Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-05-14

bee Eugene Fairfax, the secretary of
Blancbe's favher-at once stepped for
ward. and. in "a polite and ldeferential
manner, offered his hand toItheidiferent
females.sto to assist them on board. The
hand Of Blanche was the last to gtouch his
and then but Slightly. as she. sprung
quickly and lightly to the deck-but a
close observer might lave detected the
slight flush which mantled his noble, .ex'
pressiye features as his eye for a single
instant methers.a She might herself have
seen it--perhaps she did--but there was
no corresponding glowon heriown bright.
pretty face, as she inquired. in the calm
dignified tone Of one having the right to
put the question, and who might also
have been, aware of the Inequality of po,
sition between herselfoands him she, ad.
dressed: ii l3fs g osiR a asaI
Eugene, is everything prepared for our
departure? II will not do for our boat to
spring leak again, as it did coming down
the Kanawha-for it will not be safe for
US, am told. TO touch either shore be-
tween the different forts and trading posts
on our route, this side of our destination,
the Falls of the Ohio tHs moi
NO, indeed! rejoined her aunt, quick
ly; 1T will be as much as your lives are
worth TO venture foot lromith main
current Of the Ohior-fOr news reached
Ns eNNys sSSe, ,SINSS A%s +, -NW~ISM~NY .OoaNs
jDol been 0tt8Cked IBIS sDyjQgI 2O0 SeH'
eral lost, with all on board as
NO one feels tuoreGonceruedN Nboutsthe
safe passage Of Miss Bertrand thanlm myt
self, replied Eugene, in deferentialtone;
and since our arrival here, Il havel lett
nothing undone tllat'I hought mightpos.
sibly add to her security and comforl.'t'
That istrue,t to- my personal knowt.
edges Joined in the uncle OF Blanche; 'and
I thank you, Mr.. Fairfax, in behalf Of my
fair kinswoman. There will, perhaps
he pursued, J, be no great danger. SO long
as you keep in the current; but your
watch mustnot be neglected for ,a1single
moment, eitherInightor day; and dosnot.
most soIemlya charge and warns you,
under any circumstances. or on'anys pre-
tence whatsoever, suffer yourselves to be
deceived to either shore!' =T=.r
II hope we understand our duty better.
Colonel, said one of the men, respect
fully.
II doubt itnot, ,'leplied the commander
of the Point;:I believe you are ali faith
full and true men, for you would not have
been selected by the agent OF Colonel
Bertrand. for taking do~n nore5preeious
freight than you carried before; but
still the wisest and the best of men have
lost their lives by giving ear to the most
earnest appeals OF humanity. You un-
derstand what l mean! White men. ap
purently in the greatest distress, will'hail
your boat. represent themselves as haV>
ing Just escaped from the Indians. and
beg OF you, for the love of God. in the
most piteous tones. to come TO their relief
but turn a deaf ear to them--to each and
all OF them even should you know the
pleaders to be Of your own kin; for in
such case your own brother might de-
ceive you--not wilfully aud voluntarily.
perhape--but because Of being" gonded
on by the sayages, themselves concealed,
Yes, such things have been known as one
friend being thus used to lure another &c
his destruction: and so be cautious. "igi,
liant, brave and true. and may The good
God keep you all from harmP
AS he finished speaking, Blanche pro
ceeLed to take an atfectiunate leave oIaII
receiving many tender message for he
parents from those who held them in love
and veneration; and. the boat sw ung out
and began to float down the current. nov
fairly entered upon the most dangerou
portion Of long and perilous journey:
The father or fBlanche, Colontl Philip
Bertrand, was native of Virginia, and I
descendant Of one of the Hngucnpt refu
gees, who fed from their native land af
ter the revocation Of the edict OF Nah'z il
1865. He had been an officer of som,
note during the Revolution--a warm pc
itical and personal friend of the autEn
of the Declaration of ndependence-an
a gentleman who had always stood higl
in the esteem Of his associates and cotem
poraries.
Though at one time man of wealth
Colonel Bertrand had lost much. and sui
fered much, through British invasion; ant
when, shortly after the close of the war
he had met with a few more serious re
verses, he had been fain to accept gran
Of land, near the Falls Of the Ohio, nov
Louisville. rendered him by Virginia
which then held jurisdiction over the en-
tire territory now constituting the State Q
! TI I5+. IT, EH g.ss = ffI.t HE
The grant had decided the Colonel up
on seeking bis new possessions and bull
d ing up ne " home in the then Far West
and as his wife had insisted upon accom-
pauying him on his first tour. he had assen
led to her desire. on condition that Btanch
should be left among her friends. till sue
time as a place could be prepared whic
might in some degree be considered a f
abode for one 50 carefully and tenderl
reared. ...,..'.,.,,.,.
Blanche would gladly have. gone will
her parents; but 90 this point her fathe
had been nexorable-declatingt that sh