k of me?"

"Oh! I'll send a man back with word to her, while you stay, for I won't
give you up to that boy's friends."

And thus it was settled; a man rode back to the Cody farm, and the
following day he overtook the train again, and Billy's heart was made
glad by a letter from his mother telling him that Steve Gobel was not
badly wounded, but that under the circumstances he had better go on with
the wagon-master and remain away until the anger of the Gobel family
cooled down.

Thus, as a Boy Bullwhacker, Billy made his first trip across the plains,
and months after, upon his return home, found that the Gobels had
forgiven the past, and that Mary Hyatt had, little coquette that she
was, found another beau.

But shortly after his return his father died, and having to aid in the
support of his mother and sisters, Billy accepted a position as herder
for a drove of Government cattle to be driven to the Army of General
Albert Sydney Johnson, that was marching against the Mormons at Salt
Lake.

CHAPTER VIII.

KILLING HIS FIRST INDIAN.

When the train and beef-herd, with which Billy Cody had gone, arrived in
the vicinity of old Fort Kearney their first serious adventure occurred,
and for a while the boy thought of his mother's prediction, that he
"would be killed or captured by Indians."

Not expecting an attack from red-skins in that vicinity, the party had
camped for dinner, and most of them were enjoying a _siesta_ under
the wagons, Billy being among the latter number, while but three men
were on duty as herders.

But suddenly they were aroused by shots, wild yells, and rapid
hoof-falls, and down upon them dashed a band of mounted warriors, while
others had killed the three guards and the cattle were stampeding in
every direction. But the train hands quickly sprung to their feet,
rallied promptly for the fight, and met the advancing red-skins with a
volley from their Mississippi yagers, which were loaded with ball and
buck-shot, and checked their advance.

Knowing that they could not hold out there the train-master called out:

"Boys, make a run for the river, and the banks will protect us."

All started, when Billy called out:

"Don't let us leave these wounded boys."

They turned at his word, to find that two of their number had been
wounded, one seriously in the side and the other in the leg.

Raising them in their arms they started at a run for the bank, ere the
Indians had rallied from the f