Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-05-21
NUMBER7.

" No, indeed !'' rejoined her aunt, quickly
cit will be as mnch yorr lives are worth
to venture foot from the. main current of
the Ohio--ior news reached US only the 9th
er day, that many boats had been attacked
this spring, and several lost, with all o7l
board"
No one feels more concerned about the
safe passage of Miss Bertrand than myself"
replied Eugene, in a deferential tone; :. and
sluce our arrival here. | have left nothing
nndone that thought might possibly add to
her security and comfort"
"I'hat is true, to my personal knowlc1re. -
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 witch must not be ne :
elected for a single moment, either night or
! day; and do not, l most solelnnly charge and
! warn you, under any circumstances, or on
any pretehce whatsoever, suffer yourselves
TO be decoyed 10 either sllUre ~
So hope we understand cur duty better,
Colonel, said one the men respectfully.
ldoubt 1t not" replied the commander
OF the Point: 81 believe you are all faith
tul and true men, or you wcnld not have
been selected by the agent of Colonel Ber-
trand, for taking down more precious freight
than you ever carried before; but still! the
wisest and best men have lost their lives by
giving ear 10 the most earnest appeals of hu-
mainly. Yoq understand what | meant
White men, apparently in the greatest dis
selves as having just escaped rom the Indians,
| tress, will hail your boat, represent them
and beg of you, for The love of God, in the
most plying tones, to come to their relief;
but turu a deaf ear to therr--to EACH and all
of then-even should you know the plea
ders to be Of your own kin; for in such a case
your own brother might deceive you-not
wiIfully and voluntarily, pefhaps--out be-
cause of being goaded on by the savages,
themselves concealed. Yes, such things
have been known as one friend being thus
ased to lure another to his destruction; and
so be cautious, vigiient,s brave and true, and
may the good God keep you all from harmr'
| AS he hnished speaking, Blanche proceed
ed to take an affeciionate leave Of all, ,receiv-
ing many tender message for her parents
from those who held them in love and ven-
eration; and the boat swung out and be-
gan to float down with the current, now fair
ly entered upon the most dangerous portion
of long and perilous journey.
The father of Blanche, Colonel Philip Ber-
trand, was native of Virginia, and a de-
scendant Of one of the Huguenot refugees,
who fled from their native land after the re-
vocation of the edict of Nantz in 1868. 50 He
had been an officer of some note during the
Revolution---a warm political and personal
friend of the author of the Declaration of
Indepe ependence-and gentleman who had
always stood high in the esteem of his $780,
ciates and cotemporaries.
Though at one time man of wealth,
! Colonel Bertrand had lost much, and suffer
ed much, through British INVASION; and when
shortly after the close Of the war, he had
met witlx few more serious rever5es, be
had been fain To accept grant of land near
the Falls OF the Ohio, now Louisville, ten
dered him by Virginia, which then held jur-
isdiction over the entire territory now consti-
tutjng the State of Kentucky.
The grant had decided the Colonel upon
! seeking his now possessions and bniidng up
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 de
sire, on Condition that Blanche should be left
among her friends, ill such time as a place
could be prepared which might in some de-
gree be considered a ft abode for one SO care
| luliy and tendery reared.
! Blanche would gladly have gone with her
! parents; but OF this point her father had been
! inexorable claring that she would have 10
remain at the East till he should see proper
to send for her; and being rigid disciplinari-
an, 1.-The matter had been settled without ap-
gument.
When Colonel Bertrand removed to the
West, Eugene Fairtux, as we have seen, ac-
eompanied him; and coming of age shortly
after, he had accepted the liberal offer of hts
noble hcnefactor, 10 remain with him in the
capacity of private secretIry and conidcna
tiaI agent. On taking pos session of his grant
the Colonel had almost immediately erected
fort and offered such inducements to set
tiers as to speedily collect around him quite
a little comnuni'y-ot which, as a matter .
course, he became the head and chief !; and t.
supply The wants of his own family and 9th
ers, and increase his gains in a Legitimate
way, he had opened i store, and filled it Will
goods from the Eastern marts. which good.
were transported by land over the mountain,
of the Ohio, whence their removal TO FJr
Bertrand became an easy matter. To pur
chase, and ship these goods, and deliver
package o. letters to friends in the East, Eu
gene had been thrice dispaiched--his tiiir,
commission also eNtcnding to the escortins
|, of tie beautiful heriees, with her servants, I,
her new home. This last commission hat
, been 50 far executed at the time chosen 20
The opening of our story, "a to bring til.
parties to the month OF the great Kanawha
whe nee the reader has seen them slow |,
floating off upon the still, CLASSY bosom o
"the belle of rivers
The day which had been an anspieioa
one, passed without anything occurring wor
; thy OF note, until near four O'Clock, when
! as Blanche was standing on the fore part O
. the deck gazing at the lovely. scene whcl
surrounded her, she saw a seemingly flyin,
body suddenly leave the limb Of giganti
/ tree. (whose mighty branches extended far
/ over the river, hear hich the roat was ihei
swayed by the action Of the current), aud a
2 hight with crash on the deck of the boat
not more than eight feet from her; one glanc
sufiiced to show her what the object was
and to freeze the blood in her veins. Th
4 glowing eyes of u huge panther met he
, gaze. The suddenness of the shock whic
this discovery gave her was overpoweriag. =
@ With deatening shrek she fell upon he
!, knees aud clasped her hands before he
e breast. The panther crouched for his dead
! ly leap, but ere he sprang, the hunting knii
Il of Eugene Fairfax (who, with the steersmaT
/, was the only person on deck beside
| Blanche), was buried to the hilt in his sid
;, inficting severe but not fatal wound. Th
II inruriated beast at once turned upon Eugen,
d and deadly struggle ensued. But it was