The Life of Buffalo Bill

In July, 1856, the people living in the vicinity of our home -- feeling the necessity of more extensive educational facilities for their children than they had yet had -- started a subscription school in a little log cabin on the bank of the creek, which for a while proved quite a success. My mother being very anxious to have me attend this school, I acceded to her oft-repeated wishes, and returning home, I became a pupil of the institution. I made considerable progress in my studies -- such as they were -- and was getting along very well in every other respect, until I became involved in my first love affair.

Like all schoolboys, I had a sweetheart with whom I was "dead in love" -- in a juvenile way. Her name was Mary Hyatt. Of course I had a rival, Stephen Gobel, a boy about three years my senior -- the "bully" of the school. He was terribly jealous, and sought in every way to revenge himself upon me for having won the childish affections of sweet little Mary.