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BUFFALO BILL.
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How He Came to Go On the Stage.
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His Great Ride With General Custer.
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"Just Foller Yer Hand, [B-y-] and Steam Up."
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"I'm no actor," said Buffalo Bill one afternoon durin his late visit here, as a small but congenial party of us sat in the back office of the City Hotel. "I don't pretend to be anything of an acotor, but you see the people seem to like it, and during the winter season I have nothing else to do, and, of ourse, I kin make more money this way than I can taking parties out on the plains or in huntin. I've got a nice little ranche now, and about 8,000 head of cattle, and as soon as I get my pile about where I want it, I shall just settle down. You se this layin around hotels all winter, livin high and doing nothing, don't agree with a man who has been acustomed to being in the saddle all his life, and out among the excitement of the border, with an occasion al scare from them at red-skinned hair lifters, or a bout with grizzlies. Just as soon as I get through with the theatrical season I just dust for my ranche and then my work commences, and as soon as I hist into that sadle and start out with the other cattle raisers i feel at home, and what with rounging in the cattle, branding 'em, etc., it don't take long to knock off this lazy flesh. It's a mighty exciting life, and we have lots of fun with it all. You see there are some jolly good fellows that ave oe io is cattle-raising business, for, barrig accidents, it is a money-making business, and when nigh comes and we all get together in camp there are some fine old hoorays, for you see when a man isout that on the plains he can "steam up" considerable, and getting into the saddle, with a chase after a lively steer, will take the head off of you quicker than brandy and soda or any of these rejuvenators you fellows use in the cities after a racket."
"How did you first come to go upon the stage?" said I.
"Wall, you see, I think it was a matter of nine or ten years ago I was in the government employ as a scout. I had been out on the plains with one of te editors of a Chicago paper, and we had a little brush with some Injins; give the fellow a terrible scare and when he got bak he writ it up, and of course, like all you newspaper fellows, spread it on mighy thick and you would thought it was the biggest Injin scrimmage on record, and he a regular team of an Injin fihter. Well I come back to Chicago shortly ater and I met old Ned Buntline; I had known him before for the old fellow had often been out on the plains. He says to me: 'Bill, I''ve got a play written, and I want you to go on the stage and act in it, here in Chicago , and I'll give you five hundred dollars.' I said to him: 'Wgy, I don't know anything about acting, Ned.' 'Oh, tha'll be all right,' said he. So, as it promised to be a pretty good snap, I spoke o the General commanding the department about the matter, and he told me to go on, for you see I was only getting a hundred and fifty dollars a month and rations from Uncle Sam, and I knew I could always get my place back again if the acting business didn't work. Buntline gave me my part to study and I went to work on it. I kin tell you it was tough work for me, for it was out of my line, you see, and was worse work for me than following a grizzly's trail or hooping up a lot of buffaloes. The night of the opening performance came; and when the curtain went up and the cue was given for me to go on I'd forgot every consarned word of my lines and went on the stage and stood there like a Stoughton-botle. Somebody said 'Whar did you come from, Bill?' That was my cue. I couldn't think of anything else to say, so I just wacked out he story of being out after the Injins with his editor I told you of.

BUFFALO BILL.
---
How He Came to Go On the Stage.
---
His Great Ride With General Custer.
---
"Just Foller Yer Hand, [B-y-] and Steam Up."
---

"I'm no actor," said Buffalo Bill one afternoon durin his late visit here, as a small but congenial party of us sat in the back office of the City Hotel. "I don't pretend to be anything of an acotor, but you see the people seem to like it, and during the winter season I have nothing else to do, and, of ourse, I kin make more money this way than I can taking parties out on the plains or in huntin. I've got a nice little ranche now, and about 8,000 head of cattle, and as soon as I get my pile about where I want it, I shall just settle down. You se this layin around hotels all winter, livin high and doing nothing, don't agree with a man who has been acustomed to being in the saddle all his life, and out among the excitement of the border, with an occasion al scare from them at red-skinned hair lifters, or a bout with grizzlies. Just as soon as I get through with the theatrical season I just dust for my ranche and then my work commences, and as soon as I hist into that sadle and start out with the other cattle raisers i feel at home, and what with rounging in the cattle, branding 'em, etc., it don't take long to knock off this lazy flesh. It's a mighty exciting life, and we have lots of fun with it all. You see there are some jolly good fellows that ave oe io is cattle-raising business, for, barrig accidents, it is a money-making business, and when nigh comes and we all get together in camp there are some fine old hoorays, for you see when a man isout that on the plains he can "steam up" considerable, and getting into the saddle, with a chase after a lively steer, will take the head off of you quicker than brandy and soda or any of these rejuvenators you fellows use in the cities after a racket."
"How did you first come to go upon the stage?" said I.
"Wall, you see, I think it was a matter of nine or ten years ago I was in the government employ as a scout.