 Brant took five [seven] prisoners, [which the Indians prepared to burn at the stake as retribution for a previous group of captives effecting an escape from the Indians, killing several Indians to do so.This group of seven prisoners were made to gather wood for their own funeral pryer, and the fire was actually lit, before one of the captives, Lt. Maynard, a freemason, gave the mason signal of distress.Chief Brant noticed this, and stopped the execution.