The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-15
A SOLDIERS NERVE.
An INCIDENT or THE SPANISH PENN
sULAR WAR.

easements 70 Baron Strogonotf, the Russian
Ambassador to Spain. Russia was at the
time not only the ally, but the friend OF
France NJ De Strogonof told Murat that 1t
was the easiest thing In the world. Admiral
Siniavn," said he, "is In the port at Lisbon
give me the most intelligent OF your Polish
Iancers / will dress him up in Russian uni
form and entrust him with dispatches for the
Admiral all will 90 well, even II he should be
taken prisoner dozen times between this
and Lisbon, for the insurgent army Is 50
anxious to gain our neutrality that II will be
careful not to furnish pretext for rupture"
Murnt was delighted with this ingenius
scheme. He asked Kransinsksi, the com
mandant Of the Lancers, To find Elm brave
and intelligent young man. TWO days alter
ward the commandment brought the Prince
young man of his corps, for whom he pledged
his life; his name was Leckinsli, and he was
not eighteen years old.
Murat was moved at seeing SO young man
court so imminent q 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 iIighnesS give me my inStruc-
lions" answered he, respectfully and will
give u good account Of this mission | have
heen honored with / thank his Highness for
having chosen me from my comrades, Tor all
of them would have cOurted this distinction"
The Prince argued favorably from the
young mans modest resolution. The Rus
sian ambassador gave him his dispatches, he
mt ON n Russian uniform and set out for POr-
tugal. The first two days passed quietly, but
on the afternoon of the third Leckinski was
surrounded BY a body OF Spaniards, who dis
armed and dragged him before the command
Ing officer. Luckily for the gallant youth IL
was CastanOS himself.
Tackinskj was aware that he was lost If he
were discovered to be O Frenchman; conSe-
auently he determined on the instant not to
let single word OF French escape him, and
to speak Russian and German, which ne ana
with equal Huency. The cries OF rage OF his
cantors announced the fate which awaited
him. and the horrible murder OF Gen. Rene,
who had persisted In the most dreadful tor
lures only few weeks before. as he was GO
ing to join Junot, was sufficient to freeze the
"Who are your" said Castanos In French,
which language he spoke perfectly well. hav
ing been educated In France
G,eckinsEi looked at his questioner. made
sign, and answered in German
II do not understand you.
Castanos spoke German, but he did not
wish to appear personally In the matter, and
summoned one of the officers. OF the stall,
who went on with the examination. The
nut never let a syllable OF French escape him.
He might, however, easily have forgotten
himself surrounded as he was by crowd
eager for his blood, and waiting with savage
Impotence to have him declared guilty, that
is n Frenchman to fall upon him and murder
him. But their fury was raised to height
which the General himself could not control
by an accident which seemed to cut OIL the
unhappy prisoner from every hope OF escape.
One Of Castanos' aids-dc-camp, one OF the Ia
;.t, ,I,,, GO i'm
this war. who from the first had denounced
I,eckinski as French spy, burst into the
room, dragging with him man wearing
brown Jacket, tall hat and red plume OF u
Spanish peasant.
The officer soon fronted him Win the Pole
and said:
ssLook at this man and then say II IT is true
that he Is German or Russian. He is a spy,
swear by my soul
The peasant, meanwhile was cycling the
prisoner closely. Presently his dark eyes
lighted up with the fire Of hatred
hHe Is a Frenchman," he exclaimed, clap
ming his hands. And he stated that having
been in Madrid few weeks before, he had
been put In requisItion 70 carry forage to the
French barracks; "and, said he, II recollect
that this man took my load Of forage, and he
gave me a receipt. ! was near him an noun,
and recollect him. When we caught him
told my comradc that this Is the French officer
/ delivered my forage 70.
u.
cerned the true state of the ease, but he was
a generous foe. He proposed to let him pur
sue his Journey, for Lcckinski still insisted he
was Russian. and he could not be made to
understand o word of French. But the mo
ment he ycnturcd a hint of that kind, n thou
sand threatening voices were raised against
him, and he saw that clemency was impos-
Sible.
"But," said he. "will you then risk a quarrel
with Russia, whose neutrality we are SO anX-
iously asking for y
"No." said the officer, but let us try this
man"
Leckinski understood it all, for he was ac-
Quainted with Spanish. He was removed and
thrown into II room worthy to have been one
of the dungeons of the 1nquisition in its
worst days.
When the Spanards took him prisoner he
had eaten nothing since the previous evening,
and when his dungeon door closed on him he
had tasted eighteen hours; no WONDER then,
what with exhaustion, fatigue. and the agony
OF shis dreadful situation, that the unhappy.
prisoner fell almost senselcsS on his hard
couch. Night soon closed in and left him to
realize, in the gloom, the full horror OF his
hopeless situation. He was brave OF course,
but to die at eighteen-so suddenly! But
youth and fatigue finally yielded to the ap
proach of sleep, and he was soon buried in
profound slumber.
He had slept perhaps two hours when the
door o. his dungeon opened slowly, and some
his hand the light of a lamp; the visitor bent
over the prisoners couch, the hand that
the lamp touched him on the shout
der. and sweet and oilyery voce-a womans
voice-asking him:
"Do you want TO eat p
The young Pole awakened suddenly by the
glare OF the lamp, by the touch and words of
Tho female rose up on his couch. and with His
eyes half opened, said in German, What do
you want?"
"Giye the man something to eat at once"
said Castanos. when he heard the result of the
first experiment, land let him go. He Is not
n Frenchman. How could he have been 50 far
master of himself The thing is impossible"
But though Leckinsh was supplied with
food be was detained prisoner. The next
he was taken TO spot where he
could see the mutt ated corpse of the French
man who had been cruelty massacred by the
of Truxillo and he was threatened
with the same death. But the noble youth
had promised not to fail, and not word, not
On accent not gesture or look betrayed him.
Leckinski, when taken back to the prison,
hailed 1t with Joy; for twelve hours he had