Once again, he became an army scout. While he was gone, his daughter Arta was born. After an unsuccessful real estate venture, Cody was broke again. He resorted to working as a laborer on the railroad. But then came another big break.
A big buffalo herd was going by. Everyone encouraged Cody to go hunt some since he was the best shot. He rode out and shot three of them with no trouble at all. Part of his success was that his horse could anticipate what his master wanted. His railroad bosses were impressed and hired him full time to hunt buffalo. It was a dangerous job as the Indians became resentful of the slaughter of the buffalo. The Indians harassed Cody wherever he went. For a year and a half, he hunted for the railroad. He killed 4,208 buffalo during that time. People started calling him Buffalo Bill.
After that he returned to being an army scout. The Indians were making war and the army was responding. Cody ended up at Fort Hays, scouting for the 5th Cavalry. At first some of the men did not respect Cody's skills as a scout and buffalo hunter. But after driving some buffalo into camp and shooting them practically at their feet, he had earned their respect. General Carr depended heavily on Cody and even increased his pay to prove it.
That winter was rough and Cody suffered frostbite on one of his ears. The damage left him permanently partially deaf on that side. He also had grown his air long, as well as grown a moustache and goatee. Louisa, who remained at St. Louis during this time, had a little trouble getting used to it. But he convinced her all the plainsmen looked like he did.
After that Cody was sent to Fort McPherson to scout for Major Brown. While there he met the famous Colonel E. Z. C. Judson, better known as Ned Buntline. Buntline wrote dime novels about famous frontier characters. He picked Buffalo Bill as his next hero and in 1869 published "Buffalo Bill, King of the Border Men."
Cody stayed at Fort McPherson and built a cabin there for his wife, daughter, and two of his sisters. They moved there in 1870. He scouted during the summer. In the winter his son Kit Carson Cody was born.
Then came the turning point. In the fall of 1871, a party of rich easterners and Europeans went out west in a hunting party. General Sheridan asked Cody to arrange with Chief Spotted Tail of the Sioux to put on a mock battle, war dances, and buffalo hunts. The Grand Duke Alexis of Russia was one of those thrilled by the show. Cody continued as a scout that summer. He received the only injury he ever got in an Indian fight--a grazing scalp wound.
