The Hickman courier., 1879-01-17
STORY OF ASOLDIBR'S NERVE

DlUnI UT Il DUuUlhn d NHnt Il.
While Murat was in Madrid he was
anxious to communicate with Junot in
Portugal, but all the roads to Lisbon
swarmed with guerrillas and with the
troops composing Castanos' army. Murst
mentioned his embarrassment 10 Baron
Strogonoh, the Russian ambassador to
Spain. Russia was at that time not only
the ally but the friend of France. NJ.
de S.rogonoff told Murat that it was the
easiest thing in the world. admiral
Siniavin," said he, sis in the port at
Lisbon; give me the most intelligent o.
your Polish lancers; / will dress him up
in a Russian uniform and entrust him
with dispatches for the Admiral; all will
90 well, even if he should be taken pris-
oner a dozen times between this and
Lisbon, for the insurgent army is so snx
ious to gain our neutrality that it will
be careful not to furnish pretext for
rupture"
Murat was delighted with this ingeni-
GUS scheme He asked Kransinski, the
commandant of the lancers, to find him
braye and intelligent young man. Two
days sfterward the commsndant brought
the Prince young 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 youik a
man court so imminent a danger; fT q
he were detected his doom was -
Murat could not help remarkiDg
Pole the risk he was about TO runse
youth smiled. "Let your Imperial HEh-
ness give me my Instructions" answEed
he respectfully, and will give a good
account OF this mission have been hon
ored with. l thank his Highness for
having chosen me from my comrades, for
all OF them would have courted this dis
tinction."
The Prince argued favorably from the
young mans modest resolution. The
Russian Ambassador gave him his dis
patches, he put on a Russian uniform,
and set out for Portugal. The first two
days passed quietly, but on the afternoon
of the third Leckinski was surrounded
by body of Spsniards, who disarmed
him and dragged him before the COM
manding officer. Luckily for the gallant
youth it was Castanos himself.
Leckinski Xas aware that he was lost
if he were discovered to be FrenchHan;
consequently he determined on the in
slant not to let a single word OF French
escape him and to speak Russian and
German, which he did with equal fuen-
cy. The cries of rage of his captors an
nounced the tate which awaited him,
and the horrible murder of Gen. Rene,
who had perished in the most dreadful
tortures only few weeks before, as he
was going to join Junot, was sufficient to
freeze the very blood.
"Who are your said Castanos in
French, which language he spoke perfect
ly well, having been educated in France.
Lee 4inski looked at his questioner,
made sigh and answered in German:
81 do not understand you"
Castanos spoke German, but he did
not wish to appear personally in the mat
ter and summoned one of the officers of
the staff, who went on with the examina-
ton. The young Pole answered i2-e-.s.
sian or German, but never let a syi...oIe
of French escape him. He -night, how.
ever, easily have forgotten himself, sur
rounded as he 5sas ty crowd eager for
his blood, and waiting with savage i'm,
patience to have him declared guilty,
that is a Frenchman, to fall upon him
and murder him. But their fury was
raised to height which the General
himself could not control, by an accci-
dent which seemed tee ut off the unhappy
prisoner from every hope of escape. One
of Castanos' aids-de-camp, one of the
fanatical patriots who were SO numerous
in this war, who from the first had de-
nounced Leckinski as a French spy.
burst into the room, dragging with him
man wearing a brown jacket, tall hat
and red plume of Spanish peasant.
The officer soon fronted him with the
Pole and said:
Look at this man, and then say il it
is true that he is German or Russian
He is spy, l swear by my SOUL"
"The peasant, meanwhile, was eyeing
the prisoner closely. Presently his dark
eyes lighted up with fire of hatred.
'He is a Frenchman 70 he exclaimed
clasping his hands. And he stated that
having been in Madrid few weeks before
he had been put in requisition to carry
forage TO the French ranks "and .
said he, s'I recollect that this man took
my ad of forage, and he gave me re-
ceipt. ! was near him an hour, and
reoollect him. When we caught him l
told my comrade that this is the Freneb
officer delivered my forsge to-"
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