The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-01-23
BROOkHAYEN. MISS, THURSDAY

commaudant of the lancers, to And him
a brave and intelligent young man.
Two days afterward the commandant
brought the Prince yonng man OF
his corps, for whom he pledged his life.
His name was Leckinski, and he was
but eighteen years old.
Murat was moved at seeing so young
man court eeo imminent danger; for
were lie detected his doom was sealed.
Msirat could not help remarking to the
Pole the risk he was about to run.
The youth smiled. "Let your Imper-
ial Eiqhness give me my instructions, "
answered he respectfully, land I will
give an account of this mission have
been honored with. I thank his High
ness for having chosen me from my
comrades. for all OF them would have
Ecourted. this distinction"
The Prince argued favorably from
the young mans modest resolution.
The Russian Ambassador gave him his
dispatches, he put on Russian uni
form, and set out for Portugal. The
first two days passed .quietly, but on
the afternoon of the third, Leckinski
was surrounded by BODY of spaniards.
who disarmed him and dragged him be-
fore the commanding officer. Luckily
for the gallant youth it was Castano,
himself.
Leckinski was aware that he was lost
if he were discovered to be French .
man; consequently he determined on
the instant not to let sinsle word of
French escape him and to speak Rus
sian aud German, which he did with
equal fuency. The cries of rage of
his captors announced the Fate which
awaited him, and the horrible murder
of Gen. Rene, who had perished in
lie most dtsadftl torluires only few
weeks before, as he was going to JOIN
Junot, was sufficient to freeze the very
blood.
"Who are you?" said Castanos in
French, which language he spoke pei,
fectly we'll, having been educated in
France
Leckinski looked at his questioner.
made sigh, and answered in German
|
Castanos spoke German, but he did
not wish to appear personally in the
matter and summoned one of his Off
GERS of the staff, who went on with the
examination. The young Pole an
8 vered in Russian or German, but never
let a syllable of French escape him.
He might. however, easily have forgot
ten himself, surrounded as he was by
a crowd eager for his blood, and wait
ing with savage impatience to have HIM
declared guilty, that Is Freuchman.
, to fall upon him and murder him.
But their fury was raised to height
which the Genesal himself could not
control, by an accident which seemed
to cnt Off the unhappy prisoner from
every hope of assars.. One of Casts
amos aids-de> camp, one Of the fanati'
cal patriots who were so numerous in
this war, who from the first had de
nonuced Leckinski is a French spy.
burst into the room, dragging with him
a man wearing bro xn jacket, tall hat
and red plume of Spanish peasant.
The officer soon fronted him with the
fole and said:
"Look at this man. and then say if ii
is true that he is German or Russian.
He Is n spy, swear by my soal."
The peasant, meanwhile, was eye
ing the prisoner closely. Presently
his dark eyes lighted up with fire OF
hatred.
"He is Frenchman!" he exclaimed,
claspine Liz hands. And he stated
that having been in Madrid few
weeks before he had been put in re-
QUESTION to carry forage to the French
ranks; "and," said ho. Il recollect that
this man took my load of forage, and
he gave NE receipt. I was near him
on honr, and recollect him. W hen We
caught HIM I told my coinrade that
this Is the French officer 1 delivered
my forage to-"
This was correct. Castanos ploba-
bly, discerned the true state of the case
but he was a generous foe. Re pro-
posed to let Finn pursue his journey,
for Leckinski still insisted he was 0
Russian, and he could not understand
a word of French. But the moment he
ventured hint of that kind thou
sand threatening voices were raised
against him, and heesaw that clemency
was impossible.
But" said he, "will you then risk 6
quarrel with Russia. whose neutrality
. we are so nnxiously asking for?"
"No." said the officer, :but let us
try this man."
Leckinski understood all, for he was
acquainted with Spanish. He was re-
moved and thrown into room worthy
20 have been one of the dungeons Of
the inquisltion in its worst days.
When the Spaniards took him prison
er he had eat nothing since the previ'
ous evening, and when his dungeon
door closed on him Re had tasted eight
teen hours; no wonder. then, wha'
with exhaustion, fatigue, and the agony
of his situation, that the unhappy
, prisoner fell almost senseless on his
hard couch. Night soon closed in ano
left him to realize, in its gloom, tht
, full horror of his hopeless situation
He was brave. OF course, sdt to die al
eigitesn--so suddenly! But youth and
, fatigue finally yielded to the approach
of sleep, and he was soon buried II