Off To See The Wild West Show Part 1, Chapter 14 (2/5) By Frank Beill 1886: Hull, Yorkshire

(1/5), (2/5), (3/5), (4/5), (5/5), Part 1 Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Part 2 Prologue, Chapter 1, 2, 3.

Laughing Waters took me by the hand or maybe I took hers. We did it automatically whenever we ventured out of our cabin. I never dared move anywhere without her in these early days. Anyone who saw us must have thought we were twins. We were about the same size and age. Since Mother died I'd not shared the same degree of intimacy with anyone - not even George or Sal - as I was going to with my new sister. We wandered down the oak panelled corridors to the dining room. By we, I mean all four of us, of course. We never moved an inch without the little ones trailing close behind us like two pet dogs.

It wasn't until later I discovered how great a boon my arrival had proved to Yellow Flower. She felt her daughters were safe in my company, when all the time I thought they were taking care of me.

Learning to appreciate the Christian white man's food was one of the benefits of a mission school education for its students. Not only did it not look unusual for Sioux children to have a bowl of porridge but also, treat of treats, the Americans didn't flavour their oatmeal mash with salt. I was always certain Jolly Rodgers deliberately inflicted this Scottish practice on us in the orphanage. The Americans liked their porridge topped with maple syrup and they also liked to eat pancakes in the morning, again smothered in this delicious sweetness.

I continued playing my dumb routine, avoiding speaking to anyone and responding to any question with no more than a nod or shake of my head. If a head movement wasn't sufficient answer I tried looking stupid. Whenever the insult 'dumb injun' came my way I felt pleased with the success of my act. After our meal we squatted together cross-legged on the cargo deck floor. Taking in the sunshine was very pleasant. The calm sea and gentle breeze made it feel even better. Years of feeling hungry made me greedy and I ate too much. I was soon going to learn my lesson the hard way: the slightest swell would make me disgorge everything.

All the Indian braves and most of the cowboys were on deck already. Gone were the bright costumes and war bonnets of yesterday. Thick cotton shirts, denim jeans and Stetsons were the order of the day and not only for the cowboys. The main pastimes were playing cards and smoking cigarettes. The Native Americans showed a greater appetite for the white sticks of tobacco than even the cowboys. I was to discover that whenever the noble savage came into contact with the European he always got the worst of the exchange.

The cowboys weren't playing cards with the Indians, even though there was much friendly banter between these two groups of so-called deadly enemies. Later I learned the main reason for this was neither enmity nor prejudice but because of the Native American's inscrutable expression. The term 'poker face' could have been invented for him. Up on the promenade deck, sitting on a lounging chair, was Colonel William Cody himself. He was with a group of people I didn't recognise, but from their dress and the sound of their accents most of them must have been members of the company. In amongst them were some other men, dressed in long dark overcoats and sporting what the Americans called derby hats.

Every one of these gentlemen had a notebook and pencil; poised at the ready with anything they heard and saw worthy of recording. I didn't wish to draw anyone's attention to myself, so I decided to stay as far from these men as possible.

Continued... Next Page (3/5)

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