316 The Winning of the West 



friends and relations were killed or had their ears 

 cropped off. Such deeds often repeated roused to 

 a fury of revenge his fierce and passionate nature, 

 to which every principle of self-control was foreign. 

 He had no hope of redress, save in his own strength 

 and courage, and on every favorable opportunity 

 he hastened to take more than ample vengeance. 

 Admitting all the wrongs he suffered, it still re- 

 mains true that many of his acts of brutality were 

 past excuse. His wife was a worthy helpmeet. 

 Once, in his absence, a tory horse-thief was brought 

 to their home, and after some discussion the cap- 

 tors, Cleavland's sons, turned to their mother, who 

 was placidly going on with her ordinary domestic 

 avocations, to know what they should do with the 

 prisoner. Taking from her mouth the corn-cob pipe 

 she had been smoking, she coolly sentenced him to 

 be hanged, and ha"nged he was without further delay 

 or scruple. 25 Yet Cleavland was a good friend 

 and neighbor, devoted to his country, and also a 

 stanch Presbyterian. 26 



The tories were already on the alert. Some of 

 them had been harassing Cleavland, and they had 

 ambushed his advance guard, and shot his brother, 

 crippling him for life. But they did not dare try 

 to arrest the progress of so formidable a body of 

 men as had been gathered together at Quaker 

 Meadows; and contented themselves with sending 

 repeated warnings to Ferguson. 



On October ist the combined forces marched past 



25 Draper^ 448. 26 Allaire's Diary, entry for October 2gth. 



