Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-27

menecd il by making the acquaintance
| af Wild lsill and Buffalo Sill. I'VE
found Wild Bin very quiet and gen
tlcmanlH, and not at ali the reckless
ieliew we had supposed, His form
won our adiniration-thc shoulders of
a Hercules and the waist of girl.
Much has been written about Wild
Bill tbat is pure fiction.
Banalo Bul was engaged as guide
of the party. Cody was described as
beirg spare and wiry in figure. ad-
mirablN Nersed in plain lore. land al
together the best guide I ever saw"
1T WIS extremely fortunate for us
that we had secured Cody-as guide.
| The whole Western country bordering
, on the plains. as we alterward learn
cd from sorry experience, is infested
with namberless eharlatans. blazing
with ali sorts Of hunting and lighting
titles, and ready at the Rustic OF
grceabacks Ia act rs guides through
Il land they knew nothing about
One day while they were out hunt
ing buffalo, the cook suddenly was
seen riding at brclkneck speed To-
ward the camp He appeared to be
the hunted instead Of the hunter It
D
sucra were Indians. All grabbed their
rites, prepared for Il battle. and the
Mexicans they had with them began
firing systematically into the air But
the band proved Ia be very friendly
ana merely wanted something to eat.
They were taken into Hays city
where all II them got gloriously drunk
and Then went ON their way.
several ratiter exciting adventures ON
their trip. they were evidently disap-
pointed that they lid not encounter
NOR dangers. In many places IN the
book Tire author ridjcules the popular
stories of lie on the plains. He tells
of the plains or ihc story books, aud
the plains rs tEeE actually We're. lie
was evidently much impressed with
the great variety of animal life that
they encountered.
IN peeriug over the edge of great
Huff lie describes the animal life as
follows There. en- a patch of bot
tom grass, half dozen ok were
feeding; a short distance away small
herd of wild horses. drank from the
brook: while III ravine immediately
in front of AS three coyotes were at
tempting TO capture \ jacl<rabbit
What q wealth OF animal life this
valley had opened Ia MS the Garth
was all astir with the activity uf its
brute crea ton.
one day they came upon a herd of
| Wild horses. led by n great black
| horse. known - the horse with she
bloody saddl, This horse was owned
| by a trader Who was attacked by In
dams and his whole family killed
RGnalo Bill told them the story of the
| massacre. and then gave them Il lit
tie advice on how To conduct them
selves should they ever meet with u
hostile band.
when You are alone" said Cod5',
and a party of Indians is discovered,
never let them approach YOU. If III
the saddle and escape or conceaiment
| is imnossihfe. disiuount and motion
them hack with vour gun. 1t shows
| GOODNESS. and these fellows never ike
to get within rifle range when iifm
hand is at the trigger If there is any
water near, try and reach it for then,
| il worst comes to worst, You can
stand a siege.
After going all the way across Kan
sas and into Colorado. tho PARTY re
turned IL Solomon City, and then 10
| their homes.
Ever since our return the tide OF
immigration. pouring inward from the
Atlantic, has Tapped farther ana
farther upon the surface Of the plains:
and still. as truly now as when good
old Bishop Berkeley wrote The Inc,
| Westward the star of empire takes
it's way" the book concludes. In the
back there is an appendix, giving IN
formation to esteaders--kansas
City Star.