nt
a secret agent to Marietta to discover what was going on,
and at the same time asked the governor of Ohio to seize the
boats and suppress the expedition.

Mr. Blennerhasset assured the secret agent, Mr. Graham, that
no thought was entertained of invading Mexico. The project,
he said, was an eminently peaceful one. But the public was
of a different opinion. Rumor, once started, grew with its
usual rapidity. Burr was organizing an army to seize New
Orleans, rob the banks, capture the artillery, and set up an
empire or republic of his own in the valley of the lower
Mississippi. Blennerhasset was his accomplice, and as deep
in the scheme as himself. The Ohio Legislature, roused to
energetic action by the rumors which were everywhere afloat,
passed an act that all armed expeditions should be
suppressed, and empowered the governor to call out the
militia, seize Burr's boats, and hold the crews for trial.

Public attention had been earnestly and hostilely directed
to the questionable project, and Burr's hopes were at an
end. The militia were mustered at Marietta, a six-pounder
was planted on the river-bank, orders were given to stop and
examine all descending boats, and sentries were placed to
watch the stream by day and night.

While these events were proceeding, Mr. Blennerhasset had
gone to the Muskingum, to superintend the departure of the
boats that were to start from that stream. While there the
boats were seized by order of the governor. The suspicions
of the people and government were for the first time made
clear to him. Greatly disturbed, and disposed to abandon the
whole project, costly as it had been to him, he hastened
back to his island home. There he found a flotilla of four
boats, with a crew of about thirty men, which had passed
Marietta before the mustering of the militia. They were
commanded by a Mr. Tyler.

Mr. Blennerhasset's judgment was in favor of abandoning the
scheme. Mrs. Blennerhasset, who was very ambitious, argued
strongly on the other side. She was eager to see her husband
assume a position fitting to his great talents. Mr. Tyler
joined her in her arguments. Blennerhasset gave way. It was
a fatal compliance, one destined to destroy his happiness
and peace for the remainder of his life, and to expose his
wife to the most frightful scenes of outrage and barbarity.

The frontier contained hosts of lawless men, men to whom
loyalty meant license. Three days after the conversation
descri