In the interval Herkimer is said to have devised one of

the vilest schemes that has ever been charged against a

man of his rank. He selected a settler, named Joseph

Waggoner, and three other trusty men as his accomplices.

These persons were to assist him in a conspiracy against

Brant's life that was simply an attempt at murder. The

details of the plot were furnished in a confession made

afterwards by Waggoner. As the parties stood in the

circle, the four accomplices were to take a cue from

Herkimer and shoot the Indians down without warning. But

Herkimer was reckoning without his host. Joseph Brant

was far too shrewd to walk headlong into such an open

snare. It is plain that he had come to suspect the

intentions of his adversary. Next morning, as he stepped

into the circle, he assumed a grave and dignified mien.

Addressing Herkimer, he spoke in stern accents:

'I have five hundred warriors with me, armed and ready

for battle. You are in my power; but as we have been

friends and neighbours, I will not take advantage of you.'

As he ended, a great band of redskins advanced from the

engirdling forest, and the war-whoop rent the air. Backed

by his faithful warriors, the War Chief could speak in

tones of authority to his foe. He did not forget to thank

him for his coming, but bade him direct his steps once

again towards his home on the Mohawk. Thereupon Brant

turned about and strode away among the trees. Just then

thick clouds blotted out the sky; a terrible storm swept

In violence across the land, a fitting presage, as men

thought, of the scourge of war that must now bring ruin

and havoc in its wake.

CHAPTER VII

FORT STANWIX AND ORISKANY

Fresh from undoing Herkimer's ugly plot, Brant abandoned

the Susquehanna and went off in the direction of Lake

Ontario. A great Indian council was to be held at Oswego,

and possibly he was hurrying to this meeting.

A vigorous campaign had been set on foot for the midsummer

of 1777 by General Burgoyne, who was now in command of

the British forces at Montreal. It was arranged that

Burgoyne should strike southward with the main army until

he reached the Hudson river. Meanwhile another body of

troops, under Lieutenant-Colonel St Leger, would make a

long detour by way of Lake Ontario and the western part

of the colony of New York. The object of this latter

movement was to rally the Indians, collect a force of

loyalists, and fight through the heart of the country

with the hope of forming a junction with Burgoyne's army

at Albany.

St Leger reached Oswego about the middle of July. There

he was joined by a regiment of loyalists, the famous

Royal Greens, and a company of Tory Rangers under Colonel

John Butler. Brant was present with two hundred Mohawks,

while a large band of Senecas were also grouped under

the king's standard. In all there were seventeen hundred

men, fully one thousand of whom were Indians under the

supreme command of Captain Brant.

On starting out, St Leger, who knew that a surprise might

be attempted, outlined his order of march with great

care. A detachment from one of the battalions was sent

on ahead, and this was later joined by Captain Brant with

a party of his warriors. Five columns of Indians went in

front, in single file; the flanks also were protected by

Indians at a distance of one hundred paces from the

central column.

It was intended that the first blow should be struck at

Fort Stanwix, on the head-waters of the Mohawk. This was

an old English stronghold that had fallen into decay,

but was being repaired and defended in the interest of

the revolting colonies by Colonel Peter Gansevoort. It

lay on the traffic-road to Oneida Lake, and was considered

a strong point of vantage. Its garrison was made up of

about seven hundred and fifty colonials. They had provisions

enough to last for six weeks and a goodly supply of

ammunition, and hoped to be able to withstand attack

until help should arrive.

The English leader reached this fort on August 3, and

immediately began to invest it. A demand was sent in

under a flag of truce calling upon the garrison to

surrender. St Leger said it was his desire 'to spare when

possible' and only 'to strike where necessary.' He was

willing to buy their stock of provisions and grant security

to all within the fort. The offer was generous, but the

garrison rejected it with a good-tempered disdain and

the siege went on with renewed earnestness. The Indians,

hiding in the thickets, poured their fire upon those who

were working on the walls. The presence of the savages

lent a weird fury to the scene, made it, indeed, well-nigh

uncanny. One evening in particular they 'spread themselves

through the woods, completely encircling the Fort, and

commenced a terrible yelling, which was continued at