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Hon. W. F. Cody - "Buffalo Bill."

[From the New York Illustrated News.]

We give in this weeks issue a picture
of Hon. W. F. Cody, a man known
the world over as a border hero of
whom too much cannot be said in the
way of praise for valuable services rendered
the Government as an army
scout, guide, and Indian fighter.

Born in Iowa in 1843, at a time when
that State was border, and at an early
age going with his father to Kansas, in
the midst of the troubles there that
"tried men's souls," William F. Cody
was reared amid scenes of danger and
met with many thrilling adventures where
he reached his thirteenth year, becoming
a "boy here" when killing his first
Indian before he entered his teens.

The death of his father, from the result
of wounds received in the Kansas
War, left the boy the support of his
mother and sisters, and, precocious for
his years, he joined an emigrant train
as teamster, and rapidly rose from that
position to hunter and guide over the
overland trails to the Far West.

Of his numerous adventures, narrow
escapes, Indian battles, and hardships,
volumes could be written, for he made
his name famous along the border from
Utah to Texas, and, though a mere
boy in years, few men were his superior
in strength and endurance,
while the cunning of the red man he
matched with equal cunning, and, in
fact, won the name of being able to
"out-Injun, Injun."

Of Mr. Cody's gaining the title of
"Buffalo Bill" several stories are told,
one of which is that when a boy hunter
to one of Russell, Major, and Waddell's
trains carrying supplies west to
the forts, he was alone on the prairie
one day hunting, when he espied a
tremendous herd of buffaloes coming
toward him at full speed.

The train encampment was miles
away, the boy was on foot, and there
was but one chance to escape being
trampled to death, and that was to
reach a lone cottonwood tree some distance
off.

A fleet runner, he gained the tree,
and drew himself up into the branches
just as the herd of thousands of buffaloes
came tearing along beneath him.

Scarcely had he mentally congratulated
himself upon his lucky escape,
when he espied behind the herd half a
hundred Sioux warriors in full pursuit,
and he knew that they would make
short work of him, for they would also
pass under the tree.

To remain was certain death, and
his fertile mind saw a chance, one in a
thousand, and he seized upon it at
once.

He would drop down on the back of
a huge buffalo bull, and thus ride out
of danger.

This he did, landing astride of the
back of an animal that frightened
fearfully, endeavored to throw him off, but
in vain.

Fortunately the herd headed in the
direction of the train encampment, and
as the men ran out to secure fresh
buffalo meat, they saw that one of the
bulls had a rider, and a crack shot
bringing the animal down, it was found
to be Bill Cody, who was then and
there christened Buffalo Bill.

Another account is that when hunt-