by tacit agreement, throughout our long voyage no mention had been made of its purpose since the evening of our visit with the blennerhassets. intimate as had been my relations with alisanda and her uncle, it was not the part of an honorable man to receive confidences bearing on don pedro's plans, until i had seen general wilkinson and learned whether colonel burr's test of influence would stand. unless committed to the furtherance of the far-reaching projects which the colonel had outlined to me, i felt that i had no right to share the secrets of the scheme.
in compliance with my wish, don pedro had refrained from all allusion to the subject, going so far as seldom to mention his home and country. in consequence, this being alisanda's first voyage to new spain, i learned so little of their plans that when we landed at natchez i knew only that they expected to sail from new orleans to vera cruz, and from there to travel either by diligencia or private coach to a town named chihuahua, in the desert interior, where the don was possessed of a great estate. even of the nature and customs of the country i had gathered few facts to add to the vague information acquired in past years from the spanish creoles.
but with our approach to natchez, that which had been least in my thoughts became the uppermost. general wilkinson was at natchez, and the nature of his response to my letters from colonel burr was a matter of vital importance to me. a few days after our arrival would bring about my inevitable parting from alisanda. if that parting took place without the knitting of new ties for the future, what hope had i of ever again looking into the depths of her dark eyes?
but should the commander-in-chief prove the feasibility of colonel burr's plans by agreeing to precipitate war and support the invasion of mexico, and should he, in addition, give to me the leadership of the western expedition, how strong my cause for hope! at once i could enter into the plans of don pedro, and while he journeyed back to chihuahua, to prepare his friends for the revolution, i could lead my expedition across the great plains, my approach to santa fe to be the signal for the uprising. with war raging on the sabine river and in texas, the interior provinces would be drained of spanish troops; so that the revolution could be gotten well under way before the viceroy could send up an army from the city of mexico.
though not a man of military training, i then believed, and am still convinced, that this plan of campaign would have met with certain success. thousands of our hardy frontiersmen were ready at the word to fling themselves across the spanish borders, and with such men as the fiery general jackson to lead them, they would have soon crushed all the forces which general herrera could have brought against them. their march across texas and to the city of mexico would have been marked by an unbroken succession of victories, while i, fighting side by side with don pedro in the revolutionary army of mexico, with alisanda to win!—
but enough of idle dreams! those who base their plans on the leadership of wild schemers and double-dyed traitors should be grateful if the outcome finds them unsmirched by the company they have kept.
we moored to the wharf under the bluff at natchez, and i, dressed fittingly for the occasion, had the pleasure of escorting alisanda up to the little town on the hilly slope behind the bluff-crest,—my companion finding much to interest her in the motley crowd of spanish and french creoles, americans, negro slaves, and chickasaw indians.
the don had not expected to stop at this seat of the government of mississippi territory; else i have no doubt colonel burr would have provided him with a letter to insure hospitality from the persons who had so fêted that statesman the preceding fall. as it was, i arranged for the best accommodation to be had at mickie's hotel, and at once set about the disposal of our floating home.
it being understood that i might be required to hasten north to st. louis, don pedro had decided to sell the flat, since, without my company, it would be more convenient to continue the voyage to new orleans in a passenger boat. a flat is worth so little at this end of the river trade that i was glad to bargain the craft for twenty dollars to a family of french creoles. at new orleans i might have sought in vain for a purchaser. scores of flats are there abandoned by the rivermen, many of whom return to the upper shipping towns afoot.
after some hours of delay at the water front, i returned to mickie's tavern with a cartload of impedimenta, including my own chest. don pedro met me at the door, with the information that he had already seen general wilkinson, who, upon learning that i also bore despatches, had sent him to summon me to the headquarters. the don's expression, so far as one might read his proud features, told me that the interview had not been over-satisfactory.
"you are not pleased at general wilkinson?" i asked.
"nada, john," he answered with a terseness which spoke volumes.
i could well imagine what he would have said, had not his courtesy prevented.
"i will hasten," i said. "it may be he will meet you in a more favorable mood after he has seen the letters i bear."
"god knows! who can tell?" he murmured in spanish.
"i hope to know within the hour," i replied.
"sabe dios—quien sabe?" he repeated, as i set off.
i found the general's headquarters without difficulty, and upon mentioning my name, was at once passed in by the sentinel on guard in the piazza. when i entered the office, i found the general studying a map of lower louisiana, in company with colonel cushing, his second in command. for a moment he stared at me with stupid pomposity, as if he had been overcome with the whiskey, a bottle of which stood on the table before him. but even as i gave my name, he recognized me and beckoned me to a seat at the table, with a fussy show of cordiality.
"of course, of course, dr. robinson! take a seat! i'm pestered with all kinds of visitors in these days of impending war. but a gentleman is always welcome. colonel cushing, you have met dr. robinson?—no?—one of our most promising young physicians,—already favorably known for his skill, both in the upper and lower territory. he has, i understand, a private claim to present for my consideration. that is my understanding, doctor."
"you have been so kind, sir, as to give me opportunity to present a matter of private business, if i am not mistaken."
colonel cushing promptly rose, excused himself, and withdrew. the general leaned toward me, his fat, red face flushing still deeper, his breath hurried and labored.
"you bring me letters?" he puffed.
i took out my packet, broke the seal before his eyes, and handed over the first two letters, which were addressed to him. he tore open both with pudgy fingers that shook, either from excitement or excess of drink. the more bulky one he stared at for a moment, with knitted brows, only to fling it into a drawer.
"cypher again!" he muttered.
"you spoke to me, sir?" i asked.
he glared across at me, with what i could have sworn was panicky fear. his voice shook: "you—you—do you know what is in these letters?"
"you saw me break the seal of the packet," i replied. "i do not know the contents of colonel burr's messages; though, from what he told me, one letter relates to myself, and the other bears upon the death of pitt."
"pitt!—pitt dead?" he gasped, losing thought of the one fear in another.
"have you not heard?" i asked, astonished. "it is months since his death—midwinter."
"but—but—that puts another face on the plans! without pitt—without the british ships—"
"british ships!" i exclaimed.
he started, and sought to gather together his scattered wits, hastily pouring out and drinking half a glass of raw whiskey before again speaking. i waved aside the bottle and a second glass which he thrust toward me, and pointed to the other letter. "your excellency, may i ask you to read what colonel burr has written with regard to myself?"
he caught up the letter, and after a hasty glance about the room from door to window, began to read. i could see by the quickness with which his eyes followed the lines that, unlike the first, it was written in a legible hand. at the end he went back and re-read the latter part. coming again to the end, he laid the letter down, and addressed me with a most bombastic assumption of dignity: "sir, colonel burr takes too much upon himself—far too much! the granting of your request, sir, is impossible—impossible!"
away puffed my aircastles at a word, and left me stunned and heartsick. i had not looked for so sudden a blow. yet i managed to protest: "your excellency, i have ventured to imagine that i am not altogether lacking in the qualities needed by the leader of such an expedition."
he unbent a trifle. "sir, i do not question your qualifications."
"then what prevents my appointment, your excellency? is it that you wish further recommendations? if only my friend lieutenant pike were here to speak for me!"
"that, sir, is the point. i cannot give you the place, because lieutenant pike has already been assigned to it."
"he!" i cried. "but he is at the sources of the mississippi!"
"he was, sir, and the government shall hear of it, to his just credit. he has explored the headwaters of the river; entered into treaties with the powerful tribes of the sioux and chippewas; hauled down the british flags at the fur-trading posts, and compelled an agreement of the northwest company to pay us our import duties at michilmackinac."
"and he has returned!" i muttered.
"in april. by now he is fitting out this present expedition."
i rose and bowed. "such being the case, your excellency, permit me to wish you good-day."
"one moment," he said, leaning toward me, with a leer which doubtless he meant for an ingratiating glance. "has your ambition so narrow a range, doctor?"
"my ambition?" i inquired.
"your ambition and your interest in the projects of one who shall at present go unnamed. i must read and consider what the gentleman has written to me. whatever my decision as to—those matters, i cannot give you what you have asked; but—you will understand—there may be possibilities—vast possibilities!—a vast empire, stretching westward from the alleghanies—"
"alleghanies!" i cried, astounded.
at sight of my face, his own turned a mottled gray. he caught at the whiskey bottle and poured himself out a second drink. fortified by the draught, he gasped something about an attack of bilious fever, and added, with a crafty smile: "you, sir, as a physician, know how this cursed malaria flies to the head. i have the word arkansas on my tongue, yet say alleghany."
the explanation at once allayed the terrible suspicion which had flashed into my mind. it was common knowledge throughout the west that this man had been involved with innes and other conspirators of the separatist plots in the nineties. but that he or colonel burr or any other man not insane could dream of such treason to the republic in these days was a thought seemingly so preposterous that it needed only the pompous old fellow's word of explanation to make me banish the suspicion. yet i realized that i had had quite enough of his company.
"sir," i said, "my interest in the affairs of colonel burr hinged entirely upon this question of the expedition. since the honor of its leadership has fallen to my friend lieutenant pike, i have nothing to ask of you."
"you will remain in natchez a day or two?" he inquired.
"i cannot say."
"it might prove to your interest to delay over. i may again send for you, notwithstanding your reluctance to receive other favors than the one i cannot grant."
i bowed and withdrew, leaving him in the act of pouring a third drink of whiskey.
