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

JOKORIAL

LONDON DAY BY DAY & NIGHT BY NIGHT.

THE Horticultural Show at Earl's Court is really wonderful. What with gardens lighted by electricity and gardens illuminated by Vauxhall lamps; what with bands galore, Zulu singers, the marvellous maze, and [drawing] SCOUT GUIDE & TRAPPED YAH WAUGH UGH the refreshments, there is enough to satisfy any sightseer for several days; but when Buffalo Bill and his wild Indians, coursing Cossacks, and merry Mexicans are thrown in, the visitor wants to pitch his tent inside and stay a week, so that he might get a chance of viewing half of the wonders which are on show.

The Indians may not pitch their tents, but by the aid of a piece of burnt stick and a penny box of paints, they ornament them after the style of the days of our earliest youth, when we used to paint pictures, face, hands, and pinafore all at the same time.

When you see painted in red and blue what you would take to be a house broom mounted on two pairs of tongs, you will know that is a horse; and the chief who stands outside the tent is probably known on the wild prairies as "The Horse that scratches his Nose with his Hind Hoof." The other pictures are [drawing] equally fine, and in their unlikeness to anything on the earth, or in the waters under the earth, they bear resemblance to the efforts of a disciple of Whistler.

Tony very nearly got into trouble with some of the stalwart Buffalo Billies by whistling "Get yer 'air cut." Milly, however, made peace, and certainly the long-haired gentlemen are very attentive to ladies. They offered to take Milly round the show, and made a great fuss of her. Tony got jealous and asked for an introduction to Miss Oakley, [drawing] KENSINGTON CUM TEXAS TEX-US BY SURPRISE whom he tried to mash. The crack lady shot, however, put him off somewhat by asking him to allow her to shoot a pipe from his mouth. It was quite safe, as we told the plateface, for the young lady could not miss if she tried to, as any one can imagine who has seen her wonderful feats.

Tony having remarked to Colonel Cody that riding bucking horses was easy enough, for all one had to do was to stick on, and to go up and down when the horse did, Guillaume le Buffalo offered him a mount. The plateface accepted the offer, and before an excited multitude was placed upon the back of a quadruped, which would in most establishments be cured of its fun by being turned into cat's meat.

Then man and horse rose in the world, then they came down, and this was repeated so many times that anyone could see that the animal was playing catch with its rider. However, it suddenly changed its tactics and wouldn't catch the plateface as he came down from the skies, and then our beauteous boy hit the arena with a thud—a big dent still marks the place.

If you don't believe me go and see for yourself, for you are bound to enjoy the show.