In another moment, he drooped half-lengthwise upon a chest, his legs outstretched before him.
Presently he was awakened by some intermeddlement with his feet.
Starting to his elbow, he saw one of the two men in the act of slyly slipping off his right boot, while the left one, already removed, lay on the floor, all ready against the rascal's retreat Had it not been for the lesson learned on the Pont Neuf, Israel would instantly have inferred that his secret mission was known, and the operator some designed diplomatic knave or other, hired by the British Cabinet, thus to lie in wait for him, fume him into slumber with tobacco, and then rifle him of his momentous dispatches.

But as it was, he recalled Doctor Franklin's prudent admonitions against the indulgence of premature suspicions.
"Sir," said Israel very civilly, "I will thank you for that boot which lies on the floor, and, if you please, you can let the other stay where it is." "Excuse me," said the rascal, an accomplished, self-possessed practitioner in his thievish art; "I thought your boots might be pinching you, and only wished to ease you a little." "Much obliged to ye for your kindness, sir," said Israel; "but they don't pinch me at all.

I suppose, though, you think they wouldn't pinch _you_ either; your foot looks rather small.

Were you going to try 'em on, just to see how they fitted ?" "No," said the fellow, with sanctimonious seriousness; "but with your permission I should like to try them on, when we get to Dover.

I couldn't try them well walking on this tipsy craft's deck, you know." "No," answered Israel, "and the beach at Dover ain't very smooth either.
I guess, upon second thought, you had better not try 'em on at all.
Besides, I am a simple sort of a soul--eccentric they call me--and don't like my boots to go out of my sight.