The Nevada journal., 1858-06-11

Sthou HiSu III INC cStttiH Ol his aSSOcl
ates and cotemporaries.
Though at one time a man of wealth,
Colonel Bertrand had lost much and
suffered much, though British invasion;
and when. shortly after the close of the
war. he had met with few more serious
reverses, he had been fain to accept a
grant of land, near the Falls Of the
Ohio. now Louisville, rendered him by
Virginia, which then held jurisdiction
over the entire territory. now constitut-
ing the State of Kentucky.
The grant had decided the Colonel
upon seeking his new possessions, and
building up new home in the thea Far
West, and as his wife had insisted upon
accompanying him on his first tor, he
had assented 10 her desire, on condition
that Blanche should be left among her
friends, till such time and place could be
prepared which might in some degree be
considered fit abode for one SO care
fully and tenderly reared.
Blanche would gladly have gone with
her parents; but on this point her father
had been inc xorable-declaling 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 charac-
ter, and rigid disciplinarian, the mat
ter had been settled without argument.
When Colonel Bertrand removed to
the West, Eugene Fairfax, as we have
seen, accompanied him; and coming of
age shortly after. he had accepted the
liberal offer of his noble benefactor, to
remain with him in the capacity of pri-
vate secretary and confidential agent.
On taking possession Of his grant, the
Colonel had almost immediately erected
a fort, and offered such inducements to
settlers as to speedily collect around him
quite little community-of which, a.
a matter of course. he bccame the head
and chief; and to supply the wants of
his own family and others, and increase
his gains III a legitimate way, he had
opened store aud filled it with goods,
from the Eastern marts, which goods
were transported by land overthe noun
tains to the Kanawha. and thence by
wafer to the Falls of Ohio, whence THEN
removal to Fort Bertrand became an
easy matter. TO purchase and ship
these goods, aud deliver a package of
Letters to friends in the East. Eugene
had been thrice ispatched-his third
commission also extending TO the escort
ing Of the beautiful hciless, with he
servants, to her new home. This last
commission had been so far executed AT
the time cho-en for the opening of our
S ory, 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 ''thc
belle Of rivers"
The day, which was an auspicious one
passed without Anything occurring wor,
thy of note. until near four o clock, when
as Blanche was standing on the repari
of the deck gazing at the lovely scene
which surrounded her, she saw seem
irgly flying body suddenly leave limb
of gigantic tree (whose mighty branches
extended far over the river, and near
which the boat was then swayed by the
action Of the cnrrent,i and alight with a
crash upon the deck of the boat, not
more titan eight feet from her One
glance sulliced 20 show her what the
object was, and to freeze the llood in
her veins. The glowing eyes of huge
panther met her gaze. The suddenness
Of the shock which this discovery gave
her was overpowering. With a deafen-
ing shrek she fell upon her knees and
clasped her hands hefore her breast
The panther crouched for his deadly
leap, but ere he sprang, the hunting
knife Of Eugene Fairfax (who, with the
steersman, was the only person on deck
beside Blarche,) was buried to the hi.t
in his side, inhicring severe but not fa-
tai wound. The infatuated beast at once
turned upon Edgar, and deadly strug-
gle cnsued. But it 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
hit in the panther's body, who soon fell
to the deck, dragging the dauntless Eu-
gene with him. On seeing her protec-
tor fall. Blanche uttered another shrek
and rushed to his aid but assistance
from stouter arms was at hand. The
boatmen gathered round, and the savage
monster was literally hacked in pieces
with their knives and hatchets, and
Eugene, covered with blood, was drag
ged from under his carcass. Surprising
him to be dead or mortally wounded,
Blanche threw her arms around his neck
and gave way to a passionate burst of
grief. But he was not dead-he was
not even hurt, with the exception of a
few slight scratches. The blood with
which he was covered was the panther's
not his own. But Blanche's embrace
was his-a priceless treasure-an index
OF her hearts emotions and affections
1t was to color his whole future life. as
will he seen in the prngress of our story.
Slowly and silently, save the occa-
sional creak, dip, and splash Of the
steersman's oar, the boat of our voyage
was borne along upon the bosom of the
current, on the third night of the voy-
age. The hour was waxing late, and
Engene, the only one astir except the
T. 1 ! y -