Washington telegraph., 1849-05-09

Ill lIS DeSI Gays.
When the Spaniards took him prisoner
he had eaten nothing since the previous
evening, and when his dungeon door was
closed upon him he had tasted for eighteen
hours; no wonder, then, that with exhaus-
tion fatigue, anxiety, and the agony of
his dreaded situation, that the unhappy
prisoner fell almost senseless on his hard
couch. Night soon closed in and left
him to realize in its gloom, the full horror
of his hopeless situation. He was brave
of course; but to die at eighteen, It's sud-
den. But youtLsand fatigue finally yield
ed to the approach of sleep, and he was
soon buried in profound slumber. He
had slept perhaps two hours, when the
door of his dungeon opened slowly and
some one entered with cautious steps,
hiding with his hand the light of lamp;
the visitor bent over the prisoners couch,
the hand that shaded the lamp, touched
him on the shoulder, and in sweet and
silvery voice, woman's voice, asked
him, DO you want to eat?' The young
Pole, awakened suddenly by the glare of
the lamp, by the touch and the word of
the female, rose upon his couch and with
eyes only half opened, said in German,
What do you want?' Give the man
something to eat at once, said Castanos,
when he heard the result of the first ex-
pertinent, and let him 60. he is not a
Frenchman. How could he have been
so far master of himself? The thing is
impossible But, though Leckinski was
supplied with food, he was detained a
prisoner. The next morning he was
taken to spot where he could see the
mutilated corpses of ten Frenchmen who
had been cruelty massacred by the peasan-
try of Trunillo, and he was threatened
with the same death But the noble
youth had promised not to fail, and not a
word, not an accent, not a gesture or
look betrayed him.
Leckinski, when taken back to his
prison, hailed it with a sort of JOY; for
twelve hours he had nothing but gibbets
and DEATH in its most horrid forms before
his eyes, exhibited to him by men with
the looks and passions of demons. lie
slept, however, after the harrassing ex-
elements of the day, and soundly too;
when in the midst of his deep and death
like slumbers, the door opened gently,
some one drew near his couch, and the
same soft voice whispered in his ear,
arise and come with me. We wish to
save your life Your horse is ready.
And the brave young man, hastily awak-
ened by the words, We wish to save
your life, come answered, still in Ger
man-'What do you want! Castanos,
when he heard of this experiment and
result, and that the Russian was noble
! young man; he saw the true state of the
case. The next morning, early, four
! men came to take him before a sort Of
! court MARTIAL composed of officers oi
Castanos staff. During the walk they
uttered most horrible threats against him
but true to his determination, he pretend
ed not to understand them. When he
came before his judges he seemed to
gather what was going on from the ar
rangements of the tribunal and not from
what he heard said around him, and he
asked in German where his interpreter
was? he was sent for, and the eXamina
ton commenced. 1t turned at first upon
the motive of his journey from Madrid tc
Lisbon. He answered by showing his
dispatches to Admiral Siniavon and his
passport. Spite of the presence and ve'
hement assertion of the peasant, he per.
sisted.in the same story and did not con
| tradict himself once. ASK him, said the
presiding officer, at last, if he loves the
Spaniards, he is not Frenchman?'-
Certainly said Leckinski L like the
| Spanish nation; and | esteem it for its
noble character; wish our two nations
were friends. Colonel, said the interpre
ter to the president, the prisoner says
| that he hates us because we make wal
like banditti, that he despises us, and thai
his only regret is that he cannot unite
the whole nation in one man, to end thi:
odious war at single blow
While he was saying this, the eyes o
the whole tribunal were attentively
watching the slightest movement of the
prisoners cOuntenance, in order to see
what effect the interpreters treachery
would have upon him. But Leckinsk
expected to be put to the test in some
way, and was determined to battle al
their attempts.
Gentlemen said Castanos, 'it seems
to me that this young man cannot be sus-
pected, the peasant must be deceived
The prisoner may pursue his journey, and
when he reflects on the hazard Of our po.
sition, he will find the severity we have
had to use excusable.' Leckinskis arms
and dispatches were returned, he recelv-
ed free pass, and this noble youth came
victorious out of the severest trial that
the human spirit can be put o.--Men10ars
of the Duchess Of Abramtes.
| STEAM.-"Talk about your Northern
steamboats,, said Mississippi fireman