Washington telegraph., 1849-05-09
FoRr1TuDE OF A YOUNG POLE.


Portugal but all the roads in Lisbon
swarmed with guerrillas, and with the
troops composing Castanos's army. Mu-
rat mentioned his embarrassments to Ba-
ron Strog gonoff, the Russian Ambassador
to Spain Russia, it is we'll known, was
at that time not only the ally but the
friend of France. M. de Strogonof, told
Murat that it was the easiest thing in
the world The Russian Admiral Sinia-
vin,' said he, lis in the port of Lisbon;
give me the most important of your Po-
lish lancers; will dress him up in Rus
sian uniform, and entrust him with de-
spatches for the admiral-you will give
him your instruction verbally, and all will
go well even if he should be taken pri-
soner a dozen times between this and
Lisbon, for the insurgent army is so anx-
ious to obtain our neutrality, that it will
be careful not to furnish pretext for a
rupture.
Murat was delighted with this inge-
nious scheme. He asked Krasinski, the
commandant of the lancers, to find him
brave and intelligent young man. Two
days afterwards the cOmmandant brought
the prince young man of his corps, for
whom he pledged his life; his name was
Leckinski, and he was but eighteen years
old. Murat was moved to see so young
man court so imminent danger; for, if
he were detected, his doom was sealed
Murat could not help remarking to the
Pole the risk he was about to run. The
youth smiled. Let your imperial high
ness give me my Instructions answered
he, respectfully, 'and [ will give good
account of the mission have been honor
ed with. I thank his highness for having
chosen me from among my comrades, for
all of them would have courted This dis
tinction. The prince argued favorably
from the young mans modest resolution.
| The Russian Ambassador gave him his
dispatches; he put on a Russian uniform
and set out for Portugal.
The first two days passed over quietly,
but on the afternoon of the third, Leck-
inski was surrounded by body of Span
iards, who disarmed him, and dragged
him before the commanding officer
Luckily for the youth, it was Castanos
| himself Leckinski was aware that he
was lost, if he were discovered to be
| Frenchman, consequently he determined,
on the instant, not to let single word
of French escape him, and to speak no
thing but Russian or German, which he
spoke with equal tluency. The cries OF
rage of his captors announced the fate
which awaited him, and the horrible
murder of General Rene. who had perish
ed in the most dreadful tortures but few
IL L. 20
Junot, was sufficient to freeze the very
blood who are you? said Castanos, in
French, which language he spoke per-
fectly well, having been educated In
France Leckinski looked at the ques-
toner, made a sign and answered IN
German 4 do not understand you. Cas-
tanos spoke German, but he did not wish
to appear personally in the matter and
summoned one of the officers of his staff,
who went on with the examination. The
young Pole answered in Russian or Ger
man, but never let syllable of French
escape him. He might, however, easily
have forgotten himself, surrounded as he
was, by a crowd eager for his blood, and
who waited with savage impatience to
have him declared guilty, thasis French
man, to fall on him and murder him.
But their fury was raised to height that
the General himself could not control, by
an accident which seemed to cut off the
unhappy prisoner from every hope of es-
cape. One of Castanos's aid-de-camps,
one of the fanatically patriotic, who were
so numerous in this war; and who from
the first had denounced Leckinski as a
French spy, burst into the room, drag
ging with him man wearing the brown
jacket, tall hat, and red plume of Span
ish peasant. Look at this man. and then
say if it is true that he is German or a
Russian. He is a spy, swear by my
SOUL
The peasant in the meanwhile was
eyeing the prisoner closely. Presently
his dark eye lighted up with the fire Of
hatred. 'Es Frames, he is French
man" exclaimed he, e,clapping his hands.
And he stated, that having been to Ma
drid a few weeks before, he had been put
in requisition to carry forage to the French
barricks; and, said, he 4 recollect that
this is the man who took my load Of fo-
rage, and gave me receipt. | was near
him an hour, and recollect him. When
we caught him, told my comrade, this
is the French officer delivered my forage
to- This was correct. Castanos pro-
badly discerned the true state of the case,
but was generous foe, He proposed to
let him pursue his journey, for Leckinski
, still insisted that he was Russian, and
' could not be made to understand a word
of French But the moment he ventured
: hint of the kind, thousand threatening
voices were raised against him, and he
saw that clemency was impossible
But said he, will you risk a quarrel
with Russia, whose neutrality We are
IN ! i