Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-05-27


declared guilty, that is, French
man, to fall upon him and murder
him.
But their fury was raised to a
height which the General himself
could not control, by an incident
which seemed to cut off the unhap-
py prisoner from every hope of
escape. One of Castonas' aid de
camps, one of the fanatically patri
otic, who were so numerous in this
war, and who from the first had de-
nounced Lecsinski as French spy,
burst into the room, dragging with
him a man wearing the brown jack
ct, tall hat and red plume of a
Spanish peasant. The officer con
fronted him with the Pole, and
said: .
Look at this man, and then say
if it is true that he is German or
Russian. He is spy, I swear by
my soul"
The peasant, meanwhile, was eye
ing the prisoner closely. Present
ly his dark eye lighted up with the
fire of hatred.
''Es Frances, he is a French
man!'' exclaimed he, clapping his
hands. And he stated, that having
been to madrid a few weeks before.
he had been put in requisition to
carry forage to the French bar
racks; and, said he, Il recollect
that this is the man who took my
load of forage, and gave me a re-
ceipt. l was near him an hour,
and / recollect him. When we
caught him, I told my comrade, this
is the French officer l delivered my
forage to- ~.
This was correct. Castanos pro-
badly discerned the true state of the
case, but he was generous foe
He proposed to let him pursue his
Tourney, for Leckinski still insisted
that he was a Russian. and could
not be made to understand a word
Of French. But the moment he
limited word of the kind. a thou
sand threatening voices were raised
against him and he saw that elem.
ency was imposs be
But said he, will you ther
risk a quarrel with Russia. whose
neutrality we are so anxiously ask
ing for p
No" said the officer; ''but lei
US try this man." ..t
| Leckinski understood all, for he
was acquainted with Spanish. HI
was removed and thrown into {
room worthy to have been one Of
the dungeons of the inquisition il
it's best days.
When the Spaniards took hin
prisoner he had eaten nothing sine,
lie previous evening, and when his
.uneeon door closed on him hs
nad tasted for eighteen hours. NJ
wonder, then, with exhaustion, ia
tigue, al xiety and agony of hi:
drea, full situation, that the unhappy
pris ner fell almost senseless on hi.
hard couch. Night soon closed in
ami left him to realize, in its gloom
the full horror of his hopeless sit
uation. He was brave, Of course
but tn die at eighteen-'tis sudden
But youth and fatigue finally yield
Ell t, the approach OF sleep, and h
was soon buried in profound slun
Der.
He had slept perhaps two hours
when the door of his dungeon
opened slowly and some one enter
ed with cautious steps, hiding will
his hand the light of a lamp; th'
visitor bent over the prisoner
couch, the hand that shaded til,
lamp touched him on the shoulder
and sweet and silvery voice, ;
woman 5, asked him, DO you wan
to cat p
Tie young Pole, awakened sud
denly by the glare Of the lamp, l..
the touch and the words of til
female, rose up on his couch ant
with eyes only half opened, said ii
, German, What do you want -
, "Give the man something to ca
at once," said Castanos, when b
heard the result OF the first expert
ment. "and let him go. He is nc
; Frenchman. How could he hav
, been SO far master of himself! I'll
thing is impossible -
, But, though Leckinski was SUP
!; piled with food, he was detained
prisoner. The next morning b
j was taken to spot where he coul
see the mutilated corpses Of te
, Frenchmen, who had been cruell
] massacred by the peasantry G
Trunillo, and he was threatene
= with the same death. But the. nobl
e youth had promised not to fail, an
= not word, not an accent, not
/ gesture or look betrayed him.
l. l.eckinsbi, when taken back t
r his prison, hailed it with sort Q
$ joy; for twelve hours he had moth
ing but gibbets and death, in it
s most horrid forms, before his eyes
a exhibited to him by, men with th
: looks and the passions of demons
a He slept, however, after the hal
J.. assing excitements of the day, an
n soundly too; when. in the midst Q
b his deep and deathlike slumbers, til
e door opened gently, some one dre1
e near his couch, and the same sol
: voice whirpered in his ear
4 s'Arise and come with me. w
: wish to save your life. Your hors
e is ready"
! And the brave young man, hastil
awakened by the words, ''aOe rish t
}, saue your life, come, answered
e still in German, "What do 20
i want p
Castanos. when he heard of thj