"Come, get up and walk!" he said to the deserter, who rose and followed
Harmantier, while everybody crowded round.
The jailer opened the two massive doors of the prison; the prisoner
entered without resistance, and then the large locks and bolts fastened
him in.
"Every man return to his post!" said the lieutenant to us. And we went
up the steps of the mayoralty.
All this had so upset me that I had not thought of my wife and
children. But when once above, in the large warm room, full of smoke,
with all that set who were laughing and boasting at having taken a
poor, unresisting deserter, the thought that I was the cause of this
misery filled my soul with anguish; I stretched myself on the camp-bed,
and thought of all the trouble that is in the world, of Zeffen, of
Safel, of my children, who might, perhaps, some day be arrested for not
liking war. And the words of the Lord came to my mind, which He spake
to Samuel, when the people desired a king:
"Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee;
for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I
should not reign over them. Howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them,
and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. He
will take your sons and appoint them for himself; and some shall run
before his chariots. He will set them to make his instruments of war.
And he will take your daughters to be cooks and bakers. And he will
take your fields and your vineyards, and your olive-yards, even the
best of them, and give them to his servants. He will take your
men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest young men. He
will take the tenth of your sheep; and ye shall be his servants. And
ye shall cry out in that day, and the Lord will not hear you."
These thoughts made me very wretched; my only consolation was in
knowing that my sons Fromel and Itzig were in America. I resolved to
send Safel, David, and Esdras there also, when the time should come.
These reveries lasted till daylight. I heard no longer the shouts of
laughter or the jokes of the ragamuffins. Now and then they would come
and shake me, and say, "Go, Moses, and fill your brandy jug! The
sergeant gives you leave."
But I did not wish to hear them.
About four o'clock in the morning, our arsenal cannon having dismounted
the Russian howitzers on the Quatre-Vents hill, the patrols ceased.
Exactly at seven we were relieved. We went down, one by one, our
muskets on our shoulders. We were ranged before the mayoralty, and
Captain Vigneron gave the orders: "Carry arms! Present arms! Shoulder
arms! Break ranks!"
We all dispersed, very glad to get rid of glory.
I was going to run at once to the casemates when I had laid aside my
musket, to find Sorle, Zeffen, and the children; but what was my joy at
seeing little Safel already at our door! As soon as he saw me turn the
corner, he ran to me, exclaiming: "We have all come back! We are
waiting for you!"
I stooped to embrace him. At that moment Zeffen opened the window
above, and showed me her little Esdras, and Sorle stood laughing behind
them. I went up quickly, blessing the Lord for having delivered us
from all our troubles, and exclaiming inwardly: "The Lord is merciful
and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. Let the glory of
the Lord endure forever! Let the Lord rejoice in his works!"