Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-05-15
The Perils Of the Border.


which occurred in the wild West sbort time
subsequent to the R3vo uton, in which highly at
complished young lady, the daughter Of a distin-
guishet officer in tie American Army, played im
porta Mt part. The story being Of most thrilling
nature, and exahi.iog in a striking manner the
'sPerils Of tae 3oricr' We have concluded to give
al extract from i, as orr yina.ly PUBLISHED az fol-
lows:
The angle on the right bank Of The Great Ka-
nav ha' formed by its junction. with the OHIO, is
called Point Pleasant, AMI is a pla of historical
note. Here, on the i0th IF October, IVA during
what is known as Lord Dunm1ro's War, was fought
one of the ferces: an moat cooperate battles that
ever took plAce between the Vlrg mans and their
forest foes.
After the battle in questio5, in which the Indians
were defeate with great loss, fort here erec-
ted by the victors, which becam, a post of great
Importance Throughout the slnguina scenes Of
strife which almost Immediately followed, and
which IN this ssctien Of the country continued
for many years after that es ablIshment Of peace
which acknowi edged he United Colonies of Amer
lea free and Independent nation.
AT the landing Of the fort, on the day our story
opens, was fasts ed fl bo,t Of the kind used by
he earl ~ navig gators Of tn, IVES ern rivers.
Upon the deck Of this boat, at tho moment we
present the scsne to the reader, stood five nivau-
ais, alike engaged in watching gr CUP of persons,
landing. Of thes five, one a stout, sleek ne
gro, IN par tial livery ard evidently house or body
servant; thrse were boltmoo and oorderers, as in
Dictated by their rough, bronzed siges and coarse
attire but the fifth VS. young man, some two
and twenty years o. aS2, Of fac comma ng
person, and c ,ar, opoa, Intelligent c,untcnaoce
and in the lofty carraye Of his tead-in the CLEAN
Of bis large, bright hazel eyr-there was some
thing which denoted one Of superior mind; but as
we sbal! have occasion in the Of our nara
f,ll,,
fax was, we will leave him for the present, and
tarn to the approaching group, whom ho SCENE ID to
be regarding With lovely interest.
Of this group, c.mpcscd Of mldle-aged man
ana four females, with black female servant fol-
lowing five or SIX PAGES In the rear, there was one
whom the most casual eye would Fave singled out
and rested upon with PLEASURE lhe lady in ques-
ton was apparently about twenty years Of age,
OF slender and graceful! figure, and of that pecu
liar cast of feature, hish besides being beautiful
IN every llneamet, rarely fails to affect the baho..
der With something like charm.
Her travelling costume fin brown habit high
in the neck, buttoned closely over the boom an i
coming down to he- sm:l Ii pretty feet, wthoa,
trailing the ground-was both neat and becoming
and VITA her riding-cap and is waving ostrich
plume, set gaily alb We Der f,wing curls, her ap
pearance contrastea fOrcibly wi h the rough, un.
polished looks Of those Of her sex beside her, 18th
taeir linsey bed-gowns, scarlet flannel petticoas,
and bleach linen caps.
Goa, b anche,' said one of the more venerable o.
hsr female. com anions, pursuing a conversation
which had been main stained since quitting the open
fort behind SEM Il cannot bear to let you 90 fcl
it just seems to me If something were going t
happen to you, an! whea l feel that way, some
thing generally does iappen''
"Well, aun!,' ret urnei Blanche, with light
laugh, 81 do not doubt in the least that netting
will happ9n-for l expect one Of these days tr
reach my dear father aud blessed mother and give
them such an embrace as is due from a dutifu
daughter 20 her parCa:s-an1 that Will be some
thing that has n h .pp!ned for two long years al
| least
"Brt don't mean that, Blanche" returned tie
other somewhat reluctantly "and you just laugh
like gay and III ugh less CIR when you ought &c
b. serious. Because You Gave come ga fe thus ar
through partially etG!ed c.uutry, you U ink, per
haps, your own pretty fac, will ward of danger il
the more pcrious wiiaera2ss-Dut l warn ySu tina,
fearful journey is befrre you Scarcely boat
desccnds tho Oaio, that es not encounter more OF
less peril from the savag2s that prowl along eithe!
sh' IRE AMI some of them tnat - do"n ireighted
wit human life are ar! Of no mora, AID none
ever return to tell the tale.''
"BuC why repeat this to be, dear aunt, ;" returned
Blanche, with more SCI ious air, .'whea you know
1t is my estny, either good or bad, to attempt the
vyage? My parents hiVe sent for me to join
them IN her homo, and it i; my duty 10 60 to
them, lie the peril what it may
You never aid know what 1t to fear - ~
sued the good W man, rather proudly. "No.' sha
repe tted, farming to the Others, blanche Beitraud
never dii know wat it WIS t, e,r, I believe"
Just like her father" joia ed in the Ensb,n of
t!'s natr n: the brother OF Bla-chV's mother, tn
comLsancer CT TIE station, and tn, middie-asea
gentleman mo TONED as "a! OF tie party ga true
daug h.er of a true soldier. Her father, C@lGGel
Phi IL Bertrand, God biess him f'r true heart
never did seem to know what it was 10 ftar-and
Blanche Is Just like HIM
| .y this tIle the parties hal reached the boat,
and the young N A atceIiy observation-disclosures
Falrfax--ths secretary of Blancho's fsther--at
once stepped forward, AMI, in polite and 'dee- en-
tial manner, oferel his hand to the different fe-
males, to assist them On board. IAa hand OF
Blanche was tins la TO touch h.s-1nd ,h.A but
slsatiy, as sne spru7 3 quickly and lgaily 20 the
dec&-but a close observer might have detected
| the slight flush which man LED lis noble, express
I've features rs his eye for s,hgie instant met
hers. She might hrfseif have scel. it-perhaps she
dis-but there NJ CORE: pond'ng gov on hel
own bright, pretty face, as she irq uifsa, in tn
ca It, dlgntiod OF one having the right to put
the question and who might also ave been aware
Of the incqaa i5y Of fsi,ia ion beW zen herself and
hlm she a tdTe.sed:
'Eugsnc, is every hing pr trarcs for our dapar-
taEe? 1t will not d. for our bat to spring leak
again, as it aii ming DOM the Kama sha-or it
Will not be SHE for Us, | ain told To touch either
shoro between the oill3c forts and trading post
on our route ia side of dtst natic.-lhG Falls
of the Ohio
No, indeed - r: joined her aunt, quickly: 'it
will BE- as much As your lives worth to venture
foot from the main channel of the Ohio-for
news reached us: only the ether day, that many
boats had hcen attacked this spring, and several
lost, with all on boart.'
"No one feels more concerned about he safe
sssags Of Miss IeItrand than myself" replied
Eugene, in defercntial tone; "and since our ar
rival here, l have let nothing undone that tho't
might possibly add to her security and comfort"
"That is rue, to NJ personal knowledge joined
| IA II la n amen M
Fairfax, in behalf Of my fair kinssoman. There
will perhaps" he pursued, 'ba no great danger so
long you keep in the current, but your watch
must not be neglected for single moment, either
night or day-and do not, most solennly charge
and wal r you, under any circumstances, or oa any
pretence whatsoever, suffer yourselves to be dscoyed
to .ither sh9rc!'
81 hope W, IN dersand our duty better, Colonel"
said ons OF the men, respectfully.
81 doubt it not replied the commander of the
Point 81 believe " are all faithful and true
mer, or sou wouli not have been selected by the
agent Of Col Bertt an for taking down moro pre-
cious freight than you ever carries bef lre-but
still the wisest and best of have lost their lives
by giving ear to the most earnest appeals of hu-
mainly. You understand wha. l mean? White
men. appar ntly in the greatest distress, will hail
your boat, represent them selves as having just es
capped from the Indians, and beg of you, for the
1--we of God, in tho most pit;o tones, to COMO to
their reliei-but turn ieaf ear to theIn-te each
anu ali Vi Iueu-eNSI eIlouil yOu kH3W pedu-
ers to be of your own kin--for in such case your
own brother might deceive vou-not wilfully and
voluntarily, perhaps-5ut Doc ansa os being gOaded
o. by the savages, themselves concealed. Yes,
such things have bean kn,zn as one friend being
thus Us I'd to lure another bis desraction-apd
be cautious, visi liant, brav, md true, and may the
good Grd keep you from all harm
AS he finished speaking, B snohe protested to
take an afectionate leave Of all, receiving many
tender message for her parents from those who held
them in love and veneration-and the boat swung
out and began to float dogTa with the current, now
fairly entered upon the Taost dangerous portion of
long and Yerilous journey
The father of Blanche, Colonel Philip Bertrand,
was tive of Virginia, and descendant of one
Of the Huguenot Retu gees, who fed from their ma
tive land after the rsvoc ,tion of the edict of
Nantz in 1875. lie had been an officer of some
nete during the Revolutioa-a warm political and
PER ,oual friend of the author Of ths Dcla alton of
Indpendence-anC a gentleman who had always
stood h;rn IN .he esteem Of his associates AMI "a.
temporaTies.
Though at one time man of wealth, Colone!
9efrand had lost .Euch, and suffered much, through
British invasion-ani whom shortly after the closs
eff the war, he had MT with few more serious re-
yersas ha had haen fam n ac.eDk a grant Of land