The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-01-19

Send me one of the bravest and sharpes
do you hear ?-of your Polish Lancers
He shall put on Russian uniform, l vii
give him dispatches for Sinavin, and yo,
can give him your instruction for thu
French General, verbally, and l will an
swer for it, all will be right, even though
he should be taken prisoner twenty times
between this and Lisbon. The Spanish
army is too anxious to preserve the Rus
sian neutrality to make messenger oi
mine source Of disagreement with my
country"
Murat. though somewhat doubtful, lik
ed the scheme. Selling pen and ink he
wrote as follows to Brasinki. the com.
manderin- chief of the Polish troops who
had joined the French army:
Dispatches of moment are to be i'm.
mediately forwarded to Gen. Junot. at
Lisbon. Select for that purpose an in
telligent. courageous young man from
the troops, the best You have. and send
him 10 me. MURAT."
Two days after, a youth presented him
self before Murat, for whom the Polish
commander said be would answer with
his life. He was but eighteen years old,
and named Leckinski.
Murat was not little astonished 10 find
the youth manifest the utmost eagerness
to undertake his expedition, one Of nc
common peril for, if discovered by the
Spaniards, his fate would be certain
death. He listened with a smile to all
anticipations of danger and difficulty, and
said with bow:
If your Imperial Highness will give
me my orders. pledge myself to exc
cute the mission. l am deeply grateful
to my commander for having chosen me
from among my comrades. There was
not one who was not emulous of the dis
tinction.'
Murat augured favorably Of the young
Poles courage and intelligence. He
gave him his verbal instructions. Baron
Stronganoff supplied him with bundle ol
unimportant messages to Admiral Sinav-
in. The young man was equipped in
Russian uniform, and set out for Portu-
gal on horseback.
During the first two days he pursued
his course without molestation but on
the morning of the third day ne was SUI
rounded by a party of Spanish troops,
who disarmed him and conducted him
before the General in command of the
military force of the district. His name
was Castanos.
Leckinski knew perfectly well that he
was lost if suspected to be an adherent
of the French. Consequently he imme-
diately resolved within himself not to ut
ter syllable of French, but to confne
himself entirely to Russian and German,
which languages he spoke with facility.
The angry imprecations of the troops
who conducted him to Castanos, suffi.
ciently convinced him Of the fate that
awaited him if his real character should
be made known. The horrible death oi
Gen. Renee, who only few weeks pre-
vious had perished in tortures for no 9TH
er offence than that of attempting to join
Junot, might we'll have shaken his forti-
tude.
who are you?' asked the Spanish
General, in French.
Leckinski looked at his interrogator,
and replied in German:
Il do not understand
Gen. Castanos understood German
but not wishing to occupy his own time
with this business, he called one of the
officers of the staff and gave the matter
over to him.
AuC COulluucu. ue
young Pole gave his answers alternately
in German and Russian, keeping himself
most cautiously on his guard agains,
dropping single word of French. He
had no easy part to play. for he was mar
rowly watched by crowd of fierce Span
iards, thirsting for his blood. and be.ray-
ing savage eagerness that he might be
found guilty-that was. declared to be in
the employ of the French.
The furious excitement was increased,
and his safety much endangered. by a
circumstance which now occurred. An
aid-de-camp of Castanos, who had been
one of the most eager to declare him a
French spy in disguise. rushed into the
room, after short absence. holding by
the arm peasant. in brown jacket, and
a high crowned hat, surmounted by a
high feather. Having forced his way
through the crowd, he confronted his
companion with Leckinski.