The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-05-13
BY DAVIS g. CREWS.
THE PERILS OF THE BORDER.


minded of thrilling event which occurrc
i'll tire "Wid West" a short time subst
quent to the Revolution, in wich a highl
accomplished young lady, the daughter c
distinguished officer of the America
Army, played an important part. Th
story being Of a most thrilling nature, ant
exhibiting in striking manner the "rcril
of the Border" We have concluded to Civ
an extract from it, as originally published
as follows:
The angle on the right bank of th'
Great Kanawha, formed by its junction
with the OHIO, is called Point Pleasant
and is a place of Historical note. Here, OF
the 10th of October, I774, during what il
known as Lord Dunmorc's WAR, was fough
one Of the tcrcest and most desperate bat.
ttes that ever took place between the Nir-
cinian.S and their forest foes.
After IT," battle in question, in which
the Indians wcl;a defeated with great loss,
fort was here erected by the vctors,
which became a post Of great Importance
throughout the sanyuinary scenes of strife
which almost immediately followed, and
which in this section Of the country were
continued for many years after tia! estab-
Iishment Of peace which acknowledged the
United Colonies Of America u free and in
dependent nation.
At the landing Of the fort, on the day
our story opens, was fastened ilat-boat of
the kind used by the early navisators Of
the Western rivers.
Upon the deck Of this boat, at the mo-
ment we present the scene to the reader,
stood five individuals, alike engaged in
watching group Of persons, mostly fe
males, who were slowly approaching the
landing. Of these five, orc was u stout,
sleek negro, in partial livery, and evidently
house or body servant; three were boat
men aud bordercrs, us indicated by their
rough, bronzcd visagcs ond coarse attire
but the fifth was young man, some two
and-twenty years Of age, Of Il fine com
manding person, and a clear, open, intcl:.
gent countenance and i'll the lofty carriage
Of his head-in the glcam Of his large.
bright, hazel eye-there was something
which denoted one Of superior mind but
rs We shall have occasion in the course of
our narrative to fully set forth who and
what Eugene Fairfax was, we will leave
him for the present, and turn to the ap.
proaching group, whom he seemed to be
regarding with lively interest.
OF this group, composed Of middle
aged man and four females, with Il black
female servant following some five or six
PAGES in the rear, there was one whom the
most casual eye would have singled OUT
and rested uron with pleasure. The lady
IN question, was apparently about twenty
years Of age, of slender and graceful fir
ure, and of that peculiar cast of feature
which, besides being beautiful in every
llncament, rarely fails to affect the Lcholdcr
with something like charm.
lie. travelling costume-a fine brown
habit, high in the neck, buttoned closely
over the bosom and coming down to her
small pretty feet, without trailing on the
ground-was both neat and becoming
and with her riding-cap and its waving
ostrich plume, set gaiIy above her flowing
curls, her appearance contrastcd forcbly
with the rough, unpublished looks of those
OF her sex beside her, with their linscy bed
gowns, scarlet flannel pctticoats, and bleach
ed linen caps.
"Oh, Blanche" said one Of the venera-
ble of her female companions, pursuing a
conversation which had been maintained
since quitting the open fort behind them
g cannot bear to let you go for it Just
seems to me as if something were going to
happen to you, and when feel that way
something generally does happen"
swell, aunt" returned Blanche, with
light laugh, 81 do not doubt in the least
that something will happen-for expect
one of these days to reach my dear father
and blessed mother, and give them such
an embrace as is due from dutiful daugh-
ter to her parents-and that will be some.
ching that has not happened for two long
gears at Ieast:"
sBut don't mean that, Blanche" re-
4urnedthe other, somewhat petulantIy; "and
you just laugh like gay and thoughtless
girl, when you ought to he serious. Be-
cause you have come safe thus far, through
partially settled country, you think, per-
maps, your own pretty face will ward off
DANCE. in the moro perious Wilderness
but warn you that fearful Journey is be.
fore yout Scarcely a boat descends the
Ohio, that does not encounter more or less
peril from the savages that prowl along either
shore; and some Of them that 60 down
freiQhted with human life. are heard of No