lean shanks, to say nothing of the spare voluminousness of the pea-jacket. But Israel-how deplorable, how dismal his plight! Little did he ween that these wretched rags he now wore, were but suitable to that long career of destitution before him: one brief career of adventurous wanderings; and then, forty torpid years of pauperism. The coat w

He was also apprised by his venerable friend, that the country was filled with soldiers on the constant look-out for deserters whether

ny one he meet inquire for such a person as Israel, our adventurer walked bri

was spring; all the hay and straw were gone. So after groping about in the dark, he was fain to content himself with an un

nst detection he supplied himself with a rude crutch, and feigning himself a cripple, hobbled straight through the town, followed by a perverse-minded cur, which kept up a conti

street, as through the former one, he was suddenly stopped by a genuine cripple, all i

lling," sa

e added with a forlorn sort of self-satisfaction, critically eyeing Israe

friend?" seeing Israel fairly

ng round, heartily wishing the old

Lunnun, eh? Well

, sir," answers

ately Israel limps most deplorably, and begs the driver to give a poor cripple a lift. So up he climbs; but after a time, finding the gait of the elephantine draught-horse

en passing through a third village-but a little distant from the previo

more risk of detection than in the open country, he henceforth did his best to avoid them, by taking a roundabout course whenever they came in sig

t wide, and of undiscoverable muddy depth. I wonder if the old cripple would thi