164 Reminiscences of 



its way across the plains almost from the commence- 

 ment of the building. The congregated tribes of In- 

 dians had given out their ultimatum in 1867 that the 

 railroad should not be built, but little did they com- 

 prehend the untiring force of the paleface, which, 

 however temporarily impeded, never ceased in its for- 

 ward march. The twelve hundred men graded the 

 track and laid the rails on the Kansas Pacific 

 Railroad in less than two years. During the period 

 of building, Colonel Cody ("Buffalo Bill"), under con- 

 tract with the road, supplied the laboring force with 

 buffalo meat, and with his aids killed over five 

 thousand head. 



For two days we had biiffalo all about us, and at 

 times it would appear as if they would compel the 

 stoppage of our train. On one occasion a bunch of 

 several hundred galloped on the track ahead of the 

 train for half an hour, despite the whistling of our 

 engine, and others galloped abreast of the train for 

 miles within easy killing distances. 



Some days before our passage a west-bound train 

 between Forts Harker and Hays was compelled to lay 

 by for five hours to allow the buffalo to pass. The 

 buffalo in passing repeatedly endeavored to go be- 

 tween the linked cars of the train, and our Pullman 

 car, which was a part of the blocked train, had two of 

 its steps, broken down by the weight of straggling buf- 

 faloes, still unrepaired. 



While several small groups of Indians engaged with 

 buffalo came within something less than a mile of us, 

 which put us on guard for a possible attack, they did 

 not indicate a disposition to visit us. It had been 

 resolved not to allow any close approach or familiar 



