Kellermann was conducting the “official tour,” of course, which meant that only those who were independently minded approached her on their own. There were not that many of those; most people, however excited they had been by the show, seemed to prefer standing behind the guide. When they asked her questions, they did so diffidently, and with immense politeness.

Well, except for the children and young adolescents.

“How did you meet Chief Leading Fox?” blurted one lanky boy at the front of the group, looking as if he was likely to burst.

“Oh, that is a long story, would you like to hear it?” she replied, amused that not one of the group seemed to question the fact that she spoke perfect German although she was allegedly an American.

Then again, it probably never occurred to any of them that she wouldn’t, even though Kellermann had to translate for the others in the show. But perhaps they haven’t asked questions of anyone else.

“Yes, please, Fraulein Ellie!” the lad said eagerly. The adults, just as eager to hear but thinking themselves too dignified to show it, still leaned forward a little.

“Well, my father died when I was only seven. I was the oldest child, and we needed food, so I took his old gun and went out to try and shoot something. I was very lucky that I ran into Chief Leading Fox in the forest before I hurt myself. He did not tell me to go home, as a white man might have. Instead, he asked me why I was all alone in the forest with a rifle that was as tall as I was.”

She paused, and the boy immediately asked “What did you say?”

“I told him the truth, of course. That my father was dead and if I didn’t hunt, we would all starve, because my mother could not leave the babies.” She smiled as the youngster nodded solemnly. “So he said, ‘Then perhaps you will allow me to come along.’ He didn’t say that he would help me, although that was what he did. From then on, until I was as good a sharpshooter as I am now, he met me every day to hunt together. He became like the father I had lost.”

She knew that Kellermann was committing all of this to memory, and would probably use it in the show. She made a note to tell it to Fox so that they had the same story—although his version would probably be better than hers.

A few more people began to ask questions—if the Indians were Apache, or Navaho, or any of the other tribes they had read about. What her home had been like, and had she hunted grizzly bears or buffalo. Did she know Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, or Sitting Bull?