Buffalo Bill

In 1877, a young man rode out of the West...

...and overnight his name became a household word.

He'd not discovered a continent or won a war.

He was not a great general, a great statesman or a great scientist.

Yet even now, more than 60 years later...

...the legends which surround him are as vivid as they were then.

His name was William Frederick Cody.

But to young and old, rich and poor, king and commoner...

...he is known as Buffalo Bill.

This is the story of his life.

Hup, you! Hya!

Hold that fire till you can make it count.

Hup, hup! It's your hide or my hair.

You all right, darling? Yes, Father.

They ain't falling off for nothing.

Doggone, there they go and I didn't even get a shot at them.

- Good morning, folks. - Good...

- Are you all right, ma'am? - Yes, I guess so.

I knew it was you.

Ain't another rifle in the world with a bark like that Springfield.

Miss Frederici...

...I want you to meet up with Buffalo Bill Cody...

...the best scout, the best shot, the best man on the plains.

How do you do. And thank you very much.

Cody's buffalo hunter at the fort. Senator Frederici.

- Mr. Cody. I'd better go catch them mules.

I'll help the sergeant.

My daughter and I are grateful, sir. You've saved our lives.

Anyone would be lucky for the chance.

Not everyone would've acted so courageously.

She's right, Mr. Cody.

We need more men like you to exterminate these savages.

They must be wiped out, root and branch.

There are some white men that need wiping out.

I don't understand you, sir.

This is not a war arrow, it's a hunting arrow. No barbs.

A hunting arrow. How very considerate of them.

Are you implying that we were fair game?

I mean those were agency Indians, crazy-drunk on white man's whiskey.

I suppose that excuses them out here.

The red man and whiskey don't mix, ma'am.

We'll ride the mules into the agency.

Senator, you and Mr. Carvell can double up on Fanny.

Miss Frederici, you take Hyacinth.

If she cause you trouble, cuss her out...

...and kick her. I'll climb up with Bill.

I'm afraid I'm not exactly dressed for kicking and cussing.

Perhaps it would be better if I went with Mr. Cody.

I guess you're right, miss.

Prepare to mount. Mount.

This is very kind of you. I hope it's not too much for your horse.

Oh, no. You're light to carry.

You go ahead, Bill, and we'll come along.

Hiya, Chips.

I've been waiting for you. Somebody wrote you a letter.

Me? - That's right, my boy.

Who would be writing to you?

Give me the letter, I'll find out.

You'll get yours in your proper turn.

The mail is delivered according to rank...

...and there's plenty ranker than you.

Do I have to wait for every noncom in the outfit?

You'll wait for every noncom and every buck trooper too.

A civilian don't rate.

Hi, Bill.

Hello, Ada.

Now you run on home to your mama.

Bye-bye, Bill.

Welcome, Mr. Cody.

- Welcome. - Won't you come in?

We have a number of unexpected guests you must meet.

Maybe I'd better not stay. I'm not dressed for this sort of a soiree.

Nonsense. In these buckskins, you're the handsomest man in the room.

By the Lord Harry.

It's Nimrod the hunter, led captive by Aphrodite.

Gentlemen, Mr. Cody.

General Blazier, Mr. Vandervere, and Mr. Ned Buntline.

Mr. Cody, sir.

We've heard of your indomitable heroism in snatching Miss Frederici from death...

...at the hand of a bloodthirsty savage.

Will you honor me by taking wine?

Thank you, Mr...? - Buntline.

Buntline? - Buntline, sir.

Special correspondent of the New York Herald.

I am a man of pronounced temperance principles.

Founder of the National Association of Modern Abstainers.

But there are moments when principle must yield to the importance of occasion.

Your good health, sir.

How are you enjoying your trip?

What do you think of the West?

The most amazing source of inspiration I've encountered, Miss Louisa.

The wilderness, the peak, the unending solitudes where roams the Indian...

...in all his ferocity, in all his nobility.

After seeing his ferocity, I'm skeptical about his nobility.

Indians are good people, if left alone.

Nothing would suit me better than to leave them alone. All alone.

The last to arrive on the glorious battlefield of Shiloh...

...and the first to leave it!

- You'll never live that one down, general. Never, ma'am.

I made this myself, Mr. Cody. I hope you'll enjoy it.

It's a trifle.

Trifle?

Oh, how stupid of me, Mr. Cody. Do you mind?

- Thank you, Mr. Cody. - Thank you.

Well, gentlemen, I'll leave you to your port and politics.

Who are you?

An Indian.

What do you mean by stealing my clothes?

I didn't come here to steal.

Maybe you Indians have another word for it, but that's my dress you have.

I tell you, I didn't come here to steal.

Perhaps you'll explain to me just what you're doing in my clothes.

I wanted to find out something.

And just what, may I ask?

I wanted to find out...

...if I could be as beautiful as a white girl...

...in a white girl's way.

Oh.

I see.

There's your answer.

You look beautiful.

I wish your Indian brave could see you now.

Indian!

What is it? What did I say to offend you?

Please, I'd rather you kept it. It was so becoming to you.

I don't believe you! You don't want it because an Indian wore it!

Indian!

- Senator, have I made myself clear? - Perfectly.

You may count on my support before Congress.

Why can't you build your railroad around the Cheyenne land, instead of across it?

Young man, that would delay construction for over a year...

...and double the cost.

Yes, sergeant? - We found him, sir...

...but we had a little trouble. Bring him in.

A distinguished visitor, gentlemen. Yellow Hand...

...son of Chief Tall Bull.

Excellent. Let's have a look at him.

Think we can get him to listen to reason?

I doubt it. I've gotten nothing out of any of them.

How, Yellow Hand. How, Pahaska.

Tell him his people must move out of the Smoky Hill country within 30 days.

I understand your words. I have been to white man's school.

We've hunted and fished together since we were so high.

Once you saved Yellow Hand's life.

When you do an Indian a favor, he never forgets it.

If you do him bad, he never forgets that, either.

Very interesting. Now tell us, Yellow Hand...

They give themselves amazing names.

Tell us why your people refuse to obey the order to move.

We must live where there is food and water and buffalo.

What has the buffalo got to do with it?

Without the buffalo, the Indian would perish. It's his main source of food.

In the winter, the hides protect them from freezing.

I see.

If you want something from the Indians, why don't you treat their chiefs...

...like the heads of any other nations? - What do you mean?

Yellow Hand is a prince, the son of a king.

Invite men like that to Washington. Try and understand them.

Maybe they'll understand you.

Savages loose in the East? The idea is preposterous.

But what a headline: "Redskin Powwow at the Hotel Astor."

If they won't talk sense here, in their own back yard...

...what can you expect 3000 miles away?

Yellow Hand, do you want us to use force?

My people do not want war.

But we will fight if we must.

General, are you prepared to act?

- Yes, I have my orders. - All right, Yellow Hand...

...you've had your last warning.

Move or be driven out.

Is the white man finished?

How.

How.

Well, as a newspaperman, I have covered every kind of fight...

...riot and revolution, but never an Indian war.

- Here's to something new. - You wouldn't talk like that...

...if you ever saw the Cheyenne on the warpath.

There's nothing to be alarmed at. I'll clean them out in a week.

The Cheyenne had no choice.

The tribes gathered and rode to war, a thousand strong.

They struck settlements and outposts like a whirlwind of destruction...

...killing, burning, spreading terror through the countryside.

General, there's a Cheyenne war party about 500 braves heading this way.

- Where'd you make contact? - About 20 miles from here.

- On the Smoky. - Trumpeter, sound to arms!

Come inside.

Go to my brother Yellow Hand.

Tell him there is an old man here at the agency...

...great in the council of the whites. You understand?

Tell my brother that if this man is taken hostage...

...it will make it easier for the Cheyenne to make a good peace.

Three days' rations and forage. 120 rounds per man.

- The column moves in 30 minutes. - Very good, sir.

- You're going to meet them in the open? - Certainly I am.

Doesn't sound like a good idea. The Cheyenne are a shifty lot.

I'll attend to the strategy, Cody.

And my strategy is the attack, now and any other time.

It's ignominious. A miserable mule casts his shoe...

...and I miss a chance to ride in Blazier's column.

Maybe you're not missing anything by being left behind.