The Life of Hon. William F. Cody Known as Buffalo Bill The Famous Hunter, Scout and Guide

road, I went to Leavenworth, arriving there about June 1st, 1861, going from there home. The civil war had broken out, and excitement ran high in that part of th

ave state the inhabitants must all be secessionists, and therefore our enemies. A man by the name of Chandler proposed that we organize an independent company for the purpose of invading Missouri and making war on its people on our own responsibility. He at once went about it in a very quiet way, and succeeded in inducing twenty-five men to join him in the hazardous enterprise. Having a longing and revengeful desire to retaliate upon the Missourians for the brutal manner in which they had treated and robbed my family, I became a member of Chandler's company. His plan was that we should leave our homes in parties of not more than two or three together, and meet at a certain point near Westport, Missouri, on a fixed day.

EARLY EVERY MAN

ome people might not hesitate to call it by that name; but Chandler plausibly maintained that we were only getting back our own, or the equivalent, from the Missourians, and a

d on during the summer, and occasionally we had running fights

My mother, upon learning that I was engaged in this business, told me it was neither honorable nor right, and she would not

and gallant friend, Wild Bill, who had just become the hero of the day, on account of a terrible fight which he had had with a gang of desperadoes and

ild Bill was riding the pon

ting or blowing a horn in order to notify the stock tender of his approach, and to have a fresh ho

ime and had his wife living with him at the station, did not make his accustomed appearance. Wild Bill galloped up and instead of finding the stock-tender ready for him with a fresh horse,

coming towards him. The approaching man fired on him at once, but missed his aim. Quick as lightning

hrill and pitiful voice of the dead stock-tender's wife, and it came from a window of

and while his arm was still raised, Bill sent a ball crashing through his skull, killing him instantly. Two other men now came rushing from an adjoining room, and Bill, seeing that the odds were three to one against him, jumped into a corner, an

WILD BILL AND

l right arm and struck his antagonist's left arm such a terrible blow that he broke it. The disabled desperado, seeing that he was no longer a ma

ong, and he then consigned her to the care of the driver. Mounting his horse he at

ry newspaper. It was one of the most remarkable and desperate

take charge of the government trains as a sort of assistant under him, and I gladly accepted the

ving brought a fast running horse from the mountains, determined to take him to that city and match him against some

e thought we had a sure thing, we also bet the horse against $250. I rode the horse myself, but nevertheless, our sure thing, like

"broke." We were "busted" in the largest city we had ever been

t I being so young failed in obtaining similar employment. Wild Bill, however, raised some money, by borrowing it from a friend, and then buying me a st

poker, and in the course of the game he became involved in a quarrel with Dave Tutt, a

re, he declared his intention of carrying the watch across the street next mor

ry the watch across the street at nine

if he attempted anything of

rted to cross the street. Wild Bill, who was standing on the opposite side, told him to stop. At that moment Tutt, who was carrying his revolver in his han

n as Tutt fell to the ground, turned to them and asked if any one of them wanted to take it up for Tutt; if so, he wou

ever done to Bill fo