Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-12-29

off the unhappy prisoner from every
hope Of escape. One of Castanos' aids de
camp, one Of the fanatically patriotic
who We're 10 numerous in this war, ana
who from tito first had denounced Leck-
inslli as French spy. burst in the room,
dragging with him man wearing the
brown jacket, tail hat and red plume III
q Spanish peasant
The officer confronted him with the
Pole aud said:
Look Al this inan, and then say if il
il true that Id il German or Rus
sian. He is a spy, swear by my soul. .
The peasant meanwhile was eying the
prisoner closely. Presently his dark eye
lighted up with the fire Of hatred.
"Es Frances. he is Frenchmanr' ex-
claimed he. clapping lis hands. And
he stated that having been in Madrid a
few weeks befare ha had been but i'll
requisition To carry forage to the French
barrack, and, said lie, II recollect that
this is the man who took my load of
forage and gave me receipt was
near Kim IN hour and recollec5 him.
When we caught him / told my conlrade
this is the French officer I delivered my
forage to
This was correct. Castanos probably
discovered the true state Of the case. but
hc was II generous foe. He proposed to
let him pursue lis journey, for Leckinski
still insisted he was a Russian, and could
not be made to understand word Of
French. But tile moment he ventared
q hint Of tie izind, a thousand threaten
ing voices were raised against him and
he saw That clemency was impossible.
But, said he. twill you then risk q
quarrel with Russia, whose neutrality
we are SO anxiously asking for?
No" said the officer, s.but let us try
this man.
Leckinski understood all. for he was
acquainted with Spanish lie was re-
moved ana thrown into room worthy
to have been one Of the dungeons of the
inqUisition i'll its best days.
When the Spaniards took him prisoner
he had eaten nothing since the previous
evening, and when Lis dungeon door
was closed On him lie had tasted for
eighteen hours. NO wonder then what
with exhaustion, fatigue, anxiety, and
the agony Of his dreadful situation, that
the unhappy prisoner fell almost sense
less on his hard couch. Night soon
closed in and left him to realize in its
gloom the full horror Of Lis hopeless
eituation. He was brave, of course, but
to- die Mt eighteen-'tis sudden. But
youth and fatigue finally yielded To tile
approach Of sleep and he was soon buried
in profound slunber.
He had slept perhaps two hours when
the door Of his dungeon opened slowly
and some one entered with cautions
steps, hiding with his hand the light of
D lamp. The visitor bent over the pris-
oner's couch, the hand that shaded the
lamp touched him on the shoulder, and
sweet and silvery voioe-a woman's
voice-asked him, d. you want eat:7
The young Pole, awakened suddenly
by the glare Of the lamp, by tho touch
ana words of tile female, rose up Oh his
couch and with eyes only half opened
said iii German What az you waat
'.6iive the man something To eat III
once. said Cs.tanos, when he heard the
resuIteI tisc FIRST experiment. and lel
him go. he is not Frenchman. How
could LIE have been So far master Of him
self Tlta thing il impossible
But thongh Leckinski was supplied
with food he was detained a prisoner.
\ The next morning he was taken to spot
where lie could see the lnuhlated corpse
of the Frenchman, who had been. cruel
~ massacTed by the peasantry Of Trnxil
10, and he was threatened with the same
death. BHt the noble youth Lad prom
ised not to fail, and not word, not All
A accent, moi a gesture OF look betrayed
him.
LeckinsEi. when taken back to his
prison, hailed it with a sort Of joy. Fol
twelve hours lie had lad nothing tut
gibbets and death in its most horrid
forms before his eyes-ezhibited to him
by men with the looks and the passions
Of demons. He slept. however. after the
harrassing excitement Of the dSr, and
soundly, too, when III the midst Of his
deep and deathlike slumbers the door
opened gently. some one drew near biz
couch, and the same voice whispered il
his ear:
Arise ANA come with me. we wish
to save your life. Your horse IS ready.
And the brave young man, hastily
awakened by tile words, I'VE wish tc
save your life; come, answered still III
German, s,What 40 y0u wantsH
Castanos. when he heard of this expert
ment and its result, said the Russian
was noble young man; liz saw the true
state Of the case.
The next morning early f0nr men
came to take him before a sort Of court
martial, comp posed Of officers OF Castanos
staaf. During the walk they uttered the
most horrible threats against him, bUi
true to his determination he pretended
not to understand them.
When LIE c,Ine before his judges hc
seemed 20 gather what was going on
from the arrangements of tile tribunal
and not from what III heard said aroand
him, and be asked ia German where his
interpreter waAt He was sent for, and
the examination commenced.
1t turned AZ first upon the motive 81
his Journey from Madrid to Lisbon. He
answered b. showing his dispatches tc
Admiral SiniaviM and his passport.
Spite Of the presence ana the vehement
assertions Of the Peasant, he persisted IL
the same story ana did not contradict
himself once.
ASK him, said the presiding officer
VT last, ssif hc loves the Spaniards, IL Tx
is not FrcEchmang
Certainly said Leclinsli, II like
the Spanish nation. and esteem it foi
its noble character I wish our two na-
tons We're friends.
Colonel, said the interpreter to the
president, the prisoner says that he
hates ID because we make war like ban
ditti; that he despises us. and that bis
only regret is that lie cannot unite the
whole nation i'll one man, to end this
odiors war lit u single blow.
While ae was saying this, the eyes Of
the whole tribunal we're attentively
watching he slightest movement Of The
/ prisoners c0untenance. ia order to SEQ
what effect the interpreters treachery
would have upon him. But Leckinski
had expected to be put II the test ~
some way, ana was determined to baf-
&c all their attempts
sEentleLlcn, said Cs.stanos, TT seems
to me that this young man cannot be
suspected Lie peasant must be deceived.
The prisoner may pursue his journey.
and when Lc reflects GA the hazard oi