ore exalted
sepulcher than mother earth is deemed fitting for such a warrior.
Accordingly he is wrapped in his blanket-shroud, and, in his war paint
and feathers and with his weapons by his side, he is placed in the top
of the highest tree in the neighborhood, the spot thenceforth being
sacred against intrusion for a certain number of moons. At the end of
that period messengers are dispatched to ascertain if the remains have
been disturbed. If they have not, the departed is esteemed a spirit
chief, who, in the happy hunting-grounds, intercedes for and leads on to
sure victory the warriors who trusted to his leadership in the material
world.

We bade a reluctant adieu to the idyllic retreat, and threw it many
a backward glance as we took our way over the desert that stretched
between us and the ranch. Here another night was passed, and then we
set out for home. The brief sojourn "near to Nature's heart" had been a
delightful experience, holding for many of us the charm of novelty, and
for all recreation and pleasant comradeship.

With the opening of the theatrical season Will returned to the stage,
and his histrionic career continued for five years longer. As an actor
he achieved a certain kind of success. He played in every large city of
the United States, always to crowded houses, and was everywhere received
with enthusiasm. There was no doubt of his financial success, whatever
criticisms might be passed on the artistic side of his performance. It
was his personality and reputation that interested his audiences. They
did not expect the art of Sir Henry Irving, and you may be sure that
they did not receive it.

Will never enjoyed this part of his career; he endured it simply because
it was the means to an end. He had not forgotten his boyish dream--his
resolve that he would one day present to the world an exhibition that
would give a realistic picture of life in the Far West, depicting its
dangers and privations, as well as its picturesque phases. His first
theatrical season had shown him how favorably such an exhibition would
be received, and his long-cherished ambition began to take shape. He
knew that an enormous amount of money would be needed, and to acquire
such a sum he lived for many years behind the footlights.

I was present in a Leavenworth theater during one of his last
performances--one in which he played the part of a loving swain to a
would-be charming lassie. When the curtain fell on the last act I w