Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-05-12

to their relief; but turn a deaf ear to them-to
| each and all OF them-even should you know
the pieaders to be of your own kin; for in such
case your own brother might deceive you
not wiiiuiiy and voluntarily, perhaps-but be-
| cause of being goaded on by the savages, them
selves concealed. Yes, such things have been
known as one friend being thus used to lure
| another to his destruction; and so be cautious
| FiSilant, brave and true, and may the good
God keep you all from HARM
| As he finished speaking, Blanche proceeded
to take an affectionate leave Of all, receiving
many a tender message for her parents from
| those who held them in love and veneration:
and the boat swung out, and began to float
| down with the current, now fairly entered upon
the most dangerous portion of long and peril
| Gus journey.
| The father of Blanche, Col. Philip Bertrand,
was native OF Virginia, and a descendant of
| one of the HuguenOt refugees, who fed from
| their native land after the revocation of the
| edct of Nantz in 1865 lie had been an officer
! OF some note during the Revolution-a warm
| political and personal friend of the author of
the Declaration of Independence-and gen.
tleman who had always stood high in the es-
| teem OF his associates and cotempOrares
Though at one time a man of wealth. Col.
bertrand had lest much, and suffered much
| through British INVASION and when shortly
| alter the close of the war, he had met with a
few more serious reverses, he had been fain to
| accept grant of land, near the Falls of the
| Ohio, now Louisville. rendered him by Virginia.
which then held jurisdiction over the entire
territory now constituting the State of Ken
| lucky.
| The grant had decided the Colonel upon
| seeking his new possessions and building up a
new home in the then Far West, and as his wife
| had insisted upon accompanying him on his first
| tour, he had assentod to her desire on eOndi-
| ton that Blanche should be left among her
| friends, till such time place could be pre-
pared which might In some degree be considered
fiji abode for one so carefully and tenderly
reared.
Blanche would gladly have gono with her
| parents; but OH this point her father had been
nexorable-declaring that she would have to
remain at the East till he should see proper TO
| send for her; and as he was a man of positive
character, and rigid discpllnarian, the mat
| ter had been settled without argument
When Colonel Bertrand removed to the West
| Eugene Fairfax, as We have SEEN ACCOMPANIED
| him; and coming of age shortly after, he had
accepted the liberal offer of his noble benefactor
| te remain with him In the capacity of private
| secretary and confidential agent. On taking
| possession of his grant, TIE Colonel had almost
Immediately erected n fort and offered such
Inducements to settlers as to speedily collect
| around him quite little cOmmunity-of which,
| as a matter OF course, he became the head and
chief and to supply the wants of his own fami-
ly and others, and increase his gains in a le-
gitimate way, he had opened a store, and filed
| 1t with goods from the Eastern marts which
goods were transported by land over the noun
| tsins to the Kanawha, and thence by water to
| the Falls of the Ohio whence their removal to
Fort Bertrand became an easy matter To
| purchase and ship these goods, and deliver a
package of letters to friends in the East Eugene
! had been thrice dispatched-his third commits
sion also extending to the escOrting of the beau
| tltul heIress, with her servants, to her new
| home. This last commission had been so far
| executed ut the time chosen for the opening of
| our story, as to bring the different parties to
| the mouth of the great kanawha, whonce the
reader has seen them slowly floating off upon
the still, glossy bosom of " the belle of rivers"
The day, which was an auspicious one, passed
| without anything occurring worthy Of note,
until near four o'clock, when, as Blanche was
standing on the fore part Of the deck gazing at
| the lovely scene which surrounded her. she saw
| a seemingly flying body suddenly leave a limb
| of gigantic tree, (whO5e mighty branches ey-
| tesded far over the river, and near which the
boat was then swayed by the action of tho cur
rent) and alIght with Il crash upon the deck Of
the boat, not more than eight feet from her.
One glance suEced to show her what the object
| was, and to freeze the blood in her veins The
| glowing eyes If huge panther met her gaze
The suddenness of the shock which this dis
| c0yery gave her was OverpOwering. With q
| deafening shrek she fell upon her knees and
| clasped her hands before her breast The
| panther crOuched for his deadly leap. but ere
| he sprang, the hunting knife of Eugene Fairfax
| who, with the steersman, was the only person
| on deck besides Blanche) was buried to the
hilt In his side, intiictng severe but not fatal
| wound. The Infatuated beast ut once turned
| upon Eugene, and deadly struggle ensued
| Bat IL was a short one. The polished blade of
| the knife played back and forth like lightning
flashes, and at every plunge it was buried to
the hilt in the panther's body, who soon fell to
the deck, dragging the dauntless Eugene with
| him. On seeing her protector fall, Blanche ut
| tered another shrek and rushed to his aid but
| assistance from stOuter arms was at hand The
bOatmen gathered round, and tho savage mon.
| ster was literally hacked in pieces with their
knives and hatchets, and Eugene, covered with
| blood, was dragged from under his carcass
| SuppOsing him to be dead OF mortaly wounded
| Blanche threw her arms around his neck and
gave way 10 II passionate burst of grief But
| he was not dead-he was not even hurt with
| the exception Of few slig ght scratches The
blood with which he was covered was the pan
| thers, not his own. But Blanche's embrace
| was his priceless troasure-an index of her
| hearts emotion and affections. 1t was to color
his whole future life, as will be seen in the pro-
| gress Of our story.
Slowly and silently, save the occasional
creak, dip, and pIa,h of the steerman's oar,
| the boat OF our Soyagers was borne along upon
the bosom of the current, on the third night OF
the voyage. The hour was waxing late, and
| Eugene, the only astir except the watch
was suddenly startled by rough hand being
placed upon his shoulder, accompanied by the
words, III the gruf voice of the bOatmen
- say, Cap n, here's trouble ~
What is it, Dick ?" inquired Eugene, start
Ing to his feet.
- Don't you SEQ thars heavy fog rising
that'll soon kiver us up so thick that we won
4 - 10 fall III
| re piled the boatman-Dick Winterby by name
"a tall, bOny, muscular, athletic specimen Of
| his class.
- food heaven so there is - exclaimed Eu.
gene, looking oil upon the already misty waters
- Ii must have gathered very suddenly, for all
war clear a minute ago. What is to be done
now? This is something l was not prepared
for, on such night Us this"
1T looks troub!ous Capn, I'll allow" re-
turned Dick; but were in fort, that's sar
tin, and s'pose well have to make the bes
ont"