The Life of Buffalo Bill · Chapter
Hunting Expedition explained
Cody leads a hunting expedition with a party of distinguished guests, including Lawrence Jerome and others, across the plains.
What happens
Cody leads a hunting expedition with a party of distinguished guests, including Lawrence Jerome and others, across the plains. The chapter details successful buffalo hunts, a practical joke played on Mr. McCarthy using Pawnee Indians, the search for the remains of Mr. Royal Buck's father, and the departure of the Fifth Cavalry for Arizona. It also describes the naming of camps, a lavish dinner, and a mock court-martial of Lawrence Jerome.
Themes in this chapter
Frontier Expansion and Manifest Destiny
The hunting expedition and the presence of settlers like the Clifford brothers illustrate the encroachment of white settlers and hunters into buffalo territory.
Masculinity and the Frontier Hero
Cody's role as guide, hunter, and leader, as well as the competitive buffalo hunting and mock court-martial, reinforce ideals of frontier masculinity.
Conflict and Coexistence with Native Americans
The joke involving Pawnee scouts and the search for victims of Pawnee Killer's band show both cooperation and conflict with Native Americans.
Characters to notice
- Buffalo Bill
Serves as guide and organizer of the hunting expedition; plays a joke on Mr. McCarthy; presides as chief justice in a mock court-martial.
- Lawrence Jerome
Participates in the buffalo hunt, makes an excellent shot from an ambulance, and is later tried in a mock court-martial for losing a horse and pistol.
- General E. A. Carr
Commands the escort and is initially misled by the joke on McCarthy, but takes it in good humor.
- Captain Lute North
Assists Cody in executing the joke on McCarthy by leading a group of Pawnees.
- Mr. McCarthy
The target of Cody's joke; becomes frightened by the simulated Indian attack and flees to camp.
- Buckskin Joe
Cody's buffalo horse, ridden by Lawrence Jerome; later runs off during a hunt and eventually returns to Fort McPherson.
- General Philip H. Sheridan
Sends a letter instructing that Cody not be transferred with the Fifth Cavalry to Arizona.
- Mr. Royal Buck
Searches for the remains of his father and his party killed by Pawnee Killer's band; Cody guides the search.
Key passages
“We closed the evening by christening the camp, naming it Camp Brown, in honor of the gallant officer in command of the escort.”
The group named their campsite Camp Brown to honor the officer leading the military escort.
Illustrates the practice of naming camps after military figures.
“Fitzhugh, after a lively gallop, led us all and soon came alongside the rear buffalo, at which he fired. The animal faltered, and then with another shot Fitzhugh brought him to the ground.”
Fitzhugh rode hard, caught up to a buffalo, and shot it twice, killing it.
Highlights the excitement and skill involved in buffalo hunting.
“I had been talking about Indians to McCarthy, and he had become considerably excited, when just as we turned a bend of the creek, we saw not half a mile from us about twenty Indians, who instantly started for us on a gallop, firing their guns and yelling at the top of their voices.”
Cody had been discussing Indians with McCarthy, and then a group of twenty Indians appeared and charged at them, shooting and yelling.
Describes the setup for Cody's practical joke on McCarthy.
“I told the General that the Indians were only some Pawnees, who had been out hunting and that they had merely played a joke upon us.”
Cody explained to General Carr that the 'Indians' were actually Pawnee scouts who were just playing a prank.
Shows Cody's quick thinking to defuse the situation.
“We found pieces of their wagons and among other things an old letter or two which Mr. Buck recognized as his father's handwriting. We then discovered some of the remains, which we buried; but nothing further.”
The search party found wagon fragments and letters that Mr. Buck identified as his father's, then located and buried some remains.
Depicts the grim aftermath of a frontier attack.
