noon
At nightfall , on the third day , Israel had arrived within sixteen miles of the capital . Once more he sought refuge in a barn . This time he found some hay , and flinging himself down procured a tolerable night 's rest . Bright and early he arose refreshed , with the pleasing prospect of reaching his destination ere noon . Encouraged to find himself now so far from his original pursuers , Israel relaxed in his vigilance , and about ten o'clock , while passing through the town of Staines , suddenly encountered three soldiers . Unfortunately in exchanging clothes with the ditcher , he could not bring himself to include his shirt in the traffic , which shirt was a British navy shirt , a bargeman 's shirt , and though hitherto he had crumpled the blue collar out of sight , yet , as it appeared in the present instance , it was not thoroughly concealed . At any rate , keenly on the look-out for deserters , and made acute by hopes of reward for their apprehension , the soldiers spied the fatal collar , and in an instant laid violent hands on the refugee .