PREFACE. 5 



beries indigenous to an unsettled country will be disappointed. 

 My mode of travel precluded Nimrodic pursuits, and had it 

 been otherwise I don't imagine the wild animals of the Wild 

 West would have been noticeably reduced in numbers. As for 

 scenes of violence, although there were opportunities to par- 

 ticipate therein, I left them for others who saw more fun in 

 them than I did myself. It is true, this book would have 

 been more replete with interest could I have given personal 

 narrations of these ; but as participation might have been only 

 another name for annihilation, I don't regret that lack of indi- 

 vidual experience has enabled me to be in a position to write 

 an autographical and more commonplace account. 



As for the ^' Later Footprints" following "A California 

 Tramp," I will only say that among the prose sketches the 

 article on John Burns should be worth attention as far as it 

 furnishes facts proving the old man was a real militant in the 

 Battle of Gettysburg ; and as to those in rhyme, simply state 

 that some of them had the questionable fame of newspaper 

 republication. 



When an author apologizes for literary defects, and airs the 

 difficulties he has labored under, it is generally assumed that 

 he could have done no better under favorable circumstances, 

 ahd by implication is assured that if the work was so burden- 

 some the reading public would have excused him from its 

 performance. Nevertheless, I will say that the preparation of 

 this volume was made before and after business hours since 

 the preceding winter, and when it is understood what a disad- 

 vantage this disconnected procedure has when compared with 

 continuous work, I hope the literary imperfections involved 

 will be overlooked. 



