The theater was being rapidly filled, and it was evident that we were going to make our _debut_ before a packed house.

As the minutes passed by, Jack and I became more and more nervous.
We occasionally looked through the holes in the curtain, and saw that the people were continuing to crowd into the theatre; our nervousness increased to an uncomfortable degree.
When, at length the curtain arose, our courage had returned, so that we thought we could face the immense crowd; yet when the time came for us to go on, we were rather slow in making our appearance.

As we stepped forth we were received with a storm of applause, which we acknowledged with a bow.
[Illustration: BEHIND THE FOOTLIGHTS.] Buntline, who was taking the part of "Cale Durg," appeared, and gave me the "cue" to speak "my little piece," but for the life of me I could not remember a single word.

Buntline saw I was "stuck," and a happy thought occurred to him.

He said--as if it were in the play: "Where have you been, Bill?
What has kept you so long ?" Just then my eye happened to fall on Mr.Milligan, who was surrounded by his friends, the newspaper reporters, and several military officers, all of whom had heard of his hunt and "Indian fight"-- he being a very popular man, and widely known in Chicago.