Louisiana capitolian., 1880-08-14
A TALE OF NERVE.

While Mnrat was in Madrid, bc WAS
anxious to communicate with Junot in
Portugal; bnt all the roads to Lisbon
swarmel with guerillas, and with the
troops composing Castanos army. Mu.
rat mentioned his embarrassment to
Baron StrOgono.l' the Russian Ambassa-
dor to Spain. Russia, it is well known,
was st that time not only the ally. bnt
the friend of France. NJ de Strog0nOft
to d Mnrnt that il was the easiest thing
in the world. "The Russian Admiral
Siniyian," said he, us in the port fills
bon; give me the most intelligent of your
Polish laucers; will dress him up in
Russian uniform, and entrust him with
dispatches for the admiral--yon will give
him your instructions verbally, and all
will 80 well, even if he should be taken
prisoner dozen times between this and
Lisbon, for the Insnrgent army is so
careful not to furnish u pretcxt Tor ar''P-
ture."
Murat was delighted with this ingenl-
o,,s scheme. He asked krasluski, the
commandant of the lanccrs, to find him
u brave and intelligent Young man. Two
days afterward 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 40 young
u man court so imminent a dnngcr; for,
if he was detected, his doom was sealed,
Murat could not help Tcmarking to the
Pole the risk he was about to run. The
youth smiled.
"Lct Your Imperial Highncss give me
my Instructions" answered he respect
fully, "and will give you % good account
of The mission ! have been h0norcd Will,
thank His lIighncss for having tak''
mo from among my comrades, for all I"
them would have co,.rtcd this distinc
tion.'
The Prince augnred tavorabIy from
the young mans modest resolution. Th
Russian Ambassador gave him his dis
patches; he put onn Russian uniform
and set out for Portugal
The first two days passed ovcrunlctly
but Oh the Afternoon, OF the third, Lcck
zinski was surrounded BY u body OF Spar!
iards, who disarmed him, and draggc'
him before their commanding officer
Lucky for the youth, it was Cas'ano
himself.
I.cckzuski was aware that he was lost
if he were discovered to be a Frencl
man, consequently he determined OH tn
instant, not to let a single word
French escape him, and to speak notl
i,rg bnt Russian or German, which i
spoke with equal tiucncy. The cries
rage of his captors announced the tai
which awaited him, and the hOrrlb
murder of General Rene, who had pc
ishcd in the most dreadful torture but
few weeks before, as he was going
Join Junot, was sufficient to freeze Il
very blood.
"Who are yonf' said Castanos,
French, which language he spoke pc
frctIy well, having been educated
France.
Lcclszinski looked at the question:
made sign and answered in German
Il do not understand you"
Castanos spoke German, but he d
not wish to appear personally in t
matter, and summoned one OF the O.
GERS of his staff, who went on with t
examination. The young Pole answer
in Russian or German, but never let
single syllable Of French escape hi
lie might, however, have easily forg
ten himself, surrounded as he was, b,
crowd !cagcr for his blood, and W
waited with savage impaticncc to h'
him declared guilty, that is, Fren
man, to fall upon and murder him.
But their fury was raised to u he'll
which the General himself could
control, but an accident which seen
to cut off the unhappy prisoner II
every hope of escape. One Of Casta
aid-de.camps, one Of the frantlcally
triotic, who were so numerous III
war, and who from the first had demo
ccd Leckzinski as a French spy, b'
into the room drawing with him a Il
wearing the brown jacket, tall hat
rel plume Of q Spanish peasant
officer confronted him with the r
and said:
.1ook at this man, and then soy Il
is true that he is aGcrman or " h"ss
..n.. IL ;s a. .nr I syAAr hy my a0nl. ..