in hopeless defeat between two shattering fires.

As fortune would have it, this ruse was doomed to complete
failure. The messengers set out at eleven o'clock at
night, and Herkimer thought they would surely reach the
fort by three in the morning. But he waited in vain the
whole night through; no sound of cannonade disturbed the
quiet air. As the hours crept by his officers became
fretful and impatient; in the end they declared for an
immediate advance, denouncing Herkimer as a faltering
coward. At length the old man, sorely against his will,
gave the order to march. The relief party streamed through
the forest with disordered ranks. In the meantime Brant's
Indians had not been idle. They had carefully watched
the manoeuvres of the hostile force, and had given timely
warning. St Leger at once took steps to bar the road to
attack. For this purpose a division of the Royal Greens
was detailed, as well as the Tory Rangers, with Butler
in command. The bulk of the contingent, however, were
Indians, and it fell to the lot of Joseph Brant to fasten
Herkimer in the strong meshes of his net.

The ground over which the Americans had to pass was
uneven, and this had not escaped the watchful eye of
Brant. He was an adept in the tactics of Indian warfare,
and now used his knowledge to good effect. Herkimer had
not gone far along the narrow trail before he found
himself in difficulties. The road slanted down into a
boggy hollow some six or seven miles below Fort Stanwix.
This hollow had a winding course in the form of a crescent,