Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-17
I told my comrade. this is the French
officer deliver my forage to-:

dlscerned the true state of the case, but
he was generous foe. He proposed to
let him pursue his journey, for Leckinski
still insisted he was Russian, and he could
not be made to understand word of
French. But the moment he yentured
hint of that kind, thousand threatening
voices were raised against him, and he
saw that clemency was impossible.
but, SAID he, twill you then risk
quarrel with Russia, whose neutrality re
are so anxiously asking tor?r
NO" said the officer, sbut let us try
this man."
Leckinski understood all, for ne was
acquainted with Spanish. He was re-
moved and thrown into a loom worthy
to have been one of the 1geons of the
lnquisition in its worst days.
When the Spaniards took him prisoner
he had eaten nothing since the previous
Yening, ana when his dungeon door was
closed on HIM he had tasted eighteen
hours; no wonder, then, what with ex-
haustlon, fatigue, anxiety, and tie agony
of his dreadful condition, that the IN
happy prisoners fell Almost senscless ON
his hard couch. Night soon closed in
and left Nun to realize, in his gloom, the
tull horror OF his hopeless situation. He
was brave, OF course; to die al eighteen
so suddenly! But youth and fslieue f.
nally yielded to the approach OF sleep.
and he was buried in profound sluEl Der.
He had slept perhaps two hours. when
the door of his dungeon opened slowly,
and some one entered with cautious steps
hidin.. with his hand the liehe of the
lamp; the visitor bent over the prisoners
couch, the hand that shaded the lamp
touched him on the shoulder, and a sweet
and silvery voice, womans voice, asked
him:
DO you want to eat2"
The young Pole, awakened suddenly
by the S lare of the lamp, by the touch
ard words of the female, rose I'D on his
couch, and. with his eyes only half opeu-
ed, said in German, z" What do you
want2"
Give the man something to eat at
once,'' said Castanos, when he heard the
result of the first experiment, and let
him go. He is not Frenchman. How
could he have been so far mas:aT OF him
self! The thing is impossible"
But though Leckinski was supplied
with food he was detained prisoner.
The next morning he was taken TO a spot
where he could see the mutilated copse
of the Frenchman who had been cruelty
mastered by the peasantry Of Truxillo,
and he was theatened with the same death.
But the noble youth had promised not to
TO fail, and not word, not an accent, not
gesture or look betrayed hlm.
IIeCknSki when taken hack ia tho
prison, hailed it with q shout of Joy; for
twelve hours he bad nothing bur gibbits
and death, in its most horrid forms. be-
with the looks and the passions oftiemons.
de slept, however, after the harrasing
excitement Of the day. and soundly, too;
when IN the midst OF his deep and death
like slumbers, the door opened gently,
some one drew near his couch, and the
same voice whispered in his ear:
Arise and come with me- we wish
to save your life. Your horse is ready
And the brave young man, hastily
awakened by the WORDS, 1--WE wish to save
your life, come" answered still IN Ger
man What do you want2'
Castanos, when he heard OF this expe-
riment and It's result, said the Russian
was noble young man; he saw the true
state of the case.
The next morning, early, four men
came to take him before a sort OF court
martial, composed of officers of Castanos'
statt. During the walk, they uttered
most horrible threats against him. but
true Of his determination, he pretended
not to understand them
When he came before his Judges. he
seemed to gather what was going on
from the arrangements Of the tribunal.
and not from what he heard SAID around
him, and he asked in German where his
interpreter was. He was sent for and the
examination commenced.
1t turned at first upon the motive OF his
journey from Madrid to Lisbon. He
answered by showing his dispatches to
Admiral Slniavin ana his passport. Spite
of the presence and vehement assertions
OF the peasant he persisted in the same
story, and did not contradict himself
once.
ASK hin," said the presiding officer,
al last, III he loves the spaniards, as be is
not Frencbman?"
The Interpreter PCT the question.
Certainly" said Leckinslli, - ike
the Spanish nation; wish our two ma
tons we're friends
Colonel" said the Interpreter to the
president, the prisoner says he hates us
because we mike war like the bandittl,
that he despises us, and that his only re-
greet is that he cannot unite the whole
nation as one men to end this odious war
at a single blow
While he was saying this, the eyes Of
the whole tribunal were attentively
watching the slightest movement OF the
prisoners countenance, in order to see
what effect the interpreters treachery
would have upon him. But Leckinski
had expected to be put TO the test in some
way, and he determined to battle al! their
attempts.
Gentlemen" sad Castanos, s'it seems
to me that this young man can not be
suspected; the peasant must be deceived.
The prisoner may pursueshis journey, and
when ne reflects on the peril Of our posi-
tloa, he will find the severity We have
been obliged to use excusablen
Leckinsh's arms and dispatches were
returned, he received free pass, and thus
this Loble youth came VICTORIOUS out of