contest, said
Red Jacket. Never should they submit to the yoke of their
oppressors. On the other hand, Chief Cornplanter, with
sounder judgment, argued for peace. It would surely be
an unwise thing for the Indians to enter upon a fresh
war single-handed, and without the assistance of their
former allies, the English.

At length Cornplanter had his way, and on October 22 a
treaty was made with the representatives of the United
States. By this treaty the Indians were to give up all
the prisoners of war still in their hands. Until this
was done, six hostages were to be furnished from among
their number. At the same time, the boundaries of the
country over which they held sway were defined.

Loud murmurs of complaint arose within the Six Nations
on the completion of this pact, and no one was more angry
than Joseph Brant himself. He was at Quebec, on the point
of leaving for England, but he hurried back on learning
the terms of the treaty. He was especially exasperated
because Aaron Hill, one of the lesser chiefs of the
Mohawks, was to be given up as a hostage. Arriving at
Cataraqui, Brant, on November 27, sent a long and stirring
letter to Colonel Munroe. In this he showed that his
Indians were in no way to blame for the retention of
prisoners of war. The fight was over, and the Six Nations
wanted harmony restored. With considerable feeling, he
referred to the 'customs and manners of the Mohawks.'
'They are always active and true,' he protested; 'no
double faces at war or any other business.

The difficulty was quickly righted and the War Chief
satisfied, but he saw that all the Indian races were in
a precarious position and might, sooner or later, be
drawn into hostilities. Meanwhile he was meditating a
scheme which might be likened to the bold conception of
Pontiac. In vision he saw all the Indian tribes united
into one far-reaching confederacy for the assertion of
their liberties. Brant was of a singularly ambitious
disposition and had no humble idea of his own capacities.
He pictured himself as the chosen head of such a vast
league of the native races. It was with this in view that
at this very time he paid a visit to the western tribes
and sought to ascertain their ideas upon the subject.

At the close of 1785 Brant was ready to make his second
journey across the Atlantic. It was indeed fitting, after
his years of active service for the crown, that he should
do homage once more at the English court. He desi