civil when General Herkimer advanced to receive him, and,
without greeting the commander, he pointed toward a clearing in the
wilderness half a mile or more away, as he said:

"There will Thayendanega meet his brother, the white chief, and without
firearms."

"To-day?" General Herkimer asked.

"When the next sun is three hours old Thayendanega will come with forty of
his people, and his white brother will bring no more than that number."

"It is well," General Herkimer replied, and it pleased me that he held
himself yet more stiffly than did the messenger. "Say to my brother,
Captain Brant, that we also will come without arms, and he and I shall
meet as we met years ago, when there was no need to light the pipe of
peace, because neither of us had listened to the songs of wicked men."

The Indian stalked away as before, and when he was gone Jacob, who, with
Sergeant Corney, had come up to hear what was being said, laid his hand on
my shoulder affectionately.

"I am goin' to be more of a man, Noel, havin' come to understand that
nothin' can be gained by ill-temper or impatience; but it is hard to
remain here idle when perhaps my father may at this moment be suffering
torture."

"If it was some one else's father, Jacob, you would say that there was no
danger anything of the kind would happen while Brant is makin' ready for
the interview with General Herkimer. Until that has come to an end your
father is safe, an' perhaps when the powwow is over we shall have him with
us."

"So Sergeant Corney has been tryin' to make me believe, an' it must be
true."

During the remainder of the day Jacob did not give words to the sorrow
which was in his heart, and perhaps it would have been wiser had he not
tried to hold his peace, for, strive as he might, again and again I could
see how earnestly he was struggling to remain silent.

It is useless for me to attempt to set down all that we did or said while
awaiting Thayendanega's pleasure. As a matter of course we indulged in
much speculation regarding the outcome of the matter, and discussed at
great length the possibility of General Herkimer's being able, even if he
failed in other desired directions, to set free the prisoner whom Joseph
Brant doubtless intended should suffer death at the stake.

We passed the time as best we might, many of us finding it quite as
difficult as did Jacob to restrain our impatience, and not a few openly
declaring their belief that Brant was ho