So he went to work in secret.
After mature deliberation, and the revolving and the re-revolving of the
matter in his mind, he concluded to join the Indians, and through their aid
accomplish the consummation of his designs. In carrying out this plan, he
was very materially aided by his old accomplice in crime, Ramsey, whose
familiarity with the red men gave him at once the facilities for
introducing his friend to their notice, which he did with a flourish and
eulogium. Things went on smoothly enough while Durant was learning the
language, customs, manners and habits of his new allies. He had as much as
he could do to convince them of his bravery and undaunted courage, which
qualities, believing he was deficient in them, they as often as possible
put to the test. In many of these adventures he barely came off with credit
whole, a thing he found absolutely necessary to maintain any kind of credit
with this singular people, and, for this purpose, he called into action
every particle of courage from every crack and crevice of his system, and
brought the whole to bear upon one point, the wavering of his own heart,
and, with it, the staying of his almost quaking limbs, and
ready-to-run-away feet. He had just "_quantum sufficit_" for this purpose,
and _none to spare_.
These achievements occupied about two years in their accomplishment, at the
end of which period, Durant, having established himself pretty fairly in
the good graces of his red brethren, felt as though the time had arrived
for him to put in execution his long intended project; for, be it known,
his desire for vengeance had neither slumbered nor died during the two
years, but was the grand moving impulse to every important act.
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