The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-05-14

sprung quickly and lightly to the deck-b,
u close observer might have detected Il
slight flush which mantled his noble, c1
prcssive features, as his eye fer single in
slant met hers. She might herself have see
it-perhaps she did-but there was no col
responding glow on her own bright, prett
face, as she inquired, in the calm, dignifc
tone Of one having the right to put the cues
ton, and who might also have been aware
the inequality of position between hersel
and him she addressed:
D Eugene, is everything prepared for on
Q departure! 1t will not do for our boat I
J spring leak again, as it did coming dow
the Kanawha--for it will not be safe for us
1 am told, to touch either shore between tn
different forts and trailing posts on on
r1ute, this side Of our destination-thc Fall
Cf the OhIo.n
) "No, indeed" reioincd her aunt, quickly
'it VIII be as much as your lives arc worth {,
venture a foot from the main current of th'
Ohio-for news reached us only the othe
day, that many boats had been attacked thi,
spring, and several lost, with all on board
"No one feels more concerned about the
safe passage of Miss Bertrand than myself
replied Eugene, in q deferential tone; sand
since our arrival here, have left nothing un-
done that thought might possibly add to
her security and comfort"
That is true, to my personal knowledge,
Joined in the uncle of Blanche; ''and thank
| you Mr.. Fairfax, in behalf of my fair kins
woman. There will, perhaps" he pursued
'.be no great danger, so long as you keep in
| the current; but your watch must not be neg
leeted for single moment, either night or
| day; and do not, most solemnly charge and
warn you, under any circumstances, or on
any prctence whatsoever, suffer yourselves to
be decoyed to either shorel'
| Il hope we understand our duty better,
/ Il L. f..l1.
| 81 doubt it not, ;" replied the commander
of the Point; Il believe you are all faithful
and true men, or you would not have been
| selected by the agent of Col. Bertrand, for
taking down more precious freight than
| you ever carried before: but still tho wisest
and the best of men have lost tLeir lives by
giving ear TO the most earnest appeals Of hu-
manity. You understand whit | meant
White men, apparently in the greatest dis
treSs, will hail your boat, represent them
selves as having just escaped irori the In
dians, 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 deceive you
not wilfully and voluntarily, pcrhaps-but
because of being goadcd on by the savages.
themselves concealed. Yes, such things
used to lure another to his destruction; and
80 be cautious, vigilant, brave and true, and
may the good God keep you all from harm.'
As he finished speaking, Blanche proceed
cd to take an atfectionate leave Of all, re-
cciving many tender message for her pa
rents from those who held them in love and
vencration; and the boat swung out, and
began to float down with the current, now
fairIy entered upon the most dangerous por-
tion Of long and pcrilous journey.
Tho father of Blanche, Colonel Philip |
bertrand, was a native of Virginia, and a |
descendant of one of the dugucnot refugees, |
who bed from their native land after the re-
vocation of the edict OF Nantz in 1865. He |
had been an officer of some note during the |
Friend Friend Of the author of the Declaration Of
Independence-and gentleman who had |
always stood high in the esteem OF his as
sociates and contemporaries.
Though ut one time man OF wealth, Col.
Bertrand had lost much, and suffered much,
through British invasion; and when, short
ly after the close of the war, he had met with
q few more serious revcrses, 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 Kentucky.
The grant had decided the Colonel upon
seeking his new possessions and building up
a new homo in the then Far West, and as his
wife had insisted upon accompanying him
on his first tour, he had asscnted to her de-
sirc on condition that Blanche should be
left among her friends, till such time rs
place could be prepared which might in some
degree be considered q fit abode for ono SO
carefully and tenderly reared.
Blanche would gladly have gone with her
parents; but on 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 n
man OF positive character. and rigid dis
ciplnarian, the matter had been settled with
out argument.
When Colonel Bertrand removed to tie
West, Eugene Fairfax, as we have seen, ac-
companied him; and coming Of age shortly
| after, he had accepted the liberal offer of his
noble benefactor, to remain with him in the
| capacity Of private secretary and confidential
| agent. On taking possession of his grant
| the Colonel had almost Immediately erected
a fort, and offered such inducements to set
tiers Us 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 family and
others, and increase his gains in a legitimate
way, no had opened store, and filled it with
goods from the Eastern marts, which goods
were transported by land over the noun
tains to the Kanawha, and thence by water
TO the Falls OF the Ohio, whence their remo-
val to Fort Bertrand became an easy matter.
To purchase and ship these goods, and de-
] liver package of letters to friends in the
East. Eugene had bcenithricc dispatched
bis third commission also extending to the
escorting Of the beautiful heiress, with hel
servants, to her new home. This last com
mission had been so far executed at the time
, chosen for the opening of our story, as to
bring the different parties to the mouth o.
: the great Kanawha, whence the reader hai
! seen them slowly floating off upon the still
CLASSY bosom of '.the belle of rivers"
l The day, which was an nuspicious one
l passed without anything occurring worth!
of note, until near four o'clock, when, o.
{ Blanch was standing on the fore part OF tn
l deck gazing Mt the lovely scene which sur
e rounded her. she saw a seemingly flying bod.
D suddenly leave a limb of a gigantic tree
Whose mighty branches extended far owe
y the river, and near which the boat was thei
:, swayed by the action OF the current am
d alight with a crash upon the deck OF IN
5 boat, not more than eight feet from her.-
v One glance suificed to show her what the Cd
&c jcct was, and to freeze the blood in her veins
=, The glowing eyes Of a huge panther met ne
gaze. The suddenness of the shock whic
= this discovery gave her was overpowerlng.-
;, With deafening shrek she fell upon he
IL knees and clasped her hands before her breast
The panther crouched TOR his deadly leap, bu
y ere he sprang, the hunting knife of Eugen
s Fairfax who with the stccrsman, was tn
II ONLY person on deck besides blanche WI