“I think his bad nature was excited, and his ill-will increased, by a few words of merited rebuke I was forced, by his unmanliness, to pronounce against him, the last time he was at our house in Virginia.”

“And you have heard nothing from him since the day he obtruded himself upon your notice here in the woods?”

“Nothing direct or definite, though I think he made an attempt to capture me, with the aid of some Indians, soon afterward, but failed in his object from some cause.  But notwithstanding I have heard no direct tidings from him, I feel a constant dread of evil, as though some impending calamity was hanging over me.”

“Such fears had better be banished at once from your mind.”

“I know it, and have tried to get rid of them, but they will, despite my efforts to the contrary, come into my mind.  I do not and will not yield to them, though I find it impossible at all times to shake them off.”

“Singular, truly; I pray God, they presage no harm.”

“Oh, I so much wish you could always be near me; I dread nothing in your presence.”

“I hope the time is not far distant when this dearest wish of both our hearts will be realized.”

The conversation took a tender cast at this point; and as matters of the heart are secrets between lovers, which they dislike for third parties to look into, we will take ourselves away, and leave them to enjoy their hour of happiness in undisturbed quiet.

Several days brought a return of much the same routine of events, the lovers always spending an hour of each afternoon in the woods.  Durant kept to his tree, and the others invariably occupied the same seat near his hiding-place.  At the end of a week, Durant learned from the conversation of the young couple that the gentleman was to return to Virginia in a day or two, to make preparations for the coming wedding, which was to take place about the holidays, he being now on a visit to arrange the preliminaries, and enjoy for a brief time the society of his betrothed.  When they had returned home, Durant muttered to himself: 

“Now is my time!  To-morrow is their last day for walking, and, like loving fools as they are, they will be so absorbed in each others’ feelings, and the silly sentimentality of love, as to be easily surprised.  Yes, to-morrow will be my time!”

And gloating over the anticipated triumph, he left his burrow, and hastened to his companions, to make known his intentions, and prepare everything for the event of the morrow.  He and one Indian were to seize and secure Ellen, while Ramsey and the other should perform the more difficult task of capturing her lover.  All the details of their arrangements were discussed and adopted; and Durant, now that he felt certain of his victims—­for his hate of Ellen’s lover was bitter, though of recent date—­was almost beside himself with malignant and hellish joy.  He saw before him the speedy