Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1893-02-01
NERVE.


anxious to communicate with Junot
in Portugal, but all the roads to Lisbon
swarmcd with guerrillas and with the
troops composing Castinos's army.
He asked Krasinski, the command
ant of the lancers, to find him brave
and intelligent young man. Two days
afterwards the commandant brought
the prince young man of his corps, for
whom he pledged his life. His name
was Leckinski, and he was but eight
cen years old.
Murat was moved at seeing so young
a man court so imminent danger, for
if he were detected his doom was
sealed. Murat could not help remark
ing to the Pole the risk he was about
to run. The youth smiled.
"Let your imperial highness give
me my Instructions" he answered re-
spectfully, "and l will give a good ac-
count Of the mission l have been hon
ored with"
The young prince augured favorably
from the young mans modest resolu-
ton. The Russian ambassador gave
him his dispatches he put on Rus
sian uniform and set out for Portugal.
The first two days passed over qui
etIy, but on the afternoon of the third
Leckinski was surrounded by body
of Spaniards, who disarmed him and
dragged him before their commanding
officer. Luckily for the gallant youth
it was Castinos himself.
Leckinski was aware that he was lost
if he were discovered to be French
man; consequently he determined on
the instant not to let single word
of French escape him, and to speak
but Russian and German, which he
spoke with equal fuency. The cries
of rage of his captors announced the
fate which awaited him, and the hor-
rible murder of General Rene, who had
perished in the most dreadful tortures
but few weeks before as he was
going to join Junot, was sufficient to
freeze the very blood.
"Who are you?' said Castinos in
French, which language he spoke per-
fectly well, having been educated in
France.
Leckinski looked at the questioner,
made sign and answered in German,
II do not understand YOU"
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 an
swered in Russian or German, but
never let Il single syllable of French
escape him. ~He might, however, east
ly have forgotten himself, surrounded
as he was by a crowd eager for his
blood, and who waited with savage
impatience to have him declared gull
ty-that is, a Frenchman-to fall upon
him ard murder him.
But their fury was raised to IL height
which the general himself could not
control, by an incident which seemed
to cut Oft the unhappy prisoner from
every hope Of escape. One of Casta-
moss aids de camp, one of the fanati-
cally patriotic who were so numerous
in this war, and who from the first had
denounced Leckinski as French spy,
burst in the room, dragging with him
a man wearing the brown jacket, tall
hat and red plume of Spanish peas
ant.
The officer confronted him with the
Pole, and said:
"Look at this man, and then say if
it is true that he is a German or Il
Russian. He is Il spy, swear by my
soul"
The peasant meanwhile was cycling
the prisoner closely. Presently his
dark eye lighted up with the fire of
hatred.
"Es Frances, he is a Frenchman! !"
exclaimed he, clapping his hands.
And he stated that having been in
Madrid q few weeks before he had
been put in rcquisition to carry forage
to the French barrack, and, said he,
IL recollect that this is the man who
took my load of forage and gave me
receipt. l was near him an hour and