the spot where she stood, to observe the
effect of his words, behold, Ellen was not there. His tragic agony had been
wasted on the "desert air." Turning away once more, he left the place in a
rage.

Ellen, though she had left, heard his words in the distance, and
notwithstanding she had made a show of boldness, she was really alarmed,
and greatly dreaded the future. She knew that an evil-minded man, however
contemptible, was capable of doing infinite harm to a fellow-being, when
determinedly set thereon. Thus, between hope and fear, her time was passed.

CHAPTER VI.

PLANS FRUSTRATED--ESPIONAGE.

Durant, who considered himself a perfect genius in contriving strategetical
measures, now turned all his attention to the execution of the secret plans
he had matured. He first accompanied a body of Indians, who were ready to
march upon the settlements of Kentucky, with a select few, to whom he had
confided his intentions of capturing a white squaw. With these villains he
intended to attack the house of the Waltons, while the main body of the
savages made their onset upon the bulk of the settlement, including the
block-house. This measure failed, for the simple reason that he had
mistaken the house, and a family by the name of Scraggs suffered in the
stead of his intended victim.[A]

[Footnote A: "Western Adventure," page 179-182.]

He next resolved to go, with a few of his renegade followers, in a secret
manner, and steal Ellen at night, or during some of her daily walks, when
alone. Soon after crossing the river, he was taken sick, and his followers,
mistaking his directions, went another way, and made a worse blunder than
on the first occasion; and a party of whites coming into the vicinity of
his camp, the villain hastened to recross the river to the Ohio side, not
yet knowing the fate of the expedition, that portion of the band who had
been commissioned with the execution of the plot not having returned when
he was forced to retreat. However, he was not long kept in suspense; one of
his men came back, and reported a wonderful adventure with a "big squaw,
taller than the greatest warrior," who killed a number of the Indians, he
said, and when two of the others undertook to get down the chimney, "big
squaw took up mighty great wallet, all full of feathers, more than was on
all the eagles of all the hunting grounds of the red men, and tearing it
open, easy as we tear a leaf, poured them on the fire. Big black smo