An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill (Colonel W. F. Cody)Buffalo Bill
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An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill (Colonel W. F. Cody)
Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill, 1846-1917; Entertainers -- United States -- Biography; Pioneers -- West (U.S.) -- Biography; West (U.S.) -- Biography
When night fell, I rode into camp unobserved. As I entered the camp I
wrapped my blanket, Indian fashion, about my head, so that the redskins
would not at once recognize me as a white man. Then I hunted about till
I found Spotted Tail's lodge. The old chief was stretched lazily out on
a pile of robes as I looked in. He knew who I was and invited me to
enter.
In the lodge I found Todd Randall, an old white frontiersman, who was
Spotted Tail's friend and agent, and who had lived a great many years
with the Indians. Randall, who spoke the Sioux jargon perfectly, did
the interpreting, and through him I readily communicated to the chief
the object of my visit.
I said that the warriors and chiefs would greatly please General
Sheridan if they would meet him in about ten sleeps at the old
Government crossing at the Red Willow. I said that a great chief from
far across the water was coming to visit them, and that he was
especially anxious to meet the greatest of the Indian chiefs.
Spotted Tail replied that he would be very glad to go. He added that on
the morrow he would call his men together and select from them those
who were to accompany him. He told me I had acted very wisely in coming
first to him, as it was known to him that some of his young men did not
like me, and he knew that they had hasty tempers. He expressed himself
as pleased that they had not met me outside the village, and I assured
him that I was equally pleased that this was so.
The chief then called his squaw, who got me something to eat, and I
passed the remainder of the night in his lodge. Having informed the old
man that this was no ordinary occasion, and that he would be expected
to do the job up right, I returned to the Post.
When the day set for the Grand Duke's arrival came there was a brave
array at the station to meet him. Captain Hays and myself had five or
six ambulances to carry his party, Captain Egan was on hand with a
company of cavalry and twenty extra saddle-horses, and the whole
population of the place was gathered to see the great man from Russia.
The train came in, and from it stepped General Sheridan. A fine figure
of a man was towering above him. This was the visitor.
I was presented to the Grand Duke as Buffalo Bill, the man who would
have charge of the hunt. I immediately ordered up the saddle-horse I
had selected for the nobleman, also a fine horse for General Sheridan.
Both men decided to ride for a few miles before they took seats in the
ambulances.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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