▁while ▁C ody ▁competed ▁with ▁a ▁larger - cal iber ▁Spring field ▁Model ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁which ▁he ▁called ▁Lu cret ia ▁Borg ia , ▁after ▁the ▁not orious ▁beautiful , ▁r uth less ▁Italian ▁noble w oman , ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁a ▁popular ▁contemporary ▁Victor ▁Hugo ▁opera ▁Lu cre zia ▁Borg ia . ▁C ody ▁explained ▁that ▁while ▁his ▁form id able ▁oppon ent , ▁Com stock , ▁ch ased ▁after ▁his ▁buff alo , ▁eng aging ▁from ▁the ▁rear ▁of ▁the ▁her d ▁and ▁leaving ▁a ▁trail ▁of ▁killed ▁buff alo ▁" sc atter ed ▁over ▁a ▁distance ▁of ▁three ▁miles ", ▁C ody — li ken ing ▁his ▁strategy ▁to ▁a ▁bill i ards ▁player ▁" n urs ing " ▁his ▁bill i ard ▁balls ▁during ▁" a ▁big ▁run " — first ▁rode ▁his ▁horse ▁to ▁the ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁her d ▁to ▁target ▁the ▁leaders , ▁forcing ▁the ▁follow ers ▁to ▁one ▁side , ▁eventually ▁causing ▁them ▁to ▁circle ▁and ▁create ▁an ▁easy ▁target , ▁and ▁dro pping ▁them ▁close ▁together . ▁ ▁B irth ▁of ▁the ▁legend ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁the ▁twenty - three ▁year - old ▁C ody ▁met ▁Ned ▁B unt line , ▁who ▁later ▁published ▁a ▁story ▁based ▁on ▁C ody ' s ▁advent ures ▁( larg ely ▁invent ed ▁by ▁the ▁writer ) ▁in ▁Street ▁and ▁Smith ' s ▁New ▁York ▁Week ly ▁and ▁then ▁published ▁a ▁highly ▁successful ▁novel , ▁Buff alo ▁Bill ,