The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

Image: What our Prince & Princess Saw of "Buffalo Bill's" Show from Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times (London, England)

Headline reads: What our Prince & Princess Saw of "Buffalo Bill's" Show. Inset captions: "Bill's" Knightly Bow. "Red Shirt" in Full Fig. The Attack on the Coach. Miss Oakley as a Shootist. "Buck Taylor" in his element. The Princess in the wigwam. Miss Lilian Smith's Shot. Accompanying text: THE SHOWMAN. Ladies and Gentlemen,-- Say! Have yew seen the American Exhibition--Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show! "To the West, to the West, to the Land of the Free, where Bison is mastered by Buffalo B.?" That's the song of the season. John Bull and Brother Jonathan shake hands cordially at Earl's Court. We all wish Godspeed to the American Exhibition--Substantial token of the hearty friendship and close relationship existing between Britain and the United States--bright forerunner of the warm alliance which is, by-and-by, to unite all English-speaking Peoples all the world over in a kindred Confederation, one in mind, whether the Union Jack or the Star-spangled Banner be our flag of glory! With which peroration from my stock Fourth of July oration, I beg to unfold our panorama of what Prince Bonhomme and Princess Sweeteyes, with their charmingly modest daughters, and the Lornes and the Comtesse de Paris and the rest, saw in the Earl's Court arena on the Fifth of May. I chanced to be strolling round the show at the time. So it came about that I was a privileged spectator also of Buffalo Bill's first complete performance in London. My goodness, didn't one and all, Prince or plebeian, relish this novel and stirring Indian Show! Behold, in the first place, Buffalo Bill himself in knightly fashion saluting our Prince and Princess. Save in the matter of teasing and goading bulls--at which we most of us winced--the Hon. Bill Cody was apparently quite a Bayard. He lightly yet firmly sat his little horse like a North American Ivanhoe. He sped like lightning over the tan track to give the opening signal. With whirlwind rapidity did the painted and be-feathered. Sioux, Cheyennes, and Arapahoes Indians and bands of Mexican Vaqueros and American Cow-boys then sweep in, the Redskins waking the echoes with their wild war-screams! This rousing display of the wild horsemanship of the prairies is the strangest sight London has seen for many a long day, I assure ye. The "Star-Spangled Banner!" The Cow-boy band aptly plays this inspiring air in welcome to Sergeant Bates, which gallant bearer of the Stars and Stripes stirs martial ardour by riding round with the flag of Freedom in hand. Marksmanship! Our riflemen score well and quickly, nobody can deny. But, my word, sharp-eyed Annie Oakley and Lilian Smith beat 'em in the general rapidity and certainty with which they demolish earthenware pigeons and glass balls with firearms. Small wonder the Prince and Princess called these lissom young girl shots to the Royal box, and praised them for their skill. Ogila-Sa! D'ye twig the Sioux Chief, Ogila-Sa, in full fig yonder? Red Shirt had "got'em all on," and no mistake, and looked proud as a peacock of his crest of eagle's feathers and scarlet blanket, as he marched to the assembly-ground. But he swept round at fine speed, none the less, and was greeted by a chorus of "wirrawirras" when he placed himself at the head of his Sioux troop. Red Shirt then looked every inch a Red King. "Buck Taylor!" Surely, horse and man are on when "Buck Taylor," red-shirted King of the Cowboys, is "up." Funny, very, is his battle with his bucking pony, which he rides, however high the wild pony jumps. But I own I preferred to watch his horsemanship when careering after the band of Indians who attack the old ramshackle Deadwood coach. Full of resource, Buck Taylor, notwithstanding his six feet four, flings himself down till his body is wholly hidden by his horse from the Indians. Holding on by his toes in the saddle, he thus avoids the enemy's shots. Rising easily to delivery his own fire, Buck Taylor takes active part in the discomfiture of the Redskins, and in the rescue of the amateur coaching party ballasted by rotund Tom Burnside. A modern Centaur is Buck Taylor. I doff my hat to the King of he Cowboys. "Tell him we are immensely pleased at what we have seen!" Depend upon it, Prince Bonhomme's gracious message in this wise to Red Shirt in the Indian Encampment will have a good effect. Fickle as the Prince may sometimes be in the bestowal of Royal favour, he generally has the knack of saying the right thing at the right moment. Characteristically hearty and happy was H.R.H. in expressing to Buffalo Bill his appreciation of the "Wild West." Capped by the graceful and gentlewomanly attention of Princess Sweeteyes to the Redskin little 'uns, the Prince's graciousness might, perchance, have transformed all the Camp into Royalists--were not one and all stanch Republicans of the United States of America. . . . CODLIN.