The Tiffin tribune. [volume] (Tiffin, Ohio) 1848-1859, 1858-05-21

their lives by giving car 10 the most earnest ap-
pead Of humanity You understand what i
meant White mon, apparently In tho greatest
distress, will bail your boat, represent themselves
as having just escaped from The Indians, and beg
Of YOU, lor the love Of God, Ia the most ptcous
tones 70 come 70 their relief: but turn deaf car
to them-to each and all Of them--even should
YOU know the pleadors 70 be Of your own Mn; for
iu such case your own brother might deceive
you--not willully and voluntarily, perhaps--but
because Of being goaded on by the savages, them
selves concealed. Yes, such thines have been
knoEn as one friend being thus used 70 lurs an.
other 90 his dCslructoni and 20 be cautious, Wig
liant, brave and true, and may the good G1u
Keep you al from harm9'
As he finished speaking, Blanche proceeded 10
take an aaectionate leave Of all, receiving manv
a tender message for her parents from those Who
held them In love and yenertton; AMI tie boat
swung out, and began 10 float down With the cur
rent, nov lairly entered upon the mos dangerous
portion Of long and perilous journey.
] The father Of Blanche, Colonel Phillip Bert.
tend, was native Of Virginia, and descendant
/ Of one Of the Huguenot refugees, who fed from
their native land after the revocation Of tho cdicl
Of Nantz In Go. lie had been an officer Of
some note durtg the Revolution-a warm polt.
oal ami personal friend Of the suthor of the Dee.
lorau0n Of independence and gentleman who
had always stood high ia the esteem OF his ass0-
ciltes and contemporaries.
! Though at one time a man Of wealth, Colonel
Bertrand had lost much, aud suffered much
through British invasion; and when, shortly amor
/ the close Of the war he had met with few more
serious rcverses, he had been fam 10 accept O
/ grant Of land, near the Falls Of the Ohio, now
Louisville, rendered him by Virginia, which then
l held jurisdiction over The entire territory now
conshmung the State Of Kentucky.
The grant had decided the Colonel upon seek
ing his new possessions and building up a new
home in the then Par West, and as bis wife had
/ insisted upon accompanying him on his fret tour
he bad assented 70 her desire, ON condition tnat
Blanche should be left among her friends, ill
such time as place could be prepared which
might IN some degree be eonadcrcd a ht abode
Tor one so carefully and tenderly reared
! Blanche would gladly have gone with her par
entsi but on this point her father had been mex
| orable-declarng that she would have TO remain
at the Eust TIL he should see proper TO send for
heri and as he was a mai OF positive chaia ter,
and igd-disciplnaHHu, the matter had been
| settled without argument.
When Colonel BERTRAND removed TO the West
/ Eugene Fairfax es we have seem accompanied
himi and coming 0f age shortly alter, he had nc.
cepted she liberal otter of his noble brncfaetor to
remain with him in the capacity Of private sec.
retary and confidential agent. Onuking posses
sion Of his grant, the Colonel had almost imme-
diately erected a fort, and offered such induce
ments 10 settlers as 70 speedily collect around
him quite n little oommuliy--ot which, as a
matter Of course, he became the bead aud chief;
and to supply the wants Of his family aud 9th
ers, and increase his gains IN legitimate way,
he had opened a store. and Gllcd It with goods
from the Eastern marts, which 90 Us were trans
ported by land over the mountains 10 the Kama
wha, and tdence by water 10 the Falls Of the
Ohio, whence their removal 10 Fort Bertrand be-
came an easy matter. To purchase aud ship
these goods, aud deliver package Of letters to
10 fl. fhvi4
patchod-his third commission also extending to
the escOrting Of the beautiful heiress with her
servants 10 her new home. This last commits
sion had been so far executed at the time chosen
for the opening of our story, Ne 20 bring the diff
ferent pardea to the mouth Of the great Kanawha
whence the reader has seen them slowly floating
of upon the still, CLASSY bosom Of "the belle o.
rivers"
; The day, which was an auspicious one, passed
without anything occurring worthy Of note, Until
near four o'clock, when as Blanche was stand
ing 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 a
gigantic tree, (whose mighty branches extended
tar over the rive and near which the boat was
then swayed by the action the currently aud
, aght with a crash upon the deck Of the boat
not more than eight feet from her. One ance
sulhced TO show her what the object was, and to
freeze the blood in her veins The glowing eye
"a
ness Of the shock which this discovery gave hor
was overpoweriug. With a dealeung shrek she
> fell upon her knees and casped her hands before
; her breast. The-panther erOuched for his deadly
leap, but ere lie sprang, the hunting knife OF Eu'
gene Fairfax twhO, with the steersman was the
! only person Oh deck besides Blanohe) was buried
to the hilt ia his side, inaictiug severe but not
fatal wound The idlriated beast at once turned
upon Eug ne, aud deadly struggle ensued.-
But Il was a short one. The polished blade oil
the knife Played back and forth like lightning
flashes, and at every plunge IL was buried 70 the
hilt in the panther'a body, who soon fell 10 the
deck, dragging the dauntless Eugene with him.
, On seeing her protector fall Blanche uttered an
other shrek and rushed to his aid; hut assistance
: from stOuter arms was at haud. The boatmeI
gathered round, and the savage monster vas liz
orally hacked IN pieces with their knives ant
> hatchcts, and Eugene, covered With blood, was
dragged from under his carcass. Surprising hin
TO be dead or mortally wounded, Blanche threw
her arms around hisJneck and gave way to a pas
Z sionate burst Of grief. But he was no. dead HI
Q was not even hurt, with the exception OF few
i slight scratches. The blood with which he wa
, covered was the panthers, not his own. Blu
lt Blancho's embrace was hs-a priceless treasur
u -an index Of her hearts EN- plons and affections
{ II was to color his whole future life, as will
e seen ia the progress Of our story.
. Slowly and silently, save the occasional creak
. DIP anu plash OF tie steersman oar I've boat q
y our voyageFs was borne along upon the bosom
Z the current, on the third night of the yoyag,
y The hour was waxing late, aud Eugene, the on
p ly one astir except the watch VAS suddenly sttl
y tied, by rough hand being placed upon h
e shoulder. accompanied by the words, in the CRU
:" voice Of the boatman:
al say. Cap'n, here's iroubleE'
e. 'What is it, Dielg' inquired Eugene, startin
a TO his feet
Ia "Dont you see thar's IL heavy fog rising, that
TO soon kiyer us up so thick that we wont be ab
ld 10 tell a white man from niggerr replied u
Il boatnian-Diek Winter by naIne---l tnll, bon
muscular, athletic specimen Of his class,
IL Good heayen 80 there isl" exclaimed Eugen
looking off upon the already misty waters {"
- must have gathered very suddenly, for all wi
d clear minute ago. Wat is to be done nov
v This is something was not prepared for,
such night as this"
Is 1T looks troubious, Cap'n, III allow retur
gu ed Dick" bnt we're in fort, that's sartin, and
" spose Wen have TO make the best ont"
"But what is To be doneG-what DO You a.
na yiseY" asked Eugene, in a quick, excited ton
that indicated some degree Of alarm.
y "Why, # you warnt so ekeered about
~ young lady, and il vaFnt so dead agin the G
n, ders from head quarters, my plan would be
el elar and easy one--pd just run over TO the Rai