The Spirit of the Border (Illustrated): A Romance of the Early Settlers in the Ohio Valley

Spirit of the Border is a historical novel published in 1906 by Zane Grey. The novel is based on events occurring in the Ohio River Valley in the late 18th century. It features the exploits of Lew Wetzel, a historical personage who had dedicated his life to the destruction of Native Americans and to the protection of nascent white settlements in that region. The story deals with the attempt by Moravian missionaries to Christianize Indians and how two brothers' lives take different paths upon their arrival on the border. A highly romanticized account, it is the second in a trilogy, the first of which is Betty Zane, Gray's first published work, and The Last Trail, which focuses on the life of Jonathan Zane, Gray's ancestor.