 Frontier fighters, exciting adventures in the lives of those famous pioneers who blaze trails in the Old West. Prior to 1860 it took 34 days for Butterfield's overland stage to get mail from St. Joseph, Missouri over the plains and mountains to the Pacific Coast. But now a national crisis had arisen. Great news concerning north and south was coming out of the capital every day and such news must travel fast from one coastline to the other. Said Postmaster General Joseph Holt to Mr. Majors of the firm of Russell Majors in Waddell. The time for the Butterfield overland stage is approximately 34 days. I think we can cut such time to 24 days. Mr. Majors you're still thinking in terms of faster stagecoaches. I'm thinking in terms of horses and men. Riders carrying mail pouches using horses and relays at stages or stations so many miles apart. Pony Express. Mr. Postmaster General that's a great idea. No Mr. Majors. How much better can we do than 34 days from St. Joseph to Sacramento. 15 days sir. 10 days for the regular schedule and the contract is yours. We can do it sir. Good. But I expect the service to be kept on schedule 24 hours a day irrespective of weather or hazards of any kind. You my word sir. When you hire your men Mr. Majors you'd better warn them. Uncle Sam expects the mail to go through little did the Postmaster General realize that the men hired by Russell Majors in Waddell thrived on taking chances. Just before the Pony Express service was opened they're walked into Mr. Majors office in St. Joseph Missouri an amazing boy of 14. Well Yonker what's your business. I'm looking for Mr. Majors. He's pretty busy these days hiring men for the Pony Express. Well that's just what I come to talk to Mr. Majors about you. I ain't aiming to be laughed at Mr. Or have you make light of my being a man I'm a veteran rider trapper scouting Indian. Put them up I tell you what's going on in here. Well next time you hire a bookkeeper you'd better tell them to come on. Remember me Mr. Majors I was a bullwacker for you and I was 10 years old out on the old South Platte Trail where you're not little Willie Cody say you put on weight and muscle how old are you son why I'm going on 15 your clerk there got me sore I didn't mean to pull a gun sir I don't want you to think I'm a killer little Willie Cody say I guess I better not call you that now Mr. Majors do I get a job as Pony Express rider unless my age is again me it isn't a man's age that's ever against him it's his metal you're hired Bill Cody well I'll not fail you sir it's dangerous work believe 2,000 miles of the worst country in the world man and beast pounding along at 15 miles an hour it'll break some of the riders that'll be the test of a man Mr. Majors the Pony Express was a race against time stations were built 15 miles apart with a change of horses at each interval the fleet is horses were used in the lightest most wiry and experienced riders the messages written on the thinnest paper were carried in a waterproof pouch slung under the shooting irons of the rider Bill Cody's route pushed farther west all the time farther west the more dangerous it became galloping into the station at three crossings Cody found the place in an uproar his relief rider had just been killed right and pick them all Cody looks like you'll have to go right on to Rocky Ridge now that's a run of 85 miles you can count on me when you better turn in get about three hours sleep that means that these dispatches will be three hours late getting into Sacramento at the end of the run we're pretty you're getting killed in an act of God now we can't help that all I want a fresh pony so you're crazy as a bed bug that's what you are you'll kill yourself off on a ride like this all I want to fresh pony how's that California roam this precious a daisy the fastest in the stable all right mark me up for that run to rock great you'll have the Indians land for you down three hours it'll be more than wait you know Cody I tell you to wait this mail is going through we just got to get through oh pasties on to the next rider good luck to him you crazy fool you can't ride that horse I'm riding her back to my own station red views expect my roundtrip will be for 21 hours he ain't the craziest rider of this whole darn pony express he'll be dead before he's even come of age country from Maine to California under the stars and Cody thrived on danger and he not alone grew to man's estate but many years beyond that the Civil War saw him on the Union side where he distinguished himself as a scout after the war he added more laurels to his crown by scouting for General Sherman and General Custer this youngster at 20 was a veteran pony express rider soldier in scout in 1867 when Bill Cody was 21 years old he was living in Fort Hayes in Kansas the captain and four lieutenants newly arrived at the fort spotted a herd of buffaloes so did Cody I'd have to get him to mister yes sir I spotted them buffalo coming up we'll just plumb out of fresh meat expect to catch up with those buffalo on that gothic street of yours you mean Brigham well he's the best buffalo horse in the west and I suppose you're the best buffalo hunter I'm fair to Midland I do bring down a bull once and while it isn't my fault I give all the credit to Brigham and my rifle here Lucrezia Borgia hey can that thing really shoot I reckon it does look funny but it's a breach load needle gun I had it made over to suit me and look there's the hurt come on man you hear all that Brigham well let's just run in the head of those eastern dudes and show them if I take the whole hurt he can feed a buffalo Lucrezia Borgia I'm not running away what's your business stranger and Cody William Frederick Cody you're not Cody the famous scouting Indian fighter I've done little scouting of my day if you'll excuse me captain I business with Mr. Cody well that doesn't feed the contract feed the men constructing the Kansas Pacific Railroad we need 12 buffalo a day dangerous work because we're building more in the Indian country every day but I'll pay you well how much does it take I don't think you'll pay it name your price I know it's too high $500 a month it's a deal I'll give you your chance to take your offer back don't want it back when you can you start to work well if it's up to me I'm on the payroll right now and what's your name again I'm sure to memory William Frederick Cody just call me Bill all right I'll tell my brother that I just hired the best hunter in the United States Buffalo Bill Buffalo Bill through the long life that nature so generously gave to him often returned to both scouting and Indian fighting the call of the planes brought him back time and again he grew lean on civilization but thrived on danger the years rolled on the railroad conquered the planes and desert yet the Indian remained hostile and bitter to the end settlers all through the west were harassed frightened and killed above all others the Indians hated the soldiers and their scouts on the morning of July 17 1876 general merit was called to put down the bloodthirsty Cheyennes he sent Cody with some soldiers to ascertain their number and see if it was possible to ambush them general merit stood on a promontory watching there must be a lot of them somewhere about Cody Reckon so there's your Indians I don't see them yet you will huh just seems they show color we see their number we'll make a run for it all right Bill just as you say but I'd rather stay and fight it out with a Cheyenne there they are must be 200 of them general merit should be able to pick out their number now with his glasses yeah there they are out in the open man get the general merit I'll have to put up a stand here stay with you Bill oh get the general merit don't lose this safe for Robert the day came when the west was safe for all the citizens of the United States thanks to such great Indian fighters and scouts as William F. Cody Buffalo Bill and so ends a breathtaking moment of history and the story of another frontier fighter