The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-05-13

| panying him on bis hrst tour, ne nao as
| sented to her desire, on condition tha
Blanche should be left among her friends
! till, such time as place could be pre-
pared whch might iu some degree oe con
sidered fit abode for one SO careful.
and tenderly reared
Blanche would gladly have gone will
her parents; bat on this point her fatbe
had been MISUNDERSTANDING that sh'
would have to remain at the Cast till he
should sec proper to send for her; and as
be was a man Of positive character, ane
rigid disciplinarian, the matter had beer
settled without argument. a
When Colonel Bertrand removed to the
West, Eugene Fairfax, as We have seen,
accom- panied bim; and comingof age short
ly after, be had accepted the liberal Offer
of his noble benefactor, to remain with
him in the capacity of private secretary
and confidential agent. On taking poses.
sion of his grant, the Colonel had almost
immediately erected fort, and offered
such Inducements to settlers as to speed
lily collect around him quite little COM
muuity-of which, as matter Of course
he became the head and chief; and to sup
ply the wants of his own family and 9TH
ers, aud increase his gains in Legitimate
way, he had openeda store, and filed it
with goods from the Eastern marts, which
goods were transported by land over the
mountains to the Kanawha, aud 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 apackage of let
ters to friends in the East. Eugene had
been thrice dispatched-his third COM
mission also extending to the escortiDg OF
the beautiful heiress, with her servants,
to her new home This last ommission
had been so far executed at the time cho-
sen for the opening of our story, as to
bring the different parties to the mouth
of the Kanawhs, whence the readcr has
seen them slowly floating off upon the
still, CLASSY bosom of "the belle ofrivers.
The day, which was an auspicious one,
passed without anything occurring WORTHY y
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 hy.
ing body suddenly leave the limb of gi-
gantic tree (whose mighty branches ex-
tended far over the river, 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 glow
ing eyes OF a huge panther met her gaze.
The suddenness of the shock which this
discovery gave her was overpowering.-
With a 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 hunt
ing knife of Eugene Fairfax (who, with
the steersman, was the only person on
deck besides Blanche). was buried to the
hilt in his side, indicting severe but net
fatal wound. The infuriated beast at
once turned upon Eugene. and deadly
struggle ensued. But it was 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 uttered another shrek and rush.
ed to his aid; but assistance from stouter
arms was az hand. The boatmen gather
ed round, and the savage monster was
hacked in pieces with their knives
and hstchets, and Eugene, covered with
blood, was dragged from under his car
cass. Supposing him to be dead or NOR
tally wounded, Blanche threw her arms
around bis neck and gave way to pas.
sionate burst of grief. But be was not
dead-hc was not even hurt, with the e1-
ception Of few slight scratches. The
blood with which he was covered was the
panther 8 not his own. But Blanche's I'M
brace was his--a priceless treasure an
index of her hearts emotions and affec.
tions. 1t was to color his whole future
life, as will be seen in the progress OF our
story ..e..- s.......
Slowly and silently. save the occasion
al creak, dip and plash of the steersman's
oar, the boat Of our voyagers were borne
along upon the bosom of the current on
the third night of the voyage. The hour
was waxing late, and Eugene, the only
one astir except the watch, was suddenly
startled, by rough hand being placed
upon his shoulder, accompanied BY the
words, in the gruff voice Of the boatman;
81 say. Cap'n. here's troublel'
"What is it, Diokl'' inquired Eugene
starting to his feet. Il m M
"Don't you see thar's heavy fog arls'
ing, tbat'll soon kiyer US up SO thick thai
we won't be able to tell white man FROM
niggerl' replied the boatman-Dicl
Winter by name-a tall, bony, muscular
athletic specimen of his class.
"Good heavenl so there isl" exclaimed
Eugene, looking off upon the already mis-
ty waters. at must have gathered yer,
\