An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill (Colonel W. F. Cody)Buffalo Bill
History
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 the whole party was mounted they started south, Texas Jack acting
as guide until such time as I could overtake them. The Grand Duke was
very much interested in the whole proceeding, particularly in the
Indians. It was noticed that he cast frequent and admiring glances at a
handsome red-skinned maiden who accompanied old Spotted Tail's
daughter. When we made camp my titled guest plied me with questions
about buffaloes and how to kill them. He wanted to know whether a gun
or a pistol was the proper weapon and whether I would be sure to supply
him with a horse that was trained in buffalo hunting.
I told him that I would give him Buckskin Joe, the best buffalo horse
in the country, and that all he would need to do would be to mount the
animal and fire away every time he saw a buffalo.
At nine o'clock in the morning we were all galloping over the prairies
in search of big game. I waited till everyone was ready, and then led
the party over a little knoll that hid the herd from view. In a few
minutes we were among the buffaloes.
Alexis first chose to use his pistol. He sent six shots in rapid
succession after one bull, at a distance of only twenty feet, but he
fired wildly, and did no damage whatever. I rode up to his side, and,
his pistol having been emptied, gave him mine. He seized it and fired
six more shots, but not a buffalo fell.
I saw that he was pretty sure to come home empty-handed if he continued
this sort of pistol practice. So I gave him my old "Lucretia" and told
him to urge his horse close to the buffaloes, and not to shoot till I
gave him the word. At the same time I gave Buckskin Joe a cut with my
whip which sent him at a furious gallop to within ten feet of one of
the biggest bulls in the herd.
"Now is your time," I shouted to Alexis. He fired, and down went the
buffalo. Then, to my amazement, he dropped his gun, waved his hat in
the air, and began talking to members of his suite in his native
tongue, which I of course was totally unable to understand. Old
Buckskin Joe was standing behind the horse that I was riding,
apparently quite as much astonished as I was at this singular conduct
of a man he had accepted in good faith as a buffalo hunter.
There was no more hunting for the Grand Duke just then. The pride of
his achievement had paralyzed any further activity as a Nimrod in him.
Presently General Sheridan came riding up, and the ambulances were
gathered round. Soon corks were popping and champagne was flowing in
honor of the Grand Duke Alexis and his first buffalo.
Many of the newspapers which printed accounts of the hunt said that I
had shot the buffalo for the Grand Duke. Others asserted that I held
the buffalo while the Grand Duke shot him. But the facts are just as I
have related them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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