Set among those who laboured in the settlement of the Western country, "The Spirit of the Border" follows the life and adventures of two brothers: Jim, a Christian missionary, and Joe, a newcomer to frontier life. It also reveals the tales behind real people, such as Lewis Wetzel and the renegades Simon and Jim Girty, to tell the story of those who acted as the American border rangers. Lewis Wetzel, known only as "Deathwind" to the Ohio Valley Indians, must single-handedly save Fort Henry. Armed only with his long rifle and knife, he heads out on a one-man rampage to stop the bloody border wars, to face down Chief Wingenund and to avenge the brutal missionary massacre at Village of Peace.