Part 25 (1/2)

The chief then called his squaho got ht in his lodge Having informed the old man that this was no ordinary occasion, and that he would be expected to do the job up right, I returned to the Post

When the day set for the Grand Duke's arrival came there was a brave array at the station to meet him Captain Hays and myself had five or six aan was on hand with a company of cavalry and twenty extra saddle-horses, and the whole population of the place was gathered to see the great man from Russia

The train caure of aabove him This was the visitor

I was presented to the Grand Duke as Buffalo Bill, the e of the hunt I immediately ordered up the saddle-horse I had selected for the nobleman, also a fine horse for General Sheridan

Both men decided to ride for a few miles before they took seats in the ambulances

When the whole party was uide until such time as I could overtake them The Grand Duke was very , particularly in the Indians It was noticed that he cast frequent and adlances at a handsohter When we uest plied me with questions about buffaloes and how to kill theun or a pistol was the proper weapon and whether I would be sure to supply hi

I told hiive him Buckskin Joe, the best buffalo horse in the country, and that all he would need to do would be to mount the animal and fire away every ti ere all galloping over the prairies in search of big game I waited till everyone was ready, and then led the party over a little knoll that hid the herd fro the buffaloes

Alexis first chose to use his pistol He sent six shots in rapid succession after one bull, at a distance of only twenty feet, but he fired wildly, and did no da been eave him mine He seized it and fired six more shots, but not a buffalo fell

I saw that he was pretty sure to come home empty-handed if he continued this sort of pistol practice So I gave hie his horse close to the buffaloes, and not to shoot till I gave hiave Buckskin Joe a cut with allop to within ten feet of one of the biggest bulls in the herd

”Now is your time,” I shouted to Alexis He fired, and doent the buffalo Then, to un, waved his hat in the air, and began talking to ue, which I of course was totally unable to understand Old Buckskin Joe was standing behind the horse that I was riding, apparently quite as ular conduct of a ood faith as a buffalo hunter

There was nofor the Grand Duke just then The pride of his achievement had paralyzed any further activity as a Ni up, and the a and cha in honor of the Grand Duke Alexis and his first buffalo

Many of the newspapers which printed accounts of the hunt said that I had shot the buffalo for the Grand Duke Others asserted that I held the buffalo while the Grand Duke shot him But the facts are just as I have related them

It was evident to all of us that there could be little more sport for that day At the request of General Sheridan I guided the Russians back to cae in a little hunt on their own account, and presentlythe madly over the prairie in all directions, with terrified buffaloes flying before the a stream on our way back to cahtened by so across our path, not more than thirty feet away, and as they passed Alexis raised his pistol and fired generally into the herd A buffalo cow fell

It was either an extraordinary shot or a ”scratch,” probably the latter The Duke was as ave hi cheers, and when the ane in honor of the prowess of our distinguished fellow hunter I began to hope that he would keep right on killing buffaloes all the afternoon, for it was apparent that every tine was to be opened And in those days on the Plains chaed in very often

I took care of the hides and heads of the buffaloes the Grand Duke had shot, as he wanted them all preserved as souvenirs of his hunt, which he was now enjoying immensely I also cut the choice ht it into ca on buffalo ht buffaloes were killed by Alexis during the three days we remained in camp He spent most of his time in the saddle, and soon became really accomplished After he had satisfied himself as to his own ability as a buffalo killer he expressed a desire to see how the Indians hunted thea to his promise, picked out some of his best hunters, and when Alexis joined them directed them to surround a herd They were armed with bows and arrows and lances

I told the Grand Duke to follow one particularly skillful brave whose na able to drive an arrow clear through the body of a bull The Indian proved equal to his fa his powerful bow, let fly an arrohich passed directly through the bulky carcass of a galloping brute, who fell dead instantly The arrow, at the Grand Duke's request, was given to him as a souvenir which he doubtless often exhibited as proof of his story when some of his European friends proved a little bit skeptical of his yarns of the Western Plains

When the visitor had had enough of buffalo hunting, orders were given to return to the railroad The conveyance provided for Alexis and General Sheridan was an old-fashi+oned Irish dogcart, drawn by four spirited cavalry horses The driver was old Bill Reed, an overland-stage driver, and our wagon-master The Grand Duke vastly admired the manner in which he handled the reins

On the way over, General Sheridan told his guest that I too was a stage-driver, and Alexis expressed a desire to see eneral, ”coe places with Reed The Grand Duke wants you to drive for a while”

In a fewacross the prairie We jogged along steadily enough, despite a pretty rapid pace, and this did not suit General Sheridan at all