Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-17
A MAN OF NERVE.

MAN OF NERVE.
While Murat was in Madrid. he was
anxious to communicate with JunOt in
Portugal; but all the roads to Lisbon
sNarmed with guerriilas, and with the
troops composing Castanos' army.
murat meHIioned his embarrassment to
Baron Strogonoff, the Russian ambassador
to Spain.
Russia, as is we'll known, was at that
time not only the ally, but the friend of
France. NJ De Strogonof tod Murat
that it was the easiest thing in the world
The Russian Admiral Siniavin,' said re,
lis in the port Of Lisbon; give me the
most intelligent Of your Polish lancers;
will dress him up in Russian uniform
and intrust him with the dispatches for
the admiral-all viii go well, even if he
should be taken prisoner a dozen times
betweed this and Listen, Tor the insurgent
army is SO anxious to obtain our neutra!i-
ty that it will be careful not to furnish a
preteyt for rupture"
Murat was delighted with this ingeni-
Gus cheme. He asked Kransinslzi, the
commandant of the lancers, to fiud him a
brave and intelligent young man. Two
days afterward the commandant brought
the prince a young man Of his corps. for
whom he pledged his life: his name was
Leckinski, and ne was but eighteen years
old.
Murat was moved at seeing so young
man court SO imminent a DANCER; for,
if he were detected, his doom was sealed.
Murt could not help remarking to the
Pole the risk be was about to run. The
youth smiled. "Let your inperlal high
ness give me my Instructions" answered
good account of the mission | have been
honored with thank his highness Tor
having chosen me from my comrades. for
all of them would have courted this dis
tinctlon."
The prince argued favorably from the
young mans modest resolution. The
Russian ambassador gave him his dis
patches, he put On Russian uniform,
and set out for Portugal.
The first two days seemed over quietly.
but on the afternoon of the third, Leckin-
ski was surrounded by BODY of Span
lards. who d1sarmed him, and dragged
Luckily for the gallant youth it was
Castanos himself.
LeckInskl was aware that he was lost
if he were discovered to be 8 Frenchman,
consequently he determined, Oh the in
slant, not to let single word Of French
escape him, and to speak Russian and
German, which be did with equal tluency.
The cries OF rage ofhis captots announced
the fate which awaited him, and the hor-
rible murder Of General Reue, who had
persisted in the most dreadful torlures
but few weeks before, as he vas going to
join Iunot, were sufficient to freeze tie
very blood.
''Who are you2' said Castons, in
French, which language he spoke per
fectIv well, having been educated in
France.
Leckinski looked at tie questioner,
made sign. and answered in German:
II do not understand YOU
Castanos spoke German, but he did rot
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
German, but never leta syllable of French
escape him. He might however, easily
have forgotten himself, surrounded as he
was by acrowd eager for his blood, and
who waited with savage Impotence to
have him declared guilty, that is a
Frenchman, to fall upon him and rur-
der him.
But their fury was raised to height
which the general himself co uld not con
control, by an incident which seemed to
cut of the unhappy prisoner from every
hope OF escape. One of Castanos' aides
de-camp, one Of the fanatical patriots
were so numerous in this war. and who
from the first denounced Leckinski as a
French spy, burst into the room dragging
with him man wearing the brown Jack
ct, tall hat and red plume of a Spanish
peasant.
The officer confronted him with tie
Pole, and said:
Look at this man, and then say if it is
true that he Is German or Russian. He
is spy, | swear by my sosl.'
The peasant, meanwhile, was eveing
the prisoner closely. Presently his dark
eyes lighted up with the fire Of hatred.
SIS Fronces. he is a Frenchman!z ex-
claimed he, clapping his hands. And he
stated that having been in Madrid a few
weeks before, he had been put in requi-
sition to carry forage to the Freech bar
rack; land, said he, 81 recollect that this
man took nv load of forage and he gave
me a receipt. was near him an hour,
and recollect him. When we caught him.