A DREAM OF EMPIRE

_Or_THE HOUSE OFBLENNERHASSETT

_By_WILLIAM HENRY VENABLE

AUTHOR OF "A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, ""JOHN HANCOCK, EDUCATOR, " &c. 

_New York_DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY_MDCCCCI_

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Copyright, 1901, By Dodd, Mead and Company. 

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TOEMERSON VENABLE

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Contents

I. AN ECCENTRIC VISITOR. 1II. A NOTED CHARACTER ARRIVES IN PITTSBURG. 16III. PILLARS OF SMOKE. 28IV. PLUTARCH BYLE MAKES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 39V. IN THE LADIES' BOWER. 45VI. DOCTOR DEVILLE AND HIS LUCRECE. 62VII. CONSPIRACY. 71VIII. DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND. 82IX. DON'T FORGET THE BITTERS. 97X. "NOW TO MY CHARMS AND TO MY WILY TRAINS. " 118XI. PALAFOX GROWS INSOLENT. 127XII. SNARING A PHILOSOPHER. 137XIII. THE ENCHANTED GROUND. 150XIV. A LARGESS OF CORONETS. 169XV. THERE BE LAND RATS AND WATER RATS. 181XVI. A PATRIOT NOT TO BE TAMPERED WITH. 193XVII. THE BUSY NOTE OF PREPARATION. 205XVIII. THE VOYAGE OF THE BUCKEYE. 218XIX. ARLINGTON'S RIDE. 234XX. MOSTLY LOVE MATTERS. 247XXI. PRO AND CON. 262XXII. NOT A TRUE BILL. 269XXIII. THE FATAL CIPHER. 278XXIV. THE MIDNIGHT DEPARTURE. 286XXV. HEROINE AND HERO. 297XXVI. OUT OF THE NET INTO THE TRAP. 312XXVII. FLIGHT AND SURRENDER. 326XXVIII. WHAT BECAME OF THEM. 333

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A DREAM OF EMPIRE. 

I. AN ECCENTRIC VISITOR. 

It was the first of May, and the sun had passed the noon line in abright sky, causing the shadow of Peter Taylor to fall east of northand infusing his substance with the delightful languor called SpringFever. Leaning upon an idle spade, Peter watched the lazy motions of anegro slave whom he had directed to trim a level lawn ornamented withflowerbeds. The English origin of the overseer was revealed by hislooks and in his speech. 

"Scipio, 'ave you 'oed the corn?"

"No, boss, but I's jes' gwine to ten' to it right away. "

"Well, make 'aste. Daniel and Ransom can 'elp you, and tell HonestMoses to get the south patch ready for the watermelon seed. "

Scipio received his orders submissively, and, shouldering a hoe, sauntered toward the cornfield, and was soon hidden by a clump ofyoung weeping-willows, the sunny green branches of which trailed tothe darker verdure of the sward. Screened by the drooping foliage, theshirking menial cast his body on the grass to store up energy foranticipated toil. 

Meanwhile, the taskmaster, having issued commands to his blacksubordinates, felt justified in neglecting his own duties, in adignified way, by seeking a shady retreat in which he lingeredcontemplating the charms of Nature and the pleasing results of his ownskill as a landscape-gardener. The prevailing aspect of thesurroundings was wild, though several acres of cultivated land, including a fine lawn with gravelled walks and drives, attested thatmuch labor had been expended in reclaiming a portion of savage Naturefrom its primeval condition. The plantation occupied the upper end ofBlennerhassett Island. Standing on a knoll, with his back to the"improved" grounds, Peter took in at a sweeping glance a reach ofgleaming water which flowed between woody hills overhung by a serenesky. He saw the silver flood of the Ohio River which, coursingsouthward, broke against the island, dividing its broad current intotwo nearly equal streams. He admired the meadow slopes of Belpre, onthe Ohio side, and the more dimly seen bluffs of Wood County, on theVirginia border. The tourist of to-day, standing where the gardenerstood on Blennerhassett Island a hundred years ago, sees in thenorthern distance the iron framework of the Parkersburg bridgespanning the river, so far away as to show like a fairy web in theair. Beyond, as if issuing from the heart of the hills, the riverblends with the purple mist. 

Having "bent the quiet of a loving eye" upon the river and itsdelightful valley, the Englishman turned his ruddy face toward thechief building on the island, a frame structure of odd appearance, painted in dazzling white save the window shutters, which were vividgreen. The mansion consisted of a main edifice fifty feet square andtwo stories high, with a peculiar portico in front, projected not instraight lines, but forming a semicircle, embracing within thecurvature of its outstretching arms a favored area of dooryard. Theproprietor of the estate had chosen the site and designed the plan ofthis his residence with the double purpose of indulging a fancy forarchitectural novelty and of providing against disaster by lightningand earthquake. Never did it occur to him that fire and flood were theelements he had most reason to fear: each of these ruinous agents wasdestined, in turn, to devastate the island. 

In the rear of the fantastic dwelling, and not far from it, stood arow of log cabins for the negroes who served on the place, and acluster of barns and stables abundantly stocked. All the houses werenew, and the adjacent cultivated land showed many signs that it hadnot long been tilled, or even cleared. The rank soil retained itsquick fertility, as could be seen in the thrifty growth of peas, beets, radishes, and early potatoes, flourishing in the "truck-patch. "The plum and the peach trees had cast their bloom; the cherry blossomswere falling like snow; the flowers of the apple loaded the air withfragrance; the red-buds were beginning to fade; the maples and oaks, just starting into leaf, hung full of light green tassels. 

The vegetable close had irresistible attractions for the gardener, andthis drew his laggard steps from their idle excursion, back to thefreshly spaded spot enriched by leaf mould, and carefully picketedagainst the incursions of scratching hens. Here he busied himself inplanting lettuce seed, forgetful of Scipio, who lolled sleepily in theshadow of the willows. 

The drowsy bondman was just sinking into slumber, when his attentionwas aroused by a plashing noise followed by the sound of whistling. Glancing in the direction of the disturbance, his eyes fell upon theungainly figure of a man who was stooping at the water's edge. Thenegro got upon his feet, and approached the stranger, who at firsttook no notice of him, being absorbed in puzzled observation. A cut oflean meat, encircled by a row of stones, lay immersed in a pool causedby an eddy in the river. 

"Danged if I can make out what this hunk of raw beef is put here for, "soliloquized the visitor. "The minnies are nibblin' it away. I wonderif this here Mr. Bladderhatchet means to feed all the fish in the Ohioon beefsteak. Hello, Cuffey, what do _you_ want?"

"I's not Cuffey, sah; I's Scipio. "

"Well, I's Byle, Plutarch Byle, " said the stranger, raising his gaunt, gawky figure to a posture which, though far from erect, revealed astature so much above the average height that the negro stepped back afew paces and stared with astonishment. Plutarch Byle's feet, handsand head seemed somewhat too large for his trunk and limbs, but werequite in harmony with the big joints of his knees, elbows and wrists. His attitudes were grotesque and his gestures awkward. Light, curlyhair covered his head; his nose was long and inquisitive; his eyes, big, blue and good-humored; his mouth, incredibly wide, with shrewd, mobile lips, which habitually smiled. A tuft of yellow beard on theend of his sharp chin, gave his face a comical expression resemblingthat which caricature bestows on Uncle Sam. His voice was pitched in ahigh key, and was modified by that nasal twang supposed to indicateYankee origin; but a habit of giving his declarative sentences aninterrogative finish, might denote that he came from the mountainregions of Pennsylvania or Virginia. A pair of linsey pantaloons, ablue hunting shirt with a fringe of red and yellow, moccasins oftanned leather and a woollen hat were his chief visible articles ofdress. 

Scrutinizing Scipio's features as he might inspect a wonder in amuseum, Byle interrogated him:

"Potterin' about for greens, I reckon? Do you belong here, Africanus?"

The only information drawn from the slave was that the proprietor ofthe island had bought him in Virginia. 

"Bought? Consarn my bones! How much did he give for you? Look here, Sambo, if I was a Roman general, like you, and in your fix, " saidByle, pointing with his left thumb over his right shoulder andwinking, "I'd skite over to the Buckeye-side of the water and forgetto pay for myself. Don't you know what the Ordinance of '87 says? 'Noinvoluntary servitude in said territory. ' I agree with John Woolman, that niggers are our feller-creatures. "

Turning abruptly, the tall man moved with long, slow strides in thedirection of the white house with green shutters, talking continually, more to himself than to the perplexed negro who followed at his heels. 

"Wonder how things are growing in the front yard? By gum! that's afine Italian poplar! Guess the old Coot's at home. Maybe thatyoungster is one of the little Bladderhatchets! Say, sonny, come thisway. "

The sentence was addressed to a lad, who, bounding from the portico, ran nimbly toward the intruder. The boy was prettily attired in amilitary costume, and wore a toy sword at his side and a gay featherin his cap. He was followed by a brother smaller and much less jaunty. 

"What might your name be, now, bub? By crackey, you've come out infull blossom, haven't you, like a red-bud bush? What do you say yourname is?"

"Dominick. "

"Dominick, hey? I've seen many a young dominick rooster, but I neversaw one with finer feathers than yours. Suppose you flap your wings, and crow for us, like a fighting cockerel. "

"I'll not crow; I'll stick my sword through you!"

"Jerusalem artichokes! He wants to kill me with his tin sword!Dominick, I give in. If your pappy is about the house, tell him tocome out; a gentleman wants to ask him something. "

Before a summons could be served on Mr. Harman Blennerhassett, thatperson appeared emerging from a wing of the long porch. Beingextremely near-sighted, he could not distinctly see the man whoawaited him until the distance between the two was diminished to a fewsteps. The uninvited guest without ceremony opened conversation. 

"How d'ye do? I am Mr. Byle--B-y-l-e--Plutarch Byle. Of courseeverybody knows you by reputation, Mr. Bladderhatchet--"

"Blennerhassett. "

"It's a prodigious long name, ain't it? Too long, in my opinion. Youcan have it shortened by law. I'm told you're from Ireland. You don'tlook much Irish, nor you haven't a bad brogue. I s'pose you've gotyour naturalization papers all right. This administration is rathereasy on foreigners, especially French, for Jefferson has Frenchynotions. President Adams was rough on emigrants--maybe too rough; hewanted to sock it to them hard by acts of Congress. What is youropinion of the Alien and Sedition laws? I favor them; I'm a Federalistto the marrow-bones. I don't reckon you're a United Irishman, Mr. Blanner--"

"Blenner, if you please--Blennerhassett. I belong to the order ofUnited Irishmen, but I presume your errand here is not to discusspolitics. Your looks denote that you affiliate with--shall I say, thecommon people, the humbler class? What is your business here, my goodman?"

"Rattlesnakes and brimstone! _Me_ your good man! _Me_ of the humblerclass! Why, Squire B. , we have no humbler class on our side of theOhio. But you needn't apologize; I'm not huffy. You're new to thecountry and your blunders are excusable. I happened along this way--"

"My time is valuable, I must ask you to be brief. What do you want?"

"You're a bigger man than I calculated to see; you're a large-sizedcitizen, full six foot, I should guess, and you stoop consider'bl inthe shoulders, like myself. The Byles are all built that way. But yourfeet are smaller than mine, and I should think you'd feel awk'ard insuch toggery as them red breeches and shoe buckles. "

"You are impertinent, " snapped Blennerhassett, turning from his rudecritic. "If you have nothing to tell or to ask that is of anyimportance, make off, for I can be detained no longer. "

"Hold on, neighbor; I've heaps yet to tell, and lots more to ask. Thefirst thing I noticed particularly when I landed was that puddle upthere, with the hunk of raw meat soaking, and I would like dangnationwell to know why you put that meat in that puddle?"

Annoyed beyond endurance, the lord of the island would have hurriedaway, but he was diverted from his intention by the unexpected conductof his guest, who, suddenly dropping on all fours, fell to examiningwith the liveliest interest a wild plant which had forced its stem upthrough the sod. 

"Do you know what that is?" asked Plutarch of the two boys who stoodnear their father, perplexed by the dialogue to which they hadlistened. They shook their heads, when, glancing up at Scipio, thequestioner repeated, "Do you know?" and not waiting for a reply, "That's snakeroot; smell it!" He plucked a portion of the herb, rubbedit between his thumb and forefinger and thrust the bruised substancefirst under his own nose and then beneath the reluctant nostrils ofthe disdainful Master Dominick. 

Mr. Blennerhassett was himself a botanist, or desired to be consideredone, and his eagerness to become familiar with the flora of hisvicinity so far overcame offended formality, that he also got down onhis knees and directed his imperfect vision to the pungent specimen. The two men, each an oddity, presented a ludicrous picture as theyknelt on the grass, their heads almost in contact, and their longnoses only a few inches above the object of their scrutiny. 

"Yes, Virginia snakeroot, and I couldn't expect it to sprout up inthis open place. This is a different thing from the Senecarattlesnake-root; there's more cure in an ounce of this than in apound of that. I'll wager five shillings to a sixpence that I can nameyou nine out of ten of the medicines and dyestuffs growing on thisisland. "

"If that is the case, " said the Irish recluse, scrambling to his feet, "I shall be glad to avail myself of your knowledge. There are manyvines, shrubs, and trees flourishing here, the names and qualities ofwhich I greatly desire to learn and many herbs which perhaps--"

"I'm your man, neighbor; I'm your man. There are three things which Icalculate I do know by experience: the first is fish, the second isgame, and the third is yarbs. "

"What is the third?"

"Yarbs. Anything that grows wild. I'm acquainted with pretty muchevery critter that has seed, flower, leaf, bark or root. I fish a goodbit, and I doctor a good bit. "

"You doctor, fish and hunt, " repeated Blennerhassett, his attentionnow completely captured; "I myself prescribe simple remedies and I amfond of the sports you mention, though a defect of vision interfereswith my shooting. "

"If you like, " proposed Byle, "we will prowl around this veryafternoon and study physic together. I call the wild woods God'sapothecary shop. "

Blennerhassett was convoyed to the depths of the island forest, wherethe strangely assorted pair conversed intimately on the virtues ofpleurisy-root, Indian physic and columbo. Byle discoursed on the highprice of ginseng, and the new method of preparing that specific forthe Chinese market; recommended the prompt use of succory to cure asnake bite, and the liberal application of green stramonium leaves toheal sores on the back of a horse. He advised Blennerhassett toacquire an appetite for custard apples, which, he said, regulated thebowels. 

On returning from the excursion, Blennerhassett hurried into hislibrary, lugging a basket filled with botanical specimens; and Byleprepared to leave the premises. Before starting, he beckoned thegardener, who sulkily responded to the sign. The pertinacious visitorwas proof against repulse. No social coolness could chill hisconfiding ardor. He took Peter's arm, and with a backward jerk of thehead declared interrogatively:

"The Mogul is sort of queer, isn't he? A screw loose somewhere, eh?"

"Well, " responded Peter cautiously, "yes and no; he is queer and heisn't queer. He has plenty of book learning and plenty of money, and afool can't get much of either. Folks say he has every kind of sensebut common sense. "

"At first he didn't want to be sociable. I asked him a civil questionabout a public matter, and he shut up like a clam. Now can _you_ tellme, as man to man, why the deuce that hunk of beef is put to soak inthat puddle, up at the head of the island?"

Peter chuckled in the contemptuous manner of a practical man, withoutsympathy for speculative genius. 

"That's one of his chemical experiments. The man is always up tosomething of the kind. The carcass of a dead 'og was dug up on theplace, and his Honor noticed that it had turned into something liketallow, and he takes the notion that the water here has power tochange flesh into solid fat--_hadipocere_, he calls it--which hethinks may be used to make candles. "

Byle listened to the solution of the lean-meat mystery with waningattention, for before the explanation was concluded his roving eyecaught glimpses of an apparition more interesting than the gardener'sdry sarcasm. He discerned, through openings in the boscage fringingthe river bank on the Ohio shore, an object like a scarlet flag flyingrapidly along. 

"Greased lightning! What strange bird is that coming down the riverroad? A woman on horseback, sure as Easter flowers! Two of 'em, one inred and one in black. Don't they make them animals cut dirt? Iwouldn't miss this sight for a hogshead of tree-honey. Why, it beats aPittsburg horse-race on the Fourth of July!"

"Oh, it's mamma! It's mamma and Miss Evaleen coming back fromMarietta, " shouted Dominick. 

A gang of colored men, led by Honest Moses, poled an unwieldy scow tothe Ohio shore, took the dashing equestriennes on board and ferriedback to the island. 

The announcement that their mistress was approaching caused a generalflurry among the servants, male and female, and several of them, headed by the boys, hastened down to the landing to receive theladies. Byle was not the man to let slip such an opportunity of takinga look at the paragon, whose charms of person and brilliancy of mindhe had heard many tongues extol; and he did not hesitate to join thefamily group on the river bank. His curiosity was amply rewarded bythe vision of fair women which he beheld. 

Madam Blennerhassett stepped from the ferryboat, beaming smiles ofmotherly fondness upon her children. She wore a riding-habit ofscarlet cloth embroidered with thread of gold, and a snow-white hat, adorned with long plumes of ostrich feather. The rich attire did notblind Plutarch to the natural beauty of "the woman herself. " She wasof regal stature, graceful bearing and animated face. Her buoyantstep, her rising bosom, her clear, rich voice evidenced the vital glowof maturity in a woman still young--a June rose blooming in May. 

Byle, pressing nearer, noted that the madam's hair was brown; hereyelashes long; nose, Grecian; lips, ripe red. When he had fixed herimage on his mind, and was meditating the propriety of making friendlyinquiries concerning the purpose and results of her excursion toMarietta, her large, calm eyes searched his countenance with a look ofoffended dignity, which caused his tongue to cleave to the roof of hismouth. Speechless for the moment, but not blinded, Plutarch withdrewhis optics from the imperious dame, and took an instantaneousbrain-picture of her companion, a light-footed, quick-glancing girlabout eighteen years of age, whose arrival put little Harman into anecstasy, and gave manifest delight to the servants. Her blithe mannerand cheerful voice won Byle's complete approbation, and led him todescribe her as one who "'peared not to know there was a valley of theshadder of trouble here below. "

Madam Blennerhassett instructed Moses to take care of the horses, andside by side with the winsome maiden walked from the landing to thehouse, followed by a retinue of servants. 

Thus abandoned, Plutarch Byle plodded his way to his skiff, pushed thelight craft from the sandy beach, ensconced his gaunt person on therowing bench, seized the oars, and pulled up stream, saying tohimself:

"She's the compound extract of Queen 'Liz'beth and Cleopatry; but whydidn't she take a fancy to a good-looking Federalist like me, insteadof throwing herself away on a near-sighted United Irishman with silvershoe-buckles?"

II. A NOTED CHARACTER ARRIVES IN PITTSBURG. 

On the last day of April, 1805, more than the usual number of guestscrowded the bar-room or lounged about the open door of the Green Tree, a popular tavern on the bank of the Monongahela, in Pittsburg. Theproprietor had found difficulty in providing refreshment for the swarmof hungry mechanics, farmers and boatmen who elbowed their way to aseat at his famed dining-table. To the clatter of dishes was added theclamor of voices making demands upon the decanters, which yielded aninexhaustible supply of rum, whiskey and peach brandy. 

In the throng of bar-room loafers was a swarthy boatman, wearing aleathern waistcoat, who, on being jostled by a stalwart roysterercarrying a long rifle, poured out curses and slang epithets, swearinghe could whip any man in the tavern or in the town. The challenge wasno sooner uttered than the offender for whom it was meant called outto the landlord:

"Here, Billy, hold my shooter a minute until I pitch this Louisianarat into the river. "

"Don't mind him, Mike; he's drunk. "

"Drunk or sober, " blustered the quarrelsome boatman, "I swear I canwhip the best man in Pittsburg or in Pennsylvania. "

This sweeping defiance elicited laughter and derision. 

"Give him the heft of your fist, Mike!" cried one. 

"Bruise the snout of the Mississippi alligator!"

Thus incited, Mike Fink, the recognized champion of Pittsburg, disposed of his rifle, doubled up his fists, and stood ready forassault or defence. 

"Fair fight or rough and tumble?" said he, appealing to the crowd. 

"Fair fight, " growled the boatman and tossed a fiery dram down hisgullet. But fair fight in the accepted sense of the phrase wasfarthest from his intention. Quick as a flash, he drew from his belt adirk, and would have stabbed his antagonist, had not a bystanderseized his uplifted arm, while another wrenched the weapon from hisgrasp. The ruffian's comrades hurried their dangerous leader from theinn, and guided his steps to the river and aboard a large new flatboatrecently launched. 

A flourish of bugle notes and the noise of wheels announced thearrival of the mail-coach from the East. Everybody went out to hailthe lumbering vehicle, which, drawn by four horses, came bowling downthe road in a dust-cloud of glory. The driver cracked his whip with abang like a pistol-shot, and firmly holding in his left hand the fourlong lines, brought his team to a sudden halt in front of the tavern. 

Only two passengers alighted from the stage, clambering out at thefront, a mode of egress requiring agility to avoid awkward slips andtumbles. The first to step down was a handsome young man, who held hishead proudly and looked about him with easy self-possession. Afashionable suit of clothes and a hat in the latest Philadelphia styleproclaimed him a man of "quality. " But aristocratic as were the mienand attire of this fine gentleman, he ceased to be the chief object ofattention when his fellow-traveller emerged from the pent darkness ofthe coach and sprang to the pavement. 

Every eye fastened on the second stranger. His was an individualitysure to command deference. Though of slight figure, he bore himselfwith a lofty air, which lifted his stature and magnified itsproportions. Not one of those tarrying to behold the man could resistthe feeling that his was a dominating spirit, a will and personalitynot to be ignored or slighted. A careful scanning of his externalsdiscovered that his form was symmetrical, though the head seemeddisproportionately large; the brow was high and sloping; the nose, rather sharp; every curve of the mouth, clear cut and delicate; theeyes, black, bright and piercing. Such was the man who, attired in asuit of black broadcloth, with buff vest, ruffled shirt, and whitestock, and with hair tied in a modish queue, revealed himself to thegaze of the throng in front of the Green Tree. 

The spectators observed as he descended from the coach that his feetwere small, and were fitted to a nicety with polished boots of thefinest leather. No amount of gaping, gazing and inquisitive sideremark embarrassed the newcomer. Perhaps his dark eyes emitted asparkle of gratified vanity as he glanced about him, distributing agracious bow among his unknown fellow-citizens. Addressing theinnkeeper, he asked:

"Can you inform us whether Judge Brackenridge is in town?"

"Yes, sir; we are going that way, " politely replied a stripling, whostepped forward, followed by another youth with a law book under hisarm. "This is Harry Brackenridge, the judge's son. "

"Surely? and your name is--?"

"Morgan Neville. "

"Son of Colonel Presley Neville?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Indeed! The particular friend of Lafayette. " Young Neville blushedwith proud pleasure. 

"Yes; father was his aide-de-camp. "

"I know, " said the stranger, smiling, as he turned to ask youngBrackenridge, "Is the judge at home?"

"We expect him home to-morrow from a trip to Washington College. "

"Your new Western college, eh? Judge Brackenridge is a promoter oflearning and literature. Allow me to make you acquainted with Mr. Arlington, of Virginia. " The Southerner saluted the students and, inclining his head deferentially toward his travelling companion, said:

"I have the honor of introducing you to Colonel Aaron Burr. "

Diverse were the effects produced on the listening spectators byArlington's words. At the sound of the notorious name some shrank asfrom the hiss of a coiled serpent. Others drew near, as if eager tomanifest partisan sympathy for the renowned leader, whose pistol hadended the life of Alexander Hamilton ten months prior to the time ofthis visit to Pittsburg. The unfledged lawyers whom his favor haddistinguished were of his faction. They manifested their fealty andgladness with boyish exuberance, by delighted looks and wordsexpressive of esteem and reverence. Burr was importuned to dine attheir houses, but he excused himself on account of business affairswhich required prompt attention. However, he accepted an invitation tovisit Colonel Neville on the following day. 

Dinner over, the newly arrived guests sought the general supply agent, with whom Burr had contracted by letter for a boat, intending a voyagedown the Ohio. The vessel was ready and that very morning had beenbrought from the shipyard to the landing. 

"You will find her a first-class flatboat, Mr. Burr--strong andtight--sixty foot long by fourteen wide--four first-rate rooms, andas pretty a roof as you ever set foot on anywheres. There's a fellowhere from down Mississippi I've spoke to--a number one pole and aletter A oar--Captain Burke Pierce by name--and he'll manage her foryou, Mr. Burr, and provide his own crew. "

"Where can I find this Captain Pierce?"

"I'll take you to him right away. He's down on the boat now. A mightygood hand is Burke, tough as a bull, swims like a muskrat, but he hasone failing--only one so far as I know--he will drink, and when he'sdrunk he's vicious. But they all take their whiskey, these boatmen, and so does almost every landsman, for that matter--and Pierce is noworse than the rest. But here's the point: cap had a row at thetavern, and his crew took him down to your boat to sober off. "

"Why there?"

"Well, I thought you'd ask that. I gave them leave to go to your boatout of regard to you. I told him if he'd whistle together five or sixexperienced poles and a good cook, like as not you'd hire him to takecharge of her for you and steer her down the river; see to thekitchen, beds and everything. "

Inwardly remarking that the agent had presumed beyond his commission, Burr was conducted to the boat, within which he found half a dozenrough rivermen seated around a table, playing poker. Their redoubtablechief rose with a civil salutation not to be expected from one of hisstation. He was a stalwart fellow, of swarthy complexion and stronglymarked features. A broad yellow belt confining a leather doublet wasbuckled around his waist; the legs of his coarse blue woollen trouserswere stuffed into the wide tops of heavy Suarrow boots, and his headwas covered by a broad hat, such as were worn by Spanish traders onthe lower Mississippi. 

"That's your man; that's Burke; born and raised on a broad-horns. Speak for yourself, cap; this is Mr. Burr, which I told you about. "

The boatman spoke for himself in surprisingly good language, with anair combining the bold and the obsequious. For a fixed sum, payable inweekly instalments, he proposed to give his own services and to hirethe additional help necessary to navigate the boat, under the generalcontrol of the owner. To this arrangement Burr finally agreed, notwithstanding an instinctive repugnance which he had felt on firstseeing the letter A oar, who was tough as a bull and who had but onefailing. As the captain received in his palm an advance payment, hecalled upon his men to witness the contract and to vouch for hischaracter, and pledged word and honor that, by six o'clock on theevening of the following day, the boat would be in readiness for thevoyage. 

Relieved of present care, Burr returned to the tavern, where manycitizens, incited by various motives, waited to pay him theirrespects. The rumor of his arrival had spread over town, andspeculation was rife concerning his movements. What could be the notedpolitician's object in coming to the West? Was he flying frompersecution? Could he be suffering remorse? Or was he merely making atour of observation for commercial reasons?

Burr's reticence gave little satisfaction to the busybodies who soughtby direct question to verify their several conjectures. All comerswere received with a hearty handshake and were entertained with urbanespeeches. Not the humblest caller was slighted. It was late in theevening when, having affably gotten rid of his last visitor, Burrproposed that he and Arlington should retire. They were well contentto make the best of the scanty accommodations of the one sleeping-roomto which they were both assigned. 

After a disturbed night's rest Burr awoke early and called hisdrowsing companion. 

"Rouse up, Mr. Arlington. Shake off this downy sleep. "

"Downy sleep!" answered the Virginian, yawning and stretching; "theonly down of this couch is shucks and corn-cobs. "

The two men had scarcely finished breakfasting when a committee oflocal officials called to invite them to see the sights of growingPittsburg. 

The "Emporium, " as the _Gazette_ called the town, had a population ofabout two thousand. Most of the buildings were of logs; a few of stoneor brick. 

Burr listened with every appearance of intense interest to animatedaccounts of the academy, the old Dutch church, the ferries, theshipping-yard, Suke's Run, and Smoky Island. The party sauntered alongmuddy thoroughfares--Southfield Street and Chancery Lane. Theystrolled through Strawberry Avenue and Virgin Alley. They viewed theruins of Fort Pitt, stood on the site of historic Du Quesne, andpaused to gaze up at the garrisoned post of La Fayette, over whichfloated the flag of the Old Thirteen. During the tour Burr kept up asprightly conversation. His guides took pains, at his request, tointroduce to him the young men of Pittsburg, and those who had thefavor of being presented felt themselves enrolled among his devotedadherents. He carried their hearts, not by storm, but by irresistiblesunshine. 

At the appointed time the visitors were warmly welcomed at ColonelNeville's, where they were gratified to meet Judge Brackenridge. Thefour gentlemen spent an hour in lively political and military talk, over a decanter of Madeira. Under the mellowing influence of wine andgood company, the judge, with Scotch curiosity, made bold to soundBurr in regard to the purpose of his Western trip. 

"We are going out West to witness the 'Rising Glory of America, '" wasthe evasive answer. "I am eager to explore that domain of which theauthor of 'Bunker Hill, ' has sung so sublimely:

 'Hail, happy land, The seat of empire, the abode of kings, The final stage, where time shall introduce Renowned characters and glorious works. '"

Flattered to hear his own verse recited by the ex-Vice-president, thejudge returned a quick response:

"It is seldom that a poet lives to hear his own prophecies fulfilled. The 'renowned characters' are entering upon the stage; I dare say the'glorious works' will be accomplished according to prophecy. "

The conversation returned to general themes: prospects of trade, routes of migration, growth of western towns, literature, andeducation. A passing comment on the recent purchase and organizationof Louisiana led Colonel Neville to ask:

"When did you last see your former comrade-in-arms, GeneralWilkinson?"

"Not lately. I thought I might meet him here in Pittsburg. Is he notdue here?"

"Yes, he is on the way from Philadelphia, but he travels with hisfamily, and is liable to many detentions. His barge lies at the wharf, to convey him to Fort Massac. "

"So I learn, " said Burr. "I fear I shall miss him. He is a jovialcompanion. "

"A bon-vivant, " ejaculated the Judge. "Few men enjoy a convivialoccasion with his gusto, or have the constitution to indulge as hedoes. Gossip charges him with living beyond his purse. Someill-natured rumors assert that he allows the rites of Bacchus tointerfere with the duties of Mars. "

"Bacchus is a gross and vicious god. But your gossips traduceWilkinson. He is a brave man and a fine officer, " said Burr with anemphasis of finality. 

"O undoubtedly! Apropos of the wine-god, Colonel Burr, do not fail totie up your boat at Bacchus Island, you and Mr. Arlington, and call onmy friends the Blennerhassetts. Harman Blennerhassett is an agreeableman, though peculiar, and his wife is charming. "

"A fine woman, is she?" responded Burr. 

"Both beautiful and opulent. A sultana, sir!"

"Then, gentlemen, " said Burr, rising with glass in hand, "let us doourselves the honor of drinking the health of Madam Blennerhassett. "

When, at six o'clock in the evening, the travellers went down to theboat, not a soul did they find on board. Seven o'clock came, but noCaptain Pierce, no minion of his. Burr made inquiry of the agent, thetavern-keeper and others, without obtaining information concerning anyof the missing men. 

Much incensed, he and Arlington were compelled to lodge another nightin the best bedchamber of the Green Tree. 

III. PILLARS OF SMOKE. 

On the morning after their provoking delay, when the travellers againappeared at the boat landing, impatient to resume their voyage, AaronBurr was in a mood not to be trifled with. It scarcely mollified hisanger to discover on the deck of the boat the slippery crew that haddisappointed him. 

"Here we are, sharp on time, " bawled Captain Pierce audaciously. "Howsoon do you want to start?"

Burr, stepping aboard the vessel, confronted his plausible employee, and said in a tone of stern reprimand:

"You will be of no use to me unless you obey orders to the letter. Youmake a bad beginning. Why were you not here twelve hours ago?"

"I didn't agree to shove off before this morning. We were to come atsix--"

"At six last evening. You broke your word. "

"What was the use of lying?" said Arlington contemptuously. 

The boatman lowered upon the Virginian, and muttered to Burr: "Then Imust have heard wrong. I thought you said six o'clock this morning. I'll take my oath on a pile of Bibles. "

"Produce the Bibles, " suggested Arlington. 

Burke ignored the sneering remark, and continued his protestations toBurr. "I mean to do the fair, square thing, as these men will tellyou. Ask them. They know Burke Pierce keeps his promises. "

"Enough; I hope you do. Don't disappoint me again. Put the boat inmotion. "

Under the captain's directions, all the hands but one bestirredthemselves. The exception, a burly knot of muscles, with stubby beardand purple nose, instead of joining in the work, stood idle, chewingtobacco, ostentatiously. Without a word Burr stepped lightly in frontof the impudent roustabout, and, delivering a blow, with the dexterityof an expert boxer, knocked him into the river, amid the jeers of hisassociates, and of the concourse assembled on the shore to see theboat off. 

This prompt stroke of executive policy had a salutary effect. Recalcitrant subjects had warning that the little man wearing thequeue and the small, shiny boots, could not be bluffed. 

The boat, once in midstream, was easily managed by the use of long, spiked poles, and, now and then, of an oar. The captain kept hisstation at the stern of the uncouth craft, handling the steering-pole. The two travellers, standing upon the roof of the ark, admired theirpilot's skill, and freely exchanged comments regarding him. To theirmurmured conversation, the steersman seemed dumb, deaf andindifferent; nevertheless, he gave the closest attention to everyword, and his sense of hearing was as keen as that of a wildcat. 

The scenery along the upper Ohio River is pleasing in any season ofthe year; no wonder that, in early May, the travellers were enchantedby its picturesque beauty. To this day, in many places, the hills, vales, and woods on either bank, retain almost the original wildnessof primeval Nature. The river winds among high limestone hills, whichare carved in frequent deep ravines, by tumbling brooks, or tricklingrills. Low, green islands rise magically upon the forward view of thevoyager, then vanish in the receding distance, like fairy worldswithdrawn. 

The real and the imaginary became strangely blended in Arlington'smind. He could hardly distinguish the substantial from the visionary, while he gazed on cloudlike bluffs in Ohio and dim highlands inVirginia. The boat drifted on without sound or jar, and he easilyfancied himself at rest on a surface of water, while the woody shoreswam by in slow panorama. 

Chester Arlington was the son of a wealthy citizen of Richmond, and agraduate of the College of William and Mary. He had studied law, andwas beginning life on his own account. Entrusted with a commission tocollect some claims held by his father against a merchant inCincinnati, he was on his way to that metropolis of the Miami country. His acquaintance with Burr dated from a day in the middle of April, when the two got into the same coach to journey from Philadelphia toPittsburg. A difference of twenty-five years in their ages wascancelled by the art, which the elder possessed, of maintainingperpetual youth. And Burr's genial conversation won his companion'sconfidence and friendship before they had crossed the Alleghanies. Thus it came about, that the Virginian had been invited to share theconveniences of the flatboat, a courtesy which he had accepted, oncondition that he might share the expenses. 

Toward the close of the fourth day of the voyage, as the two sat onthe top of their drifting domicile, smoking cigars, they fell into adiscussion concerning the Great West, and the prospects of new Statesand Territories. 

"To me, " said the Virginian, in the slightly florid style habitual tohim, "this wonderful new country into which we are sailing isattractive beyond my power to express. This river, the Oyo of theIndian, La Belle of the romantic La Salle, excites my imagination andrecalls interesting legends and historic facts. How many keels haveplowed these waters--the canoe of the Iroquois, the peroque of Frenchexplorers, the batteau of early English traders, the boats of theSpaniards coming up from the Gulf region. "

"The boat of the Spaniard has not yet abandoned our western waters, Mr. Arlington. "

"No, not yet. Twenty years have not elapsed since the first whitesettlement was made on the soil of Ohio, at Marietta, a town we arenow approaching. "

The smokers lapsed into a silence of many minutes. Burr resumedconversation abruptly:

"Arlington, you are not a Federalist?"

"Could you imagine that a son of my father, Major Arlington, wouldhold the principles of Adams and Jay?"

"You are not, you say, an admirer of Adams, the arch-Federalist. Doyou worship his successor? Are you an unconditional Jeffersonian?"

"No, I am not. It seems to me that Jefferson aids the cause ofcentralization, with the same motive that moved Adams, but with lessboldness. What do you think, Colonel Burr, of the temporizing policyof the administration in regard to Spain?"

"In regard to Spain?" echoed Burr, blowing a ring of smoke from hislips, "what do _you_ think, yourself?"

"I think it infamous! It disgraces this nation to submit to exactionsand insults from the Spaniards. Why don't the Government declare war, and conquer Mexico?"

"Would you be in favor of that?" asked Burr, lightly touching theashes of his cigar with the tip of his little finger--so lightly thatthe ashes did not fall. 

"Would I be in favor of it? I am in favor of it. Are not you, ColonelBurr?"

The politician again barely grazed the cylinder of white ashes withhis little finger. 

"We must not be rash. "

"I feel that I am rash to talk so positively, but how can there be adifference of opinion on a subject like this? Why don't Congressdeclare war?"

"Is it your belief that, if war were declared, there would bedifficulty in raising volunteers in Virginia?"

"Not the least. Thousands would enlist. "

"Would you enlist, Mr. Arlington?"

"Yes, sir, I would. "

Burr's little finger tapped the burnt out inch of his cigar, and thefrail ash fell, crumbling to fine powder, which the breeze bore away. The touch recorded a point won. 

"Suppose that Congress and the President, disregarding the wishes ofthe people, and refusing to declare war, force the country to submittamely to the insults of Spain, do you think it possible thatindependent men might take upon themselves the responsibility as aprivate business enterprise, and march against the Dons in Mexico?"

After a thoughtful pause, the young man replied:

"Yes, some would. Many would. The warfare might not be regular, but, in my view, the object would justify extraordinary means to apatriotic end. What is your own feeling on that phase of the subject, may I ask, colonel?"

"I wish to learn the sense of my fellow-citizens. You may expressyourself to me with perfect freedom. "

"Why not? We are discussing a public question. "

"Certainly. But your idea, that an expedition against Mexico, conducted as a private enterprise, might prove popular and--"

"That is _your idea_, sir, not mine. However, I see no objection toadopting it, providing the Government is in the secret, and tacitlypermits an expedition. "

"Oh, surely! That is understood, " responded Burr, and fell pondering. 

With quick whiffs he revived the dying fire of his cigar, leaned backin his chair, and lost himself in reverie. What were his meditations?Perhaps he mused of the past, the half century of crowded events inwhich he had borne a conspicuous part. Did his memory fly back to thefar off, sad days when, a lonesome orphan boy, in a Puritan school, hepenned sympathetic letters to his sister? Or was recollection busywith the scenes of the Revolutionary War, in which he served hiscountry nobly and won proud laurels? He recalled his part in the marchto Canada and in the assault on Quebec, not forgetting his own heroicexploit of carrying from the fatal field the body of his slaingeneral, Montgomery. He thought of the retreat from Long Island, andof the credit he gained as aide-de-camp to Putnam; he retraced eachstep in his military career, reflecting on his rise from the commandof a regiment to that of a brigade, remembering how his distinction asa brave and able officer reached its culmination in the battle ofMonmouth. Perhaps, through his mind ran the events of his politicalhistory, his transition from the field to the bar, thence to the StateAssembly of New York, to the Senate of the United States, and finallyto the Vice-Presidency. 

These memories and a myriad more came thronging to his quickenedconsciousness as he sat smoking. The retrospective visions rose beforehim, not as vague memories--they seemed living realities as theyreproduced events more recent. At last one vivid picture--nay, was itnot an actual scene?--one set of vital images, usurped his brain andwould not vanish or fade. It showed a grassy ledge guarded by rocksand forest growths, in a secluded spot overlooking the Hudson. Therestands himself confronting his political rival and partisan foe; thefigures speak and move; a ghastly tragedy is imminent. Yes, imagination compels the repetition--the men are placed--Burr takesdeliberate aim, touches the trigger, the fatal bullet piercesHamilton's breast and the slain Federalist falls heavily, his faceupon the sward. But before he falls, his pistol, which he had resolvednot to fire, is accidentally discharged, sending its ball eight feetover the head of his antagonist and cutting off a leafy twig from anoverhanging bough. Burr's attention is strangely affected by the fateof the green branch which he heard the bullet sever, and, as he seesit come wavering to the ground, he cannot resist the fancy that hebeholds an emblem of his own ruin--a symbol of his future self--aliving thing cut off from its nourishing stock as he was destined tobe from a nation's sympathy and support. 

The gloomy retrospect, the dismal forecast, were too painful; by astrong effort of the will, Burr strove to expunge the past andilluminate the future. Rising, he took a brisk turn or two, pacing thedeck. His cigar had gone out; casting it into the river, he lit afresh one, and again sat down. The kindled roll diffused its searchingperfume and wrought a soothing change of mood. By some subtle chain ofnew associations Burr was led to think of the words of Milton's heroin _Paradise Lost_:

 "The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a heaven of hell. "

He puffed at the long cigar, and began to build a future out ofrolling smoke. Toppled fortunes may be rebuilt; lost reputation may beretrieved. There are new worlds to discover, to conquer, and topossess. What may not be achieved by genius and courage? What toundertake, what to dare and do! Shall he span the Ohio with a bridge, and dig a canal around the falls? Would he find success by settling insome rising city of the West, and resuming the practice of law? Ormight he not reasonably hope to be returned to Congress from one ofthe new States? Or to secure from the President an appointment asMinister to a foreign court, perhaps that of St. James? Better thanthese schemes and more independent, to embark in a stupendous landspeculation in Louisiana, and open a splendid way to riches and power. 

The wavering blue nebulæ of intoxicating clouds rise and float, andfashion their fragrant columns into grander castles of smoke. TheMississippi Valley is spacious and fertile, Louisiana is a widedomain, but why limit the scope of enterprise to these? Why notconquer Mexico, make New Orleans the capital of a magnificent empire, and possibly annex the southwestern States of the severed Union. Myself the emperor of the richest realm on the globe, my daughter thecrown princess and prospective queen Theodosia!

Such was the gorgeous dream, the cloud-vision, the unuttered soliloquyof Aaron Burr, the political bankrupt, as he sat smoking on the deckof a flatboat, drifting down the devious current of the Ohio. 

IV. PLUTARCH BYLE MAKES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 

The boat had reached a point a few miles above Marietta, when anincident occurred to interrupt the resumed dialogue on the Spanishquestion. A skiff was seen to push off from the Ohio shore, and moverapidly in the direction of the flatboat, urged on by the long, powerful oar-strokes of a man who, even in distant perspective, appeared larger than life-size. Instead of hailing the crew of thepassing vessel, as was customary, the man gave no sign that he wasconscious of the existence of any other craft than his ownfast-gliding skiff. However, he steered straight for the boat, hovealongside, sprang on board with surprising agility, and, havingfastened his light boat by a chain to a timber of the flat, stalkeddeliberately to the stern where Captain Pierce was stationed withsteering-oar. 

"I saw you coming down and I thought maybe you'd like to buy somefresh fish. I've got a thirty-pound cat in the boat; I caught one lastweek that weighed one hundred and three pound. "

"Don't want any fish. Wouldn't take 'um as a gift. "

"You're welcome not to, captain. I suppose a man has a right to hop onboard and ask a civil question. Whose boat is this, anyhow, and wherebound?"

No attention being paid to the question, the nonchalant intruder wenton: "What plunder are you loaded with? Salt or whiskey, or pork orbutter, I reckon? Or maybe you carry passengers? Is it a family ofemigrants? I see two chaps on the upper deck; who are they? What mightyour name be, captain?"

The helmsman relieved his irritation by delivering a volley of oaths. 

"You 'pear to be out of sorts, captain. Sour stomach, likely. Bettertake a dose of saleratus. "

Hearing a strange voice, the cook, who was the captain's trustedconfidant, came out. He was recognized by the ubiquitous Byle. 

"Abe Sheldrake! as sure as ham is hog's flesh! Abe, if there's anonrier man than you on earth, the bottomless pit is shaller. "

The cook stood speechless, and the tall man sauntered leisurelythrough the several apartments of the boat, calculating theirdimensions and inspecting the furniture, and pausing occasionally tohandle such articles as appealed to his curiosity. He passed throughthe kitchen into the dining-room, and thence through both thesleeping-chambers, finally emerging from a door at the bow of theboat, after which he ascended to the roof, where he accosted Burr andArlington. 

"How d'ye do? My name is Byle; Plutarch Byle--B-y-l-e. I can't callyour names, gents, but no matter. We all belong to the same humanrace. I thought you might be a little bored-like with your owntalk--so long together you know--and I hopped on to cheer you up. George Washington used to say to his nephew, 'Be courteous to all, butintimate with few, ' and George was half right. I admire a mannerlyman. How goes it?"

The familiarity of this overture puzzled, but did not offend thetravellers, who conceived that chance had thrown into their presencean original whose company might afford them an hour's entertainment. Arlington politely offered the visitor a chair. 

"No, thank you, stranger. I've been setting in the skiff all day, fishing, and I'd rather stand up and stretch my bones. "

The gentlemen thought, when they saw Mr. Byle throw back his arms, andgradually straighten up his towering body, that the length andthickness of bone he had to stretch were extraordinary. 

"I've got a lot of mussel shells in my boat for Mr. Blennerhatchet. Would you like to see 'em? '_Union-idea_, ' he says they are. He's aqueer customer, that Blennerhatchet. "

"You know him then?" asked Burr. 

"Know him! I know him like a book. I know him better than I do you. Heis not so good-looking as either of us, by ginger. I can't make outwhy the Rose of Sharon ever took to a near-sighted United Irishman. "

"The Rose of Sharon?"

"I mean his old woman--Mrs. B. She's a perfect lady. Pretty! Prettyas a sassafras tree in October! I didn't just catch your names, gentlemen. I like to call a man by his Christian name. It seems moresociable. That's one thing I like about the French--sociability. Theygo in for liberty, equality and brotherhood. But I don't take anystock in their skeptical notions. I'd as soon eat poke-root and sleepon pizen-vine as read Voltaire and Rousseau. Tom Payne is no better. What's the latest news from Washington? Is Tom Jefferson going to makewar on Spain? It ain't war we want; it ain't more territory we want;we need a closer union, and a strong tariff. "

"You appear to be a politician, Mr. Pyle. "

"Byle--B-y-l-e--Plutarch Byle, if you please. Yes, it's my notionthat every citizen ought to be a politician. I'm a John JayFederalist--a centralizer. Which side are you on?"

"I'm not concerned in politics at present. We are lawyers, notpoliticians, Mr. Arlington and I. "

"Arlington? That's not a bad name. Where do you hail from, Arlington?"

"From Richmond, Virginia, " said the young man good humoredly. "Thisgentleman is a citizen of New York. "

"New York City? Porcupines and wildcats! You don't say! There's whereAlexander Hamilton lived--the greatest man that ever lived in theseUnited States, except Washington. I suppose there was a heap ofexcitement in New York when Alexander Hamilton was killed--murdered, I might say. Did you ever see Alexander Hamilton?"

Burr looked steadily into the eyes of the Great Inquisitive. "Yes, " hereplied, "I was very well acquainted with Mr. Hamilton. He was a fineman. "

"You're right there, stranger! Give us your hand on that! I'm proud toshake with a man who has seen Alexander Hamilton. "

The enthusiastic Byle extended his prodigious palm and grasped thedelicate hand politely proffered him. Arlington looked on inastonishment. 

Burr, wincing at the vice-like grip of his new acquaintance, placidlyresponded: "Yes, there are few men more worthy of esteem than was myadmirable friend Mr. Hamilton--whom I shot. "

Byle was struck dumb. He could only open his cavernous mouth, andgasp. His heavy hand relaxed its hold, and dropped as if paralyzed. For a moment he stared at Arlington. Then he recovered his powerssufficiently to articulate. 

"You shot him? You--you aren't--?"

"Yes, I am Aaron Burr. "

Plutarch Byle turned on his heel and with three strides carried hisleaning tower of a body to the edge of the deck. Scramblingprecipitately down the boat's side, he stumbled into his skiff, undidthe chain, grabbed his oars and fairly shot away, as if pursued byflying pestilence. He directed his course northward and quickly ranthe bow of his skiff against the river bank. Then plunging his righthand into the water, he rubbed and scrubbed it vigorously, using sandfor soap. 

"Dog-fennel and skunk-cabbage! I don't believe there's water enough inthe Ohio River to take out the wicked smell of that murderer's hand!"

V. IN THE LADIES' BOWER. 

The Byle episode put Burr in a merry mood, quite diverting histhoughts from Mexico and the future to the happenings of the hour. Areckless spirit of frivolity took possession of him, and he astonishedhis fellow traveller by the ebullience of his humor and the play ofhis extravagant fancy. He mimicked the speech and grotesque gesturesof Plutarch, and laughed over the ludicrous _finale_ of the encounterwith that free-spoken genius. 

"Mr. B-y-l-e, Byle, is exquisite! It is worth coming a thousand milesby stage coach and flatboat, to meet so droll an adventure with such anondescript amphibian. He has a prodigious gift of gab, plain andornamental. Did you take note of his metaphors? 'Rose of Sharon' isgood. --By the way, we can't be far from the Bower of Bliss. We musttie up our Argo there as Brackenridge recommended, and go in quest ofthose exotic and visionary Blennerhassetts. "

"What do you know of them, colonel, further than we learned inPittsburg?"

"But little. They stopped in New York for a few months, after arrivingin this country, ten or twelve years ago. The man is a barrister, educated in Dublin. He claims to be a descendant of King John. Thelady is a daughter of the governor of the Isle of Wight, and agranddaughter of the late Brigadier-General Agnew, who was killed inthe battle of Germantown. "

"A British general, you say?"

"Oh, certainly--a violent royalist. "

While the gentlemen were thus chatting, the boat drifted lazily on, following the windings of the current. The broad Ohio glowed likeliquid gold, in the slant sunshine of mid-afternoon, and the interplayof shade and color, shifting from object to object along the shores, gave the varied scenery an ethereal beauty almost supernatural. Thedistant, forest-crowned uplands, seen dimly in the direction towardwhich the ark floated, looked as unsubstantial as clouds. Adelightful, spicy fragrance exhaled from the blossomy thickets whichfringed the river margin. 

Burr took a deep breath, and began to hum a half-remembered verseadvising youth to "gather the rose whiles yet is prime. "

"Yonder is Bacchus Island, " said Arlington, pointing down stream. 

"I suppose you are right. The _Western Navigator_ locates the spotsomewhere about here. But beware of illusions, my friend. I begin todoubt the testimony of my senses. Perhaps yonder prospect is a mirage, and Byle was only a goblin of the mind. This interminable river isenchanted. I sympathize with La Salle's conviction that the Ohio runsto Cathay. Maybe we have sailed round the globe and are now in sightof the Indies. Or we have come to Arabia. Does not the vision resemblesome Mohammedan Isle of the Blest--one of the happy seats reservedfor blameless souls such as yours and mine? I shall expect to discoverthe rivers of clarified honey, the couches adorned with gold, and thedamsels having complexions like rubies and pearls, as the Koranpromises. "

Arlington laughingly replied in the same extravagant vein. 

"Colonel, you have eaten of the insane root. This island belongs tothe Hesperides, not to the East. The best luck we can hope for is tosteal one or two golden apples. "

"That may prove a risky adventure even for a bold Virginian. If thereis a dragon to slay I leave the bloody business to you. I stick to myOriental paradise. "

"Very well; golden apples for me and pearl-ruby damsels for you. But Iam scandalized that a Puritan Senator permits himself to dream ofMohammed's heaven, and its honey and houri felicities. "

"Mr. Arlington, you are the first and only anchorite that Virginia hasproduced. You will grant that it is in character for a Senator to payhis _devoirs_ to a sultana. Something too much of this. See there overthe willows; that must be the house. "

They both gazed forward, and caught glimpses of the secluded mansion, gleaming, snow-white, through forest vistas. Burke Pierce, who knewthe private wharf, steered to the landing, and the boat was mooredfast to a huge sycamore tree. 

The travellers disembarked, and following a path which wound amongmazes of shrubbery and early blooming flowers, came to thesemicircular plot of green sward fronting the piazza. 

"The place _is_ marvellously beautiful!" remarked Arlington. 

"A new Garden of Eden!" answered the other. 

On approaching the main entrance, they heard, within, the twanglingmusic of a harp. 

The hall door was decorated with a large, bronze knocker of curiousdesign. A tap of the falling hammer on its metallic plate, brought tothe threshold a jet-black maid-servant wearing a gaudy turban. Sheushered the visitors into a spacious drawing-room and took their cardsand a note from Judge Brackenridge, to her mistress. 

The guests while waiting could not fail to be impressed by what theysaw around them. Walls, ceilings and doors were unique in theirdecorative effects. The furnishings of the apartment were elegant andsumptuous. There were rich hangings at the windows and costly Persianrugs on the floor. 

Soon was heard a swish and rustle of brocade on the stairs, and, amoment later, the gentlemen rose to meet Madam Blennerhassett, whocame in, smiling a cordial welcome. She was dignified, even stately, in her demeanor, and looked, not indeed the ideal sultana, but ratherevery inch an empress. 

Burr was at once upon his mettle. No levity, nothing of the jester, notrace of ennui lingered in his manner. The presence of the magnificentwoman transfigured his body and called up all his social resources. His eye kindled its sparkling fires, his lip took a deeper glow ofvital red. These manifestations were spontaneous, almost involuntary, though he was conscious of an obscure design. 

"Gentlemen, it hardly needed this note from Judge Brackenridge toinsure you a welcome here; you do us a great honor by seeking out ourlonely island home. " These words, though addressed to both thevisitors, were meant for the elder and more distinguished guest, whoreplied suavely:

"Madam, we made bold to invade the privacy of these grounds in thehope of forming the acquaintance of a family well known byreputation. "

Returning a formal bow and a look of appreciation, the lady continued:

"I regret that you do not find my husband at home; his affairs calledhim to Farmers' Castle, just across the river, but I am expecting himto return at any minute. You must not go without seeing him. Ofcourse, you will take dinner with us. "

The wayfarers, having come ashore for idle adventure and recreation, were easily persuaded to linger. Burr tactfully advanced to theborders of familiarity by giving Madam Blennerhassett an embellishedreport of the encomiums which Brackenridge had bestowed upon her andher ancestors. He was lauding the name of Agnew, when a sound from thevestibule suspended his eloquence, and quickly thereafter the figureof a graceful girl appeared in the entrance to the drawing-room. Themaiden paused a moment, a glowing picture in the deep doorway. She wasa peerless blonde, blue of eye, scarlet of lip--and her fair head andface were so aureoled by locks of sunniest yellow, that she seemed toradiate light and warmth. Her exceeding loveliness smote throughArlington's nerves and set his southern blood tingling. 

"Ah, Evaleen, did you enjoy your ramble?" asked the hostess, affectionately, as she rose to receive the young lady. "Colonel Burr, this is my very dear friend, Miss Evaleen Hale. "

The American Chesterfield made a courtierly obeisance. 

"Permit me to introduce Mr. Arlington, of Richmond. "

"Miss Hale, gentlemen, like myself is a sojourner in a far country. She comes to us from Boston. "

Having complied gracefully with the demands of convention, the maiden, in wilful abstraction, busied herself with some wild flowers which shehad just gathered in the woods. 

"Where did you leave the boys?" inquired madam, referring to the ladsDominick and Harman. 

"They are out of doors, making a cage for a young squirrel which I hadthe luck to catch. But the lively creature bit me; see here, Margaret!"

Evaleen held up a dainty hand, on the whiteness of which the teeth ofthe captive had left a small purple wound. In her playfulcarelessness, she let fall a sprig of wind-flowers and two or threeviolets. Arlington gallantly picked up the flowers. 

"What peculiar violets, " said he, as he offered to return them. 

"Yes, they are of a variety found only on this island, I am told. Youmay keep them if you like. "

"I presume, Mr. Arlington, " said Burr, "that you understand thelanguage of flowers. When I was of the sentimental age I knew thefloral alphabet and could convey all manner of covert messages throughthe agency of pinks and pansies and rosebuds and all the sweetgo-betweens of Cupid's court. The blue violet, I believe, signifiesmodesty, does it not?"

The question was accompanied by a look at Miss Hale, who made noreply, not appearing to notice the appeal. 

"Our native Western plants, " said the hostess, "have no poeticalassociation. The Indians were devoid of sentiment. It is only inPersia and such romantic lands that they make roses and lilies talk. But this island is rich in its flora. Before you resume your voyageyou should take time to visit a beautiful spot which Miss Evaleencalls her Violet Bank. It is on a bluff overlooking the river, only ashort walk from here. "

At Burr's request, Mrs. Blennerhassett was induced to talk of herisland home and of her husband's pursuits. It gave her evident reliefof mind to narrate the story of her life's trials and vicissitudessince her marriage. She spoke with less reserve than was wise, andnotwithstanding the reverence with which she alluded to him, theconsort she unconsciously described seemed at best the prince ofUtopians. That he was wealthy and lavish could not be doubted. Thewife's unguarded revelations gave Burr food for speculation. Manypertinent questions by him elicited answers which he locked away inthe safe of memory. 

The minutes flew rapidly--an hour went by, yet the master of thehouse came not, and at length Madam Blennerhassett renewed hersuggestion that an excursion to the edge of the island might provepleasant. 

"We shall see him return from the Ohio shore; at least, I hope so. "

She reminded her guests that she was an Englishwoman, accustomed tolong walks, and, with the buoyant energy of an Artemis, led the way tothe near green wood. 

"I will pilot ahead with Colonel Burr, and you, Mr. Arlington, shallbe taken care of by Miss Hale, who is as familiar as a dryad withthese glades. How romantic! Virginia and New England wander togetheron a solitary island in the Ohio. "

The elevated level of ground upon which the party halted lay open tothe sunshine, and it was completely covered by a thick bed of wildpansies. 

The view from this fragrant knoll surpassed expectation. While theadmiring spectators were gazing across the river, now on the villageof Belpre, now on the farther off rude fortress aptly named Farmers'Castle, there came floating by a long, slender craft, rigged somewhatlike a schooner, and displaying from its mast the flag of the UnitedStates. The music of a violin, faintly heard, was wafted across thewater from the deck, upon which could be seen a bevy of ladies, a fewdancing, others waving handkerchiefs to those watching from theisland. By means of a field-glass which Mrs. Blennerhassett handedhim, Burr could bring out plainly the forms and faces of thepassengers. His attention was immediately fixed upon one strikingfigure--that of a woman in black, who stood apart from herfellow-voyagers in a pensive attitude, gazing into the sky. A cheerarose from the boat's crew, and the report of a small cannon boomedand echoed along the woody shores; yet Burr still held the magnifyinglens before his eye, and a certain agitation was observable in hisbehavior. 

"That, " said he, handing back the glass, "is General Wilkinson'sbarge. He is bound for St. Louis, to take possession of his domain asgovernor of Upper Louisiana and commander-in-chief of the Army of theWest. "

For a time the four stood gazing in silence at the receding craft. Then Madam Blennerhassett, speaking aside to Miss Hale, asked:

"How long does the captain intend to remain with you in Marietta? Iunderstand he has orders to proceed to the general's headquarters forduty. "

The answer was spoken softly and with a rising blush, noticing which, Arlington was disquieted by a feeling much akin to jealousy. 

"We do hope he may stay with us at least another fortnight. "

"In that case we will expect him to spend a few days here. I wonderwhat detains Harman? He may have crossed over while we came throughthe grove. Perhaps we shall find him at home waiting for us. "

With sauntering steps the four returned through the twilight of thewoods, breathing the scent of new leaves and now and then stopping topick a stem of sweet dicentra or a white addertongue. Soon after theyreached the house dinner was served in a style distinctively English. During this meal, and afterward, when the cheerful party repaired tothe drawing-room, Burr, as was expected of him, assumed the leadershipin conversation. 

The affluence and the brilliancy of his discourse seemed appropriateto the splendor of the surroundings. He did not monopolize the talk, and never failed to return an appreciative response to any remark orquestion. To the ladies he gave the most deferential attention. Arlington, a peer in the social realm, felt piqued to admit himselfoutrivalled by an undersized widower who was a grandfather. 

The conversation, in which Miss Hale now more freely participated, flowed afresh in livelier and more sparkling stream--ripples of witand humor--foam-bells of nonsense. The Geneva clock in the roomacross the hall struck nine--struck ten--but its musical warning wasnot heard. Nor yet did the lord of the mansion make his appearance. Madam Blennerhassett concealed the secret uneasiness she felt, and didall she could to contribute to the pleasure of the occasion by everydelicate art of hospitality. She sang a Scottish song, she spokepiquantly of the amusing phases of life in a new country, and of herhusband's need of congenial literary associates. 

"He is compelled more and more to depend upon his books. Would youlike, colonel, to look into the library for a moment?" Burr promptlyrose and followed his queenly hostess into the adjoining apartment. 

The couple left together in the drawing-room verified the homelyadage, "Two is company. " Arlington might have said, "My blood speaksto you in my veins, " but he could not consistently quote Bassanio'sother words, "Madam, you have bereft me of all speech. " From thepresence of Evaleen he received access of eloquence; the two wereconscious of a silent interchange of sentiments more meaningful thanany spoken word. While Evaleen sat listening with responsive interestto some frank personal disclosures of the young man's hopes andambitions, her attention was diverted by a slight sound on the porch. She glanced up, and saw, or thought she saw, an ugly face staring ather through a window-pane. Her sudden pallor and dilated eye wereobserved by Arlington, who asked in a tone of gentle solicitude:

"What is it?"

"I saw a face at the window--a man staring in. "

Arlington immediately left the room and, softly opening the door, stepped out upon the piazza and looked searchingly in every direction. Not a sign could be discovered of the prowling eavesdropper whoseshadowy features had frightened Miss Hale. 

"I may have been mistaken, " she said, when Arlington came back, "but Iam almost certain that I saw a hideous face at the window. "

The effect of the incident was to give the conversation of the two asomewhat more intimate character, and the gentleman's manner assumedan air of protective regard which the New England beauty did notrepulse. Her resiliant spirit soon regained its wonted gaiety. 

Meanwhile, what had Aaron Burr found to interest him so long in the_sanctum sanctorum_ of the lord of the island?

Blennerhassett's study was both library and laboratory, containingphilosophical apparatus, musical instruments and books. The shelveswere piled with scientific works and standard editions of the ancientclassics. On the wall hung a large oil portrait of a man with anamiable, meditative face, not wanting in agreeable features, yet notindicative of force. Burr scanned the indecisive mouth, the handsome, trustful eyes, the low forehead, at the middle of which was parted theslightly curling mass of brown hair. While her visitor was studyingthe picture, the lady stood at his side, perusing him. 

"Well, what is your verdict?"

"A noble face! A noble face!" he repeated, turning to her with anexpression subtly suggestive that his interest was passing from theflat, dead canvas of the absent husband to the breathing, beautifulwoman he was addressing. "A noble face; but one fact puzzles me. Madam, pardon my candor. I cannot understand how your husband contentshimself to spend an obscure life in this out-of-the-way spot, when hiseducation, talents and fortune qualify him for a career so much moreambitious and useful. I am at equal loss to conceive how a lady ofyour distinguished birth, breeding and accomplishments could consentto exchange the splendid opportunities of social life in lofty placesfor the domestic quietude of a rural home, however luxurious. Thingscannot make us happy, human associations only can do that. Is itpossible that you are satisfied with your present limited sphere?"

"No, " she replied, speaking low, "nor is he. " She glanced at theportrait. "We have had quite enough of this self-banishment. We growdiscontented and would gladly dispose of the estate. "

"Madam, you are not unacquainted with the world. You derive your bloodfrom a noble source. The granddaughter of General Agnew inherits alladvantages that women covet--rank, wealth, culture, beauty--and youhave a husband who appreciates you. " When in the enumeration of herendowments Burr pronounced the word beauty, the lady's eyelids droopedand a perceptible constraint came over both the woman and the man--henot feeling sure he had chosen a safe approach to her favor--she indoubt whether to invite or to repulse further personal compliment. Itentered his consciousness that she might become part of his politicalplan--might somehow abet his magnificent purposes. In the pause whichsucceeded his appeal to her self-love and ambition she once morescanned the mild, meditative countenance beaming from the picturedcanvas. 

A mesmeric influence drew her eyes from the portrait to encounterthose of Aaron Burr, regarding her with a gentle look of wistfulmelancholy. The color deepened in her cheeks, and her bosom laboredwith an inaudible sigh. 

"Ah, madam, you should give your husband back to the world of greatactions suited to one in whose veins runs the blood of a king. How Iwish he were here that I might tell him so in your presence. Give himmy profound regrets. We have tarried too long. "

Madam Blennerhassett never forgot this _tête-à-tête_ with Burr; butan inexplicable qualm kept her from mentioning it to her belated lordon his return from Farmers' Castle. It was nearly midnight when thetwo visitors reluctantly took leave of the ladies and stepped out intothe diffused light of the May moon. 

"Pretty late, " called out Burke Pierce familiarly from the stern ofthe boat where he stood, ready to resume his piloting. 

No tattling breeze carried to the ears of the ladies the commentsspoken by Burr as he stood in the moonlight on the roof of the vessel, beside Arlington. 

"Exceedingly fine women, are they not?"

The Virginian made no reply. He was pinning to the lapel of his coat atiny bunch of violets, and his face was turned from hisfellow-voyager. 

"Both are ladies of decided individuality. They are amazinglybeautiful, too, and possess unusual force of character, especially thecaptain's lady. "

"Damn the captain. "

"So say I. You stole a march on him in the Hesperian Garden, and weboth escaped the jaws of the absent Dragon. "

Soon after their guests left the house Madam Blennerhassett andEvaleen Hale, standing by an open window in a chamber upstairs, lookedout toward the wharf. They heard the voices of the watermen and thenoise made in shoving out from the gravel beach. Then came silence, and they knew the ark was adrift, bearing away two passengers whomthey could not easily forget, but expected never to meet again. 

"How delightful he is!" mused the madam, speaking more to herself thanto her friend. 

"Do you think so?" returned Evaleen abstractedly. 

"Perfectly captivating! A brilliant mind! I am charmed with him, arenot you?"

"He is pleasant enough, but too bold, too audacious, isn't he?"

"Not, I think, Evaleen, for a person of his age. We expect morefreedom in elderly men. "

"Elderly! Why, he can't be more than twenty-five!

"Twenty-five! My dear child, he has a married daughter!"

"Oh, you are speaking of Colonel Burr! I _hate_ him. "

VI. DOCTOR DEVILLE AND HIS LUCRECE. 

"Behold this Ohio city of the Gauls. Volney's ruins of moderndate--new oldness--fresh decay--dilapidation to begin with! I amproud of this consummation of American enterprise!"

This irony was uttered by Burr to Arlington as the two men stoodtaking a first look at Gallipolis, a poor village, consisting of adozen miserable log houses patched with clay and occupied by a scoreof wretched French families. The travellers had walked up a steep bankto the natural terrace on which the forlorn dwellings stood. 

"Shall we go back to our boat? Have you seen enough of Palmyra? Hereare the palaces, but where are the citizens? _Ecce Homo!_ Oneinhabitant turns out to receive us. "

The person to whom Arlington's attention was thus called was a small, nervous gentleman, about sixty years old, who came forth from awhitewashed cot, and, taking off a scarlet cap, saluted the strangers, whom he had eagerly watched from the moment of their landing. 

"Pardon, messieurs. Permit that I speak. May it be convenient shouldone passenger more be accommodated in your polite boat? I much wish togo to Cincinnati, for one of my business very special. I have courageto ask ze bold favor by my necessity professional to come to _monfrère_. "

"Ours is a private boat. Do you say it is to meet a brother that youwish to go to Cincinnati?"

The old man's countenance fell. "Monsieur, accept my apology. Permitme to speak my explanation. _Pardieu_, I deceive not. When I speak Ishall not indicate ze son of my mother, but I shall indicate zebrother in medicine, Monsieur Goforth, ze physician _celèbre_. Pardon. Pardon that I detain you so long. "

Disappointed, the old man turned toward his modest domicile, at thedoor of which stood a petite maiden awaiting the issue of theinterview. Immediately descrying the damsel, Burr remarked aside toArlington:

"Another alluring petticoat. Tree nymphs or naiads haunt every islandand green bank. "

"Père, " asked the girl anxiously, in a gentle voice, so clear thatevery word she spoke reached the ear of Burr, "may you go with them?"

The father shook his head. 

"_Non, chérie_. "

He went up to his daughter, who impulsively kissed him, as if tosolace his disappointment. He seemed about to enter the cottage, when, like one suddenly recollecting a neglected duty, he wheeled round andagain approached the strangers. 

"Do me ze honor, messieurs, before you depart to enter in my poordwelling and drink with me one glass of wine. "

An invitation so naïvely extended could not be declined. Burr felt akindly impulse toward the cordial sire and was not averse to wasting afew stray glances on mademoiselle. 

"It will give us great pleasure to accept your hospitality and also tohave your company as our guest on the boat. There is room, and youshall be accommodated. "

The doctor's spirits rose. His face shone with gratification. 

"Your courtesy lift my heart. I shall never forsake to do you zefriendly service. Is it convenient now that we present us. I am yourservant, Eloy Deville. "

Having imparted his own name, the flighty Frenchman waited not for thecompletion of the ceremony he had proposed, but, taking on trust therespectability of the strangers, he hastily led the way to hiscottage. Burr noticed that he was attired in a tight-fitting suit ofbrown cloth, clean and well pressed but threadbare and redeemed fromshabbiness only by the stitch in time. The feminine apparitionvanished from the threshold as the travellers approached, but thefather, ushering them in, placed chairs beside a small table, andcalled out cheerily: "_Lucrèce, ma chère enfant une bouteille devin_. " The girl promptly obeyed by carrying in a salver on which werea flask and three tiny wine-glasses. She glided to the table uponwhich she set her light burden, keeping her head demurely bowed andher eyes cast down bashfully. 

"Messieurs, permit that I you present my daughter, my _aidechirurgeon_. " Thus introduced, Lucrèce, raising her head, bestowed amodest smile of welcome on her father's guests and divided betweenthem a coy courtesy. 

She could not elude the pardonable glances cast upon her by thestrangers--glances which left in their memories the form and face ofa dainty brunette with large and very brilliant black eyes. Her waistwas slender, her hands and feet were nimble and delicate, and herdress fitted her so neatly that she looked the personation oftrimness. 

"This wine is not original of Ohio. No, no. Ze cask was from Bordeaux, very old, very old--he has fourteen years. Presented to me by mycountryman, Comte Malartie. I speak ze truth. From this very cask Ihave ze honor to drink also ze health of ze General St. Clair, and atone time of Daniel Boone. _Eh bien!_ Long have I suffer in thiswilderness; it is fifteen years that Eloy Deville was ze fool to leaveFrance, to leave my native Lyons, and seek ze Terre promise--to findze tree of natural sugar, ze plants also with wax candles for zefruit, ze no work, no tax, no war, no king--ze paradise on ze ground!_Oui_, sold I not all my property--take ze ship, take ze wagon, zeflatboat--_en route pour Gallipolis!_ Ah! _mon dieu!_ ze damn feverkill _ma femme_; you see ze old Frenchman in ze poverty; _voilà sarichesse! une cabane, un verre de vin--et ma bien aimée--mapauvre fille--ma Lucrèce!_"

To justify his grievance, the excited man sprang up and ran to adrawer, from which he took an old French map of the Seven Ranges ofthe Ohio, representing as cleared and inhabited lands large tracts ofunbroken wilderness. This chart had been used by speculators to induceFrench families to migrate to the Ohio Valley. 

"See!" continued Deville explosively; "ze scoundrel Barlow cheat myhonest poor friends--he print here no veracity--he draw here only todeceive! Look on this place I put my finger"--he tapped the paperangrily--"you see ze Premiereville--ze Premiereville? Eh? I come toPremiereville--no street--no house, only ze forest tree! Messieurs, my little axe make ze first log in ze city, in Premiereville, where wedrink now this wine. "

The doctor's preparations for the trip down the river were quicklymade. Half the population of the village, led by Lucrèce, flocked tothe boat-landing to see him safely off. After the passengers had goneon board, and while the damsel stood waiting their departure, BurkePierce, leering in her direction, threw her a kiss and as the boat waspushed off began to sing a ribald song. Deville did not witness theinsult, but Arlington, with quick anger kindling his chivalrous blood, strode up to Pierce. 

"You ought to be flogged, you filthy cur. "

The boatman scowled and clenched his fists, but did not attempt tostrike the imperious Southerner. 

"Cur? I'll remember that!" he muttered, and swaggered away. "I'm adog, a filthy cur! But I'll have my day!" he growled to Sheldrake. 

The loquacity of the French doctor seemed accelerated by the motion ofthe boat and the breezy freedom of its deck. Unlike most of his Gallicbrethren who left their native land to come to America in 1790, he wasin sympathy with the Revolution, and had rejoiced at the falling ofthe Bastile. By chance a copy of the Marseillaise Hymn had reachedhim, and snatches of this he would sing, keeping time to the musicwith his own springing steps as he marched up and down. The cry of"_Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité_, " often broke from his lips. WhenBurr opened to him part of the plausible scheme against Mexico heeagerly volunteered to join any expedition gotten up in the name offreedom. He proffered his services as surgeon, and asked with amusingsimplicity what would be the emoluments. 

"_Sacré!_" exclaimed he. "_Il faut vivre!_ Let us destroy zeSpaniard. _Vive l'amérique! Vive le Général Bur-r-r! Vive EloyDeville!_"

The tedious passage from Gallipolis to Cincinnati required almost aweek's time. On the last day of the voyage, soon after breakfast, while Burr and Deville were enjoying the morning sunshine anddiscussing the French Revolution, Arlington heard a knock on the doorof his room, in which he sat writing a letter. 

"Come in, " he shouted, hurrying to pen down the sentence that was inhis mind. The door opened, and Burke Pierce thrust his head andshoulders into the room. Arlington glanced up from his writing and sawa flushed face and a pair of bloodshot eyes. 

"You know what you called me up at Gallipolis?"

"Yes--dog. "

"I'm a dog, eh? a filthy cur?"

The Virginian made an impatient gesture and dipped his quill into theink. The drunken boatman after a moment's pause said:

"I want you out here in the kitchen. "

Arlington paid no attention to the insolent speech, but went on withhis letter writing. 

Pierce, without closing the door, stepped back into the narrowquarters in which Sheldrake did the cooking, and a minute laterreappeared with two long butcher knives, which he flung down on thetable, in front of Arlington. 

"Take your choice. "

Arlington picked up both the ugly weapons, one in each hand, andstepping to a window, tossed them out into the river. The contemptuousact raised the fury of the captain to the point of frenzy; he seized astick of firewood and rushed forward. Arlington parried the stroke, closed in, and grappled his assailant. The noise of the scufflebrought to the place Sheldrake and others of the crew. Summoning allhis strength, Arlington hurled Pierce backward over a chair with suchviolence that the ruffian, falling on his head, was renderedsenseless. The Southerner stood on the defensive, expecting to beattacked by the others, as he would have been, had not Burr strodeinto the room, followed by the French doctor. The colonel's suddenappearance on the scene prevented further turbulent demonstrations. The three passengers repaired to the deck, leaving the drunken captainto be revived by his faithful henchman, Sheldrake. 

Arlington in few words told how he had been challenged, not statingany cause for Burke Pierce's animosity. 

"Wanted to butcher you without provocation! Has the fellow gone mad?"

"Mad from drink. "

"This fellow's bellicose propensity, " said Burr, "must be punished. Ishall have him arrested by the first magistrate I can find. "

"Not on my account, colonel. He'll sober off. Your unctuous agent inPittsburg allowed that when cap is drunk he's vicious. "

"_Sacré!_" burst in the doctor, "not always a gentleman shall be ableto observe formality in a quarrel with ze savage. I who tell it youwas one time attack on this very river by three red devil in ze canoe. See here, ze scar on my head! Ze wild gentlemen make no ceremony--heyell, and he shall right away take ze scalp with his knife. _Pardieu!_By good chance I shoot ze one impolite Iroquoix--and ze two, hissecond, paddle away!"

"We must beat our swords and pistols into scalping-knives andbludgeons, " remarked Burr, banteringly. "The code of honor is notobserved by Indians or Western boatmen. Mr. Arlington, you may becompelled to adapt yourself to the customs of the country. "

VII. CONSPIRACY. 

Near Yeatman's Cove, at the foot of Sycamore Street, Cincinnati, stooda commodious tavern, built with some reference to architecturaleffect. Being directed to this resort, the party from the boat climbedthe slope of the levee, ascended a flight of wooden steps, and enteredthe vestibule of the inn, a long, narrow corridor which the landlordconsidered very imposing. The first objects to attract attention inthis public haunt were life-size wax-figures of two men fighting aduel. One of the figures represented Burr with an aimed pistol inhand, the other Hamilton staggering forward mortally wounded. ToArlington Burr remarked as they passed by the waxen show:

"The artist makes me a beauty, don't he? What boots! What eyes!"

Seldom had genial Grif Yeatman welcomed guests more desirable and lesslike one another than were the strongly individualized men who camefrom the flatboat to his tavern to take temporary lodging beforehunting up the several citizens they wished to meet. 

Burr's arrival in the embryo Queen City of the West was noised fromhouse to house, and within an hour many citizens had called to shakehands. The suave New York politician had partisan adherents andpersonal friends in the Buckeye State. Among these was John Smith, whose acquaintance he had made in Washington--the Hon. John Smith, one of the first two senators representing Ohio in Congress. 

Burr procured a fine saddle-horse, and after bidding good-by toArlington set out to visit the Senator who lived some twelve milesfrom town. The solitary horseman was not sorry to leave behind him theraw metropolis, the dirty streets of which were lined with log cabinsand dingy white frame houses. Beyond Deer Creek the horseman spurredeastward along a black loamy wagon road, trotting through groves andhalf-cleared fields until he passed a small hamlet bearing the greatname Columbia. Beyond this cluster of habitations lay Turkey Bottom, so named on account of the wild flocks which made it their resort. Burr selected the most distinctly marked of the several discernibletrails and traces in the mazy wilderness before him. Uncertain wheeltracks indicated that the backwoods farmers, whose cabins were neverless than a mile apart, took various routes, according to their fancyor the exigencies of the season. At one place a tree, recently blowndown, lay across the bridle-path, and, while guiding his horse aroundthis obstacle the rider saw a brown bear lurch off, swaying its headin sulky humor. 

The grandeur of the primeval solitude impressed Burr more profoundlythan he had imagined possible. The solemn majesty of the brotherhoodof lofty trees around and above him inspired awe. A sense ofbewilderment stole upon him. "Am I lost in the woods?" he wondered, looking around for signs of human life. So strange did everythingappear that he was in doubt whether the log house not a hundred feetahead of him was an actual structure. The house was real, and in thedooryard he saw a human being busy about some task. He rode up andasked the way to Senator Smith's. 

"Smith? You mean Elder Smith?" gossipped a woman, pausing from hersoap-making, near an ash-hopper. "Some do call him Senator, and somecall him Preacher, but most call him Elder Smith or else plain John. "

"Does he preach?"

"Yes; some Sundays; generally he only exhorts. Turn to your rightafter passing that wild-cherry, and you will see the Miami; followalong up stream, and you can't miss sight of the mill and thestill-house. They belong to him, and so does the big store atColumbia. John Smith is the richest man in these parts, but he isn'tproud and stuck up. When you come to the mill they'll show the way tothe house. A mighty fine house it is. "

Burr thanked the woman and spurred on. "Smith is worth the trouble ofcoming out for to see. No broken reed, but a pillar of state andchurch is this same senator, elder, farmer, merchant, miller anddistiller. " Thus meditating, the fisher of men followed the road bythe cherry tree and along the river, and soon reached Smith's lonelydwelling, a new farmhouse, constructed of hewn logs and having a hugestone chimney. Dismounting, Burr stepped upon the porch and knocked atthe door. The summons was answered by Mrs. Smith, who, though asenator's wife, was country bred and untaught in artificial usages. She received the urbane stranger with a timidity amounting almost totrepidation. 

Her husband had gone to the woods to cut a wagon pole, and pending hisreturn Burr waited in the front room of the log mansion, and made aheroic effort to melt the ice of reserve which seemed to congeal Mrs. Smith's flow of speech. Seldom had he failed in the winning art ofconversation, especially with women. Ladies were his favorite pursuit, if not his prey. But Elder Smith's wife proved unapproachable bylanguage of tongue or eye. Talking to her was like talking to a layfigure with vocal and locomotive organs. 

Luckily or otherwise, an unexpected diversion was in store forBurr--a rôle which he did not anticipate devolved upon him, andrequired him to play his part in a dramatic scene with a charactermuch more sympathetical than Mrs. Smith. From the moment he crossedthe threshold to enter the plain parlor he had been conscious of afugitive fragrance, scarcely perceptible, which he recognized as thescent of Parisian musk, a perfume much in favor with the exquisitebeaux and belles of that day. The telltale odor was reminiscent ofpast gallantries, and it served in a subtle way to herald the comingof a person whose appearance suggested knowledge of the gay world. Notuncurious to steal a glance at the strange visitor, a woman, tastefullyarrayed in sable robes, entered unannounced from a cozy side-room. Anunbidden blush betokened her surprise and emotion. Burr blenchedslightly, but neither the red signal nor its effect was observed byMrs. Smith, who, glad to shift the task of entertaining Colonel Burr, introduced him to Mrs. Rosemary. 

"You will please excuse me; I'll send a boy to the woods for Mr. Smith. Make yourselves at home; we housekeepers in the country have agood many chores. "

Like the practical Martha that she was, Dame Smith, cumbered with muchprospective serving, hastened to the dining-room to set the table. Onher exit from the parlor she closed the door behind her, not havingthe slightest suspicion that chance had made her house a place ofclandestine meeting. 

"Salome! Can it be you?"

"It can, if we are not both in a delirium. I did not expect ever tosee _you_ again. Who could induce Aaron Burr to come to Ohio?"

"Perhaps an irresistible attraction--some spell of bewitchment. Youmust inform me. What brings you to this wandering wood like a lostUna?"

"Business. I came a passenger on General Wilkinson's barge. We had adelightful voyage, a May festival, gaiety, music, dancing. "

"Do you recollect passing Bacchus Island?"

"Yes. Why do you ask? We floated by the interesting place one heavenlyafternoon. We saw four persons looking at us from a high bank--twocouples that seemed strolling lovers. I wondered if either of thewomen could be the beautiful Madam Blennerhassett. We were dancing onthe deck--that is, the other ladies were; I do not now dance. "

"I grieve to see that you do not, Mrs. Rosemary. I did not even knowthat you had become his wife; these mournful robes tell me you are awidow. "

"You did not know? Do you care? You grieve to see me a widow? Ah, me!Men are consistent. Let me explain the cause of my coming West. I ownever so much land near Cincinnati and a whole block of town lots, bequeathed to me by my late husband. George was kinder to me than Ideserved. When I read his will I cried. I went to my lawyer inPhiladelphia and asked what I should do to realize most on this Ohioproperty. He advised me to come here, and have the title examined, andlearn the real value of the land, and he gave me a letter to SenatorSmith, who, he said, was a good man, one who knows about law and deedsand everything. So I am here. These pokey people are very obliging;they insisted I should lodge with them until my affairs were settled. Now you have my story--tell me yours. As for my bereavement--myheart history--why speak of that?" A film of tears dimmed her eyes asBurr made answer in soothing words. 

"I am to blame. Let us not pain ourselves by talking or thinking ofdeath or mourning. I dreamt lately of you as you now appear. Howbeautiful and brilliant you look in black, Salome. Pardon me, Madam--, I knew you by that name in the past, and you must not beoffended if I recall. "

"Ah! do not recall. I am willing for you to let bygones bebygones--if--you--desire. Do you like this black gown better thanthe blue brocaded one I wore that evening at Princeton?"

"How can I decide? You always dress in perfect taste. Whatever youwear is pretty, and you, I am sure, are lovelier than ever. "

Smilingly the young widow sighed, then in a listening attitude, withfinger on lip, whispered, "Sh! Our hostess!" and changing her voicecontinued in a tone of conventional languor: "Yes, the weather is veryfine. We were remarking, Mrs. Smith, how sweet and pure theatmosphere. "

"Well, yes; the air seems fresh and healthy, but we have a touch ofmalaria now and then in this Miami Valley. "

Hon. John Smith, having chopped down a hickory sapling to make acoupling pole, put his axe-craft to further use by cutting off aforked bough, crooked by Nature, in the exact shape for a pack-saddle. Satisfied with these forest spoils, the rustic statesman returned tohis house, where Burr met him with a cordial grasp and a ready tributeof adulation. 

"My dear Senator, this is like greeting Cincinnatus on the pastoralside of Tiber, where he dwelt in domestic peace with his wifeRacilia. "

The salutation gratified the Member of Congress, for he wassusceptible to flattery, and knew enough of Roman history tounderstand the allusion to Cincinnatus, though he had never beforeheard of Racilia. He valued the evidence of Burr's esteem, implied inthe pilgrimage the latter had taken the trouble to make, and no effortwas spared to load the colonel with proofs that his visit wasappreciated. 

In Washington, Burr had known Smith only slightly and officially asone of the senators from Ohio. In the retirement of a lonely farmhourly companionship fostered intimacy. Conversation forgotconstraint; the two freely unfolded to each other their thoughts, feelings and hopes, and a community of ideas was gradually establishedbetween them. Burr encouraged personal revelation and solicitedconfidential opinions. He affected warm interest in the details ofSmith's affairs--farming operations, grinding of wheat and corn, profitable sales of whiskey, and growing trade at the Columbia store. Neither the piety of the preacher nor the patriotism of the senatorcould quell in Smith the cupidity of the fortune-builder. Adroitly didBurr shift the trend of discourse to suit his own ends, leading theelder by plausible arguments to accept as logical the sophistry ofself-love and greed. The word business was stretched to cover amultitude of sins; the new dictionary of self-aggrandizement concealeda spurious gospel of intrigue and treason. 

Spoken words are but breath, and who can report all that passedbetween the tempter and the tempted? Or who can be sure that thecraftiness of the guest was greater than the cunning of the host? Thenebulous emanations of Burr's mind were rounding into a definite worldof purpose. He invoked the aid of the Hon. John Smith to set the newplanet revolving. Conspiracy was planned in the woods and fields of aquiet farm in the valley of the Little Miami. 

Burr, yielding to persuasion, protracted his stay almost a week, beingfeasted and lodged in the country house. Many were the spokenconfidences and frequent the "fair, speechless messages" which passedbetween him and Mrs. Rosemary, as occasion offered, while theylingered at the home of their common friend and counsellor. On the daypreceding that of Burr's departure, a bright Sunday, they accompaniedthe Smith family to a religious service held in a maple grove, nearthe Miami. The devout farmers, who, with their wives and children, came many miles to the place of worship, observed with solemn eyes ofapprobation that Burr studied his hymn-book and small gilded Bible, and that the demure lady by his side, dressed in mourning, looked thepattern of saintly piety. While going home from the camp meeting, supporting Mrs. Rosemary on his arm, Burr spoke feelingly of himself, his hopes, and secret plans. Then it was that he told his lovelypartner about his contemplated Southern empire which, he declared, would be an elysium for women. Then it was that he gallantly offeredto invest to her advantage any portion of the cash she might realizefrom the sale of her deceased husband's estate. She hung on his armconfidingly and promised to consider his words. 

Sitting on the porch in the Sabbath twilight beside Salome, Burrsoftly intoned his regret that in the morning he must part from her. Sportfully he drew from her finger a diamond ring. "Do you want itback after all these years?" she murmured. "No, dear, you shall haveit again in a moment. " He turned to a window, and with the sparklingstylus incised some delicate characters upon a pane of glass. Then hereturned the ring to its owner, who, after perusing the inscription, looked round into his face, her own radiant with happiness. 

The window-pane remained unbroken for nearly a century, and thewriting on it was always shown to strangers visiting the old historichomestead. The cutting diamond traced two names upon the glass--thoseof Senator Smith's transitory guests. Many a sentimental girl, pausingover the double inscription, and mildly condemning Burr, has wonderedwhatever became of Salome Rosemary. 

VIII. DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND. 

Bearing in mind his hours of cautious interview with the elder andminutes of furtive dalliance with the widow, Burr rode back toCincinnati, and regretful that he had lost the companionship ofArlington, resumed his housekeeping and his journey on the flatboat, which he now christened Salome. 

Burke Pierce was retained as captain, notwithstanding his lateatrocious conduct. 

"I didn't know what I was about, " he assevered, in self-exculpation;"I was full of Monongahela, and there's a quarrel in every pint ofthat and manslaughter in every quart. "

Burr, whose prospective foray in Mexico would require the service ofall the dare-devils who could be enlisted, did not scruple toconciliate this outlaw, nor to give him an inkling of warlikepreparations against the Spaniard. Pierce, flattered by thisconfidence, readily volunteered to lend his aid at any time towhatever enterprise Burr might propose, and, like one of the tools ofBrutus, he was ready to say, "Set on your foot; I follow you to do Iknow not what. " Yet he knew more than might be supposed, of thehistory, official rank and designs of his employer. To the soothingcounsel, "You must not bear malice toward that young Virginian;remember, he is one of us. " Burke replied with a nod and a sinisterlaugh. 

The Salome was moored at the landing near Fort Massac. GeneralWilkinson, whose barge lay in port, was stopping temporarily at thisstation before proceeding to his headquarters in St. Louis. Burr mustwin Wilkinson, and to the winning of an ally so influential he mustbring to bear all the arts of address and insinuation, for he had todeal with a wily character. Yet he did not doubt that, by discreetappeals to the vanity and cupidity of the general, he could inducethat blandest of politicians to embark in an enterprise which promisedevergreen laurels and rich returns of gold. 

Arrayed in his best cloth, with boots freshly polished and facesmoothly shaven, with queue and ruffles in perfect condition, a BeauBrummel of exterior proprieties and a Machiavelli in _finesse_, AaronBurr presented himself at the barracks, and was welcomed with effusivecordiality by his friend and comrade. The two shook hands with thehearty familiarity of veterans glad to renew old associations. 

"Colonel Burr, I am delighted to see you here. Your letter, written inPhiladelphia, reached me at the capital. Pray, take this big chair; itis rather comfortable. "

"Very elegant, I should say, general, especially for a remote outpostlike this. The Government, I imagine, does not furnish you with suchcostly articles. "

"Oh, no, no, certainly not; the chair is part of the furniture of mybarge. I must provide myself with these necessaries from my privatepurse. Necessaries, I say; for use breeds wants; I was habituated frommy birth to social refinements, ease and the luxuries of thetable. --You must take a cup of kindness with me. What will you drink?I have here sherry, whiskey, peach-brandy and applejack. "

The general, as he enumerated the liquors, stepped to the sideboard, which, with its array of bottles, looked like a bar. 

Wilkinson was a handsome man, about forty-eight years old. Slightlyunder the average height, he was of symmetrical figure, and hiscountenance was agreeable, despite a deeply florid complexion. He heldhis head well, his walk was firm and dignified, and his bearing wasgraceful. The well-fitting suit of blue and yellow uniform which hewore with an air of pomp and authority was very becoming to his nobleform. 

Burr, out of courtesy, drank a glass of light wine, but hisentertainer, apologizing for his own robuster taste, poured out astiff tumbler of brandy, which he swallowed with relish. 

"I congratulate you, general, " began Burr, "on your appointment to thegovernorship. The President showed wisdom in his selection. "

"I appreciate your confidence, colonel. My good name is my pearl ofprice. In the many stations I have filled I have always tried to do myduty, and shall try in this. I owe it to you, my dear sir, to say somuch, for I believe I am indebted to the late Vice-President for mynew position. Mr. Jefferson is understood to have appointed Wilkinsonas a mark of favor to Colonel Burr. "

"Possibly so; I claim no credit. But I am sincerely glad you are theman. The office is no sinecure. The state of feeling in regard to theSpanish boundary is ominous. Shall you be able to adjust the matteramicably or will the dispute result in war?"

"That is a question events must answer. I am devoted to my country andher interests, and whether as a leader of her armies or as governor ofpart of her wide domain I shall proceed with an eye single to thoseinterests. "

"I know, general, that whatever is right and just you will do, and Iassume that when you speak of devotion to your country and herinterests, you mean the _people_ and their interests. Under a properlyconstituted government there should be no conflict between the welfareof the nation and the welfare of the individuals comprising thenation. If the authority of an arbitrary government prove oppressive, or if the liberties of those dwelling in a section be disregarded, Ihold to the good old democratic rule that the injured have a right toprotest and to resist. The principles for which you and I fought werethe principles of individual liberty and of State sovereignty. We wererevolutionists. "

"Yes, " said Wilkinson, playing with one of his brass buttons, "I fullyagree with your fundamental propositions. "

"But you don't see how they are going to help you in adjusting theboundary line between our country and the Spanish possessions. I havea suggestion to make. There ought to be no boundary line at allbetween the two countries. This republic, or perhaps I should say, theWestern people, should wash out that line with Spanish blood, and makeLouisiana and Mexico one domain. I go in for war. "

"There is prospect of war, Colonel Burr, but Congress and thePresident seem timid about making an open declaration. In casehostilities should be precipitated by the Spaniards--"

"What in that case?"

"Why, then an invasion of Mexico might be a military necessity. "

"Invasion? Would not the conquest of Mexico be easy? A sufficientforce can be raised. "

Wilkinson left off toying with his button and looked far away--far asMexico, far as the Pacific Ocean. 

"You are aware, governor--no man living has ampler knowledge of thefacts than you have--that only five or six years ago Washington andHamilton planned and were about to execute a project to seize theSpanish provinces, with British aid. The pretext was war with France, the real object was to take New Orleans, probably Mexico. You were theperson whom they wisely entrusted with the management of thebusiness. "

"Yes, but not with the command of the troops. "

"No; you were to organize the Legion of the West, not to lead it tovictory, as you surely would have done had opportunity offered. Hamilton secured the leadership as his perquisite and was careful tosee that I was not advanced. He dissuaded Washington from choosing mequartermaster. But they could not obscure my name nor dim yourreputation. The people know what is what and who is who. They know'little Burr' and they know the 'Washington of the West. '"

Wilkinson sat up straighter in his chair. 

"The epoch in which it has been my lot to live has been eventful. Ilittle dreamed, when a lad on a Maryland farm, what fortunes laybefore me. Who could have prophesied, when you and I began ourmilitary career, that my humble services would ever be likened tothose of the Father of our Country?"

"You are a better general than ever George Washington was, " declaredBurr, employing a tone and look so candid and emphatic that hissincerity was not doubted. "What he and Hamilton failed to accomplish, owing to the action of Jefferson in purchasing Louisiana, and soending the French quasi war, why may not you and I bring to asuccessful issue? If there was no irregularity in that, there can benone in a renewal of essentially the same plans. Let the Legion of theWest be organized once more, and the Washington of the West direct itas he will. "

Wilkinson went to the sideboard and moistened his lips. 

"There is much that I might tell you, colonel, concerning thatproposed expedition of Hamilton's. Men are but men, and thephilanthropist weeps over their frailties. For myself, I am open andabove board; I abhor deceit and intrigue; I am a man whose head mayerr, but whose heart cannot be misled. That all are not so I havelearned to my cost. You have no idea, sir, what whisperings, whatsuppression of motives, what secret understandings, marked theproceedings of eminent persons whose public or private interests wereinvolved in the scheme of 1799. "

"All men's consciences are not so sensitive as yours, general, nor doall men proceed so boldly. You have courage. But there is some excusefor the secret methods which your nature condemns. Prudence is a primevirtue. There are questions of method and of policy, which are bestdiscussed confidentially, by sagacious men. "

"Oh, yes, yes, yes, of course. "

"For instance, we two, Wilkinson, here in private, may properlycompare opinions on such subjects as this of the Spanish dispute. Youand I are in substantial agreement on theories of government. Ipresume you have no more faith than I have in the permanency of thepresent Constitution. It is on its trial, and I am of the opinion thatit cannot last long. "

"Colonel Burr, you are right. The Union is held together by a thread. Yet the salutary restraints of religion and morality are none the lessbinding. The hallowed bonds which connect the citizens and the Stateare not made of paper. There is a stronger law than the letter of theConstitution. "

"Law, as the world goes, " said Burr, "is whatever is boldly assertedand plausibly maintained. But I wish to speak to you of the prospectopening before us in the Mississippi Valley. Here are you, commander-in-chief of the Western troops and governor of UpperLouisiana. Immense power rests in your hands. Now, if it be the willof the people of Kentucky and the Southern States that Mexico shouldbecome a part of our common country, or should the sovereign citizensof this section prefer that Mexico shall become part of an independentrepublic or empire, formed by uniting all the States and Territoriesof the Southwest, including Mexico--I say if 'we, the people, ' demandthis, and volunteer to devote lives and fortunes and sacred honor toestablish such a new nationality, could not you, would not you, mustyou not, as a patriot, as a friend of liberty, as a servant of thepeople, seize an opportunity of making yourself greater thanWashington, by fathering a richer, freer and more glorious countrythan that now held together by a Constitution which, as you truly say, is no stronger than a thread?"

Is it possible that Burr when he uttered these words could have beenaware that he was repeating arguments very similar to those whichBaron Carondelet had addressed to Wilkinson nine years before, toinduce him to deliver Kentucky to his Catholic Majesty, the King ofSpain? Burr's proposal had so many points of coincidence with thatmade by the Spanish governor, that Wilkinson felt a momentary sense ofbeing detected. There was also a confusion of impressions in hisbrain; the very service he had tendered to Spain, for gold and forglory, was now solicited against Spain for glory and for gold. 

Burr saw that his words were striking home and resumedinterrogatively:

"Were you not instrumental in the good work of separating Kentuckyfrom Virginia? You made eloquent speeches, you managed everything. "

"Yes, I pleased everybody. "

"You will please more by abetting a grateful constituency in theirefforts to form a better government than the East can pledge them. Ifit was a good thing to separate Kentucky from Virginia, how muchbetter to sever the Southwest from--"

"This much I will say, " interrupted Wilkinson: "I am in favor of Statesovereignty and the rights of secession. I am a consistent man. Theprinciples I advocated in 1785 I still hold. My dear colonel, " hecontinued, coming up to Burr and placing both hands on his shoulders, "I must reflect on all this; you broach momentous matter and you takeme by surprise. No doubt you have considered the subject in all itsphases. I have not. Tell me what you have learned, so far, in regardto the drift of popular feeling. "

"I have learned much and am learning more every day. I have conversedwith men of every rank, in the East and in the South and in the West, and I am sure of the ground I walk on. These people of Kentucky andTennessee are ripe for war with the abhorred Spaniard. They have athousand grievances. They hate New England and mistrust the FederalGovernment. They are ready for any new combination which can be shownconducive to their prosperity locally. They only wait a leader orleaders. The destiny of the West is manifestly independence. What Iintend is this: I shall go to New Orleans, the very heart of thedisturbed region, and shall ascertain the wishes, temper and resourcesof the people upon whom we have to depend. On my return I will reportto you the results of my inquiry and observation, and then, if youdesire, we may hold further conference. "

"I must take time to reflect. Prudence, to recall your own words, is aprime virtue. I am a public servant, an officer of the Government, entrusted with sacred obligations. Your advice, however, cannot beother than wise and statesmanlike. "

"General Wilkinson, we are old friends--comrades in arms once; nowassociates in a magnificent enterprise, if you so will--an enterpriseharmful to no American citizen, vastly beneficial to Louisiana, Mexico, and the West in general, and fraught with sure and superbfortunes for the men who have the ability, the courage and thefortitude to carry it to a successful issue. "

The general, again stepping to the sideboard and filling two glassesfrom the brandy bottle, passed one of them to his guest. 

"This to the memory of past successes and the hope of futureprosperity for us both. "

"I drink to the hope more than to the memory, for the past is an emptychest, the future a full coffer, " said Burr, and drained his glass. 

"You take your liquor like a hero!" joked Wilkinson. "It will do yougood, colonel. "

The men shook hands and Burr departed, after promising to renew theconversation next day. Slowly he walked along the river bank, sayingto himself, "If I could only rely on him. He is slippery as an eel, but a net of golden promise will hold him if anything will. I fancy Ihave caught James Wilkinson, and if so, half the battle is won. "

Wilkinson sat in his big easy-chair, pondering. "Aaron Burr is ashrewd manipulator of men. Naturally he is looking out for his ownelevation. He is a falling angel. But his plans are good and hold outstrong inducements to the course he proposes. If he will undertake tofit out an expedition and provide recruits, I see no reason why Ishould not avail myself of the results of his energy. I am in poweralready--I combine the authority of general and governor--and Icannot see how Burr's co-operation can lessen my dignity or prevent myaggrandizement. Precaution is the word. We shall see how eventsdevelop. Perhaps this scheme will open my way to attain the height ofmy ambition. So long as the signs are propitious I will be safe intrusting them; but should disaster threaten, I can at any time changemy policy. Precaution! No precipitancy, no ill-considered pledges. "

Thus reflected General Wilkinson. Then, left alone, he graduallyyielded to the sedative effect of dinner and drink and fell into adrowse. The dusk of evening had stolen over the river and darkened thewoods around the fort. The sound of footsteps at the door startled thesleeper. 

"Who's that?"

A swarthy boatman with a leathern coat slouched in. 

"Palafox. You back again?"

"Don't call me Palafox, general. I've changed my name for reasons youmight guess. Palafox ha'n't been a safe name to carry since thatbusiness at the mouth of the Ohio. "

"You need not worry yourself about that 'business, ' as you call it, often or eleven years ago. I got you out of a bad scrape; yourassociates, who were arrested, and tried were discharged; theaccusations are forgotten. What do you want, Palafox?"

"I tell you I'm not Palafox--I'm Captain Burke Pierce--that's thename I've been going by at Pittsburg and all along the Ohio. I leftthe other name in New Orleans. Folks don't forget names or deeds sosoon as I wish they would. I know the court cleared the men, but theydon't forget the trick played on them. Pepillo, who was the helmsmanof the piroque, isn't dead, and he would shoot or stab me on sight. Vexeranno is alive yet, too, and he is one of the three who planned todo it. "

"Speak no more of the horrible affair, my friend. We were none of usgainers by it. You know how much I lost. But I saved you from arrest, and you ought to be grateful. Why are you here?"

"General Wilkinson, I don't know whether I am thankful or not. Youcall me your friend, and I have been your friend. It wasn't so muchfor my sake that you got me off as to keep evidence from leaking outthat might have made somebody else uncomfortable. Yes, I've donethings for you that you ought to be grateful for, governor! Why am Ihere? I'm here for back pay. You owe me six hundred dollars. "

"Man, you are mad. You presume on my generosity and my past indulgencetoward you. I have already paid you more than I should have done, andyou owe to me your life and your safety. You overestimate the value ofyour past services, and I am tired of your importunity. Remember thatI am the commander-in-chief of the army and the governor of Louisiana. Do you think it safe to trifle with me? How did you get by the guardto-night?"

"Walked; same as I got by Aaron Burr. "

Wilkinson looked up anxiously. 

"Palafox--I won't be harsh with you. Take a dram. You were faithfulto me and to your duty in former years, and I hope to find profitableemployment for you again. Here are five dollars; now leave thepremises. "

Palafox took the money and disappeared in the gathering gloom. GeneralWilkinson closed the door and locked it. Then he sat back in his bigchair, bowed his brow, and with arms folded sat meditating the past. At length he rose, shook his head, as if sadly answering in thenegative some question of conscience, and--took another glass ofbrandy. 

IX. DON'T FORGET THE BITTERS. 

Monsieur Deville, having consulted Dr. Goforth, on vaccination, milk-sickness and miasma, took the mail-packet for Gallipolis. Arlington, after transacting the business which brought him toCincinnati, started for his distant Virginia home, not by water nor bythe direct route through Kentucky to the Old Wilderness Road, butacross southern Ohio, over the highway which led to Marietta. Theyoung man told landlord Yeatman that his object in choosing thisroundabout course was to see the country; and he told the truth, butnot the whole truth. Arlington cared not so much about going toMarietta as about getting there. He had not escaped the consequencesof his recent perilous exposure to the rays of bewitching eyes. As herode along through the woods he saw flocks of paroquets flutteringtheir emerald wings and making love as they flew. The red birds weresinging bridal songs in the sugar-trees, and the shy hermit thrushbetrayed his domestic secrets by husbandly notes piped from thespice-brush thicket. The wild flowers, too, anemone, puccoon andaddertongue, nodding in the light breeze, seemed conscious of the joyof life in spring. 

The pilgrimage to the Muskingum was one long meditation on EvaleenHale. Arlington was powerless to break the rosy mesh which entangledhim. The bright image of the golden-haired New England girl waylaidhim again and again. He reached Marietta on a fine, bright morning, and having consigned his horse to the care of the ostler of theTravellers' Rest, he presently started out in search of thedwelling-place of Evaleen, trusting, like Shelley's Indian lover, tothe Spirit in his feet. 

It did not take long to make the rounds of the prim, Puritan village, and though he caught sight of more than one pretty maid peeping withcoy curiosity from cottage window or garden plot, he saw no facecomparable with that which he had cherished in memory since seeing theoriginal in Blennerhassett's parlor. A lame soldier of theRevolutionary War pointed out to him the squares named Campus Martiusand Capitolium, and directed him to follow the Sacra Via, through acovert way, to the wonderful ancient earthworks hard by--vastenclosures, terraces and tumuli, resembling natural hills, but, infact, the piled-up monuments of the Mound Builders. The greatest andmost impressive of these mysterious remains, a huge mound in the formof a sugar-loaf, appealed so strongly to Arlington's imagination, that, contemplating it, he for a time forgot everything else, losinghimself in admiration and conjecture. Intending a closer inspection ofthe steep, artificial hill, he crossed a dry _fosse_ which ran aroundit in a perfect circle, and was clambering up the mound when a voicefrom above startled him. 

"Come up, come right up! There's a good path starts t'other side ofthat wild gooseberry bush. "

Looking aloft, Arlington beheld, seated on the summit of the mound, the grotesque figure of Plutarch Byle. 

"It blows a body, don't it?" said Byle, recognizing the Southernerwith a familiar nod. "Give us your hand; I'll haul you safe to thepeak of Aryrat. I'm right glad to see you, and I'm not sorry he isn'talong with you. Have you got rid of him for good?"

"Do you mean Colonel Burr?"

"Exactly; he's a sort of burr I hope to God will never stick to me orto any friend of mine. I like you, Burlington, and I congratulate you, as the saying is, that you pulled him off. Folks oughtn't to be toofamiliar with strangers, ought they? You or I might be taken in byappearances. I confess I was deceived in--I won't say that man, butthat hoop-snake. He was as fine looking a man as I am. But let's notmention him. Which way do you hail from now? When did you strikeMarietta?"

"To-day, Mr. Byle. "

"Call me Plutarch. I don't like European forms. How long do youcalculate to stay, Burlingham?"

"Not long. I am on my return to Virginia, and stop in Marietta to seethese earthworks. You are acquainted here. Do you know--do you knowof a family by the name of Hale?"

"Well, yes; that is, I know old Squire George Hale by sight, and I methis daughter once in a sort of social way like, at Mrs. Blennerhassett's. The Hales is a fine family, regular high posts witha silk tester; they're upper-crust Boston quality. George hasn't livedhere long, only about a year, and I've been away up on Yok River, atbrother Virgil's, most of the time for the last five year. The Halesare blue blood, and no mistake. The young woman is a seek-no-farther. She is about to marry a feller from Massachusetts, who is here nowa-sparking like fox-fire. I don't know the particulars, but I put thisand that together, and I'm satisfied it's a match, and though I'malways danged sorry for any girl who gets married, I reckon thisfeller is about as decent as any of us. His names is Danvers--CaptainDanvers; a right peert young chap, in the reg'lar army. I saw themyesterday, Evaleen and him--her name's Evaleen--walking, spooney-like, down by Muskingum, and I says to myself, 'By the holyartichokes, I'd like to be in the captain's military boots. '"

"Are you sure they are engaged?" queried Arlington. 

"Yes, sure as coffin-nails; why? Do _you_ know the Spring Beauty?"

"I have met her. "

"I'll bet you took a fancy to her the minute you sot eyes on her. Sodid I; but I nipped it in the bud. You look as if you might be hugelyin love, Burlington. I know adzactly how you feel. Everything isprodigious out here in the West--big trees, big fish, big mammothbones, and big hearts. I'll swan! the kind of love that you are liableto in these tremendous woods is like the rest of the works of Nature, immense. Howsomever, a man can stand a terrible sight of love and getover it. I know what I'm talking about. Love's a queer complaint! Byginger, I realize from experience how it takes hold of the system. Youmightn't guess it, but I pulled through the toughest case ofwoman-stroke that ever a young feller was took with. 

 'Cheeks of my youth, Bathed in tears have you been. '

It's facts I'm stating. Still, a good constitution does mend fast whenthe flightiness and distress in the imagination leaves him and hecools down to his right mind. And there's medicine for every ailment, balm in Gilead, by gum, even for love sickness. The seed-pods of thecucumber tree soaked in raw whiskey makes a first-rate bitters for allsuch like fevers. I'm sorry for you, but--hold up, what did I tellyou? Look yonder! Do you see that couple walking this way from CampusMartius? That's them!"

Looking in the direction indicated by Plutarch's long forefinger, Arlington saw a man and a woman, side by side, slowly approaching themound, so absorbed in each other's companionship that they seemedoblivious to the landscape and the sky. Neither glanced upward, thoughthey came so near the base of the hill that the envious spy on thesummit, peering down, identified the person and the voice of the ladyas belonging unmistakably to Miss Hale. The pair paused under adog-wood from which Captain Danvers plucked a flowery bough; then theyresumed their stroll, walking toward the village, arm in arm. 

"Shall I holler to them?" asked Byle with the friendliest intentions. 

"By no means!" said Arlington hastily. "I have not the slightestinterest in either of them. What have you here in your basket--botanicalspecimens?"

The inquiry set Plutarch's tongue running on his favorite theme. "I'ma sort of self-made doctor, Mr. ---- won't you please write your nameout just as you spell it yourself, and let me have it? I ain't sure ofthe accent. I've been digging roots and so on, for brotherBlennerhassett. He's an odd fish--he fancies he knows yarbs. Well, now, he _does_; that is, he can learn and is learning faster than youwould believe a near-sighted United Irishman could learn anythingoutside of books. He knows ginseng from pleuresy-root, anyhow. Thisplant--I'm taking the whole thing, root and stem, to show him how itgrows--is the genuine Indian physic; I got it right by a big rottenlog in Putnam's woods. What do you say to taking a tour toBlennerhassett's with me in my piroque? I've got as snug a piroque asever oversot. "

There was no reason why Arlington should not seize this offeredopportunity of once more visiting the island, and pay his respects tothe proprietor, whom he had some curiosity to meet. Besides, might henot chance to learn the true condition of affairs regarding EvaleenHale and the objectionable captain?

Rocking on lazy eddies of a sheltered cove lay the piroque. It was adugout or canoe, made by hollowing with axe and adz a section of acucumber tree. One-fourth of its length was covered with canvasstretched on hoops, forming a canopy to shed rain and to screen thepassenger from the sun's rays. The cosy shelter was made use of byPlutarch as a receptacle for "specimens" of all varieties, animal, vegetable and mineral. The boat was propelled by a paddle, and, as theowner had warned Arlington, was liable to be toppled over by anyheedless movement of its occupants. In this craft, the distance fromMarietta to the island was measured without accident. Landed on thegravelly beach, Plutarch bent his steps toward the dazzling whitehouse, Arlington at his side. Peter Taylor, puttering in the frontyard, greeted the visitors in his saturnine style. 

"Which way is the Highcockolorum?" inquired Plutarch, thrusting outhis hand. 

The gardener was perplexed. 

"I mean your boss. Ah, there he is, with a gun! What's the fractionnow? When I first came to this place his little boy offered to stick atin sword through me, and I wonder now if pap means to shoot me!"

"'E couldn't 'it you at ten paces, " grumbled the Englishman, manifesting grim enjoyment. Byle winked in response. Blennerhassett, leading Dominick by the hand, came to meet them, and Arlington wascourteously received. 

"I regret my absence at the time you did us the honor to call. I havesince had a delightful letter from Colonel Burr, who promises to favorus again. Mrs. Blennerhassett told me every particular of your briefsojourn here. She was charmed with her guests. I am sorry she happensto be from home. She has gone to spend the day with friends inMarietta. "

"That's where she was, by gum, the first time I called here, " broke inByle, whose unconscious temerity Blennerhassett, not being able torebuke, had concluded to tolerate. "I have fetched you a lot moreplants and roots, and the spines of that big cat-fish I told youabout. Here's another curiosity--the wing of a queer bird that Idon't know--maybe you will--I shot the fowl flying. I see _you_ owna rifle!"

"Yes, " answered the recluse, placing the piece in Plutarch's hands. "You are familiar with American guns. What is your opinion of thisone? It was recommended to me as an excellent article, and I bought itat an enormous price, so my neighbors tell me. But from my indifferentsuccess in bringing down game with it, I am forced to the conclusionthat the barrel must be defective. Peter thinks not, but he is more ofan adept in horticulture than in shooting. "

The gardener was miffed by this left-handed compliment, but he did notventure to resent the impeachment. Plutarch handled the gun with theconfident facility of an expert, poised it to ascertain the weight, noticed the calibre and the maker's name, admired the beauty of thestock, and tested the action of the trigger, lightly lifting the maplebreech to his shoulder. The spectators marvelled at the delicate touchof his seemingly coarse fingers. 

"This is a good rifle, " said he. "Do you see that red head on the topof that tree t'other side of the house?" No one did perceive the birdwhich the hunter professed to discover on the top of a tall sycamoredistinctly visible at a distance of many rods beyond the roof. Byledrew up the rifle and fired. 

"Run, bub, and pick him up, " said Plutarch, dropping the butt of therifle and resting it carelessly on the toe of his shoe. Dominickhesitated, but the black man, Scipio, who had drawn near to witnessthe shooting, trudged away to the foot of the tree, where he found adead woodpecker lying on the ground. He picked up the bird, still warmand bleeding, and brought it to Blennerhassett, who expressedenthusiastic admiration for the marksman's skill. Plutarch receivedthe praise without showing the pleased vanity he inwardly felt, andhaving reloaded the gun with neat celerity, he passed it to the owner, saying in his unceremonious way, "Now, boss, it's your turn. "

Blennerhassett at first declined to make an exhibition of his skill, but on persuasion consented to fire at a mark under the direction ofhis faithful servant, Peter Taylor, who was accustomed to attend himon hunting excursions. Mr. Byle, with accommodating alacrity, offeredhis hat as a suitable target, having stuck a maple leaf on the centreof the crown to answer as the bull's eye. The party shifted ground tothe rear premises, and the hat was fixed to the side of the barn. Blennerhassett took his place directly in front of the mark, at adistance from it of twenty steps deliberately paced off by Plutarch. When their chief cocked the rifle there was a general commotion amongthe servants, black and white, for by this time the whole retinue ofthe establishment, including ostler, footman, butler, field hands andhousemaids, had collected to see the sport. The principal actor, beingself-absorbed as well as near-sighted, was scarcely aware of thetittering assemblage. Abstracted from every other thought, he fixedhis attention on the great business in hand, not without misgiving andnervous agitation. When he lifted the rifle to his shoulder, and, trembling with excitement, pointed it in the manner he conceived to beproper, Peter Taylor, stationed at his master's back as prompter andartillerist, gave directions: "Now, sir, cool and steady! 'Old herlevel! Not so 'igh, Mr. Blennerhassett. There! So! 'Old on! 'Old on! Aleetle more up! Ready! Fire!"

In agitation, the gentleman drew the trigger, and the next instant apane of window-glass, fully six feet from the outmost rim of Mr. Byle's straw hat, was shivered to pieces, and the fragments were heardto tinkle as they fell within the barn. The chagrin of the mortifiedrifleman was cunningly abated by Peter's declaring that he himself wasat fault in confining his master's attention to vertical rather thanto horizontal considerations; but while he thus explained away thefailure, he winked at the other servants and whispered aside toPlutarch that, though horticulture was his profession, he was a bettershot than his distinguished employer. 

"That's claiming a good deal, isn't it?" replied Byle, following withhis eye the humiliated subject of their comment, who, conscious thathe had made himself ridiculous, withdrew from the scene and tried torecover lost dignity by retiring with his guest to the privacy of hislibrary. There, rallying his spirits, he dilated upon law, science and_belles-lettres_, oblivious of the fact that his commonplace remarkswere tedious to a lively mind. He was opinionated, though notegotistical; revered authority, took himself seriously, and was a heroworshipper lacking humor and imagination. Pedantically conscious ofimparting his stored wisdom to the attentive listener, whom he desiredto entertain, he glowed with ingenuous enthusiasm while he commented, in mildly magisterial fashion, on books and authors. He read aloudextracts from "Shaftsbury's Characteristics, " nodding approval of thedullest sentences. Then he opened a large new folio, illustrated withallegorical plates and profusely annotated. 

"This is my latest literary treasure, Erasmus Darwin's wonderful poem, 'The Temple of Nature, ' recently published, and superior, I think, tothe 'Botanic Garden. ' Let me read from the first canto, on theProduction of Life. "

Arlington in "wise passivity" submitted to the infliction, and withfeigned pleasure followed the torturer's voice, delivering page afterpage of solemn science in polished heroic couplets. At length, in alull between the lines on Imitation and those on Appetency, the youngman mustered courage to broach the subject nearest his heart, byasking the irrelevant question, "You are acquainted, I dare say, withthe prominent families of Marietta; do you happen to know a gentlemanby the name of Hale? George Hale?"

Blennerhassett, keeping one eye on the Temple of Nature, answeredmechanically:

"Yes; George Hale is one of our best citizens. He is held in highesteem, a man of some wealth and of great probity, but not collegebred. I am sure, Mr. Arlington, you will discern high poeticalqualities in this passage from the second canto, entitled Reproductionof Life. Shall I read it aloud?"

"By all means, sir. I should be delighted to hear you read the entirevolume, but I regret that I have engagements up the river. "

"I will detain you only a moment, Mr. Arlington. Perhaps you wouldlike to carry the book with you to read on your way back. This is thepassage I referred to:

 'Now, young Desires, on purple pinions borne, Mount the warm gale of Manhood's rising morn; With softer fires through Virgin bosoms dart, Flush the pale cheek, and goad the tender heart!'

Those are well-constructed verses, my dear sir--equal to Dryden. 'Onpurple pinions borne, ' sounds well. The alliteration is pleasing. Notethe effect, also, in the phrase 'Manhood's morn, ' and the last line ispoetical, 'Flush the pale cheek, and goad the tender heart. '

Or this, suggesting how love and sympathy causes affinities which--

 'Melt into Lymph or kindle into gas. '

There are those who contend that scientific truths cannot be statedpoetically; but here, I am sure, science and sentiment are at one. AmI not right?"

"Doubtless your judgment is correct, " assented Chester, uncertainwhether Blennerhassett was speaking in earnest or in irony. "I confessI am not a literary student. Pardon the interruption and myinquisitiveness, but am I correctly informed that the young lady towhom I was introduced, a few weeks ago, when I called here, is relatedto Mr. Hale of whom we were speaking?"

"Quite right; she is his daughter, Miss Evaleen, an amiable girl. Margaret and the boys think the world of her. "

Arlington made another effort to satisfy his jealous curiosity. "I wastold by a gentleman in Marietta that Miss Hale is about to be married. Am I correctly informed? The lucky man is to be envied. "

Blennerhassett, whose eyes were still picking poetic gems from Darwin, answered vaguely. 

"Oh, to be sure. A fortunate man. She will make an excellent wife. Didyou hear such a report? Not surprising; I remember now that Margaretmentioned something of Evaleen's prospects in that way--to theeffect, I believe, that she, that is, Miss Hale, had received gallantattentions from an eligible young man--a suitor. Women take moreinterest than we men do in affairs of this nature. I can give noparticulars. "

"This Captain Danvers--?" faltered Chester. 

"Danvers? Danvers?" repeated the absent-minded philosopher amiably. "Ah, yes. Captain Danvers is at present stopping at the Haleresidence. My wife tells me that Evaleen and he are exceedinglydevoted to each other. Naturally. You would be welcome, I assure you, if you should call. They are very hospitable. "

Without further inquiries, Arlington presently took leave to joinByle, with whom he voyaged back to Marietta. Wrapped in meditation hesat, taciturn, ballasting the unstable piroque which his stalwartcomrade propelled with astonishing speed against the current. Chesterspoke not a dozen sentences during the tedious passage from the islandto the village. Byle, strange to say, also held his tongue, but hewatched his melancholy companion with varying facial expressions, eloquent of fellow-feeling. The piroque was brought to shore on theeast bank of the Muskingum, a short distance above the mouth of theriver. 

"You can tell your grandchildren that you sot your foot just whereRufus Putnam did when he jumped off the Mayflower in 1788. This is thespot where the first settlers of Ohio landed. "

"You make me feel quite like a historical character, " said Arlington, and thanked his obliging guide. 

"I don't reckon history is all over yet, Arlington. Good-night, andtake keer of yourself. I'm goshamighty sorry your goose is cooked inregards to Evaleen. Still, this Danvers is a perfect gentleman--you'dsay so yourself if you knowed him as she does. By dad, we can't allhave the same girl, or others would suffer. Don't forget the bitters. Speaking of bitters and how to cure trouble in this vale of tears, asthe saying is, I reckon you have heard of a man by the name ofJonathan Edwards? He's dead now, but he made his living by preaching, and he wrote books. The only one of his works that I ever read was his_Rules_, and they are elegant. One of Jonathan's rules I learned byheart: 'When you feel pain, think of the pains of martyrdom and ofhell. ' You might try that. But whatever you try, _don't forget thebitters_--fruit of the cucumber tree in raw whiskey. "

"Don't forget the bitters. " These words kept repeating themselves inChester's mind long after he had gone to bed in the small roomassigned to him by the host of the Travellers' Rest. He sleptwretchedly, rose late the next morning, breakfasted, and afterordering his horse to be saddled at nine o'clock, walked to the wharfwhere lay the mail-boat ready to start down the Ohio. Among the fewtaking passage on the vessel was Captain Danvers, who had been orderedto report for service in St. Louis, and was on his way thither. Arlington observed the fine-looking young officer with the petulantdislike of foiled envy. So spiteful was his mood that he wished apretext for saying or doing something offensive to his handsome rival. Such a pretext was afforded. A veteran major who had accompaniedDanvers to the boat, to bid him good-bye, called out:

"Captain, don't let the Indians scalp you or the Spaniards take youprisoner. If you had been three weeks sooner you might have had AaronBurr for a fellow-traveller. He stopped here on his way down theriver. "

"I would not travel on the same boat with Aaron Burr. I consider himguilty of murder. "

Arlington's wrath broke forth. "Any man who says that speaks calumny. "

"Do you mean to insult me, sir? I never saw you before, and did notaddress you. "

"I do not stand on ceremony with those who traduce my friends, "retorted the Southerner sneeringly. "Colonel Burr is my friend--youhave maligned him. "

Danvers contemptuously replied: "You seem proud of your allegedintimacy with a notorious criminal. Perhaps you are theVice-President's brother, or are you his man-servant?"

The taunt raised a laugh at Arlington, who roared out:

"Burr did right in calling Hamilton to the field; he vindicated hisown honor. "

"Push off! Loosen that line!" shouted the captain from the deck. "Hurry up! blast you! we're a year behind time!"

The boat-hands made a show of haste without making speed, reluctant tomiss the chance of witnessing a fight. 

"Captain Danvers, perhaps, like other Yankees, you preach againstduelling, but do not scruple to traduce men who are not present toresent your words. "

"You know my name!" cried Danvers, "but are wrong in supposing that Iwill stand an affront. If you are a gentleman--"

"If? Couldn't you waive ifs and buts long enough to try the Weehaukenexperiment and then investigate my pedigree? The question is, are youa man or a dastard?"

"Swaller your fire, young salamander, " broke in the captain of theboat. "We hain't got no time to fuss nor fight duels. Push off, there, boys! Get your poles in hand and give her a reverend set! If thefeller on shore is hankering for gore let him swim after us. Let gothat cordelle, you cussed, lazy, flat-bellied, Hockhocking idiot!Can't you learn that a vessel won't navigate while she's tied to atree and stuck fast in the mud?"

Soon in midstream, the boat moved away rapidly, impelled by the tripleforce of current, wind and oars, and the Virginian was jeered at fromdeck and shore. It completed his mortification to observe Danverswaving him a disdainful farewell. He returned to the tavern, paid hisreckoning, mounted his horse, and rode away dejected and miserable. Self-disgust wrought in him a revulsion against Ohio, Marietta and theBlennerhassetts, and caused him, for the moment, to wish he had nevermet Evaleen. He rode along the village street, his mind's ear ringingwith Byle's parting advice: "Don't forget the bitters. " While hishorse was trotting past a house that stood back from the street, inthe midst of shrubbery, he thought he heard his own name spoken. Onturning his head, he saw two ladies observing him from a leaf-screenedveranda. His impulse was to halt; he drew bridle, but, recalling thescene on the wharf, he spurred on. 

"My dear girl, " exclaimed the elder of the two ladies, watching theunheeding horseman, "that gentleman is Mr. Arlington or Mr. Arlington's twin brother. "

Evaleen's lips trembled as she replied hesitatingly, "It cannot be he;he would have called. He knows we live in Marietta. "

"I am sure it is Mr. Arlington, and I cannot account for his failingto pay you his respects. He showed a decided interest in you that dayon the island. To my eye it looked very like love at first sight; andI cannot help believing that his sole errand in Marietta is to see youagain. "

Evaleen, reddening, plucked leaflets from the honeysuckle whichcovered the porch. 

"What am I to Mr. Arlington?"

"Perhaps more than he is to you. I wish he could have met CaptainDanvers. "

Evaleen's blush faded. 

"I may never see Warren again, " she sighed; "he is reckless and willnot shun Spanish bullets or yellow fever. I can't bear to think ofwhat he must endure in the army. "

"Be proud that he has gone to the war as a brave man should. I admiremen who are fearless. "

"Oh, Margaret, you don't know how dear he is to me!"

"My darling, I understand. But Natchez is not out of the world, evenif the soldiers should be sent there. After all, there may be nofighting. But I can't solve the mystery of our Virginia friend'sungallant conduct. "

Midday came and went, the afternoon wasted away, the sun set, but thedisappointing cavalier came not back to the village. MadamBlennerhassett said no more about him, though she noticed that atintervals Evaleen furtively glanced through an open window eastwarddown the long perspective of the shaded road. 

X. "NOW TO MY CHARMS AND TO MY WILY TRAINS. "

Burr tarried at Massac, spinning subtle webs to entangle human flies. He "lived along the line" of correspondence, keeping in touch withformer associates and recent acquaintances. In his ark, seated at arough table, he wrote to those he hoped to gain or feared to lose. Hedid not neglect the Blennerhassetts, nor Arlington, nor the confidingyoung law-students of Pittsburg. A lengthy letter was penned to theHon. John Smith, and, at the same sitting, a model _billet-doux_ toMrs. Rosemary. Other business was combined with this epistolaryindustry, for, even before the stamp of the writer's seal was liftedfrom the soft, red wafer on the widow's letter, a backwoods settlercame, by appointment, to close a bargain by which the flatboat"Salome" was sold. 

The somewhat damaged vessel was knocked to pieces by its new owner, who used the timber to construct a shanty, a stable, and a pig-pen, for his family and other live-stock. Before this degradingtransmutation was begun, the original proprietor of the now abandonedcraft removed to the commodious cabin of an elegant barge, provided bythe courtesy of Wilkinson. In this convenient vessel, navigated by aselect crew under command of a faithful sergeant, the sole passengerembarked for New Orleans. In frequent conference with Wilkinson he hadamplified and enforced the arguments broached at the first interview. On the day set for the statesman's departure, the two men spoketogether, very confidentially. 

"Good-bye, Aaron; I augur well of your undertaking. The auspices arefavorable. We are engaged in a scheme full of danger, requiringenterprise; but, if successful, fraught with fortune and glory. "

"General, we are engaged, not in a scheme, but in a sublime exploit. We are to create an ideal commonwealth. The materials are ready. I goto take seizin of the grandest dominion on the curve of the globe. Military force will be requisite to sustain civil polity. The namesBurr and Wilkinson are linked together in the chain of destiny. Farewell, and God bless you. When I return, I will hasten to join youat St. Louis, and give a full report of my stewardship. "

With rhetoric like this, the parting guest closed his valedictory. Hisbarge was soon under way. Down the calm Ohio, down the solemnMississippi fared Aaron Burr, bound for the prodigal South. Sweptalong by the urgent stream, his boat seemed the plaything of fate, andthe unstable element upon which it rode and rocked and trembled, helikened to human life, fleeting, turbulent, treacherous, yet grandlybeautiful. Yielding to that mood in which the judgment and the willare suspended, and the passive brain is played upon by every sight andsound, he sat in an easy chair smoking, lost in sensuous languor, likean Asian prince. He was, for the time, possessed by the sensation ofbeing royal. He enjoyed by anticipation the prerogatives ofsovereignty, the power, the luxury, the voluptuous pleasure. Theobjects of his ambition appeared then how easy of attainment! Toaccomplish seemed no more difficult than to desire. The stream wasrunning his way, and the wind was blowing his way. As surely as theMississippi goes to the Mexican Gulf, would destiny waft Burr to theocean of his desire. Imaginations so extravagant, courted in solitudeand fed by indolence, served to beguile the days of the long voyagefrom Fort Massac to New Orleans. 

At last the barge rounded into port, late in the afternoon of aperfect summer day. Aaron the First, standing upon deck, was comingunto his own; or rather, the city came floating out to meet her king. The bending shore which gives the name Crescent City to the emporiumof the South, was lined with ships from every sea, and withinnumerable river craft. New Orleans was one of the richest marts onthe hemisphere. Burr stepped ashore and quickly ascended the levee. Hundreds of pleasure-seekers swarmed the footpaths or rested on thebenches under the rows of orange trees which shaded the broadcauseway. 

On turning his eyes towards the city, Burr experienced a thrill ofsurprise. The prospect surpassed his pre-conceptions. In the subduedglow of the setting sun, he saw all things touched with a visionarysplendour. Streets, roofs, belfries, the cathedral spire, and the flagof the Union streaming far away above the fort, appeared objects in anenchanted scene. Were the seven cities of Cibola clustered in onegolden capital?

The spell was broken by the practical promptings of common sense. Notin possession, but only in pursuit of a treasury and a scepter, thewould-be monarch addressed himself to the solution of his complicatedproblem. It was necessary to learn how the Louisianians regarded theFederal government, how much prejudice they felt against the AtlanticStates, and whether they could be influenced to break away from theUnion and to organize a separate autonomy. Burr wished further to knowwho and how many were disposed to wage war against the Spaniards withthe ulterior design of conquering Mexico. In order to learn the insidefacts he must gain the confidence of all, must make himself popular, must fathom hearts and steal away brains. The final success of hisplans would depend on the good-will of the people. The good-will ofthe people must be won by address--by social tact. Social tact wasAaron Burr's art of arts. He deliberately set about the delicatebusiness of captivating a city that he might eventually capture it. 

Wilkinson had pressed upon him letters of introduction to the magnatesof the town. Neither letters nor formal receptions were needed tointroduce Aaron Burr to society. His manner was passport, entitlinghim to cross all borders; his sympathy was cosmopolitan, histoleration unlimited, his pleasure, to please others, his studyurbanity. Jews thought him a Hebrew, and Christians voted himorthodox. The amiable but capricious creoles, easy to take offense, yet blind in their devotion to those they confide in, swarmed to hisstandard. The Roman Catholic bishop countenanced him, endorsed hisaims, and signalized an official friendliness by accompanying him on avisit to the Ursuline Convent, and there the son of a Protestantpreacher chatted pleasantly with my lady prioress and her demure nuns. Burr went everywhere, and wherever he went, he made discreet use ofhis opportunity to inquire, to observe, to listen, to make friends andproselytes. He felt the pulse of public sentiment. Never to any persondid he fully disclose his designs. Without argument or appeal, heconvinced, persuaded, and inflamed the victims of his corruptinginfluence. To the avaricious his intimations promised riches; to theluxurious, pleasure; to those disaffected towards the East, revolt andsecession. 

Affairs in the Southwest were unsettled. Only a year and a half hadelapsed since Louisiana had passed into American hands. Jefferson'sland purchase was a current topic of conversation. Opinions differed, and men hotly discussed the question whether, even if the Presidenthad a constitutional right, he had a moral warrant for saddling uponthe young republic a wild domain, of doubtful value, sparselyinhabited by Indians and already dedicated, by tradition, to the ruleof an alien, white population. The Spaniard and the Frenchman, soldand transferred, by one power to another, could not be expected tosubmit. The citizens had long yielded willing allegiance to hisSpanish majesty, the emblem of whose sovereignty had been hauled down, to give place to the tri-color of France; and now that second bannerhad disappeared. Though an American governor ruled the district, thereprevailed among the populace a hope and belief, that, after a briefmeteoric display, the red, white and blue, emblazoned with stars, would fade and vanish from its proud height over the old fort, newgarrisoned by American soldiers. Spanish officers in disguise lingeredin the haunts of their former dignity and sway. They stirred up secretdissension. They deemed themselves not extinguished, though eclipsed. Discontent and resistance were in the air. War-clouds hung dark alongthe Mexican and Floridan border, rumbling with ominous thunder. 

Into this chaos of troubled politics, and conflicting interests, AaronBurr came exploring, vigilant to note and sedulous to question. Thesum of the impressions which he received confirmed him in the beliefthat the people of the West and Southwest were ready and anxious toseparate their section from the Atlantic States; and he felt convincedthat it would be no trouble "to enlist recruits and make arrangementsfor a private expedition against Mexico, " especially in case of warwith Spain. 

It was the middle of September when, true to his promise, Burrappeared at St. Louis, in Wilkinson's quarters, to unfold the tale ofhis triumph in New Orleans. In the course of his animated narrative, he said:

"There is an infinite difference between floating down to New Orleansin your delightful barge, and jogging homeward a thousand miles onhorseback. That interminable stretch of dreary wilderness from Natchezto Nashville, along the Indian trail, over sandy wastes, through pinewoods, was intolerable. I was glad enough to reach Tennessee and oldKentucky. The people of Frankfort treated me very handsomely, as didthose of Lexington. I paid my respects to the local idol, the youngVirginia orator and rising lawyer, Henry Clay. That man is aprodigy--he will make his mark. I wish he were hand in hand with us, like Jackson, and ready to embark his fortune at our prompting. "

"So do I. Clay is a rising power, notwithstanding his conceit. He willmake a stir in Congress some of these days. "

"That he will, " said Burr, and proceeded with his story, at the closeof which he exclaimed, "I wish you could attend one of the meetings of the Mexican Society inNew Orleans. Its object is to discuss means of emancipating Mexico. You should hear, as I have heard, the outspoken discontents of thecreole population. They adore the institution of African slavery. Theyhate New England. They will not buy even a Yankee clock if it isadorned with an image of the Yankee Goddess of Liberty. But they are_mine_, every mother's son of them, and what is more important, everyfather's daughter of them. I took the city by storm, and the outlyingprovinces belong to us. We have a people and, virtually, an army. Themoral conquest is complete. When the hour strikes for extending theborders of our conceded realm, you are the chosen Cæsar. "

"Can we depend on David Clarke's co-operation?"

"Why not? His interests are bound up in ours. We have a host of stanchadherents, in all parts of the country and on the high sea, and inEurope, soldiers, statesmen, capitalists. I need not name them to you. All these are to be kept in mind and treated with due consideration. Our enterprise is in its preliminary stage. The shrewd work ofenlisting recruits must be intrusted to carefully selected captains. Ihave the ways and means clearly in my head. Every detail must beworked out in practice. "

"Burr, you are more circumspect than I gave you credit for being. There is always danger in the dark. Have you entertained thepossibility of defection?"

"I have measured my ground, and calculated the curve of my leap. Ishall not fall into an abyss, or dash myself upon a rock. If we failto sever the Union, and do not succeed in the conquest of Mexico, Ihave so masked our designs as to make them appear in the guise ofinnocent land-speculations on the Wachita river. "

XI. PALAFOX GROWS INSOLENT. 

Early in October Wilkinson's duties required him to visit the town ofGenevive, some fifty miles south of St. Louis. The best cabin in akeelboat had been furnished in sumptuous style for the accommodationof the self-indulgent chief. Such was the attractiveness of this cosyretreat that the general preferred it to his official quarters on theshore and he occasionally spent a whole afternoon reading, writing ordozing there in undisturbed privacy. 

On the day before that fixed for his departure he prolonged his stayin the cabin to a late hour, for reasons partly physical, partlymental. His robust health and ebullient spirits were suffering anunwonted depression. Even his strong constitution could not withstandthe "miasmatic" vapor of the lowlands near the Western watercourses. The malarial poison had entered his blood, causing low fever, dullheadache and general hypochondria. Copious doses of Peruvian barkbitters aggravated the unpleasant symptoms. Moreover, the weather hadturned unseasonably raw and gusty. The characteristic mildness ofOctober gave way to gloomy inclemency. The month was not like itsusual self, and Wilkinson partook of its exceptional harsh melancholy. Appropriate for a season so dreary was the sad name of Fall--Fall, the period of decline, decay and death. For the first time in his lifeWilkinson "heard the voice which tells men they are old, " though hewas not old. 

The general sat holding in his hand a short letter, in cipher. Thelast sentence did not please him. "God bless you and grant you a safedeliverance from factions and factious men. " These words Wilkinsonread over and over. To him, in his dejected mood, with nerves unstrungand head swimming in quinine bitters, the blessing sounded ironical; amocking face seemed concealed behind the mask of consideratefriendliness. The tone of the communication struck him as patronizing, perhaps unconsciously made so, but the more offensive on that account. One suspicious fancy engenders another; it now occurred to the generalthat his former comrade and late guest, in more than one unguardedspeech, had arrogated superiority, and that he had presumed, withoutsufficient warrant, on the subserviency of men greater than himself. 

"Does he think I am committed to him, body and soul? Does he take itfor granted that I am a tool and a fool? Burr should consider his ownposition and mine. I have had too much experience in the world to becaught by this shrewd contriver, or by any man. "

Wilkinson put the letter away, and taking a book, threw himself on hisbed. The volume he had chosen was a fine copy of the _SentimentalJourney_, his favorite reading. The italicised wit and glossylicentiousness of Yorick did not fix attention. Neither the "DeadAss, " nor the "Starling, " nor the fair "Fille de chambre, " had now acharm to steal the reader from his petty miseries of head and heart. Casting the book aside, he again arose, paced nervously up and downthe cramped cabin, and once more sought comfort in the cushioned seat. Prudence bade him seek home before nightfall, but the inertia ofdespondency kept him from going. The gathering darkness, the whiningwind, the sound of restless water lapping and sucking around the keel, suggested superstitious forebodings and called up dismal images. Toevery mood there is a season; this was Wilkinson's hour ofself-examination. He looked backward on his deeds and inward on hismotives. He mistrusted the future. If he were sure that Burr's rainbowdipped its gorgeous ends in gold, no accusing ghost of the past woulddeter him from chasing the yellow temptation over mountains or throughbogs. He was not given to brooding over bygone failures, nor was hemuch afraid that his buried sins would arise to find him out. He beganto think better of his friend's message. Burr was certainly a deep manand bold; he had genius; he had perseverance, enthusiasm, resource, resolution. Taking him all in all, he was a masterful spirit, a fitpartner, nay, even a leader for James Wilkinson. 

To dispel mental gloom, the general summoned his familiar, the nimblespirit of alcohol. One dram proved so enlivening, by going "straightto the spot, " that another was tossed off, from a sense of gratitude. Evidently the best ingredient in the bitters was the solvent, not thePeruvian bark. Wilkinson placed the bottle in a cupboard, and waspreparing to leave the cabin, when the door opened and in walkedPalafox. The commander-in-chief, whom fever and quinine had renderedhot-headed, stared angrily. 

"What does this mean? Didn't I warn you never again to come to meunless sent for? You sneak in without so much as knocking! Youreffrontery deserves a horsewhip! Begone!"

Instead of going, the intruding boatman pulled off his slouch hat andmade a humble bow: "I beg your pardon, general, but I used to come andgo, you recollect, by your order, informally, like a kind of privatesecretary, and I can't get rid of the familiar habit. "

"Familiar! I should say so! You are brazen! I doubt you are drunk oryou would not have the audacity to invade my privacy and speak as youdo. "

"Well, governor, what if I am drunk? You don't see anythingdisgraceful in that, do you?"

The insolence of this personal thrust enraged Wilkinson beyondendurance. In his indignation he snatched a sheathed sword from thewall and struck Palafox a rash blow. The ruffian recoiled, staggering, and clutched at the hilt of a dirk in his belt. 

"Is that enough for you?" cried the furious general. 

The Spaniard, livid and trembling, checked the impulse to draw hisdirk, and slowly raising his hand to the bleeding welt on hisforehead, said with sullen irony:

"It's now more'n three months since I invaded your privacy, as youcall it. I came all the way from Natchez for money, not for abuse. Youowe me, and if you are a man of your word you'll pay me. I want toleave this part of the country, and won't bother you any more afteryou've paid what's coming to me, unless you want to hear some factsconcerning your own good that I've picked up for you. "

The unabashed, persistent importunity of Palafox, astounded Wilkinson. There was an accent of admiration in his exclamation, "Youdare-devil!"

"I'm not daring you, general, and if I was, you are not a devil, onlya debtor. "

The dignity of Wilkinson could not suffer further saucy retort orquestion. 

"This farce must end. I cannot bandy words with such as you. Notanother dollar shall you receive from me--not a penny. You had myfinal word at Massac, last Spring. Quit this boat instantly, and leaveSt. Louis. If I see you again, or hear of your hanging around thegarrison, I'll settle your account in short order. "

"I don't belong to the army. "

"No!" answered the chief, sternly, "but I _do_; and I have civilauthority also. If you had justice, Palafox, you would hang. I amashamed of myself to speak to you further. Now, go. "

"Yes, I'll go; I'll go in a minute; but I've got a scrap of paper Iwant to read to you. Will you hear it?"

Not unwilling to learn what might be the purport of the writing sodramatically introduced, and in order to get rid of Palafox withoutfurther violence, Wilkinson consented to listen. 

With his back to the door, the lowering Spaniard read the following:"It is not necessary to suggest to a gentleman of your experience andknowledge of the world, that man, throughout the world, is governed byprivate interest, however variously modified it may be. Some men areavaricious, some are vain, others are ambitious. To detect theprevailing passion, to lay hold of and to make most of it is theprofoundest secret of political science. "

Pausing, he asked sarcastically:

"Are those your sentiments? Folks say you wrote this to Gardoqui, inJanuary, 1789. That was before your plot with the Spanish Minister, Carondelet. Liars say, and say in print, that you hatched up a plan tosplit the West from the East, and to put the West under Spanishcontrol. They say, these malicious liars do, that Tom Power broughtten thousand dollars bribe money, packed in barrels of sugar and bagsof coffee, from New Madrid to Louisville, and that Philip Nolanconveyed the sweetened lucre to Fort Washington. "

Wilkinson laughed. "You do not believe such absurdities, do youPalafox?"

"Why should I disbelieve? Carondelet's plan seems excellent to me, aSpaniard. We have been talking about events that happened ten yearssince. I was in your service nearly twenty years ago; you sentcorrespondence down the river when I was a boy, but I was a good, careful boy, and always tried to act with intelligence. I've savedlots of nice letters. I'm fond of good reading. "

Whether it was owing to illness or quinine or conscience, a slightdizziness came over Wilkinson; his head swam; he leaned far back inhis chair, and endeavored to steady his thoughts. Palafox cast on hima sidelong malicious glance and continued his monologue:

"Yes, I've got lots of fine sentiments in my archives. Here's anoriginal. It's tolerable old, you see, stained and worn. " This he saiddisplaying a soiled paper, which he drew carefully from a largeleathern pocket-book. "Let's see. Yes, this is the original of a fineletter, a copy of which I delivered to Governor Miro. "

"Miro!" exclaimed Wilkinson. 

"Yes; Miro, that's the name--Don Estevan Miro, Spanish governor ofLouisiana, before Carondelet's day. "

Wilkinson rose menacingly. Palafox did not flinch, but leeringsignificantly, read these words:

"My situation is mortally painful because, whilst I abhor allduplicity, I am obliged to dissemble. This makes me extremely desirousof resorting to some contrivance that will put me in a position inwhich I flatter myself to be able to profess myself publicly thevassal of his Catholic majesty, and, therefore, claim his protection, in whatever public or private measures I may devise to promote theinterests of the crown. "

"There, general, I should say this might be valuable property for youto possess, and damaging to you if it falls under the eye of thepublic, " remarked Palafox, thrusting the letters into his pocket. "Itbears your signature. I deciphered every secret letter that touched myhand from you to Miro and Carondelet, and from them to you. Now, hadn't you better buy the whole damned correspondence?"

"Buy?" sneered Wilkinson, trembling with passion. "So this is all thedesperate attempt of a felon to levy blackmail upon his benefactor!"

The boatman turned to lift the latch. 

"You won't buy, then?"

No reply was vouchsafed the desperado. 

"I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll throw in a spice of Aaron Burrpepper that he happened to spill in my sight. You and Aaron appear tobe thick. He and I are chums, too. He is one of us. The colonel is alovely mole, very smooth and shiny, but he don't always tunnel deepenough to hide his track. "

"Begone!"

"O, I'm going. If you won't buy, I'll keep. Good-bye, general. "

He deliberately put on his slouch hat and backed out through thenarrow doorway. As a parting salute he touched with his finger the redcontusion on his forehead. Wilkinson stood a few seconds, in rigidsilence, then stepped to the open door and called aloud:

"Palafox! Comeback!"

No answer was returned to the cry, nor did the vanished figurereappear. Not even the sound of his retreating footfalls could beheard. A dense fog had risen, shrouding the river and crawling overcottage and chapel and fort. Alone, in the boat's cabin, by the dimlight of a flickering lamp, the general waited and waited, anxious tosoothe and conciliate the malignant underling, once his minion, now anunscrupulous enemy, too dangerous to be despised. The proud officerlistened for a returning step or a relenting voice, but heard no othernoise than that made by the whining winds, and by the waters of theMississippi fretting and swirling around the keel of his solitaryboat. 

XII. SNARING A PHILOSOPHER. 

After his tour in the West, Burr, homeward bound, pursued his way fromSt. Louis to Vincennes, thence to Cincinnati, and up the Ohio to thebeautiful island he had visited in the month of May. Change of seasonhad transformed a paradise of soft verdure and tender bloom into anEden of gorgeous foliage and gaudy flowers. The house ofBlennerhassett he saw embowered in trees magnificently colored by thewonder-working frosts of October. The place was Færie Land, but hadnot Gloriana been there, it may be doubted whether other attractionsof the lovely isle would have detained the restless conspirer. Oncemore the American statesman stood in the presence of the fairest damewest of the Alleghanies, and she received him with cordial words andkind eyes. 

"We have been expecting this visit. Your letters to my husband kept usboth in hope you would not fail to honor us before your return toPhiladelphia. "

"The boat which brought me up-stream, madam, rounded into your wharfof its own motion, attracted by some lodestone or guiding star. I amhere again, after many days. "

"You have wandered far since you happened to discover our hiding-placelast May. "

"Wandered is the word. Like a pilgrim, I went in Spring to come backin Autumn. "

"Bringing the palm?"

"Palm, olive, laurel, myrtle--the whole botany of lucky leaves. Howare my boys, Dominick and--what's the younger one's name?--Yes, Harman, how are they? I am due in Philadelphia, but I delay businessto indulge inclination. "

"You did not quite forget the lonely island and its solitary family?"

"He would be an insane palmer who could forget the most attractiveshrine in the round of his long pilgrimage--"

As Burr was saying these words, a soft shuffling step was heard in theadjoining room, and a grave gentleman in spectacles made hisappearance in the doorway. 

"Colonel Burr, my husband. "

"A happiness and an honor to meet you, Colonel Burr. "

Bow followed bow, urbane word echoed word, awkwardly protracting thesalutatory ceremony until Burr felt like a Chinese mandarin at a courtreception. According to his wife's judgment, Mr. Blennerhassettacquitted himself admirably; she felt that Burr must recognizesterling manhood and aristocratic breeding. This he did, and more, forat a glance he read the book and volume of her husband's character, interpreting more accurately than it was in her nature to do. Thewoman's partial eye discovered the sound qualities it wished to see, while the calculating insight of the man of the world detected theflaws he was too willing to find. 

The solemnities of introduction being safely over, Blennerhassettmonopolized the guest, and led the way to his study, eager to setforth a feast of information. Among his books he could talk like abook; out of the library he lost energy. There was one source fromwhich he took a current of mental force more vitalizing than anystream of ideas from books, and that source was the superior intellectof his wife. Hardly could he make up his mind on any practical matter, unassisted by her thinking and advice. Doubly dependent, he was notthe man to cope with the daring, self-reliant, versatile Aaron Burr. But once in his stronghold, bulwarked by standard editions, and, as itwere, in the arsenal of established science, the philosopher rose tohis best. He fairly glowed with learning's soft fire, while exhibitinghis telescope, microscope, electrical machine, _et cetera_, andstating to the last shilling what each piece of apparatus cost and howit was to be used. Burr, himself a victim of mild bibliomania, tookmost interest in the loaded shelves, along which his eyes travelledwith rapid discrimination. 

"I see familiars here. Your Voltaire is a match for mine. Ah!--Rousseau, Bentley, Gibbon, Hume--I fancy myself in my study onRichmond Hill. You must be a free-thinker. Where is the Holy Bible? Ihope you are not past that?"

"The Sacred Scripture? I have two copies. I believe they are both inMargaret's room--I mean Mrs. Blennerhassett's. She reads the Biblefrequently, especially the poetical parts. The Hebrew mind ispoetical. I have searched the Scripture in vain for scientific data. There is little or no exact science in the work. Nothing on physic, though they claim that St. Luke was a doctor. Let me show you aremarkable volume--centuries old--this folio copy of Hippocrates, translated from the original Greek into Arabic and from Arabic intoLatin. My favorite reading, however, is purely literary--the book ofbooks--the incomparable Homer. Alexander the Great kept his Homer ina golden box; I keep mine in my head, sir, or perhaps I should say, inmy heart. I have committed to memory the greater part of the epic. "

"Is it possible?"

To Burr's consternation, the host seemed desirous of proving that itwas possible, by reciting the _Iliad_. 

Blennerhassett kept hexameters flowing several minutes, markingquantity with tongue and moving finger. 

"What a pity we lack spondees, in English, colonel. Do you writeverse, sir?"

"Not I. I suppose you do?"

"No; not since leaving college. I admire poetry, but I could nevermaster the meters. It is different with Margaret--I mean my wife. Shewrites correctly. She is a born poet. You recall Horace, '_poetanascitur_. ' I confine my pen to the composition of music and politicalessays. "

"I have heard of your political writings, but not of your musicalcompositions, " said Burr; the last half of the speech being true. "Norhave I had the good fortune to read the poems of Madam Blennerhassett. Are they in print?"

"Some have been published, fugitively; the most of them remain inmanuscript. "

"Sir, you could not give me a greater pleasure than the perusal ofthose poems would afford. "

The near-sighted sage unlocked a rosewood cabinet and took out threeleaves of tinted paper which he gave to Burr. On the pages werewritten, in fine hand, several stanzas under the title, "IndianSummer. "

"Read this at your leisure and give me your opinion. " Burr, bowing, took the manuscript, and the complaisant husband, pointing to a pileof sheet music, spoke on. "This is of my own composition. Do you playthe violoncello?"

Burr shook his head. 

"Perhaps you prefer the violin or the flute?"

"No, I cannot play any instrument--not even a jewsharp. "

"Not even that?" murmured the other, with a sigh of infinite regret. "I am fond of the violincello, the viola da gamba of medieval times. Properly it is not a viol--not a base viol as some suppose, but aviolin of extra large size. That is what it is. "

While imparting this knowledge, the speaker drew from a baize bag theinstrument, and tuned it. He placed an open music book upon a rest, and proceeded to entertain his audience of one. He played and playedand played. The best way to please such an artist is to humor theillusion that his exertions give pleasure. No human performance canlast forever--not even a concert. A string broke, and the musician, putting his 'cello aside with a sigh, suffered the conversation to runin a new channel opened by Burr. 

"Bravo! You play delightfully. There is magic in your fingers. Bewareof such skill; it may charm yourself to your injury. You have readeverything; you remember Bunyan's episode of the Enchanted Ground. This island reminds me of that valley of rest. Is it possible you haveforgotten the world since abandoning public affairs?"

"No, sir; no. I sought retirement for many reasons, but I am acosmopolitan. I care for the welfare of the race. I may describemyself as a philanthropist, a humanitarian. I know Europe, I amlearning America. My local attachments are not strong, though myprinciples are like iron. I left my native country to seek a largerfreedom in the United States. "

"Then why do you confine your liberty? This is a pent-up field for aman of broad views. "

"I beg your pardon. Solitude is the best school in which to studysociety. In this seclusion I read, and reading makes a full man. Though a newcomer, I try to keep myself informed concerning thiscountry's history and institutions. I do not understand all thecomplications of your politics; I am no partisan. No one is betterprepared than yourself to expound public matters. This dispute inregard to the boundary line between Louisiana and Mexico threatenswar, does it not?"

"I fear not, " replied Burr, remarking an opportunity to inform andbias an unwary savant. The lump had invited the leaven. 

"I fear not. "

"Then you desire war?"

"This Government should take care of its own, at all hazards. TheSpaniards wish to provoke hostilities. My friend and fellow-officer, General Wilkinson, commander-in-chief of the Western troops, holds thearmy in readiness to advance into Mexico at a moment's warning. "

"At a moment's warning?" repeated Blennerhassett, dubiously. "GeneralWilkinson told you so? Is he--a reliable officer?"

"He and I are most intimate friends. We consult on public and onprivate concerns. I have just returned from his headquarters in St. Louis, where we were considering a business enterprise--the purchaseof a large tract on the Wachita river, between the Red and theSabine. "

"Do you purpose returning South to remain?"

"My intention is to buy those fertile lands, establish a colony, anddevelop the resources of the region, as a sure and easy means ofmaking my own fortune, and the fortunes of my associates. "

"You are confident that the prospect of increasing your capital isgood?"

"I am absolutely certain. I speak positively, but not rashly. "

Blennerhassett nodded slowly, three or four times, and Burr spoke on. 

"That the investment will prove enormously profitable I have not theshadow of a shade of doubt. General Wilkinson knows the property, andso do I. There are more than a million acres to be had for fiftythousand dollars. The present value is ten times that amount. "

"If the inquiry is not impertinent, sir, have you organized a jointstock company? Have you completed your plans?"

"Practically, everything is arranged. Negotiations are afoot. Thenecessary capital will be forthcoming. We take no risk. To you I willsay, in confidence, that the number of shareholders will be severelylimited. You know how desirable it is, in partnerships of this kind, to admit only men of unimpeachable honor. "

Again Blennerhassett nodded three or four times, like an automaton. Burr, affecting to dismiss the topic, turned again to the book-shelvesand fell to reading the gilded titles. A copy of "The Prince" arrestedhis eye. Taking this down, he opened it at random, and read aloud:"Men will always prove bad, unless by necessity they are compelled tobe good. "

"What do you think of that as an estimate of human nature?"

"Abominable!"

Burr fluttered the leaves of the famous treatise and came upon thissentence, marked by a pen: "It is of great consequence to disguiseyour inclination and to play the hypocrite well; and men are so simplein their temper and so submissive, that he that is neat and cleanly inhis collusions shall never want people to practice upon. "

"Why did you mark that passage?"

"To condemn the doctrine. The hypocrite can never thrive; the plain, honest man always sees through the disguise. Virtue is all-seeing, butfraud is blind. "

"You mint apothegms, sir. It is an intellectual feast to hear youtalk. "

Burr replaced Machiavelli on its shelf, confronted his host, and, in atone deferential and almost apologetic, said, "You must not accuse meof flattery, sir, when I bluntly charge you with defrauding the worldand robbing that humanity which you profess to love. "

"I can't find any flattery in such accusation. Kindly explain what youmean. Whom do I defraud? and how is it flattery to charge a man withinsincerity?"

"Well, you seem to me to be evading your duty to the world, by hidingfrom its great public interests, enterprises and conflicts. You lingerhere, a magnificent hermit. If ever a philanthropist hid his lightunder a bushel, thou art the man. If ever brilliant talents rusted ina napkin, yours do. Your noble wife is cut off from the splendidcareer appropriate to her, and is compelled to devote her days torural walks and the direction of a few negro slaves. Not to dwell onthe sacrifice of mother and sons, your own learning, fortune, andextraordinary mental powers--your genius for dealing with men--arehere employed, not in the service of mankind, but in--" Burr wastempted to say "fiddling, " but he substituted the words--"gazing atthe stars through a telescope. Pardon me for speaking strongly. It isonly a few hours since we first met, but I am drawn to you. I admireand esteem you, and my motive in this perhaps impertinent appeal, isthe wish to serve you. "

Blennerhassett felt much gratified by the insidious censure. Hisportrait, amiably regarding its original from the wall, listenedapprovingly to Burr, and smiled acquiescence. "Does the mild-eyedthing recollect me?" mused Burr. The picture betrayed no sign ofrecognition and the original spoke. 

"Such candor is rare, and I appreciate it. I am honored by theoutspoken confidence of the man I know you to be, not only from what Ihave read of your political course, which I wholly approve, but fromMrs. Blennerhassett's reports of your conversation. Her judgment isunerring. I defer to it. You will confer a great favor on me byexplaining, in detail, your Southern plans. "

Thus solicited, Burr adroitly availed himself of the opportunity todivulge, not only his project of settling the Bastrop lands, but suchpart of his other plans as he deemed it prudent to reveal at the time. He learned to his satisfaction that Blennerhassett had no repugnanceto the idea of separating the Western States from the Eastern and ofinvading Mexico. Burr's angling had gone on for an hour, with lures sotempting that the gudgeon seemed about to swallow bait, hook and all, when the conversation was disturbed by an unusual clamor of excitedvoices coming from the negro quarters. Blennerhassett, in a flurry, excused himself, and hastened to inquire what was the matter. He foundhis servants, black and white, huddled together around Scipio, who hadjust told the grinning crowd that Honest Moses was missing from theplantation, having been enticed by an Ohio farmer to cross the riverand run away to the free North. 

This was Scipio's story, but Peter Taylor, who stood smoking a smallpipe, with looks of austere indifference to all human interests, hadanother theory to account for the leave-taking of Moses. 

"I've no hidea 'e ran away to Ohio. That lazy nigger 'ated work toomuch to run away to Ohio. I suspicion that the rascal drifted away ona flatboat. "

"What makes you think so, Peter?"

"I can't say that I altogether think anything sure about the nigger. It isn't my business to think about other people's business. I onlysay I suspicion. If I knew what was hid in the future, I would havetold. But it's my firm suspicion that a boatman by the name ofSheldrake lured Honest Moses away on a flatboat. "

"No; Mars Taylor, " reiterated Scipio, "Moses done tole Ransom he wasgwine to run off, up Muskingum. "

"When did he tell you?"

"Las' Crismus. "

"For de Lawd sake!" cried out Juno, the kitchen maid, whose rollingeyes were the first to see the master approaching. "I never 'spectedHonest Moses of sneaking fum his good home and kind Mars and Missuslike a brack thief in de night. Whar's Daniel? I hy'ard him prayin'for Moses yesterday. "

"No prayin' is gwine to keep Honest Moses fum de debil. Dat nigger'snot got no religion to his name--not a speck. Didn't I tell Missuswhen she thought she cotched me and Ransom sellin' watermillions andsweet 'tatoes to de boys from Marietta, dat it was Moses done it?"

Exasperated, perplexed, not knowing how to act, Blennerhassett soughthis wife, with whom he held a closet conference, lamenting histroubles and soliciting counsel. The lady advised him to summon PeterTaylor, and suggested that the two should go across the river toBelpre, there consult the squire, and set in motion every availableagency to insure the recapture of the fugitive. The much-worriedphilosopher begged Burr to excuse him for a couple of hours, andhurriedly started on his vexatious quest, accompanied by thephlegmatic gardener. Complying good-naturedly with a proposal ofDominick and little Harman, and convoyed by those devoted children, Burr explored orchards, fields and stockyard, and won the extravagantpraises of the black people by visiting their quarters and greetingevery one, from Scipio to the youngest pickaninny, with a cheerfulword and a smile. Every slave on the plantation was in voluntary bondsto "Mars Burr, de fine gen'leman wi' de coal brack eyes. "

XIII. THE ENCHANTED GROUND. 

While Blennerhassett tramped about Belpre, his wife assumed thegovernment at home, and Burr studied fresh means of invading herheart. The lady neither saw nor wished any escape from the pleasanttask of entertaining the affable "pilgrim. " Considering how seldom aperson of extraordinary mental gifts brought to her isolated home thesparkle of wit, the hostess made the most of a golden opportunity. Shewaited with eagerness for Burr's return from his ramble with the boys, whose adhesiveness she knew by experience might prove too constant, like the clinging of Sindbad's Old Man of the Sea. 

Burr, despite his professed fondness for the company of boys, longedto exchange the society of Dominick and Harman for that of theirwinsome mother. Therefore, he managed to engage the lads in theconstruction of a mimic fort in a cornfield. Promising to inspect thegrand earthwork when it was completed, the colonel slipped away toreconnoiter another field. 

Retreating in good order, he arrived at the long portico, and, underits cover, passed to the hall, through which he reached the cosy roomwhere he and Arlington had been entertained. The French sofa, theebony stand, the clavier, looked familiar. The gilded harp stoodinvitingly in a place of honor. He drew near the instrument, and, smiling to himself, thrummed a few notes on the lower strings. As ifsummoned by the sound, from the routine of household tasks, themistress of the mansion entered in her regal manner and begged pardonfor having neglected her guest. 

Burr was in his element as the bird in air; his winged words nowskimmed the surface of common levels, now soared, then circled roundsubjects grave or gay, often fluttering, but never failing. The rangeof discussion was wide and free. They talked society, arts, countries, travels, the pleasure of life and its pain. He told of his sojourn inNew Orleans, describing a city not celestial, but abounding in thedelights of this world. She gave reminiscences of her birthplace, theIsle of Wight, spoke of her marriage and subsequent journeyings inEurope and America. 

Burr recalled the incidents of his previous visit, and besought madamto sing again the songs which had delighted him that evening after theramble in the woods. She cheerfully complied; for singing was herprime accomplishment. The lady felt keen enjoyment in theconsciousness of being understood and sympathized with, by a man ofbrains and character. 

The hour for lunch having arrived, Burr was conducted to thedining-room, and the pair sat down to a dainty repast, served by ablack damsel, who cast furtive glances upon the stranger, and observedthat the "Missus" wore her finest jewels and seemed refreshed by thecares of hospitality. Never before had such enlivening gossip beenheard by a servant in that sober house. The table-talk playedfamiliarly with names and individuals. 

"What became of the handsome young Arlington?"

"You think him handsome? He is in Virginia. I expect him to join me ina business enterprise. A fine fellow, thorough-bred. His name calls tomind your _protégée_, the golden-haired Yankee beauty. Arlington wassmitten by her demure eyes--pierced to the heart. Those wild violetsworked him woe. "

"Are you sure? Did he own it?"

"He did not confess in words, but I divined the secret, which was nosecret, for he revealed it by every sign known to the Court of Love. He was struck as by lightning--stunned by a love bolt. "

"The stroke was harmless. On his return from Cincinnati he passedthrough Marietta, where he knows Evaleen lives, and made no effort tomeet her, but rode by her house; I was with her on the porch, and weboth saw him trot past on a black horse. He stared our way and musthave identified us, yet he turned his face forward and spurred on. "

"Incredible! Your eyes deceived you. "

"No; it was Mr. Arlington; he made a flying trip to the island incompany with a peculiar person, one Plutarch Byle. "

"Byle? I shall never forget Plutarch!" interjected Burr, laughingly. "Dominick christened our fort, 'Fort Byle. '"

"Have you seen our gaunt Hercules? Isn't he an odd Grecian? In his'piroque' he brought Mr. Arlington here. I was from home, as I said. My husband suggested to your Virginian friend that he ought to call onthe Hales, but the faithless cavalier slighted us. I much doubt hisinterest in Evaleen. "

"I am certain he was smitten. "

"Then he is inconstant, or else belongs to the tribe of faint hearts. How ridiculous the idea of folks falling in love at first sight! Yetthey often do. The girl was pleased with him, and she still likeshim. "

"Likes him, does she?" drawled Burr, sarcastically, and lifted agherkin to his teeth. 

"Yes, don't you like him?"

"Very much. "

He bit the pickle quite savagely. 

"What do you think of _her_?"

"It cannot be the fault of the male sex that she remains single. "

"Some women are not inclined to marry. "

"Is Miss Hale one of those foolish virgins?"

"She is wise in taking time to select. She has many suitors. "

"And you think she likes Arlington?"

"I know she does. "

"Humph! she might do better. "

"She might fare worse. "

"Does he write to her?"

"No, not that I know of. "

"He is an idiot. "

"You show a jealous interest in the young man. " Here madam haltedabruptly. "Pardon me; I hear the boys; their father must havereturned. "

She rose expecting to receive her husband at the dining-room door, butthe footsteps she heard were not his. The vociferous boys came rushingin. "Fort Byle" was finished. Wouldn't "General" Burr come and see?

"You should not storm in, rudely, children; you disturb us. Harman, you have ruined your clothes; you are covered from head to footwith--I don't know what!"

"Spanish needles and sticktights; they won't hurt. Juno will scrapethem off. We're hungry. "

"Won't he come to the fort after luncheon?" importuned Dominick. 

"Yes, I will come. "

"Listen, " said the mother. "My son, you must first go with me to theferry. I am uneasy about papa. He did not intend to be gone longerthan a couple of hours. We must try to meet him. Perhaps the colonelwill go along, down to the landing. "

"Certainly, " replied the colonel, studying how to get rid of the"sticktights. "

After luncheon, all set out on the proposed walk to the river-side. The island and the vistas it commanded naturally drew folks out ofdoors. Finer weather could not be imagined. The distance from the lawnto the wharf, by way of the winding road, measured not less than aquarter of a mile. The boys raced ahead in the frolic fashion of humancolts, yelling, leaping and throwing stones. Slowly the matron and herescort followed, far in the wake of the obstreperous juveniles. 

"They are growing up like savages, " said the mother, deprecatingly. "What shall I do with them? To teach them properly seems impossible. Iam the parent of a brace of barbarians. Yet they are dear sweetboys--loving and brave. They despise meanness and never tell lies. "

"Then you are the mother of nobles. They will be men--to-morrow. Plato truly says the boy is the most unmanageable of animals. Boyshave an element of the cruel and ferocious. But we need not take thismuch to heart. They will outgrow the savage. We must not look for ripefruit on green sprouts, nor for elaborate reason or virtue inchildren. "

"Yet I cannot bear to have them grow up in wild ignorance. "

"No; youth must be guided. No greater evil can befall a lad than to beleft to do as he pleases. Yet in well-born children, such as yours, much may be trusted to nature. I rely on human essence. Freedom is thebest school. I don't believe we are born with evil passions and basepropensities. God made our faculties. The doctrine of total depravityslanders the Creator. The perfect man uses all, abuses none of hisorgans or energies. To educate a man is to give his hands, brain, andheart their maximum power. This can be done outside of academies. Thefree schooling out of school, which your sons now enjoy, is adiscipline towards success in life. Those fellows will be of someaccount, depend upon it. The ancient Eastern wisdom said, 'Knowthyself'; the new Western oracle says, 'Do something worth doing. '"

"How true and how encouraging, " exclaimed the enthusiast at his side. "I wish Mr. Blennerhassett could hear your broad views. But I am notsure you are right in relying entirely on weak human nature. I wastaught to mistrust the natural man. Is not conversion necessary?"

"In case the soul begins with a pure inheritance, I see no necessityfor regeneration. We come into the world potentially complete. Thethorough development of body and mind will furnish the world with aperfect man. The best education gives man's natural powers the rightdirection and the greatest efficiency. _We must trust_ in what weare, --in our own selfhood. Give man elbow room, give him breathingspace, liberty to think, feel and do. This is true living. "

Mrs. Blennerhassett stooped to pick up a blood-red leaf. They werenearing the boat-landing. The way was overarched by spreading branchesof gigantic maple-trees. The boys had wandered to the head of theisland, two furlongs away. 

"What of woman's education? Should it differ from man's?"

"No; I train my daughter as I might train a son. "

"Are her thoughts like yours?"

"I put slight restraint on her thoughts or emotions. There is no sexin soul. Woman should be free as the free breeze singing in the leavesover our head, and ruffling the waves out yonder on the river. "

"You grow eloquent. Is it the singing breeze or the rippling waterthat causes you to put your principles in language so poetical?"

"Do I speak poetically? That grand oak tree may shed Dodonianinfluence. It looks the king of trees--the emperor. These magnificentmaples, robed and crowned in emerald, gold, and royal crimson, are thequeens. "

"I am glad you love the forest, and are susceptible to nature'ssubtile appeals. I don't like people who have no feeling for scenery, and are not affected by the sublime and beautiful in nature. Mr. Blennerhassett does not agree with me in applying such a test to judgeone's friends by. He thinks I might be deceived, and says that verywicked folks may delight in very lovely scenes. In my opinion the goodand the beautiful are in harmony, and a wicked heart seldom goes withan æsthetic taste. I may be wrong, but I like to think that soulswhich are thrilled by the stars and the mountains and the sea, and bysuch forms and colors as we now contemplate, must be the nobler andpurer for the experience. "

Burr listened attentively to this rhapsody. The melodious voice spokeon: "I never grow tired gazing on this landscape. Splendid!"

"Splendid!" echoed Burr. 

A subdued rapture animated the lady's features and imparted freshvitality of beauty to her breathing form. She advanced to the edge ofthe water, stepped upon the ferryboat, an uncouth scow, like afloating wharf, with stout railing upon the sides. From this platformshe could take in a fuller prospect. The joy of admiration possessedher. She stood, self-forgetful, looking upon the gleaming river andthe distant, gorgeous Ohio hills. Burr, lingering on the bank, a fewyards behind, certainly took an intense human interest in thelandscape, seeing in the foreground that symmetrical figure, withplump arm outstretched. To be the sole spectator of that unstudiedpose was worth more than the Vatican and all the galleries in theworld. 

"See the bright sunshine, the soft shadow, the dim gold of the water, and the misty blue of the sky! Those magnificent hills seem not solidsubstance but piled clouds, yellow, and green, and scarlet. Can anyother valley in the world show a more satisfactory picture, outlinesas lovely, tints so delicate!"

"Nowhere else, in all my travels, " murmured Burr, speaking from hispoint of view. "Nowhere have I seen so much beauty at a single glance. The picture is unrivalled. "

"Do you say this in earnest or only to please me?" queried the frankgentlewoman, turning her face shoreward in time to see a pair of darkeyes regarding her with unaccountable ardor. Burr courteouslyproffered his hand to assist her from the pedestal, the deck of thescow. She accepted his aid, and lightly sprang to the damp sand of thebeach, into which her foot sank deep enough to print a pretty track. 

"Look out, you will soil your shoes; shall I remove the mud?" saidBurr, taking out his handkerchief. 

"No, thanks; it is only clean sand. " A tuft of soft green grassfurnished a ready mat, on which she wiped her small foot, notinvisible to Burr while he modestly inspected the mussel shells andpolished pebbles washed ashore by the plashing ripples. From the beachhe picked a bone-like fragment resembling milky quartz. This hebrought to the lady, who had chosen a mossy seat on the trunk of afallen sycamore. 

"It is a lucky-stone, " she remarked. "It brings fortune. "

"I will send it to Theodosia, " said the finder, pocketing thetreasure. 

A pensive mood had succeeded the anxious wife's elation. She gazedacross the river expectantly. Not a rowboat in sight, excepting askiff lying alongside the scow. 

"I fear he is having needless bother. How miserable! Our slaves are aburden, not worth the trifles they pilfer. I wish they would all runaway, then we might have an excuse for flying. "

"And could you leave your earthly paradise?"

"Yes; though I am attached to the island. I should regret to lose thetrees, the river, the sky. "

"Earth and sky stretch far. I sympathize with your feeling for theplace. I told your husband it was like Bunyan's Enchanted Ground. Beulah, however, and the Delectable Mountains lie beyond the EnchantedGround. "

"More poetry!"

"Could I make verse, I would sing of October in the Ohio Valley, or ofIndian Summer, which comes in November, don't it?"

She glanced up inquiringly. He held some leaves of pink paper coveredwith writing, recognizing which, she flushed. 

"How did you come by that? Did he--?"

She made a motion as if to take the paper. Burr, pretending not to seethe gesture, began to read in a low voice, infusing into the versemore thought and sentiment than it contained. His perfect reading gavethe commonplace stanzas æsthetic effect. The authoress confessedtheir merit to her secret soul. 

"I am vexed that Harman gave you that. It is silly stuff. "

"On the contrary, it is literature. You don't know, madam, how good itis. I have a favor to beg; allow this poem to be printed in the _PortFolio_. I know the editor, Jo Dennie, and shall call and give him thiscopy when I reach Philadelphia. You will not deny me this pleasure?"

Confident that she would not take offense he slid the lines on IndianSummer into his breast pocket, to keep company with the lucky-stone. The situation had become riskily sentimental and intensely stimulatingto Burr's disposition as a social trifler. He was reckless ofconsequences, vain of conquest over any woman, and scrupulous only toavoid failure in his amours. The more innocent and virtuous thevictim, the keener and more careful was he in pursuit. To entrapunsuspecting game without exciting alarm he considered the mostexquisite art of gallantry. What sport it was to entangle this superbcreature in a web of invisible gossamer threads!

"Tell me more about your Theodosia. Have you a picture of her?"

The question and request smote the father's conscience with amomentary compunction. 

"I will tell you all about Theodosia. I like to think and speak ofher. She is my life, my soul, my ambition, my joy. Theodosia has nofault that I can see, no trait which I do not admire and love. Sheis--"

The sentence was stopped short by a startling cry--a scream. MadamBlennerhassett sprang to her feet, trembling, and saw Dominick runningtowards her. He fell at her feet exhausted, caught at her gown andgasped:

"Harman! Harman will drown!"

She took the boy's hand and made him stand up. 

"Be a man. Keep calm. Speak plain. What is the matter?"

"O mother! He wouldn't mind me! He pushed a rotten, old leaky dugoutfrom the sandbar and climbed in, with a piece of paddle, and got outso far that the current caught him. "

"What sandbar? Which channel?"

"This side. The Ohio side. "

The mother suddenly grew faint. Speech forsook her tongue. The treesvanished and the air was a blur, through which she saw a moving shapethat looked the shadow of a human figure. All this in an instant. Theswoon passed, the trees reappeared, the shadow took the form of AaronBurr, tugging at a chain which fastened a skiff to a timber of thescow. A violent jerk wrenched out the strong staple that held thechain padlocked to the ferryboat, and the mother saw the colonel leapinto the skiff, seize the oars, and launch out into midstream. Thisnatural act, heroic in her esteem, she saw and her heart grew big withgratitude. She beheld another sight which caused at once a shock ofhope and a shudder of despair. She had hurried to the deck of the scowto get an unobstructed view of the river both up stream and down. Dominick at her side uttered a wild cry. "There he comes now!"

"There he comes!" But where she could not at first make out. Dominickpointed to an object like a drifting log in the middle of theswift-flowing stream. The object--a wooden trough, not three yardslong--carried one mariner, the venturesome baby, Harman. The tinycraft and its helpless passenger came into plain view nearly oppositethe landing. Burr's boat was rapidly nearing the crazy dugout when theterror-stricken castaway, catching a glimpse of his mother, rashlystood up and called "Mamma! Mamma!"

"Sit down! Sit down!" shouted Burr. 

"Keep still! Sit down!" screamed Dominick. 

The distracted mother, to enforce obedience, added gestures to cries. The scared child, further agitated by these demonstrations, entirelylost self-control. His posture caused the unstable trough to toppleover and the lad was plunged into the flood. The frothing mouth of awave swallowed him. No; his doom was not sealed; taught by instinct orby pluck, the little fellow had the presence of mind to save himselfby clinging to the capsized canoe. He held on tenaciously, driftinglike a part of the treacherous log. Burr's skiff was in full chase afew rods in the wake. The mother watched the race, breathless, numb, with all-seeing eye. Her hands gripped the oaken bar fastened acrossthat end of the ferryboat which was farthest out in the river and shestretched forward head and body, heedless of the down-tumbling mass ofher loosened hair, reckless of everything but the fate of her boy. Herstrained gaze kept focussed on the precious drift. Dominick weptaloud. 

"What shall we do? What shall we do? Oh, if papa were only here!"

"Hush! Don't cry. Don't speak. What could your father do? Pray withall your soul; pray to Heaven that Colonel Burr may save yourbrother. "

The aching eyes measured the diminishing distance between the twoboats. It seemed to the mother possible, for nothing is impossible tofaith, that by the sheer force of her projected will she might holdthe child back from death. Even while she solaced her dread with thisfancy the gliding log slipped free from the lad's tired fingers, andagain the woman watching from the ferry gave up hope. She shuddered, closed her eyes, and pressed her forehead hard against the oakrailing. 

"O my God, my God! our darling is gone!"

At this crisis Dominick believed he saw what his mother, bowed andblinded, did not see--a miracle working. Pantingly he cried out"Mamma!" The only response to his call was a moan and the despairingwords, "Drowned! My baby is drowned!"

"No! No! Look, mother! See there! Colonel Burr won't let Harman sink!Look! He has him by the arm, he has pulled him into the skiff. It didgood to pray. "

Burr, acting as any man would have done under the circumstances, having rescued the child without danger to himself and with littledifficulty, was a demi-god in the estimation of the Blennerhassettfamily. Little Harman's misadventure, the enforced long swimming inrough water, the two duckings and their disagreeable effects on throatand lungs, left him in a wretched condition, but by no means in needof a coffin. His teeth chattered, his hands were blue, he whimpered, but when Burr landed him high, if not dry, on a bed of gravel at theriver's margin, the drenched youngster mustered heroism enough tocomfort his mother by piping out the assurance, "I'm all right. "

"Thank God you are, my sweet pet, and thank Colonel Burr for savingyou, " sobbed Madam Blennerhassett, while she gathered the shiveringyoung one into her bosom, and almost extinguished the life that wasleft in him with tears and fondlings. 

Burr took off his coat, and wrapped it about the protesting infant, and carried him home, a feat as glorious, in the mother's mind, as hishistoric exploit of bearing Montgomery's body from the battlefield. Dry clothing, doses of cordial, vigorous chafing of body and limbs, bymany loving hands, soon brought the patient "round. " By the time hisfather came home, soon after the rescue, the urchin declared he was"well" and would rather upset again in the river than be rubbed andhugged any more. 

The endeavors of Blennerhassett to trace Honest Moses proved futile. That the slave had escaped by water, the balance of testimony renderedprobable. Abe Sheldrake, in all likelihood, had coaxed the negro away. 

When night came, Blennerhassett, holding curtain council, as usual, with his wife, dutifully repeated to her what Burr had revealed of theWachita speculation, and asked advice. She made up his mind promptly. "Share the enterprise, if you think he really wishes yourco-operation. Do whatever he desires. We can never cancel our debt ofobligation. We owe him everything. He saved your namesake's life. "

Convinced by this womanly reasoning, Harman, senior, could scarcelysleep nor wait till morning, so eager was he to lay his influence, hispurse and his property at Burr's disposal. Before the clock struckfive he was out of bed, and the quavering of his flute disturbed thecolonel's slumber. No sooner was breakfast over than the conference onthe land-purchase project was resumed, Madam Blennerhassettparticipating. 

"You propose, " said Blennerhassett, "to buy forty thousand acres forforty thousand dollars, and you have the pledge of Mr. Clarke, of NewOrleans, and of your son-in-law, Governor Alston, that they will standsurety for you. I will gladly make a third with these gentlemen. "

The offer was graciously accepted as a trust betokening futuretransactions of mutual profit. Further confidential discourse ensued, and it was agreed that Mr. Blennerhassett should assist the cause bywriting, under a pseudonym, a series of essays for the Ohio _Gazette_, on the commercial interests of the West, indirectly favoring disunion. 

Burr congratulated himself on the successful issue of his secondcampaign in the Enchanted Ground. He had won the islanders. Promisingto keep the Blennerhassetts apprised of the progress of his plans, hebade old and young good-bye, and departed for Philadelphia, thelucky-stone in his breast pocket. 

XIV. A LARGESS OF CORONETS. 

The story leaps over a period of nine months. The winter of 1805-6disrobed the trees on Blennerhassett's Island and spring againreclothed them. Wild violets once more sprinkled the glades and a newflowering of rosebushes in the garden fronting the house increased thefame and complacency of Peter Taylor. Another July plumed the maize, where the plough had obliterated Fort Byle. At last came imperialAugust, and with the glowing month returned Aaron Burr, his designsripened, his enthusiasm culminant. The silent wheelwork of conspiracyhad now been in operation for upward of a year. The arch complotterwas of buoyant heart and happy tongue, for he came accompanied byTheodosia, the loved associate in whom he reposed absolute trust, thegood familiar whom he invoked when all other spirits failed him. 

Theodosia made no enemies. Her beauty attracted and her amiabilityretained the devotion of men, the friendship of women. Nature hadlavished upon her those rare, delicate, elusive qualities which go tomake up that top flower of evolution, the woman of fascination, acreature indefinable, like poetry. In New York, city and State, shewas a reigning belle, caressed by society; she had been named thesocial queen of South Carolina, under the title of la Sainte MadamAlston. To Theodosia, his only child, whose education he directed, whose opinions he had shaped, whose sympathies were always with him, right or wrong, who after her marriage scarce less than before, lookedto him for guidance, as he to her for implicit approval--to her Burrconfided every detail of his plan of conquest, every vaultinganticipation of sovereignty. "Be what my heart desires and it willconsole me for all the evils of life. With a little more determinationyou will obtain all that my ambition or vanity fondly imagines. " Inthis strain was the father wont to appeal to the daughter, by letter. His thoughts, like carrier pigeons, were always homing to her. Houndedby obloquy, accused of murder, when he fled from Richmond Hill afterthe duel at Weehauken, he sought security and absolution in thesanctuary of la Sainte Alston's house in Charleston. "You and your boywill control my fate, " he had exclaimed. And now, when theseek-no-further hung ruddy on the orchard bough, and the wild bigoniaswang in air ten thousand trumpets of red gold, Burr reappeared at theWhite House of Blennerhassett, according to his promise, bringing withhim Theodosia Alston and her little son. 

"Behold, " said Burr to Madam Blennerhassett, in the ornate style hehad learned to use when addressing her, "this is my Sheba, to whom Ihave not told the half of your bounty or the king's wisdom. She hasnot come to prove him with hard questions, but to repose under hisalmug trees. My daughter, Mrs. Alston. "

"She is no stranger to my thoughts, " said the hostess, embracing andkissing Theodosia. "Our minds have met in our correspondence. How veryyoung you look, and how like your father. And the baby resembles youboth. "

"No baby, " chimed in Burr, cheerily. "He has grown a big boy, have younot, Gamp? Harman must take charge of him and teach him to buildforts, play Indian, and go buccaneering in a dugout. "

"What a funny name!" returned Harman, partly in self-defense. 

"Gamp is his short, everyday name, " explained the colonel. "It meansgrandpa. But on great public occasions, when Gamp is on his dignity, we must address him by his full title, Don Gampillo. "

Theodosia valued the lightest foam-bell on the wayward surface offashion, yet had escaped what Burr condemned as "the cursed effects offashionable education, " and it is needless to say that conventionalceremonies were waived between herself and the lady of the isle. 

"You came from Marietta; were you agreeably entertained there?"

"They lionized father. "

"No; they 'snaked' me. I was dragged into service by main force. "

"Father means that they insisted on his drilling the militia. Wearrived on a muster day, and nothing would do but he must prove theright to his rank by explaining the manual of arms. There are ever somany old soldiers in Marietta. "

"Yes, I drilled the men as soldiers, in the afternoon, and she drilledthem as captives, in the evening, at the ball; a modified fan-drillmade them march to her orders. Theodosia danced with at least a dozendistinguished citizens. "

"How many wives, widows, spinsters and school-girls did you lead upand down?" retorted Theodosia. 

"I don't know; I didn't count; I dance for politeness, not forvictory. My daughter has a drop of coquette's blood in her veins;though where it came from I can't imagine. Do you recollect, Theodosia, the remark of the Mayor of New York, when he invited you togo on board a war vessel? 'Don't bring any of your sparks on board, for they have a magazine and we should all be blown up. '"

To the ponderous mind of Mr. Blennerhassett, the feather-lightbadinage flying back and forth between Mrs. Alston and her sire, smacked of unbecoming levity. He had looked up a topic for weightiertalk. 

"Did you name your daughter, may I ask, Colonel Burr, anticipatingextraordinary rank for her? Had you in mind Theodosius the First, called the Great, or the second and more famous emperor of the name?Eudosia was a Roman empress, wife of the second Theodosius. She was apoetess. "

The man of facts glanced significantly toward his own wife, andresumed:

"Perhaps you had the name Eudosia vaguely in your memory when youchose the name Theodosia. History informs us that Theodosius wascontrolled by his wife and by his sister Pulcheria. "

"My Theodosia was so christened, " answered Burr, "because I like thename. It sounds well. I like it the better now that you tell us itsuggests a possibility of imperial sway. Who knows what may come topass?"

In anticipation of the third advent of Burr to the island, manyletters had been exchanged, and it was arranged that, for some monthsat least, "the close contriver" of the vast enterprise in hand shouldremain with Theodosia and Don Gampillo in the mansion, the islandbeing an eligible point for headquarters. Around this nucleus thehitherto mobile elements of his design should crystallize intodefinite shape. 

What had Burr been doing in the three-quarters of a year which hadelapsed since he bade good-bye to the Blennerhassetts in October? Hehad employed most of this time in Washington and Philadelphia, writinghundreds of letters, sounding the President, tampering with civil andmilitary officials, intrigueing with the British Minister, in a word, organizing a conspiracy, which he believed would eventually give him adictator's unlimited command over a magnificent realm. To Wilkinson hehad written in cipher many letters, one of which ran thus: "Theexecution of our project is postponed until December; want of water inthe Ohio rendered movement impracticable; other reasons rendered delayexpedient. The association is enlarged and comprises all thatWilkinson could wish. Confidence limited to few. Though this delay wasirksome, it will enable us to move with more certainty and dignity. Burr will be through the United States this summer. Administrationdamned, which Randolph aids. Nothing has been heard from the brigadiersince October. Address Burr at Washington. "

The "brigadier" remained in St. Louis until late in August, when hewas ordered to collect his force at Fort Adams, now Vicksburg, and inSeptember he transferred the troops to Natchitoches on the Red River, to defend the western frontier against threatened invasion bySpaniards beyond the Sabine. 

Arlington, ignorant of the treasonable designs of Burr, but zealousagainst Spain and ambitious to share in the conquest of Mexico, hadvolunteered to make a tour through Kentucky and Tennessee, to Natchezand New Orleans, on business relating to the Wachita lands, which Burrhad purchased. The Virginian started on his long journey early inautumn. 

To Blennerhassett, Burr dilated in confidential privacy:

"All is planned and ready to be put into execution. The iron is red onthe anvil. At least five hundred men are pledged to me, and I have onmy memorandum books, the names of as many thousands who will join uswhen wanted. Every man is to receive one hundred acres of the Bastropland, besides his regular pay. All are to present themselves armed andequipped, when boats are provided for their transportation and thesignal is given. I have told none of the volunteers exactly what willbe expected of them, but all are devoted to us. Of prominent personsnow in our confidence and ready to act at a word from me, I could namescores, besides yourself and Governor Alston. Among our confederatesare Commodore Truxton, the British Minister at Washington, and theCatholic Bishop of New Orleans. "

"Have you considered, " asked Blennerhassett, "what might be thecondition of our venture, in case General Wilkinson fails to secondyour designs against Mexico?"

"Even that contingency, I have taken into account, though we doWilkinson injustice to suppose it possible that he will fail us. Ourplans are excellent. If the Mexican string should break--as it willnot--the Wachita string, which you helped to twist, will send a surearrow to the mark of our high calling. Failure, my dear sir, is notpossible. The gods invite to glory and to fortune. "

In collocutions of this tenor, Burr, adapting himself to the moods ofhis sedate ally, unfolded his purposes. The philosopher heard, acquiesced, and accepted the part assigned to him in the execution ofthe great business. Blennerhassett's temperament, however, was such asto check, in some degree, the full flow of Burr's exuberant speech. Itwas always with constraint and reservation that the lattercommunicated himself to the head of the house. Not so when in familiarconverse with Madam Blennerhassett and Theodosia; uninfluenced by thedampening presence of the husband, he poured out his innermostcogitations, assurances, optimistic surmises. The three were inperfect accord. One evening they were seated in the seclusion of thelibrary. The children had gone to sleep, upstairs, Harman and Gampyunder the same chintz canopy. Mr. Blennerhassett, detained in Mariettaon an errand relating to the affairs of the Wachita company, probablywould not reach home before morning. Theodosia asked for a sentimentalballad. 

"Not a love-song, " said Burr, "but something heroic--a battle hymn ora stirring march. "

"Will you both agree to a compromise and accept some half-romantic, half-pious verses which I composed and set to music? The colonel willremember the incident which suggested the lines. "

The harp was brought in from the adjoining room and Mrs. Blennerhassett sang her original lay with the following chorus:

 "No longer in Enchanted Ground Thy lingering feet delay; Beulah's borders lie beyond, Rise, pilgrim, and away!"

"Bravo! Well sung and well said!" Burr emphasized this verdict byclapping his hands, and Theodosia joined in the applause. 

"Your allegory is no enigma to me, " said she. "There is thisdifference between us and Bunyan's pilgrim--he left the EnchantedGround forever--you can return when you please, and as often as youplease. Our promised land takes in and retains all the desirableproperty on the road to the Shining Gates, and we shall possess theHappy City without crossing that awful river. "

"Ah, yes, " quoth Burr, in low, earnest tones, as if uttering theauthentic revelations of an oracle. "This life we are sure of. Thepart of wisdom is to live as if to-day were our only day, and yetprovide for an infinite series of to-morrows. _Dum vivimus vivamus_. When we are established in Eldorado, in my new Spain, my MexicanCathay, in our Woman's Paradise, where the tree of knowledge is notforbidden--then will you think the Golden Age is come again. Ourswill be no feeble Republic, no Union of States loosely tied togetherby a filament; we will have a firmer government, a strong, liberal, enlightened Empire. That grand old Roman word, _Imperium_, pleases myear. I will extirpate the Spanish power from the continent, andestablish a throne at the old capital of the Montezumas. "

"Father!" asked Theodosia, catching fresh enthusiasm. "The WesternStates will hasten to cast off their allegiance to the East, whoserulers have traduced and persecuted you, and they will claim theprotection of your banner?"

"That, my daughter, is for the future to decide. If the States west ofthe Alleghanies, exercising the sacred right to secede, renounce theUnion, and seek to join our Empire, we shall welcome them. "

"New Orleans would be your capital city, at first, would it not?--andour home would be there and not in Mexico?"

"As you choose, Theodosia, " replied Burr, caressing his daughter'shand. 

"And you know, my dear Mrs. Blennerhassett, " chimed the radiantfavorite, "you will be a duchess and your husband Minister to theCourt of St. James; Mr. Alston is Chief Grandee and Secretary ofState. "

In such airy nothings did the credulous women put their trust, entranced by the voice of the sanguine charmer. Their faith in him wasabsolute. For was not this daring leader wise and powerful andpopular? Had he not been Vice President and had he not come within onevote of being President of the United States? He was cheated out ofthat one vote. Why should he not establish an independent governmentin that great West, through which his tour had been as the triumphalprogress of a beloved monarch?

In the course of the talk, Madam Blennerhassett chanced to mention thename of Miss Hale. 

"Ah! Miss Hale!" said Burr, his eyes brightening, "I have oftenthought of that splendid woman in connection with our court. She mustbe approached on the subject, madam, and by you. "

Theodosia glanced at her beautiful friend with a look of jealoussurprise. 

"There are difficulties in the way, Colonel Burr, " answered the ladyof the island, coloring deeply. "Her father, one of the mostinfluential citizens of Marietta, entertains a violent prejudiceagainst you. "

"We want nothing to do with him, then, " said Theodosia, sharply. 

"Ah, my dear child, there are many good men who do not know Aaron Burras you know him, and whose political antipathies we must tolerate. Buthis antagonism need not prevent his peerless daughter from acceptingthe coronet of a countess. "

"Countess!" exclaimed Theodosia. "Is this young woman a sorceress? Hasshe bewitched you?"

Mrs. Blennerhassett glimpsed her own image in the mirror. "PerhapsColonel Burr anticipates raising the countess to the throne of anempire. "

"I will have a voice in that, and so will Gampy, " declared Theodosia, with a merry laugh. "The succession is fixed. "

"You should become acquainted with Miss Evaleen Hale, Mrs. Alston. Evaleen is my most intimate friend. She is now in much anxiety onaccount of an uncle in New Orleans, a wealthy merchant, who wasstabbed in the back by a drunken Spaniard. The wound caused partialparalysis, and Richard Hale desires his niece, who has always been afavorite, to come and attend him in his helpless condition. Severalurgent letters have decided her to make the tedious and not altogethersafe journey down the river on a barge, which is to start fromMarietta within six weeks. "

"Did I not say the gods are propitious?" broke in Burr; "Miss Hale isgoing our way at an opportune time. Her rich uncle will bequeath herhis fortune and go to Heaven; she will take the money and go toMexico. "

XV. THERE BE LAND RATS AND WATER RATS. 

At some distance north of Natchez, and below the third Chickasawbluff, near the bank of one of the bayous, which seem to run fromrather than toward the Mississippi, a band of desperadoes hadestablished a temporary abode, sometime in the year 1805. They were anorganized league of robbers, bandits of stream and shore, preying onthe solitary traveller who rode through the pines on the way betweenNatchez and the North, and more frequently surprising the unwaryfarmer or trader, transporting goods to market by water. A number offlatboats laden with the plunder of the freebooters lay moored closeto the north shore, under the shelter of the overhanging bushes, atthe distance of a mile or two up this narrow but deep creek. Fartherup the bayou, and a few rods from it, in an obscure hollow and almosthidden by cypress trees, from which depended curtains and streamers ofgray Spanish moss, stood a log building, the rendezvous of theoutlaws. The structure was low and long, consisting of three huts sojoined as to look like one. 

If a wandering stranger chanced upon this out-of-the-way andforbidding lodge, he might read, painted on a board over the entranceof the cabin, the words, "Cacosotte's Tavern. " Within the dingy frontcell or bar-room of the prison-like shanty, one evening in the earlypart of September, five or six persons had assembled. They were roughcharacters, engaged in drinking and coarse talk. One of the companywas a negro. The only woman there was a big-bosomed, brown-visaged, black-eyed, savage looking creature not destitute of wild charm. Iflong hair be a glory to woman, then was this dark female covered withglory--her glossy mane fell far down over her shoulders and back. Whether she was English, French, Spanish or Indian, or a mixture ofthese, neither her looks nor her speech determined. She spoke little, and took small interest in what others said, yet seemed to regardherself as the responsible mistress of the premises. She had charge ofthe housekeeping, such as it was, and dealt out tobacco and liquor. Itappeared, however, that she was not the sole manager of Cacosotte'sTavern. Cacosotte himself claimed superior authority, as proprietor. 

Cacosotte was a most ill-favored knave, of a purplish yellowcomplexion and mumbling speech. His comrades called him "Sott" forbrevity, or "Nine Eyes, " not because he had nine eyes, as he had onlyone, but because he boasted he had "gouged" nine enemies--that is, dug out their organs of sight with thumb and fingers. 

Two of the select party were Burke Pierce and Abe Sheldrake. The leastconspicuous individual in the room was a sullen, suspicious, cat-footed man, who kept his slouch hat pulled over his face, and satapart, smoking a pipe. He was a fresh recruit, and had given his nameas Turlipe. Only one day had he been sworn to the service of thebrigands, promising to do the bidding of their chief, Burke Pierce. 

Expurgated of much grossness and profanity, the discursive talk, inthis hiding place of criminals, may be partially reproduced asfollows. The chief is first to speak:

"There was a French hunter, who hid a lot of skins in a clearing closeby Red River, at a place called 'Cache la Turlipe. ' Are you akin tothat Turlipe?"

The sullen man shook his head. 

"Have you been in the business before this?"

"More or less. I have run on the river all my life; was patron on aKentucky boat. "

"'Tain't a business, it's a profession, " put in Nine Eyes. "But theprofits ain't wot they used to be, and the risks is greater. I mindthe time, cap, when Cave in the Rock, up the Ohio, jest below Massac, was the headquarters of the biggest men in our line. Wilson's boysdone their wreck'n along by Hurricane, and stored their stuff in thecave. They carried on the Last Night-Cap game when they could get holdof a good customer. "

"What's that?" asked Sheldrake. Cacosotte grinned and winked atPierce. 

"Your pard's too green to plug, cap. "

"Don't you Pittsburgers drink a las' snort before goin' to bed? Well, can't you see the pint? They played the game this-a-way. Lodgers atthe House of Natur often overslep themselves--couldn't wake up. Therewas a sign down on the river bank, jest under the cave--'Wilson'sLiquor Vault and House for Entertainment. ' The durn fool farmerscomin' down the river with their produce had a cur'osity to see whatthe plague a _vault_ was like and how Wilson's liquor tasted. Theyclim up, got drunk, were put to bed, and--" Here Nine Eyes wentthrough a pantomime suggestive of throat-cutting. The black man, whostuck close by Sheldrake's side, twisted in his seat, and showed thewhite of his eyes. Sott, delighted to note these signs of trepidation, went on with his reminiscences. 

"Cap'n, you ric'lect Colonel Plug, that carried on at Hurricane Islandand the mouth of Cash, after Wilson was nabbed? Plug was a Yankee, anda hell of a smart un. He was from Pensylvany. His real name wasFluger, but we called him Plug and his woming Pluggie. I got into amisunderstanding with the colonel about that lady; colonel allowed herand me was too thick, so me and him, begad, had a rough-and-tumble, and that's how I come by this here. " He pointed to his emptyeye-socket. "Pluggie was one of your furriners--jest like Mex, butnot so pooty. "

"If she was half as handsome as Mex, " said Pierce, "I don't wonderthat you gave your right eye for her. "

To this compliment Mex responded by resentfully casting the contentsof a whiskey glass into Pierce's face and breast, whereupon the menall laughed loud. 

"You dasn't smoke the senorita, cap, " mumbled Nine Eyes, aside toPierce. 

"The purtiest wench I ever seen, " babbled Sheldrake, "was the one meand you spied through the winder at Blennerhassett's, that night AaronBurr and his pard from Virginy stopped over. I'll never forgit how wesnuck up and seen them two sparkin' on the sofy. "

"Right you are, Abe; and I was a damned fool not to nab her that day, when she was pullin' posies in the woods--"

"She'd of been a screechin' armful for you, Burke, with them shinyyaller curls of hern flyin' over your shoulder!"

This side colloquy, Mex heard, and her countenance glowered. Noiselessly she came to the bench upon which Palafox sat, and pressedclose to his side. The captain, without looking at her, mechanicallystroked her long mane. 

"Fine wimming, " remarked Sott, sagely, "is like pizen vine, pooty andclingin, ' but pesky dangerous; I hadn't better teched Pluggie. Awoming of your own is worse yet. She spiles on you, and you can't sellher as you do a hoss or a nigger. "

Pierce looked at the darky, who grinned self-consciously. 

"How many times over has Abe sold you since you ran away from theisland?"

"Seben times, " answered Honest Moses, and chuckled. "Mistah Sheldrakedone sell me fo' cash, plunk down; I fugitives back to him, and hedone sell me agin fo' mo' cash. I gits mo' money out o' speculatin' indis heah darky, dan Scipio and Dan'l can git ahookin' watermillionsfo' a hundred yeahs. "

Nine Eyes took up his dropped theme. 

"The hoss trade, " said he, "the hoss trade don't pay here as it didwith Wilson's boys. There's more risk in gettin' rid of a hoss than insellin' the same nigger ten times over. Say, cap, is your new man ontothe pass words and signs?" The speaker flung out three fingers of hisleft hand, to which signal Pierce responded by an answering gesture. But the captain had grown tired of Cacosotte's conversation. Heordered Mex to bring him another drink. Then, turning to Sheldrake, hesaid in undertones:

"Abe, you mind that trip from Pittsburg to Massac. Recollect what Itold you that night? Before many weeks there's going to be a chancefor men like us to make our fortunes as easy as floating down theMississip. "

The jealous eye of Mex was constantly dartling, and her ear was alertto catch every syllable Pierce uttered. She paid no attention toSheldrake, who responded guardedly to his chief's overtures. 

"Captain, if you know a safer way, I'd like to learn it. Now that thearmy is at Fort Adams, and soldiers is comin' and goin' from St. Louisto Orleans, we can't do nothin' widout bein' found out by Gen'lWilkinson. "

"Wilkinson, " growled Pierce, with an oath. "Do you suppose I am afraidof his big names, 'General' and 'Governor'? Jimmy Wilkinson owes memoney, and he owes me an apology, and he's got to come down from hishigh horse, or I'm a liar. Eh? Sheldrake, did you ever hear anybodycall me a liar? Did you, Mex? Did you, Sott? ever hear any one sayBurke Pierce was a liar or a foot-licker?"

"I'd hate to be in the place of the man that 'u'd dare, " sworeCacosotte, hastily. He had noticed the excessive drinking, with dreadof the probable consequence. 

"I guess you would hate to rile me up even if you was a great general, dressed in uniform, and with gold epaulettes and buttons all over. Iwant to say to you, Abe, and you, Sott, and _you_ over there smokingyour pipe, you raw recruit--I've got in my pocket, what will bringthe brigadier to terms. Bet your souls on it! Bet your black hair, Mex! Say, you raw recruit, where's your pal? Where's the feller yousaid wanted to join us? Open you jaws!"

"He is down on the boat, " said the sullen man, rising and emptying hispipe. "I'll go hunt him. "

"You'll be back and bunk here, or will you sleep on one of the boats?"asked Cacosotte. 

"If it's all the same to you, I'll come back and bunk here. "

The night was advancing, and the great white owls were beginning adismal hooting in the cypress trees. Upon reaching the place where theboats were moored to the bushy shore of the bayou, Turlipe called:

"Hello, are you there?"

A man scrambled up the bank in response to the call. The two Spaniardssat upon the bank of the bayou, and held a long consultation in theirnative language. It was eleven o'clock when Pepillo, alias Turlipe, arose to go back to the tavern. 

"You needn't come along, Vexeranno; I can do the job without help. Only stay here and wait. Have the skiff ready to carry us down streamas fast as we can row. I may come back any time in the night. "

While Pepillo, squatting on the ground beside the sluggish estuary, imparted to his accomplice the details of a bloody design, Palafox inthe tavern waxed more and more violent. He menaced an imaginary foewith clinched fist. Mex tried to soothe him. He sat for a while insulky quiet. Rousing again, he ordered a candle, opened a leathernwallet, and took from it a number of soiled papers. His hand shook. 

"Look here, Abe, these old letters are worth more money than all ourplunder will fetch. "

No response came from Sheldrake, who had prudently retired to thesecond compartment of the row of huts opening into one another. Thewhimsical Cacosotte had named the several rooms "Hell, " "Purgatory, "and "Heaven. " Sheldrake sought a sleeping couch in "Purgatory, "whither Honest Moses had preceded him to "flop" in a corner. 

Mex stood behind the captain while he sat fumbling over a timewornmanuscript, peering at its hieroglyphics in the dim light of thecandle. Cacosotte, yawning, rubbed his one eye, and groped his way toa slumber-rug in "Heaven. " Then Mex put her brown hand timidly on theshoulder of Palafox. 

"One in woods--not nab--no! no!" she said, shaking her headviolently and frowning. 

"What you jabbering about now? Don't you see I'm busy?"

"Woman through window--not big Mex--look so!"

She wrinkled her features, and shrank down mimicking a dwarf. Therobber now understanding her speech and pantomime, slapped his thigh, guffawed exasperatingly, and, roughly pushing the jealous barbarianaside, "No, Mex, she don't look like that. Tall, white as your teeth, smooth and purty as an antelope--"

"Mex purtier. Mex not Choctaw--Castiliano. Look blood. " She nippedher forearm with sharp teeth, and crimson drops oozed. 

Palafox laughed. 

The mane shook, and the wild eyes glared behind the half-drunken man, who continued to fumble his papers. Before long his hand fell heavily, his eyes closed, and he slept. Mex shook him by the shoulders. Partially aroused, he looked up, thrust the papers and the wallet deepwithin a breast pocket, quitted the bench, and lay down on a pallet inthe corner of the room. Mechanically he deposited a primed pistolunder his blanket, ready to hand. Soon he was snoring. 

An hour went by. The new recruit had not returned. Mex scarcely kepther eyes open where she crouched, Indian fashion, on a buffalo robe, behind the bar. Nine Eyes had bolted the outer door before retiring. Eleven o'clock; the white owls were at their boldest, hootinglugubrious serenades to the answering wolves. Pepillo was at the cabindoor, trying the latch. Mex heard the sound, got up, and unfastenedthe bolts. 

"Sh!" said she, and giving him the candle, pointed to the back room;then drowsily resumed her nest on the buffalo robe. Pepillo took thefeeble light; nodded, but did not immediately follow directions. Heset the candle down upon the floor in front of the bar, so that itsfaint flicker, unobserved by the woman, made objects barely visible inthe room. This done, he shuffled his feet slightly to apprise thehalf-conscious guardian of the ominous house that he was obeying herorders, and vanished in the rear darkness. The dead hush of sleep nowreigned over the place. So it seemed, but the stealthy Pepillo waswide awake. He remained motionless, breathless, hidden in the gloom ofthe second cabin. At length he reappeared, took up the candle, stoodawhile listening, then moved cautiously to the edge of the counter, behind which the woman slept in her lair. He peeped over to assurehimself of her complete somnolence. Satisfied that Mex would notlikely be roused by any slight disturbance, he stole to the front doorand undid the fastenings so softly that not a creak of the boltsliding from its staple was heard even by his own quick ear. But whenhe swung the door open, providing for his ready escape, the hingesgave out a complaining sigh. The sound was faint, but it startled Mex. She raised her drowsy head, and through the mass of sable hairtangling over her half-open eyes, peered out from behind the shelterof the bar. Pepillo had drawn a poignard and was tip-toeing toward thesleeping captain. Mex gave a catamount cry. Palafox started up, pistolin hand, none too soon to avoid the deadly blade of the assassin. "Palafox!" This one word was all Pepillo uttered. In the act ofspringing to stab, he leaped to his own death, shot through the head. As he fell, the poignard, escaping his relaxed grasp, rang on thefloor. Mex, who tiger-like had sprung from her covert, snatched up theshiny weapon, and fiercely stabbed it into Pepillo's lifeless breast. 

Cacosotte and Sheldrake, roused by the report of a pistol, hurried in, staring amazedly at Palafox, Mex and the fallen Spaniard. 

"Carry that out, " ordered Palafox, nodding toward the body. "Tie astone to its neck and chuck it into the bayou. " The two men obeyed. "Get something, Mex, and wipe up that puddle, " pointing to the bloodon the floor. "You must keep Hell clean. "

The wild creature, quivering with ferocious passions, put a fondlingarm around the manslayer. 

"Mex wake captain. Help kill. Mex Castiliano. Niggerwench--no!--Injun squaw--no!--Your woman. "

XVI. A PATRIOT NOT TO BE TAMPERED WITH. 

Four men on horseback were nearing the country house of Colonel GeorgeMorgan, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, living near Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania. Two of the riders were Colonel Morgan's stalwart sons, and they were escorting Aaron Burr and Colonel Dupeister, one ofBurr's confederates. The ex-Vice-President rode beside the elderbrother, who was an officer of high rank in the militia. 

"Speaking of Washington County, General Morgan, --are the people ofyour neighborhood prosperous and contented?"

"We are a community of farmers, very prosperous and hopeful. Ourpopulation is increasing rapidly. We have no cause for discontent. "

"What is the condition of the new college at the county seat? I amtold there is an educational awakening among your young men. "

"Yes; we are proud of Jefferson College; the institution is now in itsfourth year, and is flourishing beyond expectation. "

"You call it Jefferson College; it was named for Washington _and_Jefferson, was it not? The lesser star is in the ascendant, andtwinkles amazingly now that the greater has set. Don't you think weare too much be-Jeffersoned?"

"Thomas Jefferson is an able man, " was the commonplace reply, spokenbluntly, and accompanied by a look of irritation at the sarcasticquestion. Burr, conscious of the disapproval implied in the officer'scurt answer, managed to change partners so as to ride abreast of theyounger brother, Thomas, while Dupeister spurred forward and engagedJohn in discourse on stock-raising and the prospect of crops. WithThomas, an aspiring soul, in the flush of those discursive hopes andspeculations which make ambitious youth restless, Burr employed hisusual suasive arts, hopeful of winning a recruit. 

"Your brother and I were speaking about the outlook here, forenterprising citizens. What are your pursuits? Are you a Knight of thePlow?"

"No, sir; not permanently; I am trying to make a lawyer of myself. "

"That's good in a way, as a stepping-stone. The study of the lawdisciplines the mind, but is not profitable otherwise. The practice isa species of servitude, often a servitude to inferiors, for doubtfulreward. Politics is better, but not the best. "

"What is the best?"

"That depends upon the man. Some are easily contented. But I am notsure that contentment is a trait of a noble mind. I used to own negroslaves in New York. They were contented. To rest satisfied is thevirtue of slaves. "

"Yes, the niggers are contented, generally speaking. You were about tosay what you think the best profession. "

"The best for an ignorant African may be bondage to a good master; thebest for you would be something more aspiring. I regard militarylife--the profession of arms, as the highest and most independent. "

"Not in times of peace. "

"This is not a time of peace, Mr. Morgan. We are on the eve of war andstupendous conquests. I speak advisedly. I am a soldier myself. Youhave heard rumors of war on the Sabine?"

"Yes; rumors. The Morgans are a military family, also; and I feelfighting blood stir in me when I read about the Spaniards. "

"Does the red stuff boil? Your blood is right. You can't help it. Ifyou, or your younger brother--I believe you have a brother besidesthe general?"

"Yes, George. My name is Thomas. They call me Tom. "

"Tom, eh? Well, then, Tom, I was about to say if you and your brotherGeorge--"

"Spur up, gentlemen, we are leaving you behind, " shouted GeneralMorgan, looking back. "We are within half a mile of father'sresidence. "

"More talk another time, " said Burr, not finishing his sentence, andthe pair, urging their horses to a faster gait came up with theothers. Just then the party met a robust countryman who saluted theMorgans, as he trotted by on a skittish colt. 

"What a fine-looking fellow! I wish I had ten thousand just suchvigorous young giants!"

"What would you do with them?" the general asked. "Ten thousand wouldform a large colony. That is one of the farm hands. Those are ourbarns and the house is just beyond. "

On their arrival, Colonel George Morgan stood on the porch to receivehis guests. A well-preserved old gentleman, he might have said:

 "My age is as a lusty winter, Frosty, but kindly. "

His career had been eventful, aggressive, venturesome, and romantic. At the close of the Revolutionary War he felt aggrieved because of thenon-payment of claims he held against the Government. Odium attachedto his name on account of his procuring from Spain a grant of landswest of the Mississippi, on which he founded the village of NewMadrid. He had expressed sympathy for Aaron Burr, whom he regarded asa much-abused statesman. The prevailing sentiment among army menjustified the duel with Hamilton. 

After dinner, the visitors repaired to the parlor, where was held aconversation in which Burr was the principal talker. More virulent andless discreet than usual, he indulged in witty flings at public menand roundly censured the administration, not aware that most of hisauditors heard him with impatience. Colonel Morgan attempted tointroduce another theme, by referring to the rapid spread ofpopulation westward. 

"When I first went out West on my New Madrid scheme, there wasscarcely a family between the Alleghanies and the Ohio. Now we havethree great States. We shall have to remove the National capital toPittsburg. "

"No, never, " said Burr, positively. "In less than five years you willbe totally divided from the Eastern States. "

"God forbid! I hope no such disaster will come in my time. "

"Disaster or no disaster, the Union will split, or I am a falseprophet. How can it be otherwise? What is to hold us together?Congress is a shadow, the executive a phantom too thin to cast ashadow. With two hundred armed men I could drive Congress, thePresident and Cabinet into the Potomac; with five hundred I could takeNew York City. Ask Colonel Dupeister!"

Dupeister nodded an emphatic yes; but not so did bluff John Morgan. 

"By God, sir, you couldn't take our little village of Cannonsburg withfive hundred men!"

"That, then, is because _you_ are at the head of the militia. I shouldwant your Cannonsburgers in my five hundred. But I talk too loud. Pardon; let us get out of doors; I would like to go the round of yourplantation and look through the mill. Tom, won't you oblige us?"

While Tom piloted the visitors about the place, the eldest son tookoccasion to speak a word of warning to the father. "You may dependupon it, Colonel Burr is here on a secret errand to you. He will openhimself to you this night. He is engaged in some suspicious enterprisein which he wants Tom to join. "

"What foolishness you talk, my son; Aaron Burr is a soldier, a loyalman who fought for his country's flag; he would never do adishonorable thing; certainly he would not approach _me_ with impropersuggestions. "

"Then my precaution is needless. Yet have your mind prepared. Tomrevealed to mother some of Burr's words, which, if seriously meant, are not such as you will approve. "

The subject was dropped, nor was any more said in the course of theafternoon on political topics. About nine o'clock the guests wereshown to their bedrooms and the members of the family also retired, except Colonel and Mrs. Morgan. They were in the habit of sitting uplate, the wife reading aloud to her husband in the quiet hours, afterthe rest of the family had retired. The book which engaged theirattention was "Modern Chivalry, " the first novel written and publishedwest of the Alleghanies. They had reached that part of the story whichdescribes how Teague O'Regan was treated to a coat of tar andfeathers. The passage amused the grizzled colonel, and he listenedeagerly to the words:

"By this time they had sunk the butt end of the sapling in the holedug for it, and it stood erect with a flag displayed in the air, andwas called a liberty pole. The bed and pillow-cases had been cut open, and were brought forward. The committee seized Teague and conveyed himto a cart, in which the keg of tar had been placed. "

"That's correct, " interrupted the veteran. "That's the way to do it. Read on. "

Mrs. Morgan proceeded: "They stripped him to the waist, and, pouringthe tar upon his naked body, emptied at the same time a bed offeathers on his head, which, adhering to the viscous fluid, gave himthe appearance of a wild fowl of the forest. "

"Ha! ha! I've seen that done more than once; the author describes itwell. What next?"

The tall Dutch clock in the next room, after a grumble and whirr, struck eleven, as if reproving the old couple for sitting up so lateto read a novel. Before the ringing of the last stroke died away, footsteps were heard descending the stairs. Mrs. Morgan gave herhusband a significant glance, saying in a low tone, "John was right;you have it now, " and hurriedly left the parlor by a back door. Shehad scarcely made her exit when Burr entered, with a lighted candle inhis hand. 

"What, Colonel Burr, are you still up?"

"You yourself are not yet abed. Do I intrude?"

"Oh, no, no, no! Take a chair. We have a practice of sitting up toread after the children have gone to bed. John, Tom, and George arethe children. Mrs. Morgan has been reading aloud from 'ModernChivalry. '"

"A clever book, " said Burr, "very lively and ingenious. "

"I agree with you. The story gives a true picture of scenes which theauthor must have witnessed in Pittsburg. We were laughing over theaccount of Teague's adventure with the tar-and-feather committee. PoorTeague! He should have been spared. His persecutors were guilty, andnot he. "

"That's the way of the world, Colonel Morgan. Often the wrong man isblackened with the tar of calumny. You and I have not escaped. Pardonme for claiming a few moments' conference. You have had muchexperience, know many public men, and are a judge of human nature. Iwish to ask your counsel. "

Morgan blinked hard at the candle, nodding his willingness to listen, and tapping nervously on the table with his middle finger. Burr drewfrom an inside pocket a long, narrow memorandum book, written full ofnames. 

"This is what I call my Roster of the Faithful, " he said, and lookedsearchingly into the face of the patriarch, whose glum reticencepuzzled him. 

"Umph! Faithful to what?"

"To their principles and their friends. I assume that we know eachother's history and political views. Colonel Morgan has not always hadjustice from those clothed in brief authority; you have freelyexercised your individual right to better your worldly condition; youwere not acting inconsistently as a citizen when you entered intoperfectly proper contracts with a foreign 'power. '" The speakerpaused, for he was aware of a bristling antagonism on Morgan's part. 

"Yes, " grunted the old gentleman, "perfectly proper. "

Burr hesitated, more and more doubtful of his ground; but his was anaudacious nature. Turning over the leaves of his memorandum book, heasked, "Do you know Mr. Vigo, at Fort Vincent, a Spaniard?"

"I ought to know him! I have every reason to believe he was deeplyinvolved in the British Conspiracy of '88, the object of which was toseparate the States. The design which Vigo abetted was nefarious, yes, sir, nefarious! yes, damnable! The same disloyal and turbulent spiritcaused the Whiskey Rebellion here in Pennsylvania, which General DaveMorgan, General Neville, and I crushed out. The diabolic sentiment ofdisunion survives yet; Pittsburg tolerates a set of seditious youngmen, a nest of vipers of the Vigo species. "

The general checked his tirade, noticing that Colonel Burr put thelist of names into his pocket with an air of hurt dignity. 

"You must excuse me; I would not be rude, but soldiers use plainterms. You asked me about Vigo, and you have my opinion. "

"Your feeling in regard to Colonel Vigo certainly is not flattering tothe gentleman. I regard him as a deserving patriot. May you not be inerror? Give the devil his due. You must not tar-and-feather the wrongman. "

"Yes, yes, yes! I mean to be just. The devil should have his due. Asfor Vigo, I want no dealings with him, or with any of his stripe. Ishouldn't hesitate to recommend a coat of tar-and-feathers and a rideupon a fence-rail for him. And if I should ever detect Tom, or any ofmy boys, even sympathizing in any attempt to dissolve the Union, Iwould warm the pitch for them myself, as sure as there is a GodAlmighty. "

"Good-night, " said Burr, stiffly, and went upstairs to bed. The nextmorning he and Dupeister rose early, and were on the way to Pittsburgbefore their host was well awake. The sons arose betimes, however, andbade the parting guests good speed. 

After breakfast, Colonel Morgan summoned his family and told what hadpassed between himself and guest. 

"He has insulted us by assuming us to be traitors at heart. Aaron Burris meditating dangerous designs. I will write to the President. "

Tom and George, impressed by their father's stern seriousness, and nowrealizing the presumably infamous nature of the service to whichtemptation might have lured them, hung their heads. The mother heldhers high. Her jealous patriotism was alarmed and quickened. No taintof disloyalty should infect her sons, nor should word or look of hershint weak misgiving of their rectitude. She assumed the Morgan stockincorruptible, and spoke proudly as befits an American matron. Therewas no tremor in her voice, no indecision in her steady eye, whichflashed the sentiments uttered by the tongue. 

"The brightest name in the world's history is that of GeorgeWashington--the blackest that of--" She paused, and her youngestson pronounced the detested name, "Benedict Arnold. "

"Benedict Arnold--yes; his sword was recreant, his heart false. Inall our annals only this one officer's record is polluted, God forbidthe rise of a second traitor. But, my sons, if treason should againthreaten liberty, I know on which side the Morgans will be found. "

So speaking, this true "Daughter of the Revolution" unlocked acolonial chest containing relics cherished as credentials of familyhonor, and took from it a banner, tattered and rent in battles of theRevolutionary War. Dark stains consecrated its stripes and stars. 

"This is my only brother's blood. My boys are patriots by inheritancefrom two lines of ancestors; you will always stand faithful to yourMother Land as to me, your mother. "

"Have no fear for us, mother, " said Tom. "The Morgans and the Americanflag stand or fall together. "

"Amen!" added the deep voice of the husband and father. 

XVII. THE BUSY NOTE OF PREPARATION. 

"Peggin' away, all hands, eh? I never heard such a swishing ofhandsaws and banging of hammers; you make more noise than ten navyyards. How you getting along?"

"Not so briskly as I could wish; we are under contract to finishfifteen of these large batteaux, besides a sixty-foot keelboat byDecember. "

"Sassyfax! Fifteen? What for?"

"To carry colonists down the Mississippi to the Wachita lands. The bigkeelboat is to transport provisions. "

"You don't say! Now, how many men will them fifteen boats accommodate, when they're done? 'Bout thirty to a boat?"

"Yes; thirty or forty; we calculate the whole fleet will carry fivehundred men. "

"Five hundred! I'll swan! Do you think they'll ever drum up fivehundred lunatics for such an expedition?"

"You'll have to ask Mr. Blennerhassett about that. My business is tobuild the boats, not to man them. "

"Right you are, mister; every man ought to mind his own business, andI'll bet a pewter toothpick you understand flatboats, even if youdon't know anything else. I will speak to my friend Mr. B. In regardto _his_ end of the business, for I see him coming. That's him walkingthis way along the shore; you can know Harman a mile off by his stoop. 'Fore I go, I'll take a squint at the extra-fine ark they tell me youare fixing up for the family--I mean Blennerhassett's own folks. Blame my buttons, if I don't always hate to pronounce that larrupinglong name Blennerhassett! Byle is a heap shorter and better name. Is'pose you reco'nize me, don't you? I'm pretty well known in theseparts. Plutarch is my Christian name. Did you ever read Plutarch'sLives? I didn't write 'em, but I'm living one of 'em. I ought to knowyou, you're dadblamed face is familiar, but bejiggered if I haven'tlet your last name slip my mind. "

The ship-carpenter, to whom these questions and comments wereaddressed, had resumed his work, not paying any attention to Mr. Byle, who, finding his words unheeded, gave no sign of discomfiture, andwent on talking to himself in the friendliest manner. 

"Here we are, five miles above the mouth of Muskingum, making batteauxto go five million miles south of the jumping-off place of creation!Will I go with you, friends and fellow-citizens? No, not by a jugful. Do you think Byle is a plumb fool? I wouldn't mind going on a voyagewith the madam and the young ones, but not with such an addle-pate asthe near-sighted. Nor with Colonel Hoop Snake! No, there's no usearguing; I tell you once for all, I won't go. I'd no more trust in himthan I'd trust _you_, old Muskingum, not to undermine your banks atSpring flood. A felon who would murder Alexander Hamilton--what crimewouldn't he commit? I'm consarned sorry for the family over on theisland; ain't you, neighbor? Yes, you; I ask you, Mr. Jay Bird, singing and chattering to yourself on the willows. How are you?"

"Pretty well, I thank you, " replied a stoop-shouldered pedestrian, who, drawing near, had recognized the voice without distinctly seeingthe person of Byle. "How are _you_?"

"I was talking to that other jay, Mr. B. But I'd ruther talk to you. I'm hearty. How's all your kith an' kin? I thought of coming down tothe island, to see you, but now you're here, I'll put off the trip aweek or so. Jist say to the boys I'm making a crossgun for 'em. Givemy regards to your better half, and I wish you'd tell Scipio that themelon he sent me was luscious. I'm here on a kind o' importantbusiness; came clear up from town to inquire about this expedition. You're managing the colony matters, and you're the codger to give methe real facts. "

Blennerhassett, who had undertaken to use every means in his power toinduce men to join the proposed colony, suffered Byle's fraternalconfidences with as good a grace as possible, hoping to enlist auseful factotum. 

"I will gladly give any information you desire in regard to theWachita settlement, and our plans for the winter. "

"I knowed you would. I told what-ye-call-him--the boss carpenter so. He allowed I'd best ask you for the particulars, and it's fair to youthat I should. You pay for all this lumber and hammering and sawing, out of your own pocket; you have a right to answer questions. How muchis the whole caboodle going to cost you?"

"Perhaps that question is not pertinent to our present interview. Ipresume you wish to learn the conditions of our agreement withvolunteers?"

"That's so; you don't presume a speck; I wish to learn all abouteverything. What are the conditions?"

"We pledge ourselves to pay every man who goes with us fair wages, andto give every one a hundred acres of the Bastrop land. Each man is toprovide himself with a blanket, a good rifle and a supply ofammunition. "

"What do you want with rifles? Do you expect to have to fight?"

"Not necessarily; all pioneers need guns. Did not the forty men whosettled Marietta bring rifles and ammunition?"

"I swow you've got me, Mr. B. No man can keep house without a gun, Iadmit that. I'd as soon go without my head. I've got a gun, all right, and a blanket. What else?"

"That is all. Be ready on the first of December with your blanket andrifle, and we'll provide for your other wants. "

"Well, that looks fair. But let me give you a bit of advice before youstart. Don't you go at all. As sure as my name is Byle, you'll besorry for yourself and Maggy, as you call her, if you do go. Youmustn't git mad at me, Harman, for speaking out plain. I'm friendly toyou and your folks; don't like to see you put upon; and I consider itmy goshdurned duty to tell you that this here Colonel Beelzebub ismaking a cussed fool of you. I'd have no hobnobbing with a hoop snake. Don't trust ary shape of a sarpent in your apple-tree. You know youreyes are not as long-ranged as some. This is God's truth with the barkoff. He don't talk to Adam in the Garden in our days, but I sh'd thinkyou'd hear what mortal men are saying. You're a readin' man--haven'tyou come across what the press wrote about that scorpion in yourbozom?

 'Oh, Aaron Burr, what have you done? You've shot our General Hamilton! You stood behind a bunch of thistles, And murdered him with two horse-pistols!'

Excuse my interest in you; a full kittle will bile over. I've lots andslithers of United States information that ain't to be found in yourgreen emerald Erin, no more than snakes is. "

Blennerhassett was in doubt whether to consider himself insulted orbefriended. He had misgivings concerning Burr and the colony. Commonsense told him that Byle might be more than half right. 

"Do you know anything of the far West?" he asked. "Report gives outthat it is a marvellous region. "

Byle had a spice of mischief in his composition. He could not resist ahumorous impulse to gull a credulous foreigner. 

"Maybe I can give you some curious facts not generally known. I'm asort of bookworm myself. I've nosed the Coon Skin Library. Did anybodyever tell you of the Missouri salt mountain? a mountain of real saltone hundred and eighty miles long, and forty-five broad, white assnow, and glittering in the sun? No vegetation grows near it, but ariver of brine runs from its base. I have a chunk of the salt. "

"Wonderful, wonderful!" ejaculated Blennerhassett. 

"Isn't it wonderful? But not so contrary to nature as theshoe-and-stocking trees that grow at the headwaters of this MuskingumRiver. "

"That seems impossible--shoe-and-stocking trees, did you say?"

"It does sound improbable, I admit, but seeing is believing. I'vepulled half-grown shoes off one of those trees with these hands. Idon't expect you to take my word. I didn't believe the story myself atfirst, and can't bring my mind to believe what my own brother Virgiltold me he had seen and tasted--the Whiskey Lake in SouthernKentucky. "

Gullible as he was, Blennerhassett looked incredulous. Byle'sexpression was serious to solemnity. His big blue eyes vouched for hisperfect sanity. 

"Now, I _must_ go, " said he, turning away; "I've a heap of things todo and folks to see before sunset. Good-bye. "

Genuine kindness had prompted Plutarch to blurt out unsought counsel, and he hurried away, congratulating himself on having discharged anobligation to his conscience. His long, swinging strides propelled himto Marietta in half an hour. Near the court-house he met a gentleman, whom he accosted, taking him cordially by the hand and inquiring, "Isn't this Squire George Hale?"

"George Hale is my name, " returned the gentleman, reservedly, anddisengaging his fingers from the strong grip of the tall man. 

"Yes, you are the individual I took you to be, and no mistake. Iseldom forget faces, though I get names crooked now and then. Yourname and your corporosity go together; you look hale and hearty! Inever was picked up but once, in shaking hands with a stranger, butthat once was enough. Before I knew what I was about I shook hands, last May was a year ago, with--I vow I'm ashamed to tell you whowith. Are you going home, Mr. Hale? Is Miss Evaleen in town now? Thefirst time I met your daughter she was down at Blennerhassett's! Thelast time was here in Marietta, out by the big mound. Is she as wellas usual?"

Mr. Hale stared in blank bewilderment. He first surmised that anescaped lunatic was face to face with him. Yet there was coherence inthe strange man's speech, and nothing wild in his looks. In fact, Mr. Hale had frequently seen the gaunt, gigantic figure of Plutarchdodging about the town, and had heard his name spoken as that of avery eccentric person. Like everybody else who was brought withinspeaking distance of the oddity, the sedate New Englander was at aloss how to behave toward him. Plutarch was never at a loss. Detectinga hair lodged on the squire's shoulder, he picked it off, and winked. 

"A pretty long hair, old man, to be found on your collar. I hope itcame from one of your own women-folks. What's the last word fromCaptain Danvers? When is that knot to be tied, anyhow? If you'll giveme an invite, I'll be there, sure. I told young Burlington--no, Imean Arlington--all the facts just as they are. "

"You did? What facts? Who is Arlington?"

"Don't you know Arlington, Squire Hale? Is it possible? Well, well, well! Now that explains a good deal. These young folks are as sly as agallinipper. You have to keep your eye skinned to see all that goeson, by land and river, and especially on islands. There's not a bit ofcriticism to be made on Evaleen's conduct, nor on Arlington's. Hecouldn't help himself, no more than a fly in a honey-pot. The minutehe saw your gal, he fell slap dab in love with her. The poor fellerwas nigh about dead for love the day we sot on the summit. "

"What rigmarole is this? You sot on the summit? Arlington? Mydaughter? Tell me simply and briefly what you mean. "

"I mean briefly and simply, Mr. Chester Arlington, of Virginia, camehere to spark Evaleen; he as good as told me so; that is, I amsatisfied he did; it stands to reason and the nature of a gentleman!Secondly, I told him it was no go. I said to Chester, 'You must huntup another sweetheart, for Leeny Hale is engaged. She is going to bemarried, ' says I, 'to Captain Warren P. Danvers. '"

"You told this Mr. Arlington that my daughter was engaged to marryCaptain Danvers?"

"Yes; that's what I told him. Isn't that so? Of course, she couldn'tmarry 'em both at once, and I wanted to put Chester out of misery. That's why I broke it to him. You may tell the betrothed, as you callit, I mean your daughter, as much or as little as you please; but ifthat young woman had saw how that young man looked when I told him hecouldn't have her, I do believe she might have shook Danvers and tookArlington. That's what I had to say to you, Squire Hale, and now I'vesaid it, I feel easier. I must be going. Mighty fine weather, this!Good-bye! Gals will fool their daddies. "

Away went Byle, about everybody's business, and home hastened GeorgeHale, not so much to tell Evaleen what he had heard concerningherself, as to learn from her the solution of the mystery ofArlington, Danvers and "the summit. "

Day after day, and week after week, the shipwrights plied their taskswith saw and hammer, with adz and mallet, constructing the vessels toconvey men and goods down the river in the Winter. A large purchase ofprovisions, ham, bacon, flour, whiskey, was made in advance, andvarious accoutrements were secretly collected in anticipation ofBurr's enterprise. 

New gods had been set up in the sequestered home of theBlennerhassetts. The Lares and Penates there honored were not now theimages of Emmett and Agnew, not the names of dead ancestors, but theliving spirit and example of Napoleon and the magic word Empire. Nolonger could the harpsichord charm or the strings of the viol allure. The music-books gathered dust in the alcove, and the "Iliad" stoodunopened on the shelf. Instead of rambling in the woods, or strollingon the banks of the Ohio, or galloping to Marietta clad in a crimsoncloak, or giving banquets or balls to entertain the admiring gentry ofBelpre, Madam Blennerhassett spent busy days and anxious nightsworking and planning for a potential greatness, a prospective highemprise. A change had come over the spirit of her dream. She hadceased to feel an interest in domestic duties and pleasures; sheneglected the simple cares of the plantation, took no satisfaction inbinding up the bruises of her slaves, or curing their ailments withmedicine and kindness; the talk of Peter Taylor about flowers andfruit, or of Thomas Neal, concerning pet heifers, and new milk andbutter and cheese, became tedious; the jokes and laughter of thefarm-hands and dairymaids she heard with irritation; nor could theprattle and play of her romping boys divert her mind from the oneabsorbing theme--the descent of the Mississippi, the conquest ofMexico, the creation of a New World. In close daily communion withTheodosia, she dwelt not in a white frame house on a woody island ofthe Ohio River, not in the present; but in the future, and in a marblepalace in the splendid domain of Aaron I. The two enthusiastic women, allied in a common cause, inspired alike by the experience of wifehoodand maternity, similarly ambitious, passionate and imaginative, reciprocated each other's sentiments and strengthened each other'sresolution. 

The summer flew away. In October, Governor Alston visited the island. Many consultations were held in the gilded parlor and in the hushedlibrary; more plans were divulged, more pledges given--and Burrdeparted never again to cross the threshold of the house on theisland. Theodosia and her husband and child went to Lexington, Kentucky, whither they were accompanied by Blennerhassett. 

Left alone in the great ghost-white house, its mistress wandered fromroom to room, restless and melancholy. The boys were at play on thelawn; she could hear their mirthful shouts. She felt a vague longing, like homesickness, and yet she was at home. Wearily she sat down inher husband's study chair in the quiet library. She glanced round atthe books, the apparatus, the musical instruments. Everythingpresented an unnatural aspect. Startled by the snapping of a string onthe untouched violincello, she uttered an involuntary exclamation, rose, and went up close to the portrait of her husband. But owing tothe dimness of the light or the sadness of her mood, the features, instead of smiling, seemed to regard her with a mournful gaze. A senseof desolation overwhelmed her. Endeavoring once more to fly fromherself, she called her children. They came, and she kissed them, putting an arm around each. 

"Dominick, do you want to go away, away to Mexico, and become rich andgreat?"

"No, no, mamma; I want to live here forever with you and papa. "

"We both do, " iterated Harman. "We both do. "

"Colonel Burr will be there to take care of us all. He saved yourlife, Harman, and he loves you, I am sure. "

"Mamma, he loves _you_, but he don't love papa. "

The mother blushed, and a big tear rolled down her cheek. 

XVIII. THE VOYAGE OF THE BUCKEYE. 

George Hale, yielding to the importuning letters of his brotherRichard, consented that Evaleen should risk the peril of a voyage toNew Orleans. Luckily the young lady was to have travelling companions. One of her uncle's letters contained this passage: "Ask your father tohunt up my old-time friend, Dr. Eloy Deville, to whose care andmedical skill I owe my life. He still lives, I believe, in Gallipolis. Tell dear old Frenchy and little Lucrèce--I suppose she is nowalmost grown--that I have unearthed family facts much to theirworldly advantage. They must come to this city, to the French quarter. My discoveries are astounding, but credible. Eloy may inherit afortune. I will see that he loses nothing. My advice is, come at once. The doctor and his daughter will be good company for you on yourvoyage. "

Eloy was easily induced to do as his friend and former patientadvised. 

"Oui, monsieur, certainment shall we depart most glad from ze log hut. Lucrèce, ma chère fille, dance for ze delight! We shall, on zeto-morrow, us depart, on ze joli bateau with ze mademoiselle; quickshall run ze stream, row ze oar, fly ze sail--we come right away toze excellent long friend of your father. Ze honor and ze felicityshall be to me to serve mademoiselle for ze sake of her divine uncle, for ze own beautiful sake of ze fair angel. "

The Buckeye, on which Evaleen and her friends took passage, carried acargo for the Southern market. The crew numbered eight picked men, commanded by Eli Winslow, a talkative Vermonter, with none too muchexperience on the Mississippi, but overstocked with self-confidence. 

Such clothing and household goods as he thought essential to takealong for himself and daughter, Doctor Deville packed in old trunks, or tied up in bundles, all of which were deposited on the river bank, six hours ahead of time. The luggage included a basket of Bordeaux, asurgeon's case, a chest of medicine, and a violin in a green bag. Atlast the barge hove in sight, announced by the echoing of the boathorn. The fidgety Frenchman gave Lucrèce a kiss and almost dislocatedher arm by pulling her after him to the landing. A long half hour hehad yet to wait before The Buckeye was made fast to the posts on thebank and Eloy was helped on board, still holding fast to his _chèrefille_. It would require a volume to report the conversation whichenlivened the many days' journey down the Ohio and the Mississippi. The doctor chirruped constantly. He knew a little of everything, andtalked much of nothing, very amusingly. Often he sang French songs, often played dance tunes on the violin, now and then took anenlivening taste of wine. 

Past Cincinnati, past Louisville and the Falls of the Ohio, pastShawnee Town, past Fort Massac, and Diamond Island and Battery Rock, the vessel moved slowly and steadily along. The voyagers were toldthat the lower river was infested still by wreckers, one scene ofwhose frequent depredations was Wolf Island. Captain Winslowdiscoursed much on the state of Western commerce, and the dangerswhich menaced travel. 

"A great part, " said he, "of the Territory of Mississippi, stretchingfrom Tennessee to Natchez, is unbroken forest, inhabited by Indians, and infested with wolves and panthers. We shall see no sign ofcivilization on the eastern shore until after we have skirted sixhundred miles of waste, howling wilderness. "

At length they came to where the Ohio is merged and lost in theMississippi. The turbid onhurrying volume of mighty waters heaved andfoamed, as if troubled by furious, disturbing forces working below. The boat shuddered and its strong joints groaned in the strenuous hugof the river. 

"Hereafter we can proceed only by daylight, " said Winslow. "We shallhave many dangers to contend with--a succession of chutes, races, chains, and cypress bends. You will see no end of this gloomy forest. There are plenty of rattlesnakes, bears, and catamounts in thosejungles, doctor. "

"Par bleu! Ze catamount shall stay in ze jungle and delight heselfwith her family amiable. We not shall invite heem to tea. Are noinhabitants in this wilderness?"

"A few whites and some Indians. See those squaws digging wild potatoesfor food. "

"Do many boats go to New Orleans?" asked Miss Hale. 

"Yes, ma'am; all sorts from a birch canoe to a full-rigged ship. Hundreds are lost. We are now coming to a wreck-heap. "

The passengers saw an immense huddle of drifted logs, and the brokentimbers of shattered boats, and entire scows, rotting, half-submerged, or warping high and dry on top of the hill of confused ruin. The sightof these hulks, abandoned to the grinding eddies, added a sense ofdread to the weary anxiety already felt by the girls. The progressdown the Ohio had been tedious; how much more so the interminablewindings on the Mississippi, and the long, lonesome nights, madesleepless by the cries of birds that flit in darkness, and by thehowls of wild beasts. Evaleen's nocturnal fears, when the barge laymoored, were not so well founded as were the apprehensions whichdaylight renewed, of disaster on the treacherous flood. The more shelearned of the river, the more she realized the risks of each day'snavigation. 

"Young ladies, see! That is a sawyer; an ugly one, sticking its sharphorn up to hook us. I don't mind a danger which shows above water; butyour sleeping sawyer is the mischief to be dreaded. "

"What's a sleeping sawyer?"

"If I could point out the nasty thing, I wouldn't dread it; a sleepingsawyer does its sawing under the surface. We are liable to run on tothe point of one any second. "

"Mercy! Do you think we are coming on a sleeping sawyer now?" askedEvaleen. 

The captain hoped not, and directed attention to another phenomenonnot of a nature to induce feelings of security. 

"What do you see away down the river?"

"Do you mean that low island?"

"Yes, an island and not an island. Wait until we drift nearer. Youwill see river moss and rank water plants growing over the surface, but it is not part of the firm land; it is a wooden island. "

"How? A wooden island?"

"Just so. We shall see many such. Logs and all kinds of drift lodgeagainst the upper part of a stable island or peninsula, and theaccumulated mass grows into a great raft matted together by roots andvines. The whole thing, driven by winds or currents, sometimes swingsfree from its anchorage and drifts away. Then it is called a floating, or wandering island. "

Lucrèce, who had been sweeping the circle of the horizon with theseaman's glass, caught far to the northward, the glimpse of a sail. 

"I see away up the river what looks like a leetle black house, with awhite thing on the roof. "

"That boat, " said Winslow, "is miles and miles behind us; it is abovethe second bend. Let me look. --She carries a square sail, amidships, as we do, but she is not a barge. Stop, I know what she is--there's aflag at the top of the mast--she must be a government transport, coming with troops for Fort Adams or the Natchitoches country. "

Lucrèce caught a quick breath and asked eagerly:

"Troops from St. Louis, think you?"

"Most likely, miss. "

Evaleen's interest was also excited, but she kept silent, and soonslipped away alone into her cabin. The French maiden remained on decka long time, watching the transport, whenever she could bring itwithin the field of vision. 

"The soldiers, will they perhaps overtake us?" she inquired, turningher brilliant big eyes to Winslow. 

"Like enough; but you needn't be afraid of the reg'lars; they won'tmolest us. "

"I haf no fear; I haf curiositee. "

At last Lucrèce returned the glass to the captain, thanked him, andslowly sought her companion, keeping a small, brown hand just over herheart to make sure that a precious letter which she carried there wasstill safe and in its right place. 

Lucrèce and Evaleen had readily fallen into sympathetic relations. Days of chattering on deck, and nights of prattle before fallingasleep on the same couch, left few girlish secrets unexchanged. Thescant experience of Lucrèce's isolated life had brought her only asmall stock of personal doings or feelings to disclose. Yet, up to thehour of her coming into the private cabin, after seeing the governmenttransport, she had not told the very thing which she knew would mostsurely enlist the sympathy of Evaleen or of any other woman. 

Now, Lucrèce was moved to pour out her simple heart in maidenconfidence to Miss Hale, her only female friend. 

"Ah, ma sweet Evaleen, I no more shall be able to hide my feeling--Itell you, right as it happen, the beginning and the end of my story, that no person shall know. 

"One day, at Gallipolis, a young soldier there stopped. He came in themail-boat, and the reason he entered our cottage was one of the boatmenhad been hurt by accident--his arm crushed, poor man--and as papa isknown by all as a surgeon, the young officer--he was capitaine--he runup the hill to our log cabin. I tell him mon père, alas, was not athome--mon père had gone that day to Belpie. The very handsome face--howshall I say?--was upset by disappointment--teach me if I use the wrongword. I saw the sad regret and was grieved also. He looked in my eyeswith a kind pity for the hurt boatman, and quickly I spoke. 'Monsieur, I, also, can use the instruments of mon père, and wrap the bandages. Always I assist. Mon père names me his aide. I will go and dress thehurt arm. ' The young man did not say no, but his eyes were full ofdoubt, very much in doubt of me. I took the surgeon's case, and we madehaste to the mail-boat. How they all did stare and stare! I had handledthe sharp knives, and my father had taught me perfection. Instantly Idid the operation nécessaire, the brave captain much helping. Then thegallant soldier brought me home, carrying the case, and, oh, my Evaleen, how shall I say, he kissed my lips, say 'Forgive, ' and went away. I havesee him no more. "

As Evaleen listened to these naive sentences, her expression grew moreand more troubled. 

"Kissed you!"

Lucrèce nodded. 

"At Gallipolis? A captain? Do you know his name?"

"His name--oh, yes, I know his name--Warren Danvers. "

Evaleen's lip quivered. A shade of anxiety and pain saddened hercountenance. 

"I should resent the insult, " she said coldly. "Have you told me all?"

"No, my sweetest sister; I confess to you now my great, precioussecret. Alas, I give my heart that day. I love that only man. "

"You _love_ him? This is the silliest tale I ever heard. Let us go outand breathe the fresh air. Absurd! Do you fancy he loves you?"

"He has written me one letter of love--here it is. "

Lucrèce drew a tiny note from her bosom and went with Evaleen nearthe prow of the barge to take the evening breeze. The first pale starswere barely visible in the clear sky. 

Lucrèce unfolded the missive, and held it up in the dim light, butshe did not know that tears were blinding Evaleen's eyes. 

"Sometime, Lucrèce, but not now, I will tell you a story of foolishlove to match your own. We are all alike, and we all hope againstreason. "

"No; there is no reason, no wisdom, no prudence--only love. Yes, yes, something more, as I see the only star that shines there above thedark trees, and seems to die and live again while we look at it. I seethe hope that my soldier loves me and will be faithful. "

On the sixth day after leaving the mouth of the Ohio, the boat hadpassed the third Chickasaw Bluff, and was within fifty miles ofNatchez, when blue-black clouds suddenly overcast the sky, and aviolent storm burst upon the river. Buffeted by opposing forces, theMississippi soon began to fume and rage like a wrathful brute. Thethree passengers were on deck. 

"How wicked the river looks under this indigo sky!" said Evaleen. "Iwish we were ashore. There must be extreme danger in such a highwind. "

"There is always danger on the Mississippi, but such gusts soon blowover. We are safer in midstream than near shore. I'll manage the boat, never fear. You and Miss Deville had best go into the cabin before therain comes upon us. "

The girls had scarcely found shelter when a volley of big drops swept, rattling, over the deck. Soon the waves rose so high as to bury therunning board of the barge. The cotton-wood trees along the shore weretwisted and torn up; blinding spray and rain filled the dark air. Thecaptain saw his vessel in danger of drifting upon a wooden island, andcould not decide whether to steer to the right or to the left of theobstruction. Voices from the eastern bank of the river were heard, shouting through the storm. 

"Sheer clear of the island! This is the safe channel! Row in close tothis side! There's a bayou here!"

Winslow could not see the men who gave this warning, but he wasrelieved. The halloo and answering shouts were heard by Lucrèce andEvaleen. Regardless of advice, and wind, and rain, they returned todeck. The men, unable to steady the barge, lost presence of mind; thecaptain knew not what orders to give, but finally commanded, "Lower the yawl, we will try to make fast to a tree. Quick! Steady!Four of you jump in! John, take charge of the cordelle; can you row, doctor? We need help. "

"Certainment. Do not fear, my two brave daughters; this good showershall refresh ze atmosphere. "

He sprang into the yawl with the others, and seized the oars. Thebarge was driven and sucked toward a revolving eddy. Evaleen, observing the consternation of the rivermen, felt a sudden shock ofterror. 

"Lucrèce!" she cried, grasping the French girl by the wrist. "We arelost! We shall drown! The men can do nothing! How the boat creaks andtrembles!"

Lucrèce was preternaturally calm. She took Evaleen protectingly inher arms. 

"Have no fear, my sister. Mon père shall not let us perish--he hasthe strong rope. And see! see, is there not somebody who could come toour aid?"

Evaleen gazed through the driving haze, and saw, tossing on the roughwater, a skiff which seemed to be making toilsome progress toward thedoomed craft. Farther up the stream she thought she could discern theparty in the yawl, striving to reach shore with the cumbersomecordelle. Pole, nor oar, nor rudder could save the Buckeye from thefury of the eddy. The slender craft, sixty feet in length, was whirledround and round with dizzy rapidity. The violence of the down-pull atthe vortex broke her in the middle. All on board fled aft, to thehighest deck, an elevation peculiar to barges. There remained theforlorn hope that the men in the skiff might approach the sinkingwreck. This they did. They pulled alongside the half-hull, and withgreat difficulty and risk succeeded in taking the girls aboard. Threeof the four boat-hands on the barge at the time of the disasterperished in the funnel of the eddy. One swam ashore. Evaleen devoutlythanked the Divine Power for her deliverance. Lucrèce crossedherself. The French girl's anxiety was now all for her father. She didnot see the yawl, though it had landed. 

"Mon père! O mon père--mon pauvre père!"

"He'll turn up, mam'sel, " said a voice she did not like. There weretwo men in the skiff. Lucrèce now observed their appearance closely. A look at the features of the man who had spoken confirmed a revivingimpression that he and the ribald boatman who had insulted her fromthe deck of Burr's flatboat at Gallipolis were the same. He affectednot to identify her, but kept gloating eyes on Evaleen. 

"You needn't feel a bit afraid, young ladies; you are in trusty hands. Our business is to save property and to rescue folks. We will row youto a safe place, and then come back and help the men pick up what theycan of their wrecked goods. "

Evaleen saw floating barrels and boxes, part of the cargo of theBuckeye. She also noticed skiffs putting out from shore. 

"Them is some of our organization coming to save goods. This here eddyis a dangerous place for boats. "

"Why did you direct our captain to pass this way, if it is a dangerousplace?" asked Lucrèce. 

"Oh, the island over yonder is a damned sight more dangerous, ain'tit, Abe?"

"You are not rowing direct for the shore. I shall be very grateful toyou, gentlemen, if you land us at the nearest point and assist ourfriends who are out on the water in a yawl. "

"Be easy, miss; we'll look after your friends by and by. I reckon theycan take care of themselves, though. "

"Ladies fust, and gents next, " interjected Sheldrake, leering atEvaleen. "We know how to be perlite to women. Don't we, cap? Speciallyto purty women. The young lady is right when she calls me and yougents, eh, cap?"

"Shut your gab, and mind your oar, " answered the chief. 

What object had these unknown watermen in conveying their unwillingpassengers away from communication with Captain Winslow and DoctorDeville? Evaleen could not hide her dismay. Lucrèce grew desperate. 

"Will you stop the boat, sir? I beg it as a favor. I must go back tomon père. He will think us drowned. I must find him. "

"Keep cool, miss. We will help you to a place where you will be takengood care of, by nice folks. You can stay there and rest yourselves, and get a bite to eat and a glass of cordial, while we go back to lookafter the salvage. "

Five minutes more and the skiff was brought to rest beside a scowloaded with damaged merchandise. The abducted women were hustled tothe shore. 

"Come along, miss; this way. "

Thus speaking, Palafox, going ahead, almost dragged Evaleen by anobscure path to Cacosotte's Tavern. Lucrèce followed perforce, convoyed by Sheldrake. When they reached the threshold, the chiefoutlaw kicked the door, which was soon opened from within. Thefrowning face and bold bosom of Mex fronted the captives. With onehand she flung back the tangled hank of her long black hair, while thelight of her black eyes shone full on Evaleen. The side glare cast onLucrèce was less vicious. 

"Mex, here is two fine ladies that will stop in our house a while, "said Palafox. "Treat 'em to the best you've got. Take mighty good careof 'em till I come back, Blackie, or you'll hear from me. Put 'em innumber three, there's most light there, and it's safer. Tell Sott, when he comes back, to keep his nine eyes on the front door, to seethat nobody that oughtn't to gets in or out. "

"One apiece for us, eh, Mex?" added Sheldrake. 

The kidnappers departed, after fastening the outer bolt of the door. Mex, sole custodian of the unwilling guests, scowled upon them, insilence. Evaleen came to her with appealing looks. 

"Please unlock the door and let us go. Here, take my purse. I willgive you more if you will set us free--all I have. You are a woman;have pity; let us go. "

Mex grasped the silken purse, keeping her eyes steadily on thebeautiful pleader. 

"You window woman?"

Evaleen, nonplussed, ventured to nod acquiescence with theseunintelligible words. 

"White antelope?"

The captive nodded again, in dumb perplexity, eager to encourage anysign of human kindness on the part of the wild being into whose powershe had fallen. 

"White Mex teeth. " She showed her sharp incisors, presenting an aspectof fierce scorn. 

"Castiliano. My home. Come. "

The laconic hostess accompanied these words with a gesture, beckoningthe young ladies to follow her, and led the way through the secondroom, to the heavy wooden portal of the third. 

"Mex let lady out. "

With exulting hearts, the girls heard this promise. The dark womanopened the door and motioned them to enter, which they did. Mex thenslammed the door, and bolted it upon her unlucky prisoners. 

XIX. ARLINGTON'S RIDE. 

Chester Arlington set out from his Virginia home for the Southwest, carrying in his brain many anticipations, memories, and dreams, havingslight connection with his nominal duties as Burr's business agent. Hehoped to swell his own fortune by speculation in Wachita land;certainly he was eager to be among the first to march into Mexico whenthe signal for invasion should be given, openly or secretly. Moreover, sheer restlessness and love of adventure prompted him to ride over thehills and far away. 

As he proceeded westward along the Old Wilderness Road, throughCumberland Gap, into the heart of Kentucky, he had plenty of time formeditation. The varied prospects continually appealing to his eyemixed their images with pictures in his memory, especially withrecollections of his journey down the Ohio. The interesting route overwhich he was now passing had been marked out by Boone and the earlypioneers. Of the eighty thousand or more inhabitants living inKentucky at this time, nearly all had come West on horseback or onfoot. The famed region--the hunting ground of the Indians before the"Long Knives" invaded it--retained the chief features of a primevalforest. The settlers' houses were cabins in the clearing. 

The Virginian's meditations were broken in upon by various divertingsights and sounds. His attention was attracted by some picturesquehunter, dressed in buckskin pantaloons, fringed jacket, broad yellowbelt, and wolfskin cap, and carrying a long rifle; or, perchance, heexchanged good-humored remarks with a wayfaring rustic who proposed toswap horses. He wended his way through the Blue Grass region, throughLexington and Frankfort, and southward into Tennessee. Arlington foundkeen enjoyment in what he saw and heard, though never quite losingfrom consciousness a haunting memory of the Lady of the Violets. Heread with curiosity the tavern signs, wondering what relation suchnames as "The General Washington, " "The Sign of the Wagon, " "The SevenStars, " "The Golden Bull, " "The Red Lion" bore to the character of theentertainment advertised by the several symbols, for Chester neverfailed to revive at meal-times a hearty regard for victuals and drink. The table fare in Kentucky and Tennessee was much the same whereverthe traveller stopped--consisting of bacon, eggs, and of corn breadin the form of dodgers, or of big loaves weighing eight or ten pounds, cooked in a portable iron Dutch oven. Coffee the landlord alwaysserved, tea never, and no meal was complete without toddy. Peachesabounded; and a drink called metheglin, made of their juice mixed withwhiskey and sweetened water, the thirsty traveller thought a rival tomint julep. 

One night Arlington put up at a locally celebrated tavern on theborder of Tennessee. He found the genial host--an honest gossipcalled Chin--enjoying a hospitable carouse with half a dozen booncompanions soaked full of flip and peach brandy. The jolly toperswelcomed the newcomer to share their cups. They imparted much oldnews, and volunteered many encomiums on the landlord and his inn. Theytook special pride in Chin's tavern, owing to the undoubted historicalfact that the guest-room had been occupied by Louis Philippe one nightin the year 1802. On requesting to be shown to bed, the Virginian wasconducted by the landlord, candle in hand, to a bare loft, on thefloor of which lay a straw tick covered by a blue blanket. 

"There's a bed a young gentleman ought to be proud to sleep on, "affirmed the host, waving the candle over the couch. "If it's goodenough for the son of the Duke of Orleans, it's good enough for me oryou, eh? Wouldn't you like an applejack or a stiff metheglin to makeyou sleep sound? The boys downstairs respect you, sir, for the way youliquored. A young man travellin' can't be too sociable or treat toooften. Well, good-night; you're lucky to strike that bed; you don'tlay every night under a kiver and onto a tick slep between by the sonof the Duke of Orleans. "

Chester found the bed conducive to dreams, in which he was happybeyond the happiness of duke or king, dreams of Blennerhassett'sisland in May, and of wandering with a wingless Yankee angel in thatearthly Paradise. Next morning, in payment for lodging and breakfast, he offered a silver dollar. 

"That's too much, " said Chin. "Here, Joel, chop this coin. I must giveyou the change in sharp-shanks. Will you have it in quarters oreighths?"

"In whatever form you please. "

"Then make it quarters, Joel, " directed the landlord, tossing thedollar to a negro, who neatly cut the piece into four equal segments, one of which was handed back to the departing guest. 

Arlington proceeded southward toward Natchez, following the road overwhich Burr had travelled toilsomely nearly two years before. Thoughwarned not to undertake the journey alone, our hero, like James FitzJames, chose to trace a dangerous path only because it was "dangerousknown. " Road, properly so called, none had yet been opened through thewilderness stretching from Tennessee to lower Louisiana, and spreadingeastward from the Mississippi. The route led the traveller along anold trail, over sandy spaces shadowed by melancholy pines, besidestagnant lagoons, across sluggish streams, and into cypress swamps, the lurking-place of reptiles, the dreary haunt of bats and vultures. The road, at best, was an indifferent bridle path, and at worst, ablind labyrinth of seldom trodden ways in the woods. Arlington carriedin his saddle-bags a supply of bread and cheese, and he kept readyprimed, in holster at his pommel, a brace of big pistols. 

On the evening of the second day after entering the piny woods ofMississippi, he came upon a party of Creeks and Cherokees. They werefriendly; their chief offered the hospitality of the camp, venison toeat and a buffalo hide to sleep on. These mild savages spoke a fewEnglish words, and they had partially adopted the customs of whitepeople. The men wore an upper garment, like a shirt, and, about theirloins a girdle of blue cloth a yard and a half long. Their legs werebare, their feet shod with moccasins of stag-skin. They were shorn ofall hair except a grotesque tuft on top of the head. To enhance theirmasculine beauty, they sported nose-rings and painted their faces red, blue or black. The dress of the squaws consisted of a shirt, a shortpetticoat, and ornamental gaiters. Not one of them suffered a ring inher nose or paint on her cheeks, and all seemed proud of their hair. Adusky beauty, the chief's daughter, insisted on picketing and feedingArlington's horse. On the next morning, before quitting the camp, theyoung man gallantly gave her a silk scarf, a present which all theother Indians, from the chief down, envied her. 

No adventure of an unpleasant kind befell Chester Arlington untilafter he had crossed Black River, well on the way to Natchez. One day, in the dusk of evening, he heard a voice from a distance shout afterhim, "Ho, there!" He looked in the direction from which the shout hadbeen sent, and returned an answering "Hello!" but could see no person, nor could he elicit another cry from the solitude. This unaccountablevoice, sounding in the wilderness, had a disagreeable effect onArlington's nerves, though he was not in the least alarmed by it. Hishorse, however, tired as the brute was, pricked up its ears, gave asuspicious snort, and moved with quicker pace. Perhaps half an hourpassed; the twilight deepened, and the weary traveller looked rightand left for a suitable camping spot for the coming night. He checkedthe horse, rose in his stirrups, turning his head to prospect a greennook near the bridle path, when, crack! whiz! and a bullet grazed hisleft ear. This was more serious than a lone cry in the wilderness. Horse and rider instantly sought security in flight. The spurs werehardly needed to urge the black stallion forward. A brisk gallop alongsuch ready avenues as Jetty could follow in the darkening woods, rapidly put a safe distance between the traveller and the randomhighwayman who had shot at him. At any rate, Arlington decided todismount and take the chances. He tethered the animal, ate a dodger, and slept on his arms. 

On the following morning new cause for anxiety arose. The bridle pathwas not to be found. In galloping away to avoid bullets, Chester hadswerved much to the westward, and far from the obscure and crooked"trace. " For a whole day he wandered circuitously, in vain search forthe beaten course. The more stubbornly he resolved to keep "calm, cool, and collected, " the worse confused were his calculations. Heexperienced sensations unlike any he had ever before felt. It vexedhim to confess to himself that his usually clear brain was a muddle. He seemed not only to have missed the way, but had also lost thefaculty of self-direction. 

The night was again coming on. Now, Arlington regretted his obstinacyin refusing the service of a guide. Danger for danger's sake wasplaying ironically with him. He reflected that the wisest thing forhim to do was to save his strength, recover his wandering wits, andstart afresh the next morning. Luckily his saddle-bags were storedwith a good stock of rations. He tied his jaded horse to acypress-tree, and sat down on the ground to endure as patiently as hecould the long dark hours. "A prince's bed in Chin's loft, " thoughthe, "is luxury compared with this. All comfort is relative. I willsleep if I can. I shall need myself to-morrow. "

The croaking of frogs in the swamp and the shrill trumpeting of themosquito army attacking his face and hands were not agreeablelullabies. As the darkness deepened, a medley of doleful noisespervaded the horrible wilderness. An unearthly gabble of strangewater-fowl broke out suddenly, was kept up for a few seconds only, andthen ceased. Only once in the night did Arlington hear that demoniacgabble; but he lay awake for hours expecting and dreading to hear itagain. The owls were not so sparing of their vocal performances, scores of them joining in concert to serenade the lost man. Sometimestheir prolonged notes sounded like the wail of a deserted babe, sometimes like mocking laughter, and again like a deep guttural snore. Nothing worse than mosquitos, dismal sounds, and the dank vapor of theswamp afflicted the weary man, who, falling asleep at midnight, sleptso soundly that on waking late next morning he reproached himself fornot having dreamed as usual of Evaleen Hale. 

"How do you feel this morning, Jetty?" he said, patting his blackhorse. "Are you well rested? I will get you the best breakfast to behad in this God-forsaken region, and we must trot on or stay here andperish. Never say die, Jetty. "

Real difficulties invigorate the brain of a brave man. Arlington awokewith a definite plan of procedure in his mind. After feeding Jetty andbreakfasting with keen gusto, he renewed his search for the lost path, keeping the points of the compass ever in view. Natchez lay to thesouth and also to the west. By going due south one must certainlystrike the road at some point. 

"Are you ready to start, my lad?" said the man to the horse. The horsewhinnied an equine response, and was soon bearing his master southwardthrough the underbrush. Many an hour was wasted; the sun climbed tothe meridian, and no indication of the anxiously looked-for trail wasseen. At length, just as Arlington's pioneering eye lit upon theshining surface of a lazy brook, a dozen yards away, Jetty suddenlyhalted, put nose to the ground and began to paw. The animal had founda path, scarcely discernible, yet a practicable road marked byhoof-tracks. The course of it was along the edge of the small streamflowing westerly. "Manifestly the rational thing to do now is tofollow the new-found trail, which, in all probability, is the rightroad to Natchez, or if not, it may lead to the Mississippi, where aboat can be hailed. "

Progress was slow and painful. The oppressive afternoon was half spentwhen a breeze started up, the precursor of a thunder-gust. The breeze, strengthening to a brisk gale, made Arlington hold fast to his hat, and caused the long streamers of Spanish moss to wave like graybanners from the limbs of the cypress-trees. The air grew murky, clouds were flying in dark blotches. A hurricane was sweeping acrossthe country; the loud rush of it came roaring up the stream; it lashedand twisted and tore trees; poured down torrents; thundered around andabove Arlington and his terrified horse, without doing either man orbeast the slightest hurt, save deluging them with rain, and poundingthem as with mighty hammers of wind. The storm swept past, the rainceased, the wind died away, and the traveller thanked his stars he hadescaped death. On, on, farther and farther toiled the travellers, nowboth afoot, Arlington leading his panting beast. The water-way ontheir south, near the bank of which the road lay, widened abruptly, and became a broad, natural canal, with crumbling shores. Arlingtonpaused to speculate on the strange aspect of things. Long had hejourneyed among bushes and trees, over logs and across streams andoozy marshes; now he deemed he was nearing the Mississippi. "I am DeSoto the Second; an explorer of new regions, a discoverer of strangewatercourses. This Acheron at my left must flow into some larger bodyof water, if it flows at all. Courage, Jetty! We are on the way to theFather of Waters. "

Climbing once more into the saddle, Arlington resumed his ride, patting his horse on the neck, and encouraging him with words. 

"Patience, good boy; keep up a day or two more. Surely this wideningstream on our left creeps to the big river. See! A boat! A vessel madeby man's hands lies on the shore of this Dead Sea!"

Joyfully Chester sprang to the ground, and leaving the animal tobrowse, ran down to the edge of the bluff to learn if any livingcreature were aboard. He discovered three or four large boats, freighted with barrels and boxes. He called, but no answer came back. Turning to look after his horse, he noticed a foot-path leading into athicket, and having pushed his way amid the wet bushes, he came into abroader path, which brought him to a supposititious tavern, theheadquarters of Palafox's gang. 

"A queer place for a public house, " thought Arlington, reading thesign over the door. "Table set in the wilderness; I am out of dangerof starvation, anyhow. Blessed be the name of Cacosotte. "

Thus communing with himself, the young man pounded vigorously on thepuncheon door. No one came to open to him. Loudly he called in thehearty manner of the backwoodsman:

"Hello the house!"

Nobody answered the call, though Arlington could have sworn he heardsuppressed voices within. It flashed upon him that the place might bea trap for travellers, and the sign-board a decoy. His two heavypistols, each more than a foot long, hung strapped to his belt. Thepriming was fresh; the flints were accurately set. 

"Hello, there, within!"

Still no answer, yet again the sound of voices--women's voices. Thestranger left the front portal to investigate the rear end of the longcabin. Loopholes in the log walls permitted air and light to enter therooms. Through one of these openings, an aperture which might verylikely conceal the muzzle of an aimed rifle, Arlington heard--not thereport of a gun, but what surprised him more--his own name shriekedby Evaleen Hale. The hurried, excited appeal of the captives madeclear the prompt and only course for the man to take. He hastened tothe front door again, and now saw a reason why the strong bolts on theoutside had been fastened. These he drew, and almost heaving the dooroff its hinges, rushed into the den. Mex stood on guard in the firstpartition door, a butcher knife in her hand. Slight parley did theathletic, impetuous Virginian ranger hold with the dragon whointerposed between him and his lady-love. "Drop the knife! Throw upyour hands!" he demanded, with an emphasis of desperation, which leftno doubt of his intentions. Mex knew the meaning of pistols; she wascowed; the knife fell and her hands went up. Secretly she was glad tobe foiled. She wished to be rid of the woman Palafox admired, and shecould think of but two modes of disposing of her--killing her orletting her escape. Slowly walking backward, menaced by a cockedpistol, Mex retreated to the door of the room in which the ladies werelocked up. The bolts were unfastened by her, the door swung inward, and the prisoners sprang to freedom. Now again Mex showed fight. Sheflashed Pepillo's poignard from a hidden sheath and made at Arlington, who struck the weapon down, shoved the savage woman back into theroom, and bolted the door. 

XX. MOSTLY LOVE MATTERS. 

Captain Winslow and those with him in the yawl at the time of thesinking of the barge, intent on their work of landing and of managingthe cordelle, did not witness the rescue of Miss Hale and hercompanion. The place where the yawl came to shore, was overhung bybushes, and shut from view in the direction of the mouth of the bayouby trees and branches just blown down. Throughout the disastroushalf-hour, only Dr. Deville thought less of self-preservation than ofthe safety of others. Constantly he tried not to lose sight of hisdaughter and of Evaleen, and he felt sure he had seen the girls goingashore in a skiff, rowed by two men. The boatman, who escaped byswimming when his fellows went down in the whirl of the eddy, couldnot believe but that the women were drowned. 

Winslow and his drenched crew followed Dr. Deville down to the angleformed by the river and the bayou, where stood those of the wreckersnot employed with oar or boat-hook. And now the conclusion of thesailor who swam to shore was confirmed by other testimony. Thesefellows swore they had seen the lost women struggling in the water. Another declared he saw them sink while he was making a desperateeffort, against wave and gale, to reach them in his boat. Notwithstanding the assertions of the watermen, Deville did notrelinquish faith in his own eyes. He suspected foul play. So didWinslow, who began to discover the spurious quality of the pretendedsalvage corps. The vigilant exertions of these hookers-in of flotsamcould be accounted for only on the supposition that here, at theoutlet of Cypress Bayou, Captain Winslow had fallen into the hands ofa gang such as he had described to his passengers. 

Palafox and his confederate made haste to return from their thieves'den to the scene of the wreck. Deville's pleading inquiry concerningthe missing girls drew from the abductors feigned expressions ofsurprise and regret. Turning to Winslow, Palafox said:

"I'm 'stonished, captain, that you risked takin' women on board afreight boat. "

"Yes, " added Sheldrake. "You'll blame y'rself 's long 's you live. Them bodies will come up as floaters, down about Baton Rouge. "

Doctor Deville groaned. 

"No, no! Say not that. My dear daughter shall not be lost! Ah! Mondieu!"

"Daughter? Was one of 'em your daughter, grand-daddy?" exclaimedSheldrake. "Think of that, Burke! His daughter drownded!"

"_Je suis fachè de votre malheur, père_, " said Palafox, in a tone ofaffected commiseration. Then turning to Sheldrake with a grin, "Betternot devil the old man any more, Shel; he's gone crazy. Hello, therecomes another boat!"

The craft sighted was a transport, flying the Stripes and Stars, andbearing a detachment of soldiers from St. Louis to Natchez. On beingvociferously hailed by Winslow and his men, the batteau headed for theshore. During the slow and laborious process of landing, the wreckers, observing uniformed soldiers, with guns, furtively slipped away, oneby one, disappearing in the bush; all excepting Palafox, who, withbrazen audacity, still held his ground, acting his part as succorer ofthe unfortunate. 

"I mean to join the army myself, " said he to Winslow, as a lieutenantand several men came ashore. "I'd enlist now if it wasn't for myfamily at home--two sick babies. "

A yell of delight from Dr. Deville startled all on shore and on theboat. His vigilant eye, ever enfilading the tangled copse to theeastward, had caught through an opening in the bushes the flutter of ablue gown, which he recognized as the kirtle of his idolized Lucrèce. She presently emerged from the thicket, accompanied by Arlington andEvaleen. Palafox was much disconcerted. He forgot his role of publicbenefactor, and was casting about to slip away as his fellows haddone, when Arlington, rushing forward, pistol in hand, savagelyconfronted him. 

"Stop!" thundered the Virginian, covering the desperado with hispistol, and glaring upon him with determined eye. Palafox, unable toescape, nonchalantly bit a chew of tobacco and nodded insolently. 

"Take this man prisoner!" demanded the Virginian, keeping his eye andhis pistol on the boatman. 

"You've no warrant to take me, " sneered Palafox. 

"No warrant is required. Seize him, soldiers--he is a robber, anoutlaw!"

To the accusation of Arlington, Miss Hale added her entreaties interms so urgent that Palafox was arrested with little ceremony. 

While the soldiers were hustling the kidnapper aboard the boat, theofficer in command, Captain Warren Danvers, hastened to the shore, having recognized the voice of Evaleen. Neither Lucrèce, who lovedDanvers, nor Chester, who loved Evaleen, could hear what passed, inrapid speech, between the affectionate couple. The story of thevoyage, the wreck, the abduction, Evaleen imparted in a breath. Shetold as briefly the circumstances of the rescue. 

"Oh, Warren, is it really you? A divine Providence guards us. Such acoincidence is not blind chance. Who could guess when we parted thatwe should come together under these circumstances. The hand of Heavensaved us. "

"My dear girl, will you give no credit to human saviors? It appearsyou owe special gratitude to a mortal. I can't claim any merit forsaving you, but I am extremely happy that we are once more together. Who is your travelling companion? We must look after her. "

"Are you tired of me already, " she playfully chided, "and curious tomake a new friend? They are French people from Gallipolis. "

"French? Is she French?" asked Danvers, gazing toward Lucrèce. 

"French? Is she French?" tenderly mocked Evaleen. "I told you theywere French. Now I _am_ jealous. Do you know any French girl inGallipolis?"

"Nonsense, Evaleen! I am not a woman's man. Pardon, I don't mean thatI don't like _you_, of course--"

"Like--don't you love me? I love you with all my heart, you dearfellow! But I love Lucrèce also, and maybe I'll let you love her justa little. "

Danvers seemed embarrassed. Evaleen went on:

"We are forgetting our friends. Come, you must thank the man who savedus. "

The pair hurried to where Arlington stood. 

"Mr. Arlington, this is Captain Danvers. "

"I have met Captain Danvers. "

"How, what? Have you, Warren, formed the acquaintance of--?"

"I have seen Mr. Arlington once before. "

"Where?"

"In Marietta. "

"When?"

"A good while ago. On the day I left for St. Louis. "

"You never told me. " Danvers looked hard at Arlington, who felt calledupon to explain. 

"Madam, I challenged Captain Danvers to fight. "

Evaleen's blue eyes opened wide. 

"Challenged Warren!"

"Yes. "

"And you accepted the challenge?"

"Yes. "

"Why, brother!"

Arlington's heart leapt within him. "Brother?" he stammered. "CaptainDanvers your brother?"

"He is my half brother. "

Danvers laughed out. Putting his arm around Evaleen, he said, "Mr. Arlington, if you are still disposed to fight me, we may meet when youplease. But I am of the opinion you will learn from Evaleen that youhave more cause to cherish hard feelings against the man you championthan against me. "

"At any rate, " said Arlington, as the two shook hands, "whatever youmay think concerning Colonel Burr, this is not the place nor time forquarrelling. You have the Spaniards to fight--I must fight a rashtemper. "

Lucrèce, pale and sad-eyed, was leaning upon her father's shoulder. Evaleen hastened to her, and the doctor went up to Arlington to pourout endless thanks. 

"Are you sick, Lucrèce? Shall we go to the boat?"

"Sick, sick at heart. "

"There is a way to cure that. "

"No, my Evaleen, there is no cure. But you shall it all forgive. Howcould I know? You say you sometime tell me the story I read, alas, toolate. "

"Story? What story?"

"Ah, my sweet friend--pardon me--pity Lucrèce. _Mon soldat--moncapitaine_, you love heem--he love you--how shall we not hate us?"

The captain made bold to approach the ladies. When his eyes met thoseof Lucrèce, Evaleen interpreted the silent language exchanged. 

"Lucrèce, your soldier is my brother, you jealous little tigress!But, " she added in a whisper, "don't let him kiss you again. "

Danvers, without delay, gave directions for all to embark, and himselfconducted Lucrèce and her jubilant father on board. 

Arlington, escorting the Lady of the Violets, asked her, in anundertone, "Did you get my last letter from Virginia?"

"Yes, " answered Evaleen. "Did you receive mine, in which I explainedthe mistakes of Byle?"

"No; I did not get such a letter. Tell me all the contents. "

"That will require time. "

"Did you answer my--my question?"

"Wait until you see the letter. "

"I don't think I can wait. "

"Then until we can talk on the boat. "

Danvers proposed to take the crew and passengers of the wrecked bargeBuckeye aboard his transport and carry them as far south as Natchez, where a family boat could be procured for the continuance of theirvoyage to New Orleans. Arlington, of course, was accommodated; alsohis faithful horse, Jetty, which had followed him down the margin ofthe bayou. The understanding was that Winslow should conduct thedoctor and the ladies from Natchez to New Orleans, leaving Danversfree to march his troops to Natchitoches, while Arlington remained inNatchez to transact the business intrusted to him by Burr. 

The transport was soon afloat. Monsieur Deville, quickly recoveringhis habitual gaiety, chirruped:

"Have I not said, Mees Hale, to your father that hees gairl sall besafe as ze baby in ze cradle? Have I not keep my word? Ze leetle blowof ze wind, it is all ovair. What we care now for ze boat-wreckair, zebad robbair? _Voila!_ have we not brush away ze mosquito? But say tome, my daughter's dear friend, am I myself Eloy Deville? Ze CaptainDanvers, is he a lunatic?"

"No, doctor, not a lunatic, but a lover. My brother and your daughterhave been sweethearts for many moons. "

"Now I am sure you also, Mees Hale, have lost your head. You also arein ze delirium. "

Danvers, attempting to ingratiate himself with père Eloy, was calledaway by an occurrence which caused him chagrin. The sentinel to whomwas assigned the duty of keeping watch over Palafox was notsufficiently vigilant to foil his cunning. The amphibious athletemanaging deftly to loosen the cords which bound his wrists, slippedlike an eel from the boat into the river, and, diving deep, swamawhile under water, then on the surface, and finally reached theeastern shore of the Mississippi, a few miles south of the point atwhich the boat had landed. Long, toilsome, exhausting, was his returntramp toward the sole haunt in which he could expect sympathy orcommand protection. He did not rely on honor among thieves, but he hadconfidence in Mex, who was bound to him, he believed, by two strongties, love and fear. 

Night had fallen before Palafox reached the southern edge of the bayouat the point opposite his only house and home, and it was pitchy dark, when, having swam across the stagnant channel, he trudged, wet andweary, to the barred door of Cacosotte's Tavern, and knocked. Mexundid the bolts and let her master in, her sagacious eyes swiftlytaking note of his bodily plight and desperate mood. To herdemonstration of savage tenderness he returned a ferocious growl, andshoved her from him roughly. 

"Fetch me the brandy, quick! Don't you see I'm drowned?"

He swallowed at a gulp the potation she poured out, and stepping intoa dark recess christened "The Captain's Corner, " where hung variousstolen articles of men's apparel, he exchanged his soaked garments fordry ones. 

Meanwhile, Mex sullenly placed upon a table such food as her cupboardcould supply. Palafox emerged, mollified in temper, but stillirascible. In his hand he held the long leathern pocket-bookcontaining the alleged evidence of Wilkinson's complicity with theSpanish government. It was creased and dripping, and before eating heopened it, carefully took out the papers, and spread them on thecounter of the bar to dry. 

"You wouldn't guess there might be a fortune in these, would you, Blackey?"

"_Not_ Blackey! No negar-wool!" She shook her long black hair, and herblacker eyes glittered. "No Mexicano, no red squaw--your woman. "

Palafox was wont to amuse himself by provoking the pride and jealousyof this caged creature of untamed affections. 

"Where is Sott? Did he come home? He ought to be burnt alive forletting my game escape. Where is he?"

Mex, standing behind her lord and watching him as he ate and drank, explained that Nine Eyes had been badly hurt in a fight with one ofthe band; a bullet had shivered the bones of his arm; the sufferer hadgroaned and howled, but she soothed him, she said, by a charm, and heat last slept. 

Sott's nondescript nurse had in fact, administered an opiate. Inaddition to the arts of the hoodoo and medicine man, she possessedunusual knowledge of the virtue of wild plants, including those ofdangerous quality. There was never race or tribe so primitive as to beignorant of deadly herbs. This scarcely half-civilized daughter ofmiscegenation was a Hecate in the skilful decoction of potent leaves, roots and berries. 

"You _charmed_ him to sleep?" sneered Palafox, glancing backthreateningly, and speaking in Spanish. "Be careful who you charm. Best not be coddling Nine Eyes, or any other man, while I'm livin'. Bring another bottle. You could have kept those girls here for me, ifyou'd tried. You allowed that strutting dandy to carry them off beforeyour eyes. This makes the second time he got away from me. The thirdtime is the charm. Not your kind of charm, Mex, but one that actsquicker. "

"What charm?" asked Mex, who had gone behind the bar, and was busywith bottles and cups. She decanted some drops into a flask. 

"What charm! Copper-cheeks! You don't recollect how I dosed Pepillothat night!"

"Yes, that night me save your life. Me your wife then! Me kill dandy?"

Palafox chuckled at the question. 

"No, señora, no. I'll do that part of the business, and you see afterthe charming. You might have captivated the dandy for all I care, andkept him to yourself. It isn't him I want. I want her. And I'll haveher yet. I've set my heart on getting ahold of that woman. "

The hand of Mex could not have been steady; she let fall somethingthat broke like glass. 

"What are you spilling, there? Don't break my bottles. Bring me moredrink. "

Mex started up confusedly from behind the bar, brought a flagon, satdown on the bench beside Palafox, and looked into his face. A furiousresentment was raging in her heart. 

Palafox enjoyed his temporary wife's manifestations of jealousy. Helaughed, took a deep draught from the flagon, and said:

"You are infernal particular, Mex. I never heard of another woman ofyour pedigree who was opposed to polygamy. "

She did not understand all the words he used, but gathered the chiefimport, and replied with impetuous wrath:

"No Mex--not Choctaw--me Castiliano--me Señora Palafox. " Thedesperado sat still several minutes, drank again from a bowl which Mexhad mixed. 

"You're all right, señora--I couldn't keep house without you. Lookye here, bring all those papers and I'll put 'em safe back in thepocket book. " The papers were folded up and enclosed carefully intothe leathern wallet. Palafox, with trembling hand, thrust the packagein his pocket, and then staggered to his feet. 

"There's a queer pain in the back of my neck and in my chest, Mex; Ican't stand up--help me. " He leaned on the bar, and the woman hastilydrew to the middle of the floor the great buffalo robe which was herusual bed. She also brought a panther's hide rolled up to serve as apillow. The horribly staring eyes of Palafox followed her motions. 

"There's something ails my heart, I tell you. "

He stumbled upon the bed of pelts and lay sprawling. 

"More drink! water! brandy! quick!"

With difficulty Mex turned the man upon his back. A while he laystill. His breathing was labored and he twitched convulsively. Theentire nervous system was suddenly depressed. Mex stood motionlessbeside the pallet, her eyes riveted upon him. Presently his livid lipsopened, and he spoke gaspingly, "I'm done for. "

His hand fumbled about his heart. He was falling into syncope. He didnot feel the sweep and tickle of downfalling hair which, for a moment, enmeshed and covered his face, when Mex knelt at his side and tookfrom his bosom the pocket-book he had told her contained a fortune. 

Having secured this treasure, the slighted mistress of a dying robberslid noiseless as a shadow to her accustomed covert behind the bar. When she came thence her feet and ankles were encased in high buckskinmoccasins adorned in bright colors. About her shoulders she drew anIndian blanket decorated in richest style of barbaric elegance. Shepaused to bestow a parting look on the distorted face of him she hadloved and poisoned. A feeble moan came from his lips. She knew itmeant death, for wolf's-bane was mixed with the last draughts he hadtaken. 

Like a shadow Mex passed from the cabin into the darkness of thewoods. She had prevented the man from pursuing any other woman. 

The hours of night wore slowly away, and Cacosotte, returning toconsciousness after his anæsthetic sleep, felt renewed pain in hisdisabled arm. As soon as he realized his condition, he sat up in bedand shouted for his nurse. "Mex!" No answer. 

"Mex, for God's sake come and fix my arm. "

No answer. No sound whatever was to be heard in the lonely cabin. 

"Mex, O Mex!"

No response. Cacosotte waited half an hour and again called out. Finally he got up, and in the gray light of a cloudy November dawnmade his way from his remote couch in "Heaven" to the glimmeringtwilight of "Hell. " Mex was not in her lair, nor was the couch itselfin the usual place. 

Cacosotte bent over Palafox and saw a corpse. 

XXI. PRO AND CON. 

"No, sir, no, sir! I deny the statement. Burr is not getting justice. Daviess is a persecutor, not a prosecutor. He hates Burr as he hatesevery Republican. He rakes up all the filthy lies of the past, concerning Burr and Wilkinson, and peddles them round in thatdung-cart, _The Western World_, which his man Friday, John Wood, drives. "

"You'd best not talk too loud, Hadley; Wood is at the door. "

"Who wants John Wood?" bawled the bearer of that name. "Hadley, you?"

"No; I avoid you and your paper. You ought to be sued for libel. I sayto you as I just now said to Ogden, that Jo Hamilton Daviess is makingthis fuss, not for furtherance of law and justice, but to blacken thename of Burr. "

"Burr blackened it himself, " retorted Wood, "with the blood ofHamilton. "

"Black blood it was, from a black heart. Don't say anything againstthat duel here in Kentucky!" said Hadley. 

The wrangle, of which the foregoing speeches were a part, took placein Frankfort, Kentucky, on the morning of December 2, 1806. The townwas thronged with zealous partisans, Federalists and Republicans, fromnear and far. Scores of sturdy ploughmen and cavalcades ofstock-raisers had ridden from their Blue Grass farms to the Statecapital, on horses of a breed and beauty unsurpassed in the world. Every tavern, blacksmith-shop, and grocery drew its crowd, for theweather was cold, and the country folks were glad of a chance to warmthemselves while they boisterously discussed the latest phases of thelegal proceeding then in progress, involving the reputation of AaronBurr, and threatening his personal liberty. 

Daviess, a staunch Federalist, controlled a political newspaper, theavowed purpose of which was "to drag to light the men who had beenconcerned with Miro in the Spanish conspiracy of 1787. " Daviess hadwritten to Jefferson accusing General Wilkinson of having been inSpanish pay, and later had charged both Wilkinson and Burr with thegrossest disloyalty. These two men were openly and repeatedly attackedin the paper, a copy of which Wood held in hand when he confrontedHadley. 

"You can't smutch the character of Daviess, " said Wood. "His name isabove suspicion. He performs his duty as United States DistrictAttorney without fear or favor. "

"You are not competent to give an unbiased opinion; yourbread-and-butter depends upon the man who set you up in business. "

The sneer drew applause from a majority of those in the store. Burrhad won the heart of the populace. Wood returned a sharp rejoinder. 

"What a pity that some good man has not set Hadley up in a betterbusiness than pettifogging. Apply to your patron, Judge Innes. Lickhis foot. There's an immaculate judge for you! Talk of corruption!I've been present at every session of the court whenever the case ofBurr came up. Away back as early as the beginning of November Daviessmoved for a process to compel the attendance of Burr in court toanswer charges of treason. Daviess made affidavit that he had positiveevidence of Burr's plotting to wage war against Spain, invade Mexico, and break up the Union. What was the action of Judge Hary Innes? Heoverruled the motion--denied the course of justice. "

"No, " broke in the other, "he denied the motion because there were nogrounds for the charge. "

"Hold on, Mr. Hadley, till I am through. I want these young men fromthe Blue Grass and from Lexington to know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. "

"Fust time truth ever come from the editor of _The Western World_!"growled a backwoodsman in buckskin breeches. "I'll bet my money onBurr. Burr ought to be President 'stid of Jefferson. He was cheatedout of the Presidency. "

"That's the talk!" put in a squeaky-voiced old man, wiping his lipswith the back of his hand, after having taken a drink of cheapwhiskey, for a dram went gratis with every purchase, and old Jim Sweethad bought a long woollen "comfort" for his scrawny neck. "That's thetalk, gen'l'men. I say, hurrah for Wilkinson and Burr and Harry Clay!I wisht Clay had popped a hole in Daviess, jest like Burr did inHamilton. Why didn't they fight? They say Daviess sent a challenge. Wonder why that dool 'tween Jo and Harry never come off?"

Hadley shrugged his shoulders. 

"That gits me, " continued Jim. "Reckon it were a case of one askeertand an' t'other da'sn't, eh, Hen?"

"Skeert nothin'!" mumbled the backwoodsman. "Clay's a dead shot. "

The man of the newspaper here put in. "Daviess sent Clay a challenge;that's certain. "

"Yes! an' there's another fack what's durn certain, my friend, or I'ma liar!" The backwoodsman roused himself from his stooping posture andsat glaring at the editor. "Harry Clay done accepted Daviess'schallenge; an' if matters was arranged satisfactory to both partieswithout no pluggin', I reckon there ain't no need of comments fromoutsiders. "

Editor Wood, aware that the public sentiment was against him, prudently withdrew, leaving the floor to Hadley, which zealousDemocrat, addressing sympathetic auditors, voiced their feelings andhis own. 

"I was in the court room, and I saw some of you there when firstDaviess tried to calumniate Burr; and I was there when Innes overruledthe motion. That was a great day. The judge had scarcely finishedspeaking when Burr himself, just from Lexington, entered thecourt-house. He made the neatest speech ever I heard--perfectly calmand dignified--and he asked for a full and free investigation--thesooner the better, he said--_now_, if possible. You heard thatspeech, Jim, didn't you?"

Old Jim, who, with trembling hands, was in the act of adjusting hisnew comfort, swore he had heard all the great preachers and lawyers ofhis day, but Burr knocked the persimmons. 

"Do you recamember, Hen, " said he, familiarly addressing Hadley. "Doyou recamember how Daviess hopped up and snarled out, 'You shall haveall the _investigation_ you want!' He said it in jest that tantulatin'style. 'All the in-ves-ti-gation you want. ' _I_ was riled. I hissed. "

"Like an old snappin' turtle, " said the backwoodsman. 

"I recollect, " resumed Hadley, "the judge fixed the next Wednesday forthe hearing, as Burr desired. Wednesday came, but Daviess wasn'tready. One of his witnesses absent. What could the judge do butdischarge the jury? He did discharge the jury, and then, gentlemen, wehad another surprise! No sooner had those jurymen left the box than inmarched Burr once again, and said he regretted that the jury had beendischarged, and asked the reason. Daviess buzzed up, like a madhornet, and explained that one of his principal witnesses, DavisFloyd, was in Indiana attending a territorial legislature. Everybodyburst out laughing, and the judge had to call the court to order. Youought to have seen Burr! Without cracking a smile, he desires that thecause of Floyd's absence be entered upon record. Then he makes anotheraddress, partly to the court and partly to the people, denying in totothe charges against him, and insisting on a fair investigation. Thereis not a franker, more open-and-above-board soul living than this sameAaron Burr of New York! They can't catch him by any tricks of law orlying. He won't be downed. To-day comes the last tug of war. I neversaw such another crowd in this town as we have now to attend court. All Frankfort is here, all Lexington, and pretty much all Kentucky. "

"I'll be danged, " piped old Jim, "if I don't start right away and tryto git a bench. An ailin' man, like me, can't scrouge, as I used tocould. "

"Go 'long wi' me; I'll jam you through the crowd, or mash you, Jim, "offered the backwoodsman. "Fetch out the jug, Sanders, it's my treat. Come up to the counter, neighbors, 'less you mean to insult me. Here, use this dipper, Jim. All must drink--yes, you too, Solly. " Theselast words were addressed to a ghost-like man with a long white beardand insane eyes, who had glided into the store. He was recognized byall present under the name of "Solly, " an abbreviation of Solitarius. The demented fanatic sadly shook his head. 

"Peace be with you all. Amen!"

"Amen, Solly; how's the Halcyon Itinerary?" asked Hadley, in playfulirony. "Where's your revelations?"

"Awake from your dreams. " This monition, uttered in a slow, solemntone, was received by the loafers good-naturedly, being advice theyhad often heard from the same lips. 

"This whiskey'll wake 'em up, Solly, if anything this side of liquidfire can. Here's a tinful for you. "

The crazy prophet waved the offering away, raised his palms in silentbenediction, and glided out as noiselessly as he had entered. 

"Badly cracked, " said the grocery-keeper. 

"Religion done it, " exclaimed Old Jim, between swallows. 

The drinks having been paid for, the entire company, led by thebackwoodsman, left the store and hurried to the court-house. 

XXII. NOT A TRUE BILL. 

The oft-deferred and eagerly expected hour came, in which the chargesbrought against Aaron Burr by the United States District Attorney ofKentucky were to be investigated before a Grand Jury, Judge Hary Innespresiding. The court-room was crammed from wall to wall with a crowdof men impatiently awaiting the first move in the anticipated war ofwords between two famous lawyers, who were known to be not onlypolitical antagonists, but also personal enemies. The cause of theimpending battle was worthy of the contestants. On the result of thatday's testimony and debate hung the fortunes of the conspirator andhis federaries. This Burr realized, though few of his devotedadherents in that crowded room had suspicion that the charges againsthim were true. In the minds of most of them he figured as a martyr, apatriotic citizen maligned and traduced. There were many in thatassemblage who, had they believed his designs traitorous, would havegreeted him not with applause, but with a volley of rotten eggs. 

When Judge Innes stepped behind the high desk of justice, and took hisofficial seat, a buzz of expectation went round. The clerk of thecourt bustled in with an air of importance, and shook hands with theDistrict Attorney, whose troubled, anxious eye shot piercing glancesin every direction. Daviess appeared to be seeking for somebody hehardly hoped to find. Old Jim, standing in a corner, craned his neckto get a better view, wheezily murmuring in the ear of his friend, thebackwoodsman, "Jo looks cross. I reckon he has lost somethin'. "

"'Spect he has lost his case, " remarked Buckskin Breeches, stooping tospit tobacco juice on the floor. At this moment a cheer, seconded bygeneral handclapping, announced the coming of Burr and his counsel, Clay and Allen. The judge did not check the demonstration; on thecontrary, he smiled a beaming welcome and was unjudicial enough to nodfamiliarly from his high bench. 

The case was called with the usual forms of procedure, when, to thedisgust of Old Jim and the auditors generally, Daviess asked a furtherpostponement owing to the absence of an indispensable witness, JohnAdair. The judge hesitated, Burr had nothing to say, and thespectators manifested signs of democratic protest against beingdisappointed in their hopes of a forensic entertainment. Burr'slawyers were very willing to treat the populace to a taste of oratory, which, in the guise of legal discussion, might produce remotepolitical effects, for office-seeking was a fine art in the good olddays of Jackson and Clay. Colonel Allen arose to insist that theinvestigation go on or else be abandoned finally and entirely, and tothis the judge seemed to assent. Daviess, fearful that the court andthe balance of public opinion were against him, felt the difficulty ofhis position, but determined to summon all his power of argument andpersuasion, hoping to turn the tide in his favor. A bold man, ready indebate, sharp at repartee, the leader of his party, the DistrictAttorney was considered a match for any member of the Kentucky bar. The judge, the assembled lawyers, and the waiting audience perceivedin the very attitude of Daviess, when he rose to plead forpostponement, that he was loaded with a great speech. They were notmistaken. For more than an hour he held the absorbed attention ofevery listener. He set forth clearly and forcibly the fundamentalreasons why the accusation of treason against a prominent citizenshould be fully investigated. 

"Your Honor, " said he, in conclusion, "I appear before you and beforethe people of this State and county, and before the throne of AlmightyGod; I come in the discharge of an imperative duty, as a servant ofthe United States, to which I am bound by a sacred oath; I come to laybefore you damning evidence that the accused is guilty of treason tohis country. Only give me time--grant me another day. I shall produceunwilling witnesses whose testimony will convince even the mostprejudiced politician, will persuade even his own deluded followersthat Aaron Burr is engaged in machinations to destroy this FederalUnion which the men of Lexington and Bunker Hill fought and died toestablish. Behold the Brutus who would stab, not a despotic Cæsar, but the nourishing bosom of his native country. We have here, in loyalKentucky, a Lexington, our most populous city. Remember that it wasnamed in commemoration of the first battle of the Revolution. Shallour Lexington be suffered to become a hot-bed of sedition? No, yourHonor--a thousand times, no!"

The effect of this peroration was for the moment overwhelming. A deadsilence prevailed throughout the court-room. Garrulous Old Jimattempted no sarcastic criticism; he rolled his blear eyes in thedirection of the backwoodsman and shook his head as if to say, "I giveit up. " The climax of the day's oratory, however, was yet to come. Daviess took his seat and Clay instantly sprang up to answer him. "Harry of the West, " already a popular idol, was the most celebratedspeaker in Kentucky. Not yet thirty years of age, he had just beenchosen to represent his State in the Senate of the nation. Burr, soliciting his professional aid, had written a note denying eithertreasonable intentions or complicity with traitors. "You may besatisfied, " wrote he, "that you have not espoused the cause of a manany way unfriendly to the laws, the government, or the interest of hiscountry. " Relying on this assurance, Clay gave his services withoutfee, perhaps in anticipation of the satisfaction he would enjoy invanquishing with the tongue the man who had once challenged him tomortal combat with pistols. His resolute mien, tall, graceful figure, expressive gestures, flashing eye, and mellifluous voice captivatedindependently of the substance of his discourse. Clay was eloquent bynature. There was no resisting the flood of his impassioned speech. 

In the course of his address, which was meant as much for the publicear as for that of the judge, he said: "These paltry charges, may itplease your Honor, these foul and slanderous charges, the filthy oozeof an irresponsible newspaper, are incredible, preposterous--nay, mendacious! They are not made in good faith. The purpose of those whoare fomenting mischief, under the pretence of performing public duty, is not what it professes to be. The motives underlying this show ofpublic virtue are sinister and selfish. "

"Do you mean to cast reflections on my character, sir?" demandedDaviess. 

"Not at all. You are brilliant enough to shine by your own light. Look, sir, a moment, at the history of this illustrious Americancitizen whom you are called upon to vex and vilify; remember hisheroic conduct in war, his splendid services in peace; recall thestory of his public sacrifices and his private misfortunes; who, Iask, is worthy of a generous people's gratitude and confidence ifAaron Burr be not worthy? Do you charge him with disloyalty? him thehero of Quebec, of Long Island, and of Monmouth? him the very swordhand of Washington?" This flourish of rhetoric added an extra inch tothe length of Jim Sweet's craned neck. 

"Sock it to 'em!" he tried to shout, but his phthisicky effort endedin a spell of coughing. 

"Order in the court!" shouted the clerk, fixing the disturber withthreatening eye. 

"They tell us Republics are ungrateful, and it seems that my learnedfriend, the district attorney, would have you believe that miserablemaxim. Out upon such a sentiment! We boast, sir, of the hospitality ofOld Kentucky, especially of the Blue Grass region, and well we mayboast. Our people are magnanimous--their hearts are great. But whatshall be said of the unspeakable meanness, baseness, perfidy, of thatman or that community which would betray the stranger at the gates, that would traduce and malign a high-minded, unsuspecting guest? What, your Honor, is the hospitality of that section or city in this vastRepublic, the function of whose tribunals is to protect the rights ofthe individual; what is the hospitality of a neighborhood whichpermits a citizen to lie in wait to assassinate a pilgrim of peace?That, your Honor, is what the prosecutor purposes. He would blackenthe reputation of his brother who happens to be of a differentpolitical complexion. He would filch from the ex-Vice-President of theUnited States his good name. "

"He'd flitch his own mother, " ventured Jim, on whose brain thedipperful of whiskey was producing mixed results. 

"Hold yer gab, " said the backwoodsman, hoarsely. "Listen!"

The orator turned full upon the district attorney and thundered: "Hasit come to such a pass that a private citizen cannot make a tour ofobservation through this free country without being dragged before acourt to answer trumped-up accusations as preposterous as they aremalignant? What will become of your rights and mine? Will someprosecuting attorney arrest me on my way to Washington, because I havesomewhere, at some time, expressed private opinions from which hedissents! I would like Mr. Daviess to tell us what the Constitutionmeans? Does it not insure to us all the right of habeas corpus?"

The outcome of the day's debate was a substantial victory for Burr, though a technical one for Daviess. The court adjourned to thefollowing morning. Again the officers of the county, the jury, thelawyers, and the great concourse of citizens, assembled. The districtattorney submitted his indictment and sent his evidence to the jury. The jury heard witnesses and returned the presentment, "Not a truebill. "

On hearing the foreman announce this decision, the partisans of Burrand his counsel broke out in tumultuous rejoicing. Hadley stood up ona bench and shouted:

"Three cheers for Aaron Burr; Hip, hip, hurrah!"

The judge could not or did not check the enthusiasm. 

"Three and a tiger for Clay!" squeaked Old Jim, and the cheers wererepeated. 

Burr, escorted by his attorneys, made his way through the crowd, shaking hands right and left. On the sidewalk, near the court-house, the three gentlemen were accosted by the ghostly Solitarius. 

"Awake from your dreams!" said the mild lunatic, in his peculiar, hollow, monotonous voice--and he rolled his overlustrous eyes uponBurr. 

"Brethren, be not forgetful to entertain the stranger! I am thatSolitarius, to whom this new gospel was revealed, by an angel of God, while I dwelt in a cell at the foot of the Alleghany Mountains, in theyear of our Lord 1799. "

Clay drew his client forward by the arm, but not before "Solly" hadthrust into Burr's hand a copy of the "Millennial Prophecy. "

"Awake from your dreams!" These repeated parting words of the crazyprophet stuck in Burr's memory. 

The ordeal of a legal investigation had been endured, apparentlywithout scath to the accused. The grand jury, not satisfied withacquitting Burr, pressed upon him a written declaration, signed byevery member, exonerating him completely. A public ball was given inhis honor. Exulting in his triumph, he danced and made merry, admiredby the chivalry and adored by the beauty of the choicest society inFrankfort and Lexington. 

On the very day in which Daviess moved for a process to compel Burr'sappearance before the Frankfort court, a woman clothed in black andclosely veiled was granted an interview with the President of theUnited States, in his private office at Washington City. She came fromPhiladelphia, and appeared to have no acquaintance in the new capitalon the Potomac. She declined to unveil her face or to impart her name. 

"I am here to put into the hands of the President a written statement, accompanied by copies of letters and other documents, revealing thesecret plans of a conspirator, who, if not quickly arrested in hiscareer of treason, will disrupt this Union and establish a rivalgovernment in the Southwest. "

The President mechanically accepted the package handed him, and themysterious woman left his apartment, re-entered her carriage, andordered the driver to take the road back toward Philadelphia. 

XXIII. THE FATAL CIPHER. 

The disgruntled Spaniards continued to threaten war. GovernorClaiborne ordered Casco Calvo and Intendant Morales to quit theterritory of New Orleans. Soon after this a body of Spanish troops, supported by Indian allies, assembled on the Sabine to menace theAmerican borders. In August a force actually crossed the Sabine andadvanced to Bayou Pierre, near Natchitoches, a hundred and twentymiles west of Natchez. 

General Wilkinson came from St. Louis to Natchez, and presentlyadvanced to Natchitoches at the head of a body of one hundred regularsand five hundred militia. Late one afternoon in October word wasbrought to Wilkinson in his tent that a young man of fine appearancehad arrived in camp, desiring to enlist as a volunteer. The generalgave orders to bring the man into his presence. The would-be soldierwas conducted immediately to headquarters, and there he imparted hisname and the real cause of his coming, his representation to thesentinel being a ruse. 

"Ah, you are Colonel Burr's confidential secretary; you have travelledfar and must be exhausted. You bring documents for me?"

"Yes, sir; my credentials are included with matters more important. "

"You know the contents of the enclosure?"

"Only the general import. The sender of these missives has divulgedmuch to me. You may trust me. "

"I trust you implicitly, Mr. Swartwout. The embassy on which you comeis of a delicate character, requiring discretion--as secret servicealways does. "

The general opened the package, and found that it contained threeseparate papers. The first was a letter introducing Samuel Swartwout, and vouching for his prudence, courage and trustworthiness. The othertwo papers were in hieroglyphics. Wilkinson, smiling graciously, turned to the messenger. 

"Perhaps I had best be alone while I examine the other documents. Iwill see that you are made comfortable. "

An officer was summoned. "Captain Danvers, this gentleman is my guest. Please see that he is suitably quartered and provided with a seat atmy table. He is the son of an old military acquaintance of mine. "

The cipher agreed upon by Wilkinson and Burr was a composite ofarbitrary signs and of numerals representing letters of the alphabet. The first riddle read by Wilkinson was a private letter to Burr fromGeneral Dayton. Part of the contents ran thus: "Under the auspices ofBurr and Wilkinson, I shall be happy to engage, and when the timearrives, you will find me near you. Write and inform me, by firstmail, what may be expected from you and your associates.... Wealth andhonor, courage and union, Burr and Wilkinson! Adieu. "

The other communication was from Burr himself. 

"Your letter, postmarked 13th May, is received. At length I haveobtained funds and have actually commenced. The eastern detachmentsfrom different points, and under different pretences, will rendezvouson the Ohio, 1st of November. Everything internal and external favorsour views. Naval protection of England is secured. Truxton is going toJamaica, to arrange with the admiral on that station. It will meet usat the Mississippi. England, a navy of the United States, are ready tojoin, and final orders are given to my friends and followers. It willbe a host of choice spirits. Wilkinson shall be second to Burr only, and Wilkinson shall dictate the rank and promotion of his officers. Burr will proceed westward 1st of August, never to return. With him godaughter and grandson. The husband will follow in October, with acorps of worthies. Send forwith an intelligent friend, with whom Burrmay confer. He shall return immediately with further interestingdetails; this is essential to harmony and concert of movement. Send alist of all persons known to Wilkinson west of the AlleghanyMountains, who could be useful, with a note delineating theircharacter. By your messenger send me four or five of the commissionsof your officers, which you can borrow under any pretence you please. They shall be returned faithfully. Already are orders given to thecontractor to forward six months' provisions to points Wilkinson mayname; this shall not be used until the last moment, and then underproper injunctions. Our project, my dear friend, is brought to a pointso long desired. Burr guarantees the result with his life and honor, with the lives and honor and the fortunes of hundreds, the best bloodof our country. Burr's plan of operation is to move down rapidly, fromthe falls, on the 15th of November, with the first five hundred orthousand men, in light boats now constructing for that purpose, to beat Natchez between the 5th and 15th of December, there to meet you, there to determine whether it will be expedient in the first instanceto seize on, or pass by, Baton Rouge ... On receipt of this send Burran answer ... Draw on Burr for all expenses, etc. The people of thecountry to which we are going are prepared to receive us; theiragents, now with Burr, say that if we will protect their religion andwill not subject them to a foreign power, that in three weeks all willbe settled. The gods invite us to glory and fortune; it remains to beseen whether we deserve the boon. The bearer of this goes express toyou; he will hand a formal letter of introduction to you, from Burr;he is a man of inviolable honor and perfect discretion, formed toexecute rather than project, capable of relating facts with fidelity, and incapable of relating them otherwise. He is thoroughly informed ofthe plans and intentions of ----, and will disclose to you, as faras you inquire, and no further; he has imbibed a reverence for yourcharacter, and may be embarrassed in your presence; put him at ease, and he will satisfy you. "

The eastern sky was flushed faintly with morning red before thegeneral finished deciphering this long message. Wilkinson saw that hecould no longer maintain an equivocal attitude, but must either yieldpositively to Burr's proposals or denounce them. Early in the day hesummoned the messenger to his tent for a private interview. 

"My dear sir, " said the general, "you should be proud to berecommended by such a man, in such language. Burr has absoluteconfidence in your honor, fidelity, veracity and courage. "

Swartwout answered with feeling and dignity. 

"I hope I may prove myself worthy of his confidence and of yours. Iwould not hesitate to risk my life for Colonel Burr or for his bestfriend, General Wilkinson. "

"That is very noble of you. Tell me, now that you are rested andrefreshed after your long journey, by what route did you come?"

"I came straight from Pittsburg, thence westward through Ohio andKentucky to Louisville, and from there on to St. Louis, expecting tofind you at that post. Learning that you had gone down the MississippiI followed in a skiff. I have been more than two months on the wayfrom Philadelphia to Natchitoches and have travelled fully fifteenhundred miles. "

"The document in your custody justified the difficult journey, Mr. Swartwout. What information did you gather in the progress of yourtrip, concerning our preparations?"

"I learned that, with the support of a powerful association extendingfrom New York to New Orleans, Colonel Burr is levying an armed body ofseven thousand men, with the view of carrying an expedition againstthe Mexican provinces. Five hundred men are to descend the Alleghany, for whose accommodation boats are ready. "

"What will be the course of action?"

"This territory will be revolutionized. Some property will be seizedin New Orleans, I suppose. Our boats will be ready to leave inFebruary for Vera Cruz; the troops will march from there to the Cityof Mexico. "

"Does Colonel Burr know there are several millions of dollars in theBank of New Orleans?"

"We know that full well. "

"Is it the intention to seize upon the deposits of privateindividuals?"

"We mean to borrow, not to violate private property. We must equipourselves in New Orleans; we expect naval protection from GreatBritain. Of course, general, everything depends upon yourco-operation. "

"Mr. Swartwout, the plans set forth in Colonel Burr's schedule areadmirable! You will readily perceive, however, that my part incarrying them into effect must be manipulated with caution. I amsurrounded, as you see, by officers whom I must manage discreetly. Itis impossible that I should ever dishonor my commission. If I cannotjoin in the expedition, the engagements which the Spaniards haveprepared for me in my front might prevent my opposing your operations. Do you understand me?"

Burr's agent understood. He interpreted Wilkinson's language to meanmuch more than it said, attributing to the commander a profoundsagacity which imposed reticence for causes beyond an ordinary man'sken. His unsuspicious mind had been schooled by Burr to believeimplicitly in Wilkinson. 

Swartwout was under engagement to join Burr at Nashville, and hepressed for a letter which he might deliver to his chief. This requestWilkinson evaded. Promising to return Burr a speedy answer, hedetained the envoy under various pretexts, bestowing upon him everyhospitable attention, and finally dismissed him with oral messages, after having consumed ten days of his time. 

Three days subsequent to the departure of Swartwout another messenger, as secret and more swift, was dispatched from Natchitoches, bearing toWashington City from the commander-in-chief, a full disclosure of theplans of conspiracy, and fastening the charge of treason on AaronBurr. All the machinery of civil and military executive power was putin motion in the districts over which Wilkinson's authority extended. 

The information forwarded by Wilkinson's messenger reached WashingtonCity November 25, 1806. It was by no means the only evidence thePresident had received, impeaching the loyalty of the eminentpolitician. Daviess had written, and Morgan had written, and theveiled witness in black had come in person with the facts reiteratedin Wilkinson's letter of exposure. 

The President issued a proclamation, "warning and enjoining those whohad been led to participate in the unlawful enterprise, to withdrawwithout delay, and requiring all officers, civil and military, of anyone of the States or Territories, to be vigilant, each within hisrespective department, in searching out and bringing to punishment allpersons engaged or concerned in the undertaking. "

XXIV. THE MIDNIGHT DEPARTURE. 

The first snowstorm of early winter was whirling its flaky showersover the frozen fields and through the naked woods of Bacchus Island. The short day was nearing a dismal close. Harman Blennerhassett paceduneasily to and fro within the narrow confines of his study. His facewas haggard, his general aspect that of a man harassed and hopeless. Yet he seemed idle and without sense of responsibility for the future. His air indicated irresolution, ennui, mild disgust of the world andof himself. He took down Homer, brushed the dust from the covers, andthen replaced the volume on its shelf. He gave the glass cylinder ofhis electrical machine a turn or two, and was for the moment gratifiedto elicit a faint spark, a feeble snap of blue fire, which clickedfrom the "receiver" to his knuckles. His eye dwelt fondly for a fewseconds on the air-pump, but wandered from that to the telescope, andfinally took cognizance of an apparatus for weighing heavy articles. This was provided with a small platform, upon which the reclusephilosopher stepped, to determine his exact weight. He was busied inthis personal experiment, when a visitor was announced and usheredinto his _sanctum sanctorum_. 

"I beg pardon! Do I intrude?" said the caller, a man of officialbearing, who gave the name of Graham. 

"Not in the least, Mr. Graham. I have been taking my weight, and I begyou to excuse me until I note the precise number of pounds and ounces. My memory is treacherous. I make it a rule to ascertain my weight andmy height several times a year, but I can never remember either, anhour after. I actually forget the date of my own birthday and how oldI am. "

"That is owing, doubtless, to the fact that your mind is absorbed inimportant things, " said Graham, not very tactfully. "I make bold tocome to your house, Mr. Blennerhassett, uninvited, but not withoutwarrant. You are, I am informed, a partner of Aaron Burr in certainenterprises now much talked of. It is of this Wachita expedition thatI wish to speak with you. "

"Speak freely, Mr. Graham. Colonel Burr intimated that you wouldprobably join us. Here are letters giving recent information. Read foryourself. "

Graham glanced over a number of communications containing secrets thatBlennerhassett, had he been a man of ordinary forethought, would nothave trusted out of his own hands. Among the letters was one fromBurr, giving a brief account of his troubles in Frankfort. "Youperceive, my dear sir, " so ran the lines, "that this step willembarrass me in my project of the Wachita settlement, and will depriveme of the pleasure of seeing you at your own house. " Graham smiledgravely at the guileless simplicity of the man who had not hesitatedto take a stranger into his confidence, unquestioned and unsuspected. 

"It is my duty, as a man of honor, to undeceive you, Mr. Blennerhassett. I have no intention of joining your expedition. Thefact is, I am here, not to aid and abet you, but the reverse. I comecommissioned, as the agent of the Federal Government, and my duty isto prevent the execution of Burr's designs. Do you not know thatorders have been issued for the civil authorities to interfere withyour plans?"

Blennerhassett opened his eyes wide, with a stupefied stare. 

"Then you are not one of us? I was told that you were a leader in theNew Orleans Association for the invasion of Mexico. The printer of the_Gazette d'Orleans_ informed me that three hundred men had joined thecompany. "

"There is not a word of truth in the report. I am an officer of theGovernment, but I have no desire to molest misguided people. My motivein coming through this snowstorm to you to-day is friendly. I want tosave your family and you from disaster. I hope to dissuade you fromyour present purpose. You are misinformed--deluded. "

The lord of the isle plucked up spirit and replied haughtily:

"I thank you for your good intentions toward me and my family, thoughyour coming is inopportune, not to say impertinent. We know our ownaffairs. Colonel Burr and myself are, I conceive, sufficientlyexperienced in business, and well enough informed in law, to know whatwe are about. The interference of local officials I shall resent, andif necessary, prosecute. As for yourself, you have not shown yourcredentials. I trust you will have the honor not to magnify or distortany information I may have inadvertently exposed to your scrutiny. Iwish you farewell. Shall I send one of my servants to conduct you tothe wharf?"

The official, who was really sincere in all that he had said, left thehouse and the premises in rather bad temper, yet he cherished noresentment on account of the rebuff. 

No sooner was Graham gone than Blennerhassett's courage collapsed. Heflung himself into a big chair, and yielded to the pressure ofdespondency. His wife came into the study and discovered him with hishead bowed upon his hands. 

"Husband, what ails you?"

"Oh, Maggie, Maggie--we have been deceived. I fear Colonel Burr hasnot told me all he should have told. We must go no farther in thisenterprise. " He went on to tell what had passed between himself andGraham, and ended his lament by saying: "I am worried to death! Halfmy fortune is already squandered! We must think of the boys; we muststop further expenditure, before we have lost all. "

The wife stood erect, unshaken, firm almost to rigidity. A white heatof resolute energy burnt in every capillary of her nerved body. 

"Give up nothing! Carry out the original plans decided upon here inthis library. We expected difficulties--we shall overcome them. Allgreat enterprises are difficult. What do we care for the prattling ofthis Graham? Now is our time to act. We must do our own thinking. Burris not here to direct, and if he were, I would not trouble him withdetails. Why play a secondary part? You are as wise a man as he is, and you are my husband. You have spent money--spend more! To abandonthe enterprise is to throw away your chances, all your pastexpenditures, and all your labor. "

"But, my dear wife--"

"Harman, this is not a time for ifs and buts. Hasten yourpreparations. Bring the boats down from Marietta. Keep everyengagement with Burr, and join him at the mouth of the Cumberland atthe appointed time. Whoever weakens, let not you and me do so. Remember the pledges made to and by us, and bear yourself as becomesthe man chosen to be Minister to the Court of St. James. "

What spur more sharp than a beautiful woman's appeal to a proud man'svanity? Blennerhassett hastened every preparation for the forwardingof provisions, ammunition, arms, and men. Night and day the busy workwent on. Skiffs flitted in and out of the secluded cove, fetching andcarrying supplies or recruits. Skilful hands folded cartridges andmanipulated the bullet-mould in the light and heat of the kitchenfire--even the slender fingers of the mistress shared in thissignificant task. 

The time came for bringing the fifteen batteaux from the shipyard onthe Muskingum, where Byle had heard the clatter of saw and hammer. Butwhen Blennerhassett's tardy employees made an attempt to get theboats, they were frustrated by the civil and military authorities ofMarietta. Only a single batteau was brought down. Jefferson'sproclamation was producing its intended effect. The country hadawakened to a sense of public danger. The militia was called out inOhio and a rumor came to Blennerhassett that Colonel Phelps, at thehead of the militia of Wood County, Virginia, was about to cross overto the island, seize whatever supplies might be found there, andarrest the proprietor. 

The islanders were alarmed. There was no time to waste. Nevertheless, the head of the household hesitated--dawdled. The crisis paralyzedhis energy. It was an imperative duty, now, for his wife to make uphis mind and to make it up strong. Her will was adequate. She tookcommand of the domestic ship, captain and crew. Peter Taylor hungaround his master deprecatingly; she sent him to Belpre on an errand. Albright, the dairyman, spoke disparagingly; she ordered him to lookafter the cows. She put an arm round her wavering lord, and drew himinto his favorite retreat, the library. 

"You must embark to-night or lose your liberty, possibly your life. The trunks are packed--everything is ready! We must be brave, as anexample to the children. " While she spoke Dominick knocked at thedoor. "May I come in, mamma? I want to go along with papa; I want togo along to Mexico!" The mother gently pushed him from the room. Tearswere in the eyes of both parents. 

"Margaret, ought I leave them and you unprotected?" She kissed him onthe forehead and pressed his tremulous hand. 

"Have no fear. I shall be safe. To-morrow we will follow you. Now makehaste and complete your final preparations. Tell your men just what todo. We know not the instant that Colonel Phelps may come to arrestyou. " Blennerhassett assured his wife that everything had beenattended to, and that he was ready, at a moment's warning, to startfor his boat, which lay waiting by the shore. Night came on, however, and still the fond husband and father lingered. The snow was fallingin the outer darkness, and the wind howled through the long avenue ofthe portico. No wonder the easy-going devotee of luxury shrank fromstepping into the bleak night, to navigate a scow down the rough, icycurrent of the Ohio. Against his wife's protest he took up theviolincello and began to tune up its three remaining strings. Touchingthe chords lightly with the bow, he attempted to play "Auld LangSyne. " A confused noise in the direction of the river stopped theplaintive music. 

"Now you _must_ start; I will go along to the river's edge, and seeyou safe aboard. "

Blennerhassett hurried to the bedroom of his boys. Little Harman wasasleep. The father kissed the favorite child, and then embracedDominick. 

"Be a good boy, Nicky. Mamma will soon bring you to me again. "

Voices were heard shouting, somewhere, in the distance. When MadamBlennerhassett opened the hall door to go forth with her husband, adash of snow was driven into her face by the insolent wind. Arm in armwent the pair, through the drift which heaped the dooryard path andcovered the flower beds. They saw a fire which a squad of the recruitshad kindled near the river, to warm their numb hands. The flickeringblaze made fantastic lights and shadows among the gaunt bare trees. Just beyond the limits of the snow could be seen the broad Ohio. 

"How sullen the black flood looks!" thought the woman. 

"Do you hear the water swash against the logs along the shore?" saidBlennerhassett. 

The couple made straight for the camp-fire, breaking a track. The dryleaves under the snow, when trodden on, gave back a muffled rustle. Near the fire stood a group of a dozen men, with guns in their hands. 

"Who are these? Are they militiamen? Will they arrest you? O Harman, my dearest!"

"They are my own people!" answered the husband. 

The words had scarcely passed his lips when a figure emerged from thehollow of a huge sycamore, and advanced to intercept the coming party. A powerful man clapped his hand on Blennerhassett's shoulder. 

"Harman Blennerhassett, I arrest you in the name and by the authorityof the State of Ohio. "

"The hell you do!" a gruff voice responded from the group of armedmen, who instantly levelled their guns at the intruder. 

"Take your hands off that man, and take yourself away, or we will blowyour damned brains out!"

"Don't shoot! don't shoot!" cried the foiled agent of the State ofOhio, taken by surprise. "You won't be rash enough to kill an old armyofficer, will you?"

"We will be rash enough to shoot any man who interferes with ouraffairs. Who the devil are you?"

"I am General Tupper. "

He came forward, into the light of the fire, and was recognized byseveral. 

"You say you represent the State of Ohio, " Blennerhassett faltered. "This island belongs to the State of Virginia; you have no businesshere. "

"Blow his head off!" growled one of the guards, and again the recruitscovered the spy with their muskets. 

"For God's sake, men, don't fire! Upon my word and honor, I came herewith good intent. All Marietta is friendly to you, Mr. Blennerhassett. Can't you be persuaded to give up your rash design? You are rushing toyour own ruin. "

"Put down your guns, " commanded Blennerhassett. 

"Time is flying, " whispered the wife, impatiently. "Let them scare himaway. "

"If you delay us longer, General Tupper, I cannot be answerable forwhat my men may do. "

The cocking of a gun warned the well-intentioned officer to hurryaway. 

"Farewell, " he shouted back, "I wish you a safe escape down the river, and a fortunate adventure. "

The speech was answered by a yell of derision from the boatmen as theyleapt on board the batteau, muskets in hand. 

"Good-bye, my love, " whispered Blennerhassett, clasping his wife in aparting embrace. 

"Good-bye, dear!" she said, and kissed him. "Be strong! Be brave! Allwill end well. God bless you! Think of a glorious future!"

She turned to go, looked back, turned again from the icy margin of theriver, and started homeward; but, after taking a few steps, she againstopped and stood a minute, shivering, and weeping under the bareboughs of the great oak tree beneath which Burr had read aloud to herone of her own sentimental poems. Groaning in spirit, and heart-stungby pangs of self-reproach, she hurried up the slope of the carriageroad alone. 

Through the drifting snow the brave woman returned to her house, which, seen dimly through a veil of falling flakes, had looked to herfrom a distance like an unsubstantial pile--a phantom habitation forspectres. As she entered its dark hall the Geneva clock struck twelve. 

XXV. HEROINE AND HERO. 

Blennerhassett was afloat to join Burr. The management of the affairsof the island devolved upon his wife. In the sole care of one womanwere left houses and land, man and beast, domestic duties at home andbusiness transactions abroad. Her children required constantattention, and the servants, bond and free, for the most part lazy, evasive, and insubordinate--spoilt by the inefficiency of avacillating master--were hard to govern or to please. Peter Taylorwas insidious, but plausible; Albright, obstinate; the negroes, withfew exceptions, "something between a hindrance and a help. "

On returning to her house at midnight, having just seen her husbandembark, the vigilant wife and mother did not bury her troubles insleep. The urgent demands of a crisis not to be postponed forbadeslumber. The words of General Tupper rang in her ears: "I arrest youby the authority of the State of Ohio. " That her peace and libertywould soon be threatened, if not taken from her, by civil or bymilitary force, she had much reason to fear; that her island retreatwas already invaded by scouts from the Virginia militia she did notsurmise. "How I wish I were a man, " she said to herself, and sat downto think how a man in her situation would act. Whatever may have beenthe sex of her brain, her mind worked swiftly, both to decide and towill. "I shall go to Marietta, " was her mental conclusion, "and makeanother effort to secure the family boat for my children and myself. It belongs to my husband; he paid for it from his own private purse; Iwill claim that boat. "

The tardy sun, peering through the dense fog of the following morning, caught a first glimpse of Madam Blennerhassett when she dismountednear Fort Harmar, and asked to be ferried across the Muskingum, to theboatyard on the eastern shore. The resolute lady sought the townauthorities of Marietta--magistrates, lawyers, generals, merchants, common laborers--whom she importuned to intercede in her behalf. Sheargued, she coaxed, she threatened, she tried the persuasive influenceof bribes, and as a last resort, she summoned tears to plead hercause--but of no avail--she failed to obtain the boat. Enraged, disappointed, filled with anxious forebodings, she recrossed theMuskingum, and started back over the road which leads to Belpre, following the windings of the Ohio. 

During her absence from home a very disagreeable surprise waspreparing for her. The militia of Wood County, Virginia, crossed overto the island and camped on the most eligible grounds they could find, the premises nearest Blennerhassett's buildings. The commander of thisreckless and undisciplined infantry, Colonel Hugh Phelps, did notappear at the place of rendezvous until late in the day, having goneon a reconnoitering errand, to the mouth of the Kanawha, hoping tointercept Blennerhassett. The soldiers, if a name so honorable can beapplied to the raw levy, mustered on the spur of the moment, assumedall the boisterous swagger which, as they imagined, was theprerogative of the citizen dressed in uniform and armed with musket. It was their idea that a soldier's privilege is insolence, and thebadge of his superiority, self-importance. The captain and lieutenantsexercised slight control over the men in the ranks, who conceived thatthe offices had gone to the wrong men. The Wood County militiaregarded itself as an "army of occupation, " by law and precedentwarranted in abusing a brief authority. Instead of guarding andprotecting property not their own, the men showed their patriotic zealby mutilating or demolishing the results of Blennerhassett's labor. They took malicious pleasure in wantonly defacing whatever was elegantor ornamental. They tore off the fence-palings to build theircamp-fires; they broke down young fruit trees and pulled up evergreenshrubs; they ransacked barns and outhouses, stole hoarded apples, killed chickens, and frightened the negro slaves out of their smallwits. Peter Taylor protested in vain; the roysterers threatened to putPeter in the guard-house and gag him, or even to "string him up, " ifhe didn't hold his tongue. 

The butler was forced to produce the keys to the wine-cellar, and theconsequences of his surrender were what might have been expected. Themischief already perpetrated in coarse fun--the horseplay ofbackwoods big boys cut loose from restraint, though rude anddestructive, was harmless compared with the orgies to which it was aprelude. The rich and abundant liquors stored away to supply thefamily demand for twenty years were in a day poured down the throatsof the pseudo-soldiers. Under the influence of drink many of theprivates, and not a few officers, lost all sense of decency. Some ofthe bolder among them entered the house, roamed through kitchen, parlor, library, bedrooms. One drunken lout smashed the rareviolincello, another brought the gilded harp out into the barnyard andused it as a gridiron on which to roast a confiscated pig. The oilportrait of Blennerhassett, set up as a target, was riddled withbullets. 

Dominick made a frantic effort to rescue his father's picture from soignominious a fate, but, cuffed on the ear by a bully, the boy had norecourse except to hide away in his mother's room with Harman and theblack housemaid, Juno. 

Such were the scenes enacting in and around her beautiful mansion, while the disappointed mistress was hurrying homeward. A heavy fogstill hung over the valley and almost hid the sullen waters of theriver from view. As Madam Blennerhassett urged her horse along theriver road, her vigilant eye kept her aware of a small boat, which, soon after her starting back from Marietta, she had seen glide out ofthe mouth of the Muskingum and drift down the Ohio, hugging close tothe north shore. Indistinctly, through the mist, she could make outthe shape of a man rowing the boat. Whenever she quickened the pace ofher horse, the man plied his oars rapidly; whenever she slackenedreins, the man slowed up; he kept opposite her and was watching her. Madam Blennerhassett was a courageous woman; but she was a woman, andshe began to be afraid. Why was that man furtively following her downthe river? Why did he keep her constantly in sight? What might be hisevil design? Her terror increased as she neared the ferry, where shehad ordered Peter Taylor and Ransom, the negro, to await her return. Striking her steed smartly with the riding whip, she galloped fast. She reached the ferry landing, the boat was there, but Peter Taylor, in whose face she read distressful tidings, was reluctant to carry herover. 

"Maybe, mum, you'd best stay in Belpre; there's a rough set on theisland. "

"The militia, I suppose, " said she. "Make haste! Take me to mychildren. "

Hesitatingly, the rowers obeyed their mistress, whose eyes watchfullypierced the fog, in every direction, though nothing could she see ofthe sneaking river-spy or of his canoe. She drew a long breath ofrelief, and turned inquiringly to Peter Taylor. 

"Has anything gone wrong?"

"Heverything 'as gone wrong!"

He told her a dismal tale of the doings of the militia, dwelling onhis own inglorious sufferings. A flush reddened his mistress's cheeks, her eyes flashed and her heart was on fire. "Go faster! Work with allyour might!"

The white man and his black helper bent hard to their poles, andbrought the boat speedily to the landing. The horse was led ashore andits rider sprang into the saddle, and galloped to the door of herhouse. The soldiers, bivouacking in the front yard, stared inamazement as she rode past. In a minute, in a second, she alighted andswept into the parlor, where six or eight brawling intruders sat onmahogany chairs and upholstered sofas, drinking wine and singingfilthy songs. One fellow, maudlin from liquor, rolled on the Smyrnarug. Another was in the act of firing a bullet at the frescoedceiling. 

"Robbers! Cowards! Beasts! Begone! Where is your commanding officer?By whose permission are you here? Young man"--this to acaptain--"you wear a sword--draw it and drive these ruffians out!This is my house. You have no warrant to break in, like a band ofthieves. "

This speech and the imperious bearing of the offended woman checked, but did not stop the orgies of the irresponsible men. A few slunk fromthe room, ashamed and overawed. But the mob spirit was not to bequenched by an angry lady's lofty speech. The brutal elementprevailed. What cared those intoxicated revellers for a scoldingtongue? The young captain, his head swimming in the fumes of whiskey, impudently replied, "I'm in command here myself, my dear. When Phelpscomes back, I'll interduce you to him. " The soldiers yawped applause. In the midst of the uproar, Juno, the house servant, ventured to comein by way of the library, with Harman. The child ran to his motherwhere she stood in the centre of the room. A saucy corporal broke outwith obscene speech and plucked at the dress of the negro girl, imitating the affrighted child. 

Again the mistress made a vain appeal:

"Do American soldiers abuse women?"

"A nigger's not a woman!" hiccoughed the corporal, and his words wereapplauded by a general guffaw. 

"Think of your own sisters and mothers and wives!"

"Wives! That's good! How many wives do you s'pose I've got? I wish tohell I had a bloomin' wife like yerself. Yer man's run away, how willI do for a substitute?"

"Shouldn't wonder, " interrupted the captain, "if the damned Irishtraitor was lynched by this time. "

Madam Blennerhassett looked around imploringly and supplicated:

"I am alone here with my poor children. Will no one take our part? Isthere not one man here who will defend me?"

A drawling voice responded:

"By ginger-root, there _is_ sich a man. Blast you, you forward skunks, git out of this! Say, you woods-colt with the humps on your shouldersand a stalk-knife by your side, help drive these hogs into the OhioRiver. They've got more devils in 'em than what's-his-name, in theHoly Scripture, cast into all the swine of Jerusalem. Git out, I say, you knock-kneed jackasses!"

Loquacity was Byle's riches, but he could transmute speech intoaction. Instead of wasting words, he began to deliver convincingblows. His first stroke sent the obscene corporal to the floor, minusfront teeth and consciousness. The amazed captain labored to unsheathhis sword, but Byle snatched the rusty weapon and thwacked the youngscapegrace over the pate with it. A rash rustic drew up musket andfired; the ball grazed Plutarch's right thumb, bringing blood. Thisenraged the doughty champion to the highest pitch of his fightingcompass. Rushing upon the dismayed private, he seized the offendingmusket with both hands, and snapped stock from barrel by suddenlypressing the piece against his bent knee. So impetuous and so violentand so general was the onslaught of Plutarch, that the untriedmilitiamen, "flown with insolence and wine, " were taken aback, surprised and confounded. Seeing his advantage, the gaunt giantresumed bellicose speech, like a Greek taunting the Trojans. 

"Bust my buttons, bimeby I'll get mad, and hurt some of you 'fore Iknow what I'm about! What the Holy Moses did you shoot my thumb for?durn you! Don't you guess I've any feelin', you onery idiot? Needn'tbe skeered, Margaret, I'll make ground mustard out of anybody thatdares touch a hair of your head with his sass!"

The rout, ignominiously driven from the parlor by the vigorousassaults of Byle, immediately rallied, in the yard, ashamed of theirprecipitate panic and retreat. The humiliated captain gave orders to afile of men to enter the house and take the champion, alive or dead. This command might have been executed had not Colonel Phelps come uponthe scene unexpectedly. A rapid survey of the premises, a fewinquiries, revealed to him the shameful misbehavior of his officersand men. Byle freely imparted his version of how matters stood. 

"Colonel, these scandalous boys of yourn are guilty of burglary inopen daylight! yes, and of unprovoked 'sault and batter, prepense. Thelaw is on our side, all round. The citizen has an inalienable right todefend his home and family, and we did, didn't we, Harman?"

Phelps admitted the correctness of Plutarch's views. To the captainthe colonel said sternly:

"Consider yourself under arrest. You have disgraced your temporarycommission. " Addressing the derelict soldiery, he added:

"You are not fit to carry muskets! Shame upon you, men, shame! Youhave soiled the name of Virginia, and stained the honor of yourhomes. "

"Say, cap'n, " resumed Byle, staunching his bloody thumb with thefringe of his buckskin doublet, "you'd best trade your side arms forthis young un's tin sword; git it for him, bub; and I'll make him apop-gun of elder-wood. Colonel Hugh Phelps, of Parkurgberg, how areyou? Excuse my not shaking hands sooner. "

Phelps assumed a haughty military attitude, which displayed toadvantage his large and imposing form. "Who is this person?" he askedthe captain. 

"Jersey cranberries! Don't you know me? I've heard of the Phelpsesever since I was knee-high to a duck. They are folks nobody need feelticklish about shaking hands with. You're the only swelled up one ofthe stock. I never knowed but one wuthless Phelp, and he was a goodenough fisher when he was sober. Colonel, were you ever picked up byputtin' out your paw to the wrong man? Want to see inside the'stablishment? Come right in, I'll introduce you to Mrs. Blennerhassett. "

The colonel pushed forward through the open door and accosted thedignified lady, who was taking an inventory of the ruined householdeffects. Byle stalked into the room at the officer's side. 

In the stately manner of the gentry of the period, Phelps made hiscompliments and solicited a brief interview. He apologized as well ashe could for the outrageous behavior of the militia, and offered to doanything in his power to make amends. The only favor which the proudwoman asked was the privilege of embarking as soon as practicable, ona down-river boat that would carry her and her children to the South. 

"Can you procure for me the family boat which my husband provided forus at Marietta?"

The colonel feared not. Marietta was out of his jurisdiction. 

"Is there any boat that I can borrow here, or buy? I must join myhusband; I promised him that I would not delay. "

"I'd lend you my big piroque, but you'll overset before you get as faras Farmer's Castle, " said Byle. 

"Pardon me, " responded Madam Blennerhassett, in tones of apology, bestowing looks of infinite gratitude on her zealous guardian; "Icannot put in words my sense of obligation to you, sir. ColonelPhelps, I owe to this gentleman more than money can repay! It was hewho protected me and my servants from the drunken soldiers; he drovethem out, risking his life; he was wounded defending us!"

"You don't owe me a fip. It is no trouble at all to me to do a littlechore for you. It was fool's luck, anyway. I saw you in town thismorning, skiting about, from pillar to post, and says I to myself, 'There's uneasiness under that fine bonnet!' I noticed you dodge in atthe court-house and at Squire Hale's, and everywhere, and somethingtold me to investigate. So I went in wherever I saw you come out, inreg'lar order, and larnt, I guess, just about as much as you did, about your disappointment and your worry. Then I thought, 'as like asnot that woman is having more trouble down upon the island than I knowanything about. So, true as calamus is sweet-flag, as soon as you wason your white horse, like the old lady of Banbury Cross, I was in myeveryday skiff, and I didn't lose you out of my sight from the minuteyou started to the minute Peter and Ransom took you on the ferry--butI slid along where you couldn't spy me. "

"I did see you, sir, and I confess I imagined you might be someriver-ruffian watching me with no good intention. I did you greatinjustice. "

"I looked like a river pirate, did I? No, ma'am, I was a privateer, but not a pirate. I was sailing under your colors, unbeknown to you. Is that correct military language, Phelps? To make a long story short, Scipio told me in his charcoal style what happened last night, and allabout Harman's sudden going away. Well, sir--ma'am, I mean--itstruck me of a heap. I never was worse doubled up by news in my life. I'm not a praying man, as a rule--I only remember praying out loudonce--that was when brother Euc was near 'bout dead with choleramorbus--I began to pray, and he says, 'Don't be fooling with the Lordnow, but give me some more camphire. ' That speech of Euc's sort ofcured me of praying out loud, though I'm orthodox. Let's see; wherewas I? Oh, yes, I felt so dangnation sorry for the family, that Isays, in my mind, or I reckon it was in my soul, I says to God, 'Don'tforget to keep your all-seeing eye on Margaret. ' Well, Colonel Phelps;I leave you in charge of the widow and the fatherless. If you have anytrouble with the militia, just send for Plutarch Byle. Good-bye, Mrs. B. I never seen you lookin' handsomer since the day I first met youand Evaleen, last May a year ago, when I was up here investigatingthat hunk of raw beef in the puddle. "

Notwithstanding his precipitate farewell, Plutarch lingered at thedoor, and kept nervously wiping the blood off his thumb upon thefringe of his doublet. Mrs. Blennerhassett, with gracious solicitude, insisted upon wrapping a small linen handkerchief about the woundedmember. The gawky hero looked very sheepish while she tied the softbandage fast. 

"Is this yourn?" he asked. 

"It was mine, " she answered, smiling amusedly, "but it now belongs tothe knight who came to fight my battle when I was in great distress. "

"By gum, I'm obliged to you. "

Uttering these elegant parting words, Byle bolted out of the room tothe long porch. He stood a moment, then turned his face toward thedoor, where stood the lady, smiling her embarrassed thanks and adieux. Big tears were trickling down Plutarch's cheeks. The awkward giantgulped, wheeled round, and with long strides made a bee-line for hisboat, followed as he left the yard by cheers from the Wood Countymilitia. 

 * * * * *

Fortunately, a party of youths, including Morgan Neville, WilliamRobinson, young Brackenridge, and a dozen others, who had attachedthemselves to Burr and Arlington in Pittsburg, came down the Ohio, ina flatboat belonging to one of their associates, Thomas Butler. Theseadventurous voyagers, suspected of complicity with Burr, werearraigned before three justices of the peace, of the Dogberry caliber, and after a ludicrous examination were acquitted. The best room oftheir boat was fitted up with carpets, hangings, and a suite offurniture taken from the chambers of the White House, soon to bedeserted. The unplaned, unpainted cabin, perfumed by the sour odor ofoaken planks and the scent of pine resin, was transformed into anEastern boudoir--couches, divans, gorgeous colors and all, for theaccommodation of Mrs. Blennerhassett. 

The ill-starred gentlewoman whose passion for the magnificent promptedher to adorn her floating bower thus luxuriously, and who, likeCleopatra, was attended on her barge by Ethiop slaves, had notrelinquished her faith in Burr's dream of conquest and empire. 

"Where are we going, " asked Harman, when the boat which was to conveythe family to Bayou Pierre had been pushed off from their island, andthe mother and her children realized that they were afloat upon theriver. 

"We are going to meet your father in a splendid city far away in theSouth. "

"Will Colonel Burr be there?"

"Yes, but we shall not then call him Colonel; he will be Emperor. "

"And what will you be, mamma?"

"A duchess, my son. "

The weary mother sank back upon her oriental divan, which was piledwith cushions, and closed her eyes in fragrant slumber, a luxury shehad foregone for many days and nights. 

XXVI. OUT OF THE NET INTO THE TRAP. 

December was well-nigh spent when Blennerhassett's bateau reached themouth of the Cumberland and joined Burr's flotilla of a dozen similarboats. The number of men ready to embark for the Wachita counted onlythree or four score. This informidable showing discouragedBlennerhassett, but the "general, " for so Burr was now styled, sawfleet and men with the multiplying eye of faith, and he rejoiced tohave actually begun the campaign. Followers yet unseen were surely ontheir way to join his resolute band. The miscarriage of plans at theisland imposed only a temporary delay on the five hundred expected todescend from the Alleghany country. That recruits would flock theMississippi shores to look for the coming of the leader, and to offerthemselves--blanket, gun and soul--for the bold venture, was to beexpected of men whose names were written in the "Roster of theFaithful. "

The motley forces drawn up on the bank of the Cumberland for reviewand instruction made up in fantastic variety for what they lacked innumber. There was much of the grotesque and somewhat of the pitiful inthe spectacle presented by the straggling ranks of boatmen andbackwoods farmers. Many wore garments of butternut linsey; others hadon buckskin breeches and coats of bear's pelts; some, in imitation ofBoone and the pioneers, had donned moccasins and wolf's skin caps, ornamented with foxtails. Some of these picturesque resolutes leanedon their long rifles, displaying to advantage tomahawk and scalpingknife. 

To this nucleus of an expected great army Burr made a brief speech:"There can be no failure in any enterprise backed up by patriots ofsuch stock as I see before me. You have the muscle and the sinew, theblood and the brains, the heart and the soul, of Western heroes. Yourofficers, while expecting obedience, give in return their friendshipand protection. We are to share common hardships and dangers, puttingup with things as they are to-day, in certainty of reward to-morrow. "

The progress of the unwieldy batteaux was impeded by perils of winternavigation. Burr exercised his best generalship in directing his menhow to overcome the difficulties they must encounter. He now thoughthe knew the river in its two siren moods, its summer singing hour andits winter rage of hunger for decoyed victims. His royal progress inWilkinson's barge he recollected as an event so long ago as to seem animpression revived in the brain, of a voyage enjoyed in some previousstate of existence. 

The flotilla had passed New Madrid, when, one afternoon, Burr standingnear the stern of his boat--amused himself by contemplating aprocession of flying clouds in distorted shapes of dragons, hippogrifs, witches, and ghosts. The boat was close to shore, skirtinga low bluff, covered with shrubs and trees. A majestic poplar standingon the river's edge drew the colonel's attention by its noble aspect. At the very moment when the prow drove opposite the monarch tree, itslofty top trembled, the towering trunk reeled and fell into the riverwith a terrific plunge. The twenty-foot long steering pole, to whichwas attached a rudder like the blade of a huge oar, was struck andsplintered by the falling trunk. The seemingly firm-rooted and defiantpoplar had been undermined by the incessant erosion of the flood. 

"Good Heaven!" exclaimed Burr, involuntarily. "Am I the tree or theundercurrent?"

That he had far less to dread from winds, waves, and falling treesthan from ominous storm gatherings of human element, menacing thefleet from the shore, the adventurer discovered full soon. He wasprepared to battle with the Mississippi, but had not anticipatedcollision with the territorial militia, for he was in ignorance of thefact that his plans had been exposed, and that a thunderbolt from thehand of national authority had been hurled. His flotilla, as itproceeded southward, instead of being hailed and boarded by eagerrecruits, was bayed by the watch-dogs of the law, civil and martial. Intrusive messengers from the courts and officious colonels of rawmilitia regiments pestered and threatened; those, with paper warrantsfrom local magistrates, these, with flintlock muskets in reserve. 

Not until his boat arrived at Bayou Pierre, near Natchez, and landedin Petite Gulf, was Burr fully informed of the action taken by theNational Government and the several States. The situation wasdisclosed to him by Major Flaharty of the Second Regiment, who, actingunder the authority of the territorial governor of Mississippi, ordered Burr to appear at the village of Washington to undergoexamination. The order was not promptly enforced, and the boats werepermitted to cross the river to a point on the western shore, a fewmiles lower down. 

Before Burr's boat pushed out from Petite Gulf, Blennerhassett hurriedto his superior, and with many apologies, handed him a letter, crumpled from having been carried long in the bearer's pocket. 

"This came by mail to the island, addressed, as you see, in my care. Margaret warned me to deliver it to you promptly; but the commissionescaped my mind. " The superscription on the letter, written in finehand, ran thus: "To Colonel Aaron Burr, care of Mr. HarmanBlennerhassett, Blennerhassett's Island, opposite Belpre, Ohio, U. S. A. " Burr waited until the boat was in motion before entering his cabinto open and read the belated _billet-doux_, for such he judged themissive to be. The news he had just heard of Wilkinson's changedattitude, and the prospect of his own arrest, left him in a state ofmind not favorable to playing the capricious game of flirtation, withpen or tongue. He cast the sealed epistle on the table provided for hisuse, and sat down on a wooden stool to ponder. The only illumination ofhis rude quarters came from a tallow candle stuck in a socket made byboring an auger-hole in a block of wood. Night had fallen, the wind blewin violent gusts and the timbers of the flatboat creaked and shuddered. Burr sat in meditation, his face buried in his hands, his elbows restingon the table, a foiled conspirator--frustrated, trapped, as heconjectured, by his suave confederate. He had drifted into the eelpotprepared for him. No mode of escape could he devise. He thought of MadamBlennerhassett, of Theodosia, of glorious visions seen and royalassurances given, in the secluded library of the White House on thelonely island in the Ohio. Vividly he remembered his first voyage downthe beautiful river, the conversations with Arlington, the serio-comicencounter with Plutarch Byle, the reverie on deck of the ark, theevening in the ladies' bower. Slowly he raised his head from his hands, and moved by the automatism of habit drew a cigar from its case, lit thesolacing weed at the blue-yellow cone of the candle flame, and smoked. He now felt not disinclined to take up the neglected _billet-doux_. Hebroke the seal and read. 

 PHILADELPHIA, NOV. 31, 1806. 

 "Forgive--forgive me, if you can--I am dying of remorse. You deceived me, betrayed me, in my girlhood, but I pardoned that, for I loved you more than any other woman ever loved a man. When we met in Ohio, by strange accident, all was reconciled. How happy I was! But when I learned of your perfidy; when I was forced to realize that I was not only your jilted victim, but your hoodwinked dupe; that your object in coaxing from me my fortune was wholly selfish; that you never meant to restore either my property or my good name; while your kisses were warm upon my lips your heart was planning proposals to another woman to become your wife that I, your discarded tool, could not claim even to be regarded as your mistress; when I felt sure of all this, I was frantic with grief and rage. I went to Washington, saw the President, gave him all the facts and papers you had intrusted to me. I did this in hatred, for revenge. In my madness I wanted to crush you, to blast your hopes, to kill you, if I could. But anger gave way to remorse. I would undo what I have done, but it is too late. I know you cannot love me--you cannot pity or forgive. I never shall forgive myself. There is nothing for me to live for--I am wretched, wretched, ruined--abandoned by you and despised by the world. When this reaches you, if it ever reaches your dear hand, I will be out of this awful misery and free from shame. 

 "I send enclosed the diamond ring you gave me in Princeton--the one you took from my finger in that farmhouse on the Miami, to write with it on the window-pane your name, dear Aaron, my first love, and underneath it my own. 

 "Salome. "

The unhappy trifler having reread the reproachful lines, took up thering which had fallen upon the table when the letter was unfolded. There was a small window in the side of the cabin, opening on hinges. Burr rose, stepped to the rude casement, unfastened the bolt, thrusthis arm out as far as he could reach, holding betwixt his thumb andfinger the sparkling gem, and was about to cast it into the water; buthe checked the impulse, drew back his hand and slipped the love-tokenon his little finger. 

"Poor Salome!" he murmured, closing the sash. "Foolish Salome! Shethinks she is the cause of my ruin; but she is not. I wish to God Icould say I am not the cause of hers. "

The fickle lover, rousing from his remorseful reverie, became the manof action. His boat was freighted, in part, with military stores, proof positive of warlike designs. This objective evidence must notcome to the knowledge of judge or militia-man. Burr seized an axe, andcalling one of the boatmen to his assistance, led the way to the mainstorage room, where guns and ammunition, packed in chests, lay piled. The place was closely boarded up, having no openings whatever in thesides. 

"Here, Gilpin, take the axe, while I hold the light. Cut a hole in theside of the boat, between these two upright braces. Hurry up! Make thespace large enough to let these boxes pass through. "

The boatman chopped with lusty strokes and soon hewed an openingsufficiently long and wide through the plank siding. 

"Now, take hold; help lift this, and slide it overboard. "

Rapidly the two worked with might and main, casting chest after chestoverboard to sink plumb to the muddy bottom of the Mississippi. By thetime the steersman gave orders for landing on the Arkansas shore, thetelltale cargo had all been unloaded. The innocent vessel was broughtto harbor in a bend and made fast to some friendly trees. 

Military officers, acting for the governor of Mississippi Territory, lay in wait to seize Burr and Blennerhassett. To the governor'saide-de-camp the chief conspirator said with bitter resentment:

"As to any projects or plans which may have been formed betweenGeneral Wilkinson and myself, heretofore, they are now completelyfrustrated by the treacherous conduct of Wilkinson; and the world mustpronounce him a perfidious villain. If I am sacrificed, my portfoliowill prove him such. "

This petulant outburst was of no avail to stave off the minions of thelaw. Burr was again in the toils. He, the distinguished attorney whohad won so many cases before the New York bench, and who had presidedover the Senate of the United States, was summoned to a hearing beforea grand jury in the obscure village of Washington. What a descent fromWashington, the capital, to Washington, the frontier hamlet; frompresidency of the Senate to a prisoner's box in a backwoodscourt-house!

The good genius of Burr did not desert him at the hour of this, hissecond humiliating ordeal. Fortune, who had rescued him in Kentucky, again favored him in Mississippi. The grand jury, to the chagrin ofjudge and territorial governor, brought in the unexpected presentmentthat Aaron Burr was not guilty of any crime or misdemeanor. The jurywas dismissed, but the prisoner was not discharged. Burr, who had manysecret friends, was advised that the governor intended to seize on hisperson the moment the court should release him. The conspiratorresolved to elude judiciary and executive by flight. Prudence anddignity, however, forbade precipitate action. Never was fugitive sointrepid, so calm. No valet had ever regarded him less than a hero. But how would Madam Blennerhassett judge him? She had arrived at BayouPierre--that Burr knew--and the first tidings she heard of herhusband told her that he and Burr had been arrested. Burr sat down, and penned the following:

 "WASHINGTON, MISS. , Jan. 31, 1807. 

 "_Mrs. M. Blennerhassett. _

 "Dear Madam: Your good husband has informed you of the miscarriage of our plans, and of our humiliating detention by Government officials. This temporary delay on the road to Beulah is wholly chargeable to the treachery of one individual in whom I placed absolute trust. No fit abiding place is yet provided for you on the Wachita acres. And Orleans is a port closed against us. How mortifying! Let not these tidings distress you, but draw upon the infinite resources of a determined will. I am not discouraged--only pestered and stung by a swarm of mosquitoes in the shape of magistrates, militia colonels, and false witnesses. Doubtless, Mr. Blennerhassett will be restored to you soon; as for myself, I take all the responsibility for his misfortunes upon my shoulders. Circumstances compel me, for the present, to move with circumspection, but you shall hear from me in good time. 

 "Last night, in my sleep, I had a delightful experience. I dreamed we were all sailing the Mediterranean, in a silken-sailed barge, bound for Egypt, Syria, Arabia, and every spicy, flowery land. I awoke to the 'slumbery agitation' of today's evil chances. However, 'there's nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. ' The Kingdom is within us. You recollect old Shirley's solemn lines, 'The glories of our blood and state Are shadows, not substantial things. '

 The only substantial world is comprised within the two hemispheres of the human heart. 

 "Dear madam, will you console Theodosia with one of your brave, loving, womanly letters? She is the one who will suffer most from the miserable collapse of our plans--she and poor little Gampy. 

 "I presume you will return to the Enchanted Ground! 'Tis a heavenly retreat. I enclose a sprig of Spanish moss from a cypress-tree near the village jail. Adieu, "A. B. "

The gallant traitor did not linger for the governor's catchpoll toseize him. French leave was better than a sheriff's hospitality. Threeof Burr's faithful adherents agreed to convey him secretly, in askiff, to a point twenty miles from Bayou Pierre, and there to providehim with a horse and a mounted guide, to facilitate his escape fromthe Territory. In pursuance of his project, he was about to leaveWashington, on foot, to join his clandestine abettors, when he wascurtly accosted by a young man whom he was startled to recognize atthat time and place. Burr put out his hand, but the young manhaughtily withheld his own. He spoke vehemently. 

"Colonel Burr, I challenged a brave man, a patriotic soldier, to fighta duel with me, because he spoke severe words about you. He wrongedyou a little, but you have wronged me much--my friends more. Youcalled Hamilton to the field for traducing you; I demand satisfactionfrom you for treacherously involving me and my family name with yourown, in charges of disloyalty to the Government. You lied to me!"

Burr compressed his lips and filled his lungs with a quick-drawnbreath. His cheeks purpled and his eyes shot dark fire. 

"Mr. Arlington, you go too far. I cannot brook insult. "

"Do not brook it. Resent it. You have smutched my honor. You haveruined the Blennerhassetts. You have betrayed a host of confidingpeople. You have endeavored to destroy the Union. I can right myselfbefore the country and in my own estimation only by calling you topersonal account. Will you meet me with pistol or with sword?"

Burr quenched the resentful fires that burnt in his heart, and repliedcalmly:

"My friend, I decline to meet you in any form of duel. You cannotprovoke me to accept your challenge. I respect you too much to killyou. You demand satisfaction. Arlington, no satisfaction comes toeither party in a fatal conflict. The dead man is indifferent to theboast of honor vindicated. I have fought my last duel. But don'timagine me afraid of threats, or bullets, or swords. "

The Virginian responded in milder tones. 

"Can you justify your deceptions, practised on me, or make amends forthe injury done the Blennerhassetts?"

"I justify nothing. I promise no reform. My plan failed. I did mybest. I am no traitor. I meant to benefit everybody. I shall bevindicated. Good-bye. Go, Arlington, marry the belle of Marietta, andbe a happy man. "

Arlington's nostrils quivered. A second surge of anger swept over him. Burr continued:

"I advise seriously. Win Miss Hale. I know she likes you. She is thefinest woman west of the Appalachians--or east of them. I hadmatrimonial inclinings toward the paragon myself. "

"That I know, " said the young man, with crabbed acrimony. 

"Yes, you know that. That is an additional reason, you think, forwishing to meet me in dudgeon. A lover hates a rival, even anunsuccessful one, and cherishes hotter resentment against the man whosteals a kiss from his lady love than against him who violates a dozenfederal constitutions, and breaks all the apron strings of his mothercountry. "

The flippancy of this speech renewed Arlington's animosity. 

"You will not, then, permit me to right myself by the code of honor?"

"No, Arlington, as I told you, I fought my last duel on the bank ofthe Hudson. Good-bye. I am not the bad man you believe me to be. But Iam under a cloud. My hopes are darkened. I would like to keep yourfriendship, but cannot demand it. It was in our plans to make you a'belted knight, a marquis, duke, and a' that, ' but the Creatoranticipated me by making you a true gentleman, which is the highesttitle of nobility. "

Burr started on the path which led to the covert where his threefaithful friends awaited his coming, to row him down the river. Halting for a minute, he looked back at Arlington wistfully, and said:

"I am an outcast and an outlaw. Farewell. "

Burr followed the path which he hoped would extricate him from thelabyrinth of his troubles, and Arlington left the village ofWashington, and was soon on the way to New Orleans, where Evaleen Haleexpected him at the house of her uncle. 

XXVII. FLIGHT AND SURRENDER. 

Disguised in the borrowed clothes of a boatman--pantaloons of coarsestuff, dyed in copperas, a drab-colored roundabout, a broad-brimmedslouch hat much the worse for hard usage in rain and sun--Aaron Burrfled. He deemed it impossible that any detective could recognize him. One precaution, however, he neglected to take; his genteel feetdisdained the boatman's cowhide shoes, nor would he put on the pair ofbig Suarrow boots proffered by one of his followers. He insisted onwearing, as usual, his tight-fitting, neat, elegant city-boots ofpolished calfskin. 

Clad and accoutred for flight through a wild country, mounted upon aspirited horse provided by devoted accessories for the severe journey, and accompanied by a guide who knew the forest ways, he set out, afugitive from justice. Both he and his pilot carried pistols inholster and provisions in saddle-bags. Their route lay through adesolate region sparsely settled by pioneers, and not yet relinquishedby wandering aborigines, nor by the bear and the catamount. The monthof February was spent before they reached the valley of the Tombigbee, a distance of two hundred miles from the Mississippi River. 

Late one evening the weary travellers drew rein at the door of a logtavern in Alabama. A bright fire was crackling within, and severalguests sat conversing before the broad hearth. 

"Hello the house!" shouted Burr's attendant. Not hearing a promptresponse to the call, the guide dismounted, rapped on the deal door, at the same time jerking a stout leathern bobbin which drew up thewooden latch inside. The door flew open, disclosing a puncheon floor, a bar with bulging decanters of whiskey, and the group of talkerssitting in the ruddy glow of the wide fireplace. The landlord came tothe threshold. 

"Alight and come in, stranger. I have good beds. "

"We are obliged to you, landlord, " said Burr from the saddle, "but wecan't stop. We hailed the house only to inquire the way to ColonelHinson's. How far is it?"

"A long seven miles, and all that isn't stump is mud hole. Better putup here till morning. A bite of pork and pone, washed down with a cupof hot coffee, will make a new man of you. "

"Thank you, my friend, but we are in some hurry. What direction shallwe take?" The tavern-keeper gave the desired information, with tediousminuteness. Meanwhile the party at the fireside took sharp notice ofthe man on horseback, whom they could plainly see in the outshininglight of the fire. A tall gentleman, whom the host called "colonel, "inspected the strangers with comprehensive scrutiny. 

"Neighbors, " said he, listening to the receding hoof-beats of thehorses, "did you notice that man's face and his feet? He don't looklike a common man. Our backwoodsmen don't wear shiny boots. " Leavinghis companions mystified by this speech, the colonel hurried from theinn, and bent his steps toward a cabin, from the single small windowof which a lard-lamp levelled its faint ray. This was the lodge of thedistrict sheriff. The tall colonel called the officer out anddescribed the appearance and actions of the two travellers. 

"Brightwell, I have my suspicions. Hadn't we better go--you andI--to Hinson's, and learn who these parties are and what they want? Idoubt if your cousin, Mrs. Hinson, knows that her husband sympathizeswith a certain individual who falls under the charges of Jefferson'sproclamation. "

Colonel Perkins easily persuaded the sheriff it was their duty tofollow the suspected persons, and the self-constituted spies saddledhorses and spurred through the woods, along a solitary road, toHinson's lonely cottage. Perkins remained outside, holding the horsesand shivering under the gusty pines. The sheriff knocked at the backdoor of the cabin; the mistress of the house received him kinswomanlyin the kitchen. From this rear apartment Brightwell could peep intothe front room, where sat the object of his curiosity. Havingexchanged a few familiar remarks and inquiries with Mrs. Hinson, thesheriff asked, in a whisper:

"Who is that man--the small man with black eyes and white hands?"

"He calls himself Hodge--Jeremiah Hodge--and claims acquaintancewith my husband. He says he came by request to have a talk with Hinsonabout raft-building on the Tombigbee. "

"Do you believe this?"

"I don't know what to think. He is a civil man--very civil--as softspoken as a girl, and he has the nicest table manners I ever seen in a_man_. I couldn't turn strangers away on such a raw night. "

"No, " said the sheriff, "you could not; we must be neighborly; but Ihave my doubts of Jeremiah Hodge. Good-bye, Jane. Drop over and seeFanny and the new baby. "

The officer, highly satisfied with his cunning detective work, slippedout and joined his impatient companion, Perkins, who agreed tocommunicate straightway with Lieutenant Gaines, commandant at FortStoddart, a post on the Tombigbee. Having secured a canoe and acolored boy to paddle it, Colonel Perkins, on the following morning, descended the river, and told Gaines his story. 

While Perkins was floating down the Tombigbee, the polite boatman, Jeremiah Hodge, was writing letters, eating breakfast, and chattingmost agreeably with his admiring hostess. At about nine-o'clock herequested his fellow-traveller to saddle the horses, and within thefew minutes required for this to be done he surprised Mrs. Hinson bydisclosing his real name. 

"Madam, if you should ever chance to meet a boatman by the name ofJeremiah Hodge, which is not probable, please make my apologies to himfor borrowing his name, as I have borrowed also another man's clothes. I am Aaron Burr, of New York, a name pretty widely known and muchbandied about in these scandalmongering days. I know your husbandwell; Colonel Hinson and myself are old friends; I saw him lately inNatchez, and he was kind enough to invite me to make his house myhome, in case I had need of a comrade soldier's hospitality. Under thecircumstances now existing I cannot remain longer. "

Mrs. Hinson looked incredulous and scared. 

"Mercy me!" was her suppressed interjection. 

"Pardon me for giving a false name, and not a pretty one, either. Areward of two thousand dollars is offered to any one who will giveinformation leading to my arrest. Such a snug sum might serve you forpin-money. " This was jocularly said and with a smile. Mrs. Hinsonfound a tongue to protest. 

"Don't fear I'll blab. I wish I could help you to get out of danger. Now I see why cousin Brightwell was Paul Prying here last night. There's your horse saddled and bridled. Take keer of yourself. "

"Good-bye, my dear madam. I cannot, of course, offer to pay you foryour generous entertainment of me and my follower. But you must notdeny me one small favor--take this ring as a keepsake from JeremiahHodge. "

He waited not for a reply, but gently raising her hand, which was avery pretty one, he placed on her finger Salome Rosemary's diamondring! Bowing a graceful adieu, the versatile fugitive rode away at hisfaithful servant's side. 

The brace of horsemen had not trotted a mile before they wereovertaken on the highway by a rider who accosted them very cordially. His sorrel steed kept even pace with the other two horses. 

"A nice frosty morning, " chirpped the friendly bore. "I hope I don'tintrude. I like company myself when I am on the road. Which way areyou bound? Pensacola?"

Burr made no reply, but his attaché answered freely:

"Yes, Pensacola. Which is the best road from here to Carson's Ferry?"

"The best road and the shortest is by way of the cut-off. I am goingthat way--I'll show you the road. "

All three cantered forward. In half an hour they came to a place wherethe road made an abrupt turn, and just at this bend a file of mountedand armed soldiers stopped their progress. Lieutenant Gaines andColonel Perkins rode at the head of the troopers. The lieutenant waveda military salute and spoke. 

"Have I the honor of addressing Colonel Burr?"

"You have that honor; I am Aaron Burr. "

"You are my prisoner. "

"By what authority do you detain me, a private citizen, attendingpeaceably to my own affairs, on a public thoroughfare?"

"I arrest you, Aaron Burr, in the name and at the instance of theUnited States of America. I hold in my hand the proclamation ofPresident Jefferson. I am a lieutenant in the United States Army. Thegentleman at your side is Theodore Brightwell, a sheriff, and theofficer accompanying me is Colonel Nicholas Perkins, who detected youlast evening when you rode up to the Piny Woods Tavern. "

Burr surrendered. That night he slept, a prisoner, in Fort Stoddart. 

XXVIII. WHAT BECAME OF THEM. 

Almost eight years had elapsed since the date of Burr's arrest andimprisonment, when on the first day of May, 1815, two young familiesloitered away an afternoon in picnic outing on Blennerhassett Island. The party consisted of eight persons--Colonel Warren Danvers, hiswife and a small daughter; and Mr. And Mrs. Arlington, their twopretty little girls and a boy-baby. The children, excepting theinfant, were old enough to enjoy gathering wild-flowers. They keptwithin call of the parents, who, conversing on events familiar to themall, strolled over the deserted grounds of an estate rendered sadlyfamous by the misfortunes of its former possessors. Amid scenesassociated with the disastrous failure of a treasonable conspiracy, itwas natural to speak of Burr. 

"He is paying a bitter penalty for his crime, " Danvers commented. "Though acquitted by the Federal Court at Richmond, in spite of Wirt'sarraignment, the traitor will not recover the people's good-will. Helives in New York City, a man forbid. His four years' self-exile inEurope, I am told, was a humiliating banishment from the loyal andpatriotic. No country can be a "Sweet Home" to the man who repudiateshis own nation's flag. Burr declares himself severed from the humanrace, and so he is. "

"You are relentless, Warren, " said his sister. "I feel much pity forthe man, since his heart-breaking experience of two or three yearsago. "

"Ah, yes; yes, " Lucrèce impulsively said; "Theodosia was her father'sincentive and his happiness. It was bad enough to lose the littlegrandson. Think how you would grieve if your dear little boy shoulddie. "

"We don't ever think of dying, do we, Dicky?" Evaleen cooed, makingmother eyes at her baby. "The world must have seemed a blank to Burrafter Theodosia was drowned. "

"_Was_ she drowned?" questioned Arlington. "That was a mysteriousaffair--the disappearance of the schooner--what was the vessel'sname, Danvers?"

"The Patriot. She sailed from Charleston for New York in the winter of1812. I remember reading of the disaster just before marching withGeneral Harrison to Fort Meigs. "

"The boat may have foundered or wrecked, " said Arlington. "Somebelieve it was captured by pirates, who carried Theodosia away to aforeign port. "

"That's an absurd theory!" declared Danvers. 

"But not impossible, my dear, " put in Lucrèce. "I hope the poor ladywas not carried away; drowning is preferable, " said Evaleen. 

"You two wouldn't drown when you had a chance at Cypress Bayou, "laughed the husband. "You chose to be carried away by one robber andbrought back by another. "

Lucrèce snugged close to her soldier, and he gave her a playful kiss. 

"Spoony, " sang Evaleen, whereupon her prim younger daughter, whoseplump fist tightly held a bunch of spring-beauties, looked up inwonder and lisped:

"Mamma, what is spoony?"

The elder sister, some seven years old, came running to her mother'sside. 

"There's a man by the well!"

"I saw him first, " chimed in the smaller child. "Didn't I see himfirst, Eva?"

The rambling party had returned from the woodland to the clearedtract, in the midst of which the White House of Blennerhassettformerly stood. The mansion, never occupied after the ill-starredfamily left it, was destroyed by fire a few years before the time ofthe picnic excursion. Near the low foundation walls of blackened stonestood the wooden curb surrounding the mouth of a deep well. The oldwindlass, below which a leaky bucket still swung, was kept in repairby unknown hands. Upon looking for the man whom Eva had discovered, Mrs. Arlington saw leaning upon the curb, in a posture of meditation, a figure which both she and her husband recognized. There was nopossibility of avoiding or of evading a meeting with the meddlesomebabbler who had volunteered to prescribe "cowcumber bitters" as a surecure for Chester's love. Within the ten years since the revelation onthe summit of the mound, and the piroque tour to the island, Arlingtonhad seen and heard a good deal of Plutarch Byle. Though it was alwaysmore or less of a social annoyance, and at times an intolerable bore, to encounter the gossipy humorist, his numberless acquaintances, farfrom wishing him ill, admired his honesty and lauded his goodness ofheart. 

Byle heard the children's voices, and straightening up his awkwardform, turned to observe the advancing group. His wide mouth openedwith a grin of pleasure; he came forward with gangling strides. 

"By crackey, if it isn't the Arlingtons! Home from Virginia, Evaleen, to old Marietta, on a visit to the folks? You're looking peart. How doyou all do?"

Arlington, out of regard for his wife and kinsfolk, made somedignified efforts to stem the tide of Byle's familiarity, but hispolite formality was not noticed by the associable democrat, who shookhands with every one, beginning with the baby. 

"So these is your offspring, as the preacher says, are they, Chester?I knowed you'd have a lot of 'em when I recommended the match. Here'sthe suckin' kid; let Uncle Byle heft him once. Gosh, baby, you want tograb uncle's nose, do you? Well, then, pull away till the cows comehome. What's 'is name?"

"Richard, " answered the mother. 

"Why didn't you name him after me? P. B. Arlington would sound sort ofuppercrusty, eh? 'Richard, ' you say? Oh, I see. Named for your daddy'sOrleens brother, the cripple! Yes! yes! Did Richard leave you as big apile of money as folks say? It must have been a heavy slam on you, Evaleen, when he dropped off. Lucky, too, in another pint of view;he's better off, and so are you--lots better off. "

Danvers and Lucrèce, wishing to prevent posthumous comments on UncleRichard, came to Evaleen's rescue. 

"You are a frequent comer to this island. You know its products andtopography?"

"Topography, yarbography, bugology and the dickens knows wot ology. The ground is jest kivered, in places with Injun arrers, and pipes andstone hatchets, and I've dug up some of the durndest queer-shapedarthen pots you ever sot eyes on. Yes, I reckon I know Bacchus Island, major. "

"Not major, " interrupted Arlington. "He was promoted after the battleof New Orleans. He is now Colonel Danvers. "

"Jehoshaphat! Let's shake hands on that, Danvers. No resk this time, Arlington, _is_ there? You recollect, don't you? the day I first seedyou and Hoopsnake on the roof of his flatboat? I read t'other day inthe noospaper that Harry Clay met the aforesaid in the court-house inNew York. The sarpent put out his hand, but Harry wouldn't tech it. Bygum, Clay was smarter than me. "

Danvers and Lucrèce looked mystified. Byle winked at Arlington. 

"Don't tell 'em my disgrace. So cap's a colonel? This _is_ a surprise. I'm just back from a jant to Cinc'natti. Stayed there a coon's agewith brother Virgil, who moved down from the Yok, last fall, and wentinto the pork trade. Virgil's married, same as you four, but I'll bedadbanged if he wasn't fooled in his woman. I tell _you_, Mrs. Danvers, matrimony ain't always sich honey in the comb as Warren isswallerin'. Virgil's wife looks nice, but Spanish flies! how he enjoysher going away from home. Well, that's _that_. I went down on theEnterprise. You've rid in a steamboat, I dare say, going to see yourpa, in Orleens? How's he? I forgot to ask. They say the old man's gotto be stylisher than ever. Jest run slap bang into rich relations. Howmuch is the doctor wuth? He never met me, but they say Deville is achoice mackerel, for a Frenchman. I was about to say, I went down toCinc'natti on the Enterprise last December. Best boat on the river, Captain Shreve says, and the fourth one built. I have saw the Orleens, the Comet and the Vesuvius, but the Enterprise knocks 'em all. Keelboats and barges is clean cut out. "

To check the deluge of Byle's conversation, the picnickers soon tookoccasion to shift their ground from the well to the beautiful greenplot which had been the carefully kept lawn of the Blennerhassettpremises. 

Raised flowerbeds, of various forms, circular, crescent, and diamond, could still be traced, though overgrown with grass and weeds. Theseabandoned garden beds furnished convenient seating space for theexcursionists, while they ate lunch and drank water fetched from theold well by Plutarch. The conversation reverted to Burr and hisalleged associates, involving the name of Wilkinson. Danvers defendedthe general from severe animadversions. Arlington had no patience withhis brother-in-law's lenient judgment. 

"Why, Warren, you, a colonel in the regulars, must know Wilkinson tohave been a failure every way. Wasn't he court-martialed last spring, after holding the command of the Northern army less than a year? Heblundered in all he undertook. He was, in effect, discharged for wantof generalship and for excess in wine. "

"I admit he lost laurels in the late war. So did many others. Jacksonand Harrison are our heroes now. General Wilkinson was acquitted bythe court-martial, as he was acquitted in 1811 of charges accusing himof complicity with Burr. "

"Acquitted! I know he was acquitted; so was Burr; but public opinioncondemns the decision of the courts. Before the bar of history bothstand accused and sentenced. They are guilty alike. Wilkinson seems tome no better than Burr. Perhaps he is worse, for he betrayed hiscomrade. "

"Did he betray Burr, or did he only find him out? I was in Wilkinson'stent when Burr's cipher letter was exposed. Wilkinson was outspoken indenouncing Burr. "

"Hold yer hosses. Let me put in a word edgeways, CaptainDanvers--'scuse me, I mean colonel. You spoke of Andy Jackson. He'snot my stripe--I'm a Federalist yist'day, to-day and forever--butOld Hickory is a truth teller. What did Jackson say? I give you hisupside dixit, word for word, _ex litteratum_, as they say. AndrewJackson says, says he, 'Whatever may have been the project of Burr, James Wilkinson has went hand in hand with him. '"

Mrs. Arlington introduced a new topic of conversation by saying, "I'llnot believe that Mr. Blennerhassett was consciously guilty. "

"No, my dear, he was deluded. Mr. Wirt is right in contending thatBlennerhassett was comparatively innocent, 'a mere accessory. '"

Here Mr. Byle stood up and began rummaging in his pockets. The mentionof the name of Blennerhassett had altered his mood and changed hismanner. A shade of seriousness bordering on melancholy came over hisfeatures. He slowly drew from the poke of his warmus a white cambrichandkerchief, which he blinked at for a minute, and then replaced, venting an audible sigh. Long he listened in silence to remarks aboutthe islanders and their untoward fate. At length he broke in with:

"I told Harman before he sot out for Eternal Smash what he was comin'to. _He_ wouldn't take my advice. But, gentlemen and ladies, in myopinion, the near-sighted was about as much to blame for whathappened, as a pewee is for being swallered by a black snake. Harmanlost everything, as I told him he would. Fust in debt heels overhead--then the house burns--then he sells the plantation. Now he'stryin' to run a cotton-gin down about Natchez. The boys are growin' upno account. And she--Jerusalem artichokes! What a shame it war forMargaret to throw herself away!"

The amused expression of Arlington indicated his appreciation ofByle's sentiments, but Evaleen could not smile when the distress ofher much-beloved friend was the theme of conversation. The rich, beautiful, commanding lady, who had presided like an Eastern princess, in her luxurious island palace, was now struggling with adverse fate, on a cotton plantation, near Port Gibson, Mississippi. Recollectingthe downfall and humiliation of Madam Blennerhassett, Evaleen sighedand cast her gaze mournfully toward the spot upon which had stood thestately mansion, which had been to her a second home. But on that Mayday in 1815, could she have lifted the veil of the future, events farmore depressing would have been disclosed. She would have beheld theformer lord of the isle, landless, harassed by debts, now in Natchez, now in New York, and now in Canada, unsuccessfully attempting thepractice of the law. He made a voyage to Ireland, returned toMontreal, and then again crossed the ocean to reside with his maidensister, Avis, on the Isle of Jersey. His wife shared hisdisappointments and sorrows, and it was on her faithful bosom that hebreathed his last at Port Prerie, Guernsey, in 1831. Ten years later, the widow, having returned to the United States destitute, forlorn, her health gone, her beauty faded, took up lodgings in a poortenement-house in the city of New York--and it was here that shedied, forsaken by fortune and by friends. Such were the crown ofthorns and the crucifixion of Margaret Blennerhassett, who aspired towear the coronet of a duchess in the court of Aaron the Emperor. 

The sons, Dominick and Harman, were reserved to fates not lessabortive and wretched. The first entered the navy as surgeon-mate, butwas discharged for drunkenness. He died in penury, an outcast. Harmanbecame a portrait painter in New York, but he lost his strength ofbody and mind, and finally perished in an almshouse on Blackwell'sIsland. His body lies buried beside that of his mother, in the familyvault of Emmet, the Irish patriot, in the "Marble Cemetery, " New York. 

Well was it that the Book of Fate, in which was written the story ofthe House of Blennerhassett, was not opened to Evaleen, for had sheread therein, the revelation would have turned the day's pensivemelancholy into poignant grief. 

Moved by a common impulse of commiseration, and by reverential regardakin to such as one feels when standing beside the tomb of a dearfriend, the married couples and the lank bachelor bent their stepsfrom the lawn to the rubble-strown site of the burnt mansion-house. The foundation stones indicated the size and location of the severalrooms formerly occupying the ground floor. Danvers and his wife satdown upon the sandstone steps leading, in bygone days, to the widehall door. The three little girls were at play in the paths of theruined shrubbery; Evaleen's baby boy lay asleep on the lap ofLucrèce. 

Arlington and Evaleen stepped across the crumbling foundation wall, and a few short paces brought them to the middle of the square areaonce covered by the floor of the reception room. A bunch of wildviolets, in bloom, grew in the charred leaf mould at their feet. Thewife plucked one of the flowers, and gave it into the hand of herconstant lover. 

"Here is just where you stood when we met for the first time, love; doyou remember? And look, Chester, " she pointed upward to the emptyspace once enclosed in the walls of Lady Blennerhassett's bower, "right up there is the window through which we watched you go away inthe moonlight. "

"Yes, darling; there you stood, caring very little whether or not weshould ever meet again. It is exactly ten years since the dayyou--didn't kiss me. Do it now. "

"Hold on for about three shakes of a sheep's tail. Then fire away whenI'm gone. I want to tell you, Chester, here is just the spot where Istood when I fit for her--"

"Fought for my wife?"

"No, for Harman's wife. " Byle took out the handkerchief again, andEvaleen thought he intended to tell its history. 

"That is a fine piece of cambric. It looks like a lady's token. "

"This hankercher?"

"Yes. "

Plutarch gulped down a big emotion. 

"It's a thumb-stall. "

 THE END. 

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TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards, including multi-paragraph quotations without open double-quote marks at each break, retained as in original. 

2. Added table of contents not in original edition. 

3. Typographic errors corrected from original: p. 53 fragrant for fragant ("fragrant knoll") p. 75 tastefully for tastefuly ("tastefully arrayed") p. 98 huge for hugh ("huge mound") p. 182 creature for creatrue ("savage looking creature")

4. Page 317: invalid date ("November 31, 1806") retained.