' s ▁over ▁there ▁in ▁the ▁water .' ▁' Hi !' ▁he ▁cried . ▁' L ittle ▁Billy ' s ▁killed ▁an ▁Indian ▁all ▁by ▁himself !' ▁So ▁began ▁my ▁career ▁as ▁an ▁Indian ▁f ighter . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 4 , ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁C ody ▁was ▁struck ▁by ▁gold ▁fe ver , ▁with ▁news ▁of ▁gold ▁at ▁Fort ▁Col ville ▁and ▁the ▁Hol comb ▁Valley ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁in ▁California . ▁On ▁his ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁gold ▁fields , ▁however , ▁he ▁met ▁an ▁agent ▁for ▁the ▁P ony ▁Express . ▁He ▁signed ▁with ▁them , ▁and ▁after ▁building ▁several ▁stations ▁and ▁corr als , ▁C ody ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁job ▁as ▁a ▁r ider . ▁He ▁worked ▁at ▁this ▁until ▁he ▁was ▁called ▁home ▁to ▁his ▁sick ▁mother ' s ▁bed side . ▁ ▁C ody ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁had ▁many ▁jobs , ▁including ▁tra pper , ▁b ull wh acker , ▁" F if ty - N iner " ▁in ▁Colorado , ▁P ony ▁Express ▁r ider ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁w agon master , ▁stage co ach ▁driver , ▁and ▁a ▁hotel ▁manager , ▁but ▁histor ians ▁have ▁had ▁difficulty ▁document ing ▁them . ▁He ▁may ▁have ▁fabric ated ▁some ▁for ▁public ity . ▁Nam ely , ▁it ▁is ▁argued ▁that ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁C ody ' s ▁claims , ▁he ▁never ▁rode ▁for ▁the ▁P ony ▁Express , ▁but ▁as ▁a ▁boy , ▁he ▁did ▁work