June 28th, and followed it nearly two hundred miles, till we struck the Indians on Sunday, July 11th, 1869, at Summit Spring. The Indians, as soon as they saw us coming, killed Mrs. Alderdice with a hatchet, and shot Mrs. Weichel, but fortunately not fatally, and she was saved.

"Mr. Cody has since served with me as post guide and scout at Fort
McPherson, where he frequently distinguished himself.

"In the summer of 1876, Cody went with me to the Black Hills region where he killed Yellow-Hand. Afterwards he was with the Big Horn and Yellowstone expedition. I consider that his services to the country and the army by trailing, finding and fighting Indians, and thus protecting the frontier settlers, and by guiding commands over the best and most practicable routes, have been far beyond the compensation he has received. His friends of the Fifth Cavalry are all glad that he is in a lucrative business, and hope that he may live long and prosper. Personally, I feel under obligations to him for assistance in my campaigns which no other man could, or would, have rendered. Of course I wish him, and his, every success."

E. A. CARR, Lt. Col. 5th Cav., Brev. Maj. Gen'l U. S. Army. FORT
McPHERSON, NEBRASKA, July 3d, 1878

* * * * *

Buffalo Bill is now an actor, and is meeting with success. He owns a large and valuable farm adjoining the town of North Platte, Nebraska, and there his family live in ease and comfort. He has also an extensive cattle ranch on the Dismal river, sixty-five miles north of North Platte, his partner being Major Frank North, the old commander of the celebrated Pawnee scouts. While many events of his career are known to the public, yet the reader will find in this narrative much that will be entirely new and intensely interesting to both young and old.

THE PUBLISHER.

Illustrations.

THE AUTHOR, PORTRAIT, ON STEEL

YOUTHFUL ADVENTURES

SAMUEL'S FATAL ACCIDENT

BILLINGS AS A BOCARRO

BILLINGS RIDING LITTLE GRAY

EXCITING SPORT

STAKING OUT LOTS

MY FATHER STABBED

MY FATHER'S ESCAPE

LIFE OR DEATH

BOYISH SPORT

TWO TO ONE

KILLING MY FIRST INDIAN

A PRAIRIE SCHOONER

WILD BILL (PORTRAIT)

HOLDING THE FORT

CAMPING IN A SEPULCHRE

RAFTING OS THE PLATTE

RIDING PONY EXPRESS

SAVED BY CHIEF RAIN IN-THE-FACE

CHANGING HORSES

ATTACK ON STAGE COACH

ALF. SLADE KILLING THE DRIVER

THE HORSE THIEVES DEN

MY ESCAPE FROM THE HORSE THIEVES

BOB SCOTT'S FAMOUS COACH HIDE

"NEARLY EVERY MAN HAD TWO HORSES"

WILD BILL AND THE OUTLAWS

WILD BILL'S DUEL

GENERAL GEO. A. CUSTER (Portrait)

DEPARTING RICHES

TONGUES AND TENDERLOINS

THE INDIAN HORSE THIEVES

THE MAN WHO FIRED THE GUN

BUFFALO BILL

"DOWN WENT HIS HORSE"

THE FIRE SIGNAL

KIT CARSON (Portrait)

A GOOD HORSE

A BIG JOKE

AMBUSHING THE INDIANS

WHOA THERE!

DELIVERING DISPATCHES TO GENERAL SHERIDAN

THE TWO TRAMPS

CARRYING DISPATCHES

GEN'L PHIL. SHERIDAN (PORTRAIT)

BATTLE ON THE ARICKAREE

BRINGING MEAT INTO CAMP

"INDIANS!"

GENERAL E. A. CARR (PORTRAIT)

A CRACK SHOT

A HARD CROWD

CAMPING IN THE SNOW

A WELCOME VISITOR

ANTELOPES

THE RECAPTURE OF BEVINS

ROBBING A STAGE COACH

INDIAN VILLAGE

THE KILLING OF TALL BULL

AN OLD BONE

A WEDDING CEREMONY

A RIDE FOR LIFE

PRAIRIE DOG VILLAGE

McCARTHY'S FRIGHT

FINDING THE REMAINS OF THE BUCK PARTY

SPOTTED TAIL (PORTRAIT)

GRAND DUKE ALEXIS (PORTRAIT)

INDIAN EXERCISES

TWO-LANCE KILLING A BUFFALO

AN EMBARRASSING SITUATION?

TEXAS JACK (PORTRAIT)

RIFLES

STUDYING THE PARTS

BEHIND THE FOOTLIGHTS

LEARNING THE GAME

GETTING SATISFACTION

A DUEL WITH CHIEF YELLOW HAND

SCOUTING ON A STEAMBOAT

CLOSE QUARTERS

ONE OF THE TROUPE

Contents

CHAPTER I.

CHILDHOOD.

Early Days in Iowa—A Brother's Death—The Family Move to a New
Country—Incidents on the Road—The Horse Race—Our "Little Gray"
Victorious—A Pleasant Acquaintance—Uncle Elijah Cody—Our New
Home—My Ponies.

CHAPTER II.

EARLY INFLUENCES.

Dress Parade at Fort Leavenworth—The Beautiful Salt Creek Valley—The
Mormon Emigrants—The Wagon Trains—The Cholera—A Lively Scene—My First
Sight of Indians—"Dolly" and "Prince"—A Long-Lost Relative Turns
up—Adventurous Career of Horace Billings—His Splendid
Horsemanship—Catching Wild Horses.

CHAPTER III.

BOY DAYS IN KANSAS.

My Indian Acquaintances—An Indian Barbecue—Beginning of the Kansas
Troubles—An Indiscreet Speech by my Father, who is Stabbed for his
Boldness—Persecutions at the Hands of the Missourians—A Strategic
Escape—A Battle at Hickory Point—A Plan to Kill Father is Defeated by
Myself—He is Elected to the Lecompton Legislature—I Enter the Employ of
William Russell—Herding Cattle—A Plot to Blow Up our House—A Drunken
Missourian on the War-Path.

CHAPTER IV.

YOUTHFUL EXPERIENCES.

At School—My First Love Scrape—I Punish my Rival, and then Run Away—My
First Trip Across the Plains—Steve Gobel and I are Friends once
more—Death of my Father—I Start for Salt Lake—Our Wagon Train
Surprised by Indians, who Drive us off, and Capture our Outfit—I Kill my
First Indian—Our Return to Leavenworth—I am Interviewed by a Newspaper
Reporter, who gives me a Good "Send-Off."

CHAPTER V.

IN BUSINESS.

My Second Trip Across the Plains—The Salt Lake Trail—Wild Bill—He
Protects me from the Assault of a Bully—A Buffalo Hunt—Our Wagon Train
Stampeded by Buffaloes—We are Taken Prisoners by the Mormons—We Proceed
to Fort Bridger.

CHAPTER VI.

HARD TIMES.

A Dreary Winter At Fort Bridger—Short Rations—Mule Steaks—Homeward
Bound in the Spring—A Square Meal—Corraled by Indians—A