Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-05-20

VI "Aioo DCltiduu iIuh
replied Eugene, III deferential tone; "and
since our arrival here, l have left nothing
nDdone that thought might possibly add to
her security and comfort"
"That is true, to my personal knowledge"
joined in the uncle of Blanche; +" and | thank
you Mr.. Fairfax, in behalf of my fair kins-
woman. There will, perhaps" he pursued,
be no great danger, so long as you keep in
the current; but your watch must not be
neglected for a single moment, either night
or day; and do not, most soIemnly charge
and warn you, under any pretcnce whatso-
ever, suffer yourselves to be deeoyed to either
shore !"
81 hope we understand our duty better,
Colonel said one OF the men, respectfully.
II doubt it not" replied the commander
of the Point " | believe you are all faith
full 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 carried before; but still the wsest
and the best of men have lost their lives by
giving ear to the most earnest appeals of hui
uiduluJs Ou uuuCISiduu NIldb l. llSdu
White men, apparently in the creates dis
trcss, will hail your boat, represent themsel-
yes as having just escaped from the Indians,
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-evcn should you know the pleaders
to be of your own kin; Tor in such a case
your own brother might deceive you-not
wilfully and voluntarily, perhaps-but be-
cause Of beings -goaded on by the savages,
themselves concealed Yes, such things have
been known as one friend being thus used to
lure another to his destruction; and so be
cautious, vigilant, brave and true, and may
the good God keep you from all harm"
AS he finished speaking, Blanche proceed
ed to take an atfectionlte leave of ALL rccciv-
ing many tender message for her parents
from those who held them in love and vene,
ration and the boat swung out and began
to float down with the cuarent. now fairly
entered upon the most dang rous portion ola
long and perilous journey.
The father of Blanche Colonel Philip
Bertrand, was native of Virginia, aud a de-
scendent of one of the Huguenot refugees,
who fed from their native land after the rev.
ocation Of the edict Of Nantz in 1865. He
had been an officer of some note during the
Revolution-a warm political and personal
friend of the author of the Declaration of
lndepeDdence-and gentlemen who had al
ways stood high in the esteem of his associa-
ties and contemporaries.
Though at one time man of wealth, Col
onel 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 reverses, he had
fain to accept grant Of land, near the Falls
of the Ohio, now Louisville, rendered him by
Virginia, which then held jurisdiction over
the entire territory now constituting the State
of Kentucky.
The grant had decided the Colonel upon
seeking his new possessions and building up a
new home in the then Far West, and as his
wife had insisted upon accompanying 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 con-
sidered fit abode for one so carefully and
tenderly reared.
Blanche would gladly have gone with her
parents but on this point her father had been
MISUNDERSTANDING that she would have to
remain at the East till he should see proper
tie send for her; and as he was a man of pos
tive character, and rigid disciplnarian, the
matter had been settled without argument.
When Colonel Bertrand removed to the
West Eugene Fairfax as we have seen, ac-
companied 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 private secretary and confidential
agent. On taking possession of his grant the
Calonel had almost Immediately erected a
fort, and offered such inducements to settlers
as to speedily collect around him quite lit
tie community-of which, as matter of
course, he became the head and chief; and to
supply the 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, which goods were
transported by land over the mountains to the
Kanawa, and thence by water to the Falls of
the Ohio, whence their removal to Fort
) Bertrand became an easy matter. To pur-
f chase and ship these goods, and deliver a
!, package of letters to friends in the East Eu-
gene had been thrice dispatched-his third
commission 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
J opening of our story, as to bring the different
I parties to the mouth of the great Kauawha,
} whence the reader has seen them slowly float
Tag off upon the still, CLASSY bosom of the
belle of rivers"
The day, which was an suspicious one,
passed without anything occurring worthy of
t 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
5 her, she saw seemingly flying body sudden
y leave limb of u gigantic tree, (whost
3 mighty branches extended far over the river
uHu uCdI WuitH lAS buup Ndo thOH oNu 10u "
: the action of the curreut), and alight with a
r crash upon the deck of the boat, not more
than eight feet from her. One glance sufi
ced to show her what the object was, and tc
3 freeze the blood in her veins. The glowing
eyes Of a huge panther met her gaze. The
S suddenncss of the shock which this discovery
| gave her was overpowering. With "a dcafen
ing shrek she fell upon her knees and clasp
l ed her hands before her breast The panther
} crouchcd for his deadly leap, but ere he sprang
. the hunting knife of Eugene Fairfax (who
t with the steersman, was the only person or
3 deck besides Blanche), was buried to the hill
in his side, infictiug severe but not fatal
t wound The Infatuated beast at once turned
: upon Eugene, and deadly struggle ensued
But il was short one. The pOlished blade