Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-08-10
A TALE OF NERVE.

troops composing Castanos army. Mu-
rat mentioned Ibis embarrassment to
Baron Strogonof, the Russian Ambassa-
dor to Spain. Russia, it is we'll known,
was at that time not only the a'y but
tho friend of France. M dc Strogonoff
to d Murat that it was the easiest thing
in the world. "The Russian Admiral
Sinivian," said he, us in the port of Lis
bon; give me the most Intelligent of your
Polish lancers; will 9"ess him up u
Russian uniform, and cntrust him with
dispatches for the admiral-you will give
him your instructions verbally, and all
will 20 well, even if he should be taken
prisoner dozen times between this and
Lisbon, for the Insurgent army is SO
careful not to furnish pretext for arup-
ture."
Murat was delighted with this ingeni-
Gus scheme. He asked kraslusFi, the
commandment of the lanccrs, to find him
brave and intelligent young man. Two
DAVIS aftcrward the COmmandant brought
the Prince young man of his corps, for
whom he pledged his life; his name was
Leckzinski, and he was but eighteen
years old.
Murat was moved at seeing 50 young
man court so imminent danger; for,
if he was detected, his doom was sealed,
Murat could not help remarkins to the
Pole the risk he was about to run. The
youth smiled.
"Let Your Imperial Hishncss give me
my instructions" answered he respect
fully, "and will give you a good account
of the mission l have been honorcd with.
thank His Highness for having taken
me from among my comrades, for all Of
them would have courtcd this distinc-
ton"
The Prince augurcd favorably ION
the young mans modest resolution. The
Russian Ambassador gave him his dis
patches; he put Oh a Russian uniform,
and set out for Portugal. o q
The first two days passed over quietly,
but OIL the afternoon of tho third, Lcck-
zinski was surrounded by a body ofSpan-
iards, who lisa. ned him, and dragged
him before their commanding officer.
Lucky for the youth, it was Castanos
himself.
Leckzinski was aware that he was lost,
if he were discovered to be French
man, consequently he determined on the
instant, not to let q single word of
French escape him, and to speak moth
ing but Russian or Gelman, which he
spoke with equal tlnency. The cries of
rage of his captors announced the fate
which awaited him, and the horrible
murder of General Rene, who had per
ished in the most drca1'rl tolturc but q
few weeks before, as he was going to
Join Junot, was sufficient to freeze the
very blood.
"Who are you" said Castanos, III
French, which lisuagc he spoke per-
fectly well, having been educated in
France.
Leckzinski looked at the questioncr,
made sign and answered in German;
II do not understand you" e
Castanos spoke German, but he did
not wish to appear personally in the
matter, and summoned one of the Off
GERS of his staff, who went on with the
examination. The young Pole answered
i'll Russian OR German, but never let a
single syllable Of French escape him.
He might, however, have cSeily forgot
ten himself, surrounded as he was, by a
crowd reagcr for his bloA!, and who
waited with savage impatiencc to have
him declared guilty, that is, French
man, to fall upon and murder him.
But their fury was raised to height
which the General himself could not
control, but an accident which seemed
to cut off the unhappy prisoner from
every hope of escape. One o6Castanos
aid-dc-camps, one of Systematically pa
triOtic, who were SO numerous moths
war, and who from the first had dcnour-
ced Leckzinski as French spy, burst
into the room drawing with him a man
wearing the brown jacket, tall hat and
red plume of q Spanish peasant. Tho
officer confronted him with the Pole,
and said:
Look at tbs man, and then say If it
is true that he is a German or a Russian.
He is spy, swear by my soul"
The peasant, meanwhile, was cycling
the prisoner closely. Presently his
dark eye lighted up with the fire of
hatred.
rs, Frances, he is u i .cnchmanw cx-
claimed he, clappins his hands. And
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