Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-09-20

NO hours elapsed, when tie door was
softly opened and some one entered. A
leutO1aut, and woman's gentle voice
whispered: ''Vouiez-vou5 souper, mon
5ieu p
Heavy with slsep, the prisoner fsncied
himself, for moment, with his mess at
Madrid. The fearful ordeal lasted only a
single momert, for, looking up and rub
biug MS eyes, Lackinskl's position was
ecalle 70 him by the darkness of his
cell, which served the double purpose of
couceal-ng his doubt and surprise. His
presence Of mind did not desert him e-en
then, md he inquired in G7rmaE, what
was wanted of him. Without another
word, the woman disappeared.
When reporting this test to his COM
rades, C4stanos added, with a hoarse
laugh, You see, vas right in believing
MIN TO bs a Russian, for were he French
he would sBreiy have betrayed hlms elf 10
woman. GIVE him something to eat,
Saddle his horse, and send him no his
way
Unfortunately for the prisoner, the gen
eral's authority over his vol 1nteer crops
was not absolute; MS order was therefore
Obeyed only in part. Sapper was ssrv-
ed, bat Lacklnsky remained in his cell.
The following morning Castanos, who
had his own reasons tor wishing to favor
ably reported to the Russian government
visited his prisoner and told him not 10
Discouraged, adding an assurance that
his dete ntion would soon end. At the
same time, taking the youth kindly by
the hand, he assured him, with a smile,
that there vas nO'hing further to fear.
Though inwardly rejoicing, IS he listen-
cd tn he
appeared to comprehend nothing but the
gentle tone and the friendly pressure of
the land.
Later he was led to spot where ten
French prisoners of war had just been
shot. There, in the presence of the
CHASTITY, bleeding corpses, he was forced
30 remain until night. Prison was a re-
lief com pared with such a cruel specta-
! Gle; yet, in spite of the generals reassur-
ing re marks. he could not obtain the re-
pose of which he was by this time sorely
| II need. The fate of his companions in
arms, which he fully expected to share,
hauLted him contiu ually, until sleep over
came him after several hours of weary
watching and tossing on his hard bed of
straw.
AS before, a woman gently aroused
him and spoke in the same low tone in
French: Come qaickly; will save you;
your horse is saddled; every thing is
ready; follow me softly! softly"
The young lieu5enanGs senses were I'M
mediately On the alert; his sus picion was
fully aroused, and he was not to be taken
una9ares. "What was it you saId?' he
| quietly asked in German. 81 did not
understand. Can you not speak to NE
IN my native tongue?" The woman i'm
mediately vanished,
On hearing of this incident, Castanos
again spoke in behalf of his prisoner;
| bat the assertion made so confidently by
the peasant had worked upon the minds
of the guerlllas to such a degree that
| they eetused TO be convlH ced until they
made one more trial. 1t was therefore
agreed that LacBinsBy should remain in
captivity another night.
| Five guerrllas entered the vault on the
following morning; uttering furious
| threats against the French, accom- panied
| by maledlotions on the head of Napo
leon. They spoke in Spanish, of which
Laklnsky understood quite enough to
know what they were saying, but he as
| sumed an air of u1concern and looked
| from one to another though wonder
ing what could De the cause of the excite
ment. After being informed that he was
to have another trial, he was led to the
! chapel, where, ranged along the steps of
the alter, he beheld a dozen gueril !
chiefs who had constituted themselves a
coUL Gil of war. With show of sudden
ly understand ng that ne was to undergo
an examination, the yonng lieutep ant
| demanded an interpreter. t
A soldier Who spok German was sen
for. and the trial proceeded.
"What is the object OF your journey
| from Madrid to Lisbon?" was the first
question.
Being an officer of the czar's guard"
answered LackIusky, Il have been in
| trusted With important dispatches from
Baron Stroganoff 10 Adni al Siniarin."
ASK HIM if he is friend to Spaine,"
said one of the judges so the iEterpre-
| ter.
'Indeed | ami" replied the Pole, when
the question was put to him in German;
| Il honor and esteem the Spanish nation
and would be delig hted if they would
COZ scent to form an alliance with my
country"
Turning toward the council the inter
prefer said in French: "The prisoner de-
ciares that he is Russian and he adds
that his sovereign is a firm friend and
ally of Napoleon. He also says that he
des pises Spain, and that he considers
her soldiers a band of robbers and cut
threats who ought TO be wiped from the
| face of the EARTH
This was the most terrible ordeal the
the young man had yet undergone, but
he did not betray, the movement of a
muscle, that be understood what vas said.
He seemed merely to be wondering what
could so suddenly have aroused the coun-
sill, who watched him narrowly while Civ
ing vent to angry threats. They knew
that nothing would be so likely to put the
prisoner off his guard as the apparent
treachery of the interpreter.
Comrades" said Castanos, who en-.
! tered the chapel at the conclusion of the
inter prefers remarks fare you convinced
at last, and will you now permit this dis
patch bearer to proceed?"
| The guerillas answered with one voice,
and SO eager were they to made amends
| for what they considered their error, that
within one hour LackinskY's horse, pa
| pers, and weapons were restored, and hs
was far on the road TO Lisbon, rejoicing
at his escape.