ade no effort to effect
their capture. But he did not check his warriors from
roaming at will over the valley. Running down the slopes
into the pasture land, they rounded up the horses, the
herds of black cattle, and the browsing sheep; and, having
collected these together, they drove them from the meadows
and disappeared with them among the trees. Before sundown
they were many miles away, leaving behind desolation and
blank dismay.

CHAPTER IX

CHERRY VALLEY

The next occurrences in Brant's life are even more
deplorable than those narrated in the preceding chapter.
The Cherry Valley episode can only be regarded as a sad
instance of what the use of Indian allies sometimes
involved. A peaceful farming district was devastated;
peasants were plundered and slain. It is true that some
of them were in arms against British rule, but as a whole
they were quietly engaged in farming operations, striving
to build up homes for themselves on the outskirts of
civilization. In this work of devastation and death Brant
was only second in command; the leader was a white man
and a British officer. But neither Brant nor Butler, who
commanded the expedition, was able to restrain the cruelty
and ferocity of the Indian warriors until much havoc had
been wrought.

A haze was now brooding over the Susquehanna, and the
autumn leaves were being tinged with red. The struggle
of the year 1778 seemed over and Brant decided to spend
the winter at Niagara. Accordingly he set out with a band
of warriors from his entrenched position at Unadilla and
went forward by easy stages along the old and well-beaten
Indian trail leading towards Lake Ontario. He had proceeded
well on his way when, to his surprise, a party of former
allies crossed his path in the forest. Led by Captain
Walter N. Butler, a son of Colonel John Butler, the
victorious leader at Wyoming, a body of the Tory Rangers
who had been with Brant at Oriskany were going eastward.
In 1777 their youthful officer had suffered harsh
imprisonment among the enemy, and, burning for vengeance,
he was making a late-season tramp into the rebels' country.
He had asked for a number of his father's rangers, and
his request had been granted. He was also allowed the
privilege of taking Brant along with him, should the
chieftain be found willing to join his force.

On meeting with Brant so opportunely by the way, he gave
him an outline of the measures of retaliation which he
proposed to adopt