Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-05-19

man. There will, perhaps he pursued, ssbe :
no great danger, so long as you keep in the /
but your watch must not be neglect |
ed for a single moment, either night or day |
and do not, | most solemnly charge and warn 1
You, under any circumstances, or on any pre- /
tence whatsoever, suffer yourselves to be de- I
coyed TO either shore -
Il hope we understood our duty better, CO. |
lonel,'' said one of the men, respectfully.
81 doubt it not,'' replied the commander of
the Point; al believe you are all faithful and
true men, or you would not have been select |
ed by the agent of Colonel Bertrand, for TAX
ing down more precious freight than YOU ever
carried; but still the wisest and best Of men
have lost their lives by giving ear TO the most
earnest appeals OF humanity. You understand |
what l mean? White men, apparently in the
greatest distress, Will hail your boat represent
themselves as having just escaped from 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 pleadeTS
TO be of your own kin; for in such 4 case your
own brother might deceive yOu-not wilfully
and voluntarily, perhaps-buE because OF be-
ing goaded on by the sayages, themselves con-
cealed. Yes, such things have been known as
one friend being thus used TO lure another to
his destruction; and SD be cautious, vigilant,
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 tender message for her parents from
those who held them in love and veneTatiOn:
and the boat SWING out, and began TO float
| down with the current, now fairly entered up
on the most dangerous portion OF long and
| perilous journey.
The father of Blanche. Colonel Philip Ber-
trand, was a native OF Virginia, and a descen-
dant of one of the Huguenot refugees, who
| fled from their native land after the revocation
/ of the cdict of NaEtz in 1865. He had been
! officer Of some note during the RevolutiOn-a
warm political and personal friend of the au-
| thor OF the Declaration of ependence-and
| a gentleman who had always stood high in the
! esteem OF his associates and cotemporarles.
! Though at one time a of wealth, Colo
| mel Bertrand had lost much, and suffered much,
| through British invasion; and when, shortly
after the close OF the war, he had met with
| few more serious reyerses, he had been faIn to
accept grant OF land, near the fails of the
| Ohio, now Louisville, rendered him by Firgi-
mia, which then held jurisdiction over the en-
tire territory now constituting the State of
Kentucky.
The grant had decided the Colonel upon
seeking his new possessions and building up
new home in the then Far West, and as his
wife had insisted upon accompanying him on
his first tour. he had asscntcd to her desire, on
condition that Blanche should be left among
her friends, till such time place could be
prepared which might in some degree be con-
sideTed fit abode for one so carefully and
tenderIy reared.
! Blanche would gladly have gone with her
parents; bat on this point her father had been
MISUNDERSTANDING that she would have to
remain at the East till he should see proper TO
send for her; and as he was man Of positive
character, and a rigid disciplinaran, the mat
ter lad been settled without argument.
When Colonel Bertrand removed TO the
!
panied him; and coming of age shortly after,
he had accepted the liberal offer of his noble
benefLctOT, 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 Of
fered such inducements to settlers as TO speedr
ily collect around him quite a little cOmmHni-
ty-of which, matter of course, lie became
the head and chief; and to supply the wants Of
his own family and others, and increase his
gains in a legitimate way, he had opened a
store, and filed it with goods from the Eastern
marts, which goods were transported by land
over the mountains TO the kanaTha 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 package of letters 10 friends in
the East, Eugene had been thrice dispatched
| his third commission also extending to the
escOrtlag Of the beautiful heiress. with her
d
mission had been SO far executed at the time
chosen for the opening of our story, as to
/ bring the different parties 10 the mouth Of the
| great hanawha, whence the reader has seen
them slowly floating off upon the still, CLASSY
| bosom Of .sthe belle Of rivers''
The day, which was an auspiciOus one, pass
| cd 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 seemingly flying body suddenly leave
| limb OF a gigantic tree, (whose mighty BRAN
| cheS extended far over the aiyer, and near
which the boat was then swayed by the action
| OF the Current,) and alight with crash upon
the deck Of the boat, not more than eight feet
| from her. One glance sufhced to show her
what the object was, and to freeze the blood
| in her veins. The glowing eyes OF a huge
panther met her gaze. The suddenness OF the
| shock which this discovery gave her was over
powering. With q deafening shrek she fell
/ upon her knees and clasped her hands before
| her breast. The panther crouchcd Tor his
deadly leap, but ere he sprang, the hunting
| knife of Eugene Fairfax (who, with the steers
| man. was the only person on deck besides
| BIanche) was buried to the hilt in his side,
| in1icting a severe bat not fatal wound. The
| iufuriated beast at once turned upon Eugene,
| and deadly struggle ensued. But ii 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 dauntiess Eugene with him.
On seeing her protector fall, Blanche uttered
another shrek and rushed to his aid; but as
sistanCe from stouter arms was at hand. The
boatmen gathered round, and the 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 or mortally wound
ed, Blanche threw her arms around his neck,
and gave way to a passionate burst of grief.