The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-30

west had We're Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill
O. p Virgins, the veteran scout and
trapper, entertained both men at Monu-
ment Stage station in the old days and
has many thrilling stories to tell of them.
Wild Bill was ready at any time for a
daring deed. He was feet 4 inches in
height, with broad shoulders and weighed
1870 pounds. He carried dispatches be-
tween Forts Hayes and Wallace in Kan
sas and some of his most daring feats
We're performed in the Kansas free-son
war and alter in the Civil war
One of these was the spiking of the
guns of Fort Pillow. The fort prevented
| the federal ships from passing on the
| Missouri river. Wild Bill undertook to
go into the fort alone and spike the guns
The river was lighted in front Of the fort
! for the distance of half a mile Wild Bill
was taken to this limit of light in boat
by friends and dropped into the river
without any clothes on. He had a string
of rat-tail files around his neck with
which to spike the guns.
He swan half a mile and came out be-
low the fort Floods Of rain drenched
everything and made the darkness in
tense. Wild Bill arrived at the fort as
| the guard was being changed. He note
| the beat of the sentry and when the back
of the guard was turned crept up on him
and strangled him to death. Then the
scout put pole up against the fort wall
and climbed up, taking the pole inside
with him.
Once inside Wild Bill went to each gun
and thrust the rat-tail file down into the
printing hole. He pounded them deep and
broke them off below the surface NO
amount of drilling could remove the file
without making the gun worthless.
Wild Bill was spiking the last gun when
he was discovered. He escaped over the
wall and lodged his enemies in the dark
ness. Tie swan the river and was not
captured. The boats were notified and
Immediately came down the river past
the helpless fort from which not a gun
could be fired.
The tightest place Wild Bill ever got in
to was when eight pro-slavery men visited
the cabin where he was staying on the
big Blue, near Manhattan, Kan, to kill
him. he was down at the spring when
they came, but he dashed up to the
house, shot two of them dead from behind
the corner of the houses and then got in
the house. They came to the door and he
shot four more, and his pistol was empty
The two remaining sprang upon him and
were bearing him down when he killed
them with a stab each from his knife
Thus he killed eight men in a single-hand-
ed encounter, when they were armed and
seeking to kill him.
He was finally shot in the back by an
had been having some difficulty in a sa-
loon.
Buffalo Bill was just as daring as Wild
Bill and was much more of a hunter and
Indian fighter than Wild Bill Buffalo
Bills real name was William Comstock
Jr. William COmstock Sr. was a Hudson
bay trapper and came to Colorado in the
thirttes and married a Cheyenne sQuaw
Buffalo Bill was the son of this marriage
Inc boy grew up to be an unerring shot
and notable hunter He earned his name
"a or h. fC~fey Il I.
record Of all the frontier, having killed "a
buffalo in one day and 40 of these at a
single stand.
He wore his hair long and sometimes
braided it and E,:ng silver Eieces in il,
one for each Indian he had killed, as the
Indians did. The custom was to take a
silver dollar and hammer it large into a
cup-Shape and fasten it to the braid near
the top. As the braid got smaller toward
the bottom haII dollars and quarters We're
substituted for the dollar at the top.
Buffalo Bills most daring adventure is
the one which ended in his death. 1t oc-
Cured in 1861 AT that time Black Kettle
Chief Of the A1apahoes, had captured two
Whrte women, German woman and a
Miss Taylor. The Indians moved rapidly
to the Northwest after making the cap
lures and held the women for ransom
Miss Taylor had simply been visiting
in the West and her eastern relatives
were so much alarmed by her capture
that they quickly oner5d $3.50 for her
release or rescue. Buffalo Bill determ ned
10 rescue her.
He started out with a young man named
NcGinnls, whom he was teaching scout
ing ana hunting. They followed the
trail of the Indians and overlook them
one night. The Inoians were a long way
from The scene of the capture and did
not fear pursuit. They were therefore
TOT guarding as carefully as they would
have been otherwise
Buffalo Bill left his companion out
couple or miles from camp and walked in
hlmSelL dressed as an Inoian. He mingled
the language was never suspected He
found out from them that Miss Taylor
and the German woman were in the lent
of the medicine man, next 10 the tent of
Chief Black Kettle
Buffalo BlIl Went into camp that night
after the Indians had gone TO sleep and
sAu-ked around to the wickyup, where the
women We're, N the center OF tie camp.
lie found the wickyup guarded by six
saVages lie crept between them and got
elose to Mss Taylor. Then he spA!ze to
her IN low tones, telling her not to be
alarmed; that he was going to rescue
her in a short time.
She was so much oVerjoyed and agi-
tated that she spoke in loud tones ask
ing him why he could not take her away
Immediately Buffalo Bill had not more
than got her cautioned to Keep quiet
before one of the guards awoke and
half raised up. The scout waited until
everybody was asleep again and then re-
sumed his conversation with Miss TAYLOR
ohe' however, had become historical
; ana called out, Save me. Save mel
Inc Indians were aroused in a moment
and, seeing there were seven instead ~
SIX among the guard, Immediately can
tured Buffalo Bill, picking him out as the
extra man because he was so much better
dressed than any of them, their clothing
having become worn by rough travelling
In the raid just made
Inc whole camp of 300 Indians was
aroused, and the prisoner was carried be-
fore Black Kettle. the mob demanding hIs
torture and death. To the surprise of
everybody Chief Black Kettle held out
MS hand and welcomed the scout as my
friend.
1t was then explained that few
months before Black Kettle had been
captured by the soldiers and Buffalo Bill
mad the chance to do him a favor. The
scout told the soldiers that Black Ker-
tie was a lazy and unimportant Indian
who didn't amount to anything The SOL
d1ers then released him, not knowing that
tney held distinguished chief captive
Black Kettle announced also that he
would repay the service Buffalo Bill had
done him.
The chief ordered his best horse and
saddle brought out and made present Of
them to the scout Then he ordered his
son and two of the leading warriors to ac-
company the scout out Of the camp as a
guard and said no one must do him any
harm. The chief bade the scout farewell
and told him to go back to his house.
Buffalo Bill and the three Indians left
the camp and when they got near where
McGlnniS was lying in the grass Buffalo
Bill announced that his friends need not
accompany him any further, as he could
find his way alone. They dismounted.
laughed and talked together and shook
hands all round in the most friendly fash
ion. They mounted again and separated
the Indians turning back to camp and
home.
The scout had gone but a few yards
three suddenly