Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1854-09-30
A TERRIBLE ADVENTURE,

dAbrantes, IN the Sth or last published volume o..
her memoirs:
| When Murat was in Madrid he had OCCASION
to send some dispatches to Junot in Lisbon
These dispatches were of the utmost importance
and all the roads leading from Madrid to the Por-
tusuese capital We're covered by guerllas, or by
regular troops commanded by officers who had act
ed an important part in the Spanish revolution,
and who thus composed the army.
Murat mentioned the difficulty to Baron Stro.
gonoft, the Russian ambassador at the court of
Spaln who had remained at Madrid 1t is we'll
known that at the period here referred to, Rus
sla was the friend rather than the ally of France
Baron Strosonof, the grand duke of Berg thought
ne could suggest plan for the transmission of the
dispatches
admiral Sininvan," said the Baron, sis in the
port OF Lisbon Send 10 me one of your most H.
telllgent OF the Polish lancers He shall put on
Russian uniform, and will give him dispatches
for the ADMIRAL you can give him your insiruc-
tlons verbally, and will answer for it that all
will be right, even though he should be taken
twenty times between this and Lisbon The in
sursent army is too anxious TO secure our neutral
lty to be the first to create ground of rupture"
! Murat was delighted with the scheme. He re-
quested the commander-in-chief of the Polish
! troops, who think was Krasinski, to select foy
him brave and intelligent young officer Two
days afterwards the Polish commander sent TO the
grand duke young man whom he declared hr
would answer for with his head. He was named
I.eckinsk and was but only eighteen years of age.
The grand duke of Berg was not little aston
ished to find the young officer manifest the utmost
eagerness to undertake an enterprise of no ordina.
ry peril for in the event of his being discovered
his fate was certain-and that was death. Murat,
brave as he himself was, could not refrain from
pointing out to Leckinski the danger he was about
to encounter. The young Pole smiled and said
'lf your imperial highness will give me your Or
ders, will pledge myself to execute the mission.
l thank my general for having selected me from
my comrades, every one Of whom was e,nulous
of the favor"
The grand duke augured we'll for the young
mans courage and intelligence. He gave him his
instructions; Baron Strogonotf' supplied him with
dispatches to admiral Sininvin The young Pole
was equipped in Russian uniform and set out
for Portugal
During the first two days he pursued his Jour
ney without molestaton; but on the afternoon of
the third day he was attacked by party of Spa
nish troops, who unhorsed and disarmed him. and
conducted him before the general commanding
81, 1;t,r co. IS ~
adventurous young Pole, it was Gen. Castanos
himself.
Lecknski was perfectly aware that he was lost
if suspected to be Frenchman. Consequently,
he Immediately resolved within himself not to Ut
ter syllable Of French, and to speak only Rus
sian and German, which languages he could speak
with facility. The angry imprecations of the
troops who conducted him to Castanos sufficiently
convinced him of the fate that would await him
should he be discovered. The horrible death of
Gen. Rene: who only few weeks previously had
perished in torture for no other offence than at
tempting to joiu Junot, might we'll have shaken
his fortitude Death itself may be braved, but to
meet it by refinement Of torture, is more than
the bravest man can contemplate with indiifer-
ence
"Who are your said Castanos, addressing the
Pole in French, which he spoke with perfect flu
ency, having been educated at Sorreze.
Leckinsk looked steadfastly at his interrocator,
made sign, and replied in German, Il do not un-
derstand"
Castanos himself understood and spoke Ger
man; but apparently not wishing to take an acA
tive part in the business, he called one of the off
GERS of his staff, by whom the examination contn-
ued.
The young Pole gave his answers alternately in
Russian and in German, and kept himself cau-
tousy on his guard against dropping single word
of French He had no easy part to play, for in
the little apartment in which the examination
took place, he was pressed upon by crowd of
persons all thirsting for his blood, and manifest
ing ferocious eagerness that he might be found
guilty-that is, Frenchman.
This furious excitement was increased bv cir
cumstance which threatened TO involve the man
in an inextricable difficulty
An aid-de-camp of Castanos, one Of those fanat
ical patriots so numerous in the Spanish war, who
from the moment of Leckinskis arrest had de-
clared him to be a French spy, rushed into the
room in which the examination was going on,
holding by the arm peasant dressed in brown
Jacket and high crowned hat, surmounted by a
long red feather.
Having worked his way through the crowd,
the officer placed the peasant before the Polish
officer.
Look at that man." said he, "and then inform
us whether he is German or a Russian. He is
a spy, l would swear by my salvation" con,inu-
ed he, stamping"
The peasant for few moments gazed at the
young Pole.
Then his dark eve kindled and with a htfaY