In those days the railroad town of Hays City was filled with so called “Indian scouts,” whose common boast was of having slain scores of redskins, but the real scout—­that is, a ’guide and trailer knowing the habits of the Indians—­was very scarce, and it was hard to find anybody familiar with the country south of the Arkansas, where the campaign was to be made.  Still, about Hays City and the various military posts there was some good material to select from, and we managed to employ several men, who, from their experience on the Plains in various capacities, or from natural instinct and aptitude, soon became excellent guides and courageous and valuable scouts, some of them, indeed, gaining much distinction.  Mr. William F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill"), whose renown has since become world-wide, was one of the men thus selected.  He received his sobriquet from his marked success in killing buffaloes for a contractor, to supply fresh meat to the construction parties, on the Kansas-Pacific railway.  He had given up this business, however, and was now in the employ of the quartermaster’s department of the army, and was first brought to my notice by distinguishing himself in bringing me an important despatch from Fort Larned to Fort Hays, a distance of sixty-five miles, through a section infested with Indians.  The despatch informed me that the Indians near Larned were preparing to decamp, and this intelligence required that certain orders should be carried to Fort Dodge, ninety-five miles south of Hays.  This too being a particularly dangerous route—­several couriers having been killed on it—­it was impossible to get one of the various “Petes,” “Jacks,” or “Jims” hanging around Hays City to take my communication.  Cody learning of the strait I was in, manfully came to the rescue, and proposed to make the trip to Dodge, though he had just finished his long and perilous ride from Larned.  I gratefully accepted his offer, and after four or five hours’ rest he mounted a fresh horse and hastened on his journey, halting but once to rest on the way, and then only for an hour, the stop being made at Coon Creek, where he got another mount from a troop of cavalry.  At Dodge he took six hours’ sleep, and then continued on to his own post—­Fort Larned —­with more despatches.  After resting twelve hours at Larned, he was again in the saddle with tidings for me at Fort Hays, General Hazen sending him, this time, with word that the villages had fled to the south of the Arkansas.  Thus, in all, Cody rode about 350 miles in less than sixty hours, and such an exhibition of endurance and courage was more than enough to convince me that his services would be extremely valuable in the campaign, so I retained him at Fort Hays till the battalion of the Fifth Cavalry arrived, and then made him chief of scouts for that regiment.