Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-06-03

hSi o"h VI iShbS PiCliy ioSC, 40 ohC Iuqul
ed. in the calm, digniied tone of one Ia,
ing the right to put the question, and WI
$ might also have been aware of tie inequa
J. ity of position between herself and hil
n whom she addressed:
# Eugene. is everything prepared for OIL
departure! 1t will not do for our boat t
II spring leak again, as it did coming dow
l. the Kanawha-for it viii not be safe for u.
: | am told, to touch either shore between tn
a different forts and trading-posts on ou
route, this side of our destination-the fall
: of the Ohio"
s'No, indeed!" rejoined her aunt, quickly
at will be as much as your lives are wort
81 to venture foot from the main current c
! the Ohio-for news reached US only tn
o other day, that many boats had been attack
. ed this spring, and several lost, with all 0l
; board !" - .-----
"No one feels more concerned about th
safe passage of Miss Bertrand than myself,
replied Eugene, in deferential tone; Gan,
! since our arrival here, have left nothing
undons that thought might possibly adj
to her security and comfort"
That is true, to my personal knowledge,
joined in the uncle Of Blanche; sand
thank you, Mr.. Fairfax, in behalf of my fail
kinswoman. There will, perhaps" he pur
sued, abe no great danger, SO long is you
keep in the current; but your watch must
not be neglected for single moment
either night or day; and do not, most sol.
emnly charge and warn you, under any cir.
cumstances, or on ahy pretence whatsoever
suffer yourselves to be decoyed to either
shore!''
81 hope we understand our duty better,
Colonel" said one of the men, respectfully.
81 doubt it not" replied the commander
of the Point; 81 believe you are all faithful
and true men, or you would not have been
selected by the agent of Colonel Bertrand,
for taking down more precious freight than
you ever rarried before; but still the wisest
and best of men have lost their lives by CIV
ing ear to the most earnest appeals of hu-
manity. You understand what meant
White men, apparently in the greatest dis
tress, will hail your boat, represent them
selves 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 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, perhaps
but because of being goadod on by the saw
ages, themselves concealed. Yes, such
things have been known as one friend be-
ing used to lure another to his destruction;
SO oe cautious, vigilant, brave and true, and
may the good God keep you all from harmn
As he finished speaking, Blanche pro-
cnadad inltaka atfaationats leare-ef oil,
receiving mary a tender message for her
parents from those who held them in love
and began TO float down with the current,
now fairly entered upon the most dangerous
portion of long and peri,ous journey.
The father of Blanche, Col. Philip Ber-
trand, was native of Virginia, and u de-
scendent Of one'of the Huguenot refugees,
who fled from their native land after the re-
vocation of the edict OF Nantz in 1865. He
had been an officer of S. me note during the
Revolution-a warm political and personal
friend of the author of the Declare tion of
Independe gentleman who had
always stood high in the esteem of his as
sociales and contemporaries
Though a: 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 few more serious reverses, he had
been fain to accept grant Of land, near
the Falls of the Ohio. now Louisville, ten
dered him by Virginia, which then held ju-
risdiction over the entire territory now con-
stituting tbs 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 accom- pany-
ing him on his first tour, he had assented
to her desire, on condition that Blanche
should be left among her friends, till such
time as place could be prepared which
might in some degree be considered a fl:
abode for one SO carefully and tenderly rear
ed.
Blanche would gladly have gone with her
parents; but on this point her father had
been notwithstanding 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 rigid dis |
ciplinarian, the matter had been settled
viihout argument.
When Colonel Bertrand removed to the |
West, Eugene Fairfax, as we have seen,
accompanied him; and coming of age short
lv after, he accepted the liberal offer of his |
noble benefactor, te remain with him in the |
capacity of private secretary and confiden-
tai agent. On taking possession of his grant
the Colonel had almost Immediately erect
ed fort, and offered such inducements to
settlers as to speedily collect around him
quite little cOmmunity--of which as |
matter of course, ne became the head and
chief; and to supply Ike wants of his own
family and others, and increase his gains in
legitimate way, he had opened store,
and filled it with goods from the Eastern
marts, watch goods were transported bv
land over the mountains of the Kanawha,
and thence by water to the Falls of the
trand became an easy matter. To purchase
and sh these goods, and deliver package
of letters to friends in the East, Eugene
had been thrice despatchcd-h third COM
mission also extending to the escorling of
the beautiful heiress, with her servants, TO
h,r home This last 4