s. How many keels have
plowed these waters--the canoe of the Iroquois, the peroque of French
explorers, the batteau of early English traders, the boats of the
Spaniards 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 white
settlement was made on the soil of Ohio, at Marietta, a town we are
now approaching."

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

"Arlington, you are not a Federalist?"

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

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

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

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

"I think it infamous! It disgraces this nation to submit to exactions
and 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 the
ashes of his cigar with the tip of his little finger--so lightly that
the ashes did not fall.

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

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

"We must not be rash."

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

"Is it your belief that, if war were declared, there would be
difficulty 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 the
frail 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 of
the people, and refusing to declare war, force the country to submit
tamely to the insults of Spain, do you think it possible that
independent men might ta