The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-06-04


ing him on his first tour, he had asscntcc
to her desire, on condition that Blanche
should be left among her friends, till suck
time as a place could be prepared which
might in some degree be considered fiji
abode for one SO carefully and tenderly
reared.
Blanche would gladly have gone with
her parents; but on this point her father
had been exorable---declaring that she
would have to remain at the East till he
should see proper to send for her; and as
he was a man of positive character, and a
rigid disciplinarian, the matter had been
settled without argument.
When Colonel Bertrand removed to the
West, Eugene Fairfax, as we have seen,
accompanied him; aud coming of age
shortly after, he had accepted the liberal
offer Of his noble benefactor, to remain
with him in the capacity of private secrc-
tary and confidential agent. On taking
possession of his grant, the Colonel had
almost Immediately y erected a fort, and Of
fered such inducements to settlers as to
speedily collect around him quite little
community---of which, as a matter of
course, he became the head and chief !;
and to supply the wants Of his own sanity
and others, and increase his gains in a
Legitimate way, he had opened Il store, and
filled it with goods from the Eastern marts,
which goods were transported by land
over the mountains to the Kanawha, and
thence by water to the Falls Of the Ohio,
whence their removal to Fort Bertrand be-
came an easy matter. To purchase and
ship these goods, and deliver package Of
letters to friends in the East, Eugene had
been thrice dispatched his third commits
sion also extending to the escorting of the
beautiful heiress, with her servants, to her
new home. This last commission had
been so far executed at the time chosen
for the opening of our story, as to bring
the different parties to the mouth Of the
great kanawha, whence the reader has
seen them slowly floating off upon the
still, CLASSY bosom of "the belle of rivers" ;"
The day, which was an auspicious one,
passed 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 a seemingly fly
ing body suddenly leave limb of 81
gantc tree, (whosc 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 a crash upon
the deck of the boat, not more than eight
feet from her. One glance sufficcd 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 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, inflicting severe but not
fatal wound. The infuriated beast at once
turned upon Eugene, and a deadly strug-
Gle cnsued. But it was short one. The
polished blade of tho knife played back
and forth like lightning flashes, and at
every plunge it was buried to the hilt in
the panthcr's body, who soon fell to the
deck, dragging the dauntlcss Eugene with
him. On seeing her protector fall, Blanche
uttered another shrek and rushed to his
aud; but assistance from stouter arms was
at hand. The boatmcn gathered round,
and the savage monster was literally hack
ed in pieces with their knives and hatch
cts, and Eugene, covered with blood, was
dragged from under his carcass. Sup
posing him to be dead or mortally wound
ed, Blanche threw her arms around his |
neck and gave way to passionate burst
of grief. But he was not dead---ho was
not even hurt, with the exception Of 4 !
few slight scratches. The blood with
which he was covered was the panther 5,
not his own But Blanche embrace was
his--.a priceless treasure---an index of her
hearts emotions and affections. 1t was to
color his whole future life, as will be seen
in the progress of our story.
Slowly and silently, save the occasional
creak, dip, and plash of the stecrsman's
oar, the boat of our voyagers was borne
along upon the bosom of the current, ,on the
third nj ght of the voyage. The hour was
waxing late, and Eugene, the only one
astir except the watch, was suddenly
startled, by a rough hand being placed upon
his shoulder, accompanied by the words,
IN the gruff voice of the boatman:
81 say, Cap'n, here's trouble y
uNVbat j. # Dick 7V incurred Euoone. |
starting to his feet.
Don't you see thar's heavy fog rising,
that'll soon kiver us up SO thick that we
won't be able to tell white from mig
gcr?" replied the boatman---Dick Winter
by namc--- n tall, bony, muscular, athletic
specimen of his class.
Good heaven so there is y exclaim-
cd Eugene, looking off upon the already
misty waters. 1t must have gathered
very suddenly, for all was clear a minute
ago. What is to b. done now? This is
eomotbinC | was not preparcd for, on such