b'Even before the 101 Ranch entourage had crossed the Riored shirt. Pickett\'s bull nemesis would be a very viciousand horns for seven-and-a-half minutes and had spent thirty-Grande, some signs did not bode well for the future of theblack, speckled bull named Frijoles Chiquito (Little Beans)eight-and-a-half minutes in the ring" (Ibid., p. 325).But all shows. Bill Pickett himself had a premonition before he- a fearsome bull that many of the matadors who ridiculedBill Pickett was concerned about in the immediate aftermath embarked on the Mexico tour that things wouldn\'t go so wellPickett were themselves fearful of facing in the ring. Asof his bullring ordeal was whether his beloved horse was for him down in Mexico City. As Michael Wallis wrote in hissoon as Frijoles Chiquito saw Pickett he lunged towards thegoing to survive. When he saw Spradley, still alive but having very thorough history of the 101 Ranch Wild West shows: American Cowboy - Pickett was barely able to avoid the bull\'slost so much blood laying on the ground quivering, Pickett furious rush at him and Spradley, missed grasping the bull\'srushed over to his beloved horse, hugged his neck, and "Years later, Pickett recalled that the night before thehorns, then briefly rode out of the ring, asking Joe Miller tobawled like a baby, fearing that Spradley, even if he survived, telegram (from the Millers summoning him for thequickly bring him another horse as he did not wish to seewould have to be put down. Fortunately, an old Mexican Mexican tour) arrived at Bliss, he dreamed that he wouldSpradley harmed - or killed. Miller, sensing the mood of thecame by, saw the injured horse, and assured Pickett he could receive a wire asking him to come to Mexico City toangry crowd, brusquely refused, urging Pickett to "get backsave it. Sending a boy to fetch two ripe red bananas, the old perform. In the dream, Pickett said, he also saw a largeout there and take that god-damned bull before we are allman then shoved the fruit deep into Spradley\'s wounds, and black bull chasing him. When he told his wife, Maggie,killed" (Ibid., Hanes, p. 100).As Pickett, still riding Spradleywithin minutes, Spradley, no longer quivering, rose to his feet. about the strange dream and said he was afraid to take therode back into the ring, the big black bull rushed at himWithin days the swelling had subsided and Spradley was as trip, she told him she believed the bull represented Satan,again, and to his horror, gored Spradley on his rear end, thengood as new (Ibid., Hanes, p. 103). But not so his master, as it but if Joe Miller needed him in Mexico, he had better go.his flank. In desperation, Pickett again reached for the greattook Pickett well over a month to recover from his wounds - Pickett finally agreed. He asked George Miller for a trainbull\'s horns -this time he managed to secure a firm grasp. and it would take much longer before he was fit enough to go ticket and some whiskey to help him get through the longback into the arena. He went home, stayed there recuperating trip" (Ibid., p. 320). But now Pickett faced a new and equally vicious enemy - thefor months amongst his admiring and concerned wife and crowd. As Pickett downed and tightened his grip on the bull,daughters, enjoyed home life for a spell - and then it was back Pickett was still apprehensive enough to stay drunk for mosthis face dripping blood from a previous wound that openedon the road.of the train ride up to and across the border. Sober, Pickettup in the exertions of taking down Frijoles Chiquito, and with finally arrived in Mexico City nine days before Christmas,the weary bull unable to shake off the tenacious Cowboy, theTo his dying day, Pickett contended that if he had not had just a couple of days before the fateful rodeo commencedextremely angry crowd "sensing that the bull was weakeningto endure the hostile interference of the crowd he would - and promptly got into trouble - but not with Mexicans.and that the gringo was on the verge of humiliating theirhave indeed bested the bull and completely bulldogged At a local watering hole, Pickett and a few other 101 Ranchbeloved national sport and disgracing the haughty matadorsFrijoles Chiquito.hands encountered two American Cowboys at the bar, onein attendance, began to hurl a shower of missiles - seat of them Black. When the Black Cowboy unwisely said somecushions, bottles, stones, bricks, canes, even open knivesMORE TOURS, MORE SHOWS, ANDdisparaging remarks about Texas, Pickett, bristled, andinto the ring. A cushion struck Pickett full in the face and aDISASTERS IN EUROPEpromptly decked the offending Cowboy. A riot ensured,chorus of approval followed" (Wallis, p. 324). Yet Pickett clungThe next few years witnessed the growth of the 101 Ranch with Pickett and the other 101 Ranch performers jumpingon despite the steady stream of debris and garbage and wasWild West shows. The crowds were enthusiastic, the shows over a fence before the local constabulary arrived. Thison the verge of successfully bulldogging Frijoles Chiquitowere successful, and the "Dusky Demon" fine honing his would have been enough, but when Joe Miller, angeredwhen a beer bottle smashed his ribs. Falling to the ground,skills and constantly wowing the attendees at the fairs, rodeos, that the top matadors in Mexico had cast racist smearsPickett lay there dazed, seemingly unable to move, a hurt lookarenas, and even theatrical halls throughout the United States, against Pickett, also refusing to challenge him in the arena,on his face. The bull, now free from his tormentor, snortedwith New York first witnessing the show performances in chose to belittle the Matadors, whom he considered to beand made ready to charge again when a solitary figure, one1910. They even dared to venture back to Mexico City where cowardly. His comments, echoed in the local Mexico Cityaccount (Wallis) stating it was his friend and fellow 101 RanchPickett, accompanied by Tom Mix and another 101 Cowboy press, infuriated the already restless crowds even more andperformer Vester Pegg, the other (Hanes) claiming it was onenamed Stack Lee, pulled the same loose bull in the arena the stage was set for real trouble at the El Toreo Bullring onof the few matadors who had befriended Pickett, rushed intostunt that their friend, Will Rogers had become famous for at December 23rd, two days before Christmas. the ring and either distracted the bull long enough for Picketta Vaudeville show in New York just a few years earlier. With to get out of harm\'s way or pulled him to safety.Pickett hadMix and Lee turning the bull loose into the crowd, Pickett It was a very interesting but also very nasty spectaclenot only survived Frijoles Chiquito - he had bested the bullrode up fast behind him, roping and securing him - then, that greeted Pickett just before the moment when he andthough failing to completely bulldog him - mostly due to theto the surprise of the amazed (and more friendly) crowd he "Spradley," his horse rode into the arena. While El Presidenteinterference of the mean-spirited crowd, who continued theirthen bulldogged the bull to the ground. Shows even ventured Diaz looked on, a group of matadors walked into the arenaattacks on Pickett and the 101 Ranch hands even after theydown to South America, where Pickett, totally unaccustomed bearing a black coffin inscribed El Pincharino - "one whohad rushed to safety - Diaz having to send in 200 mountedto sea travel, got so seasick that he thought he would die. has been gored" (Ibid., p. 323).Remembering the horrificcavalrymen to subdue the horde. Pickett would go home, then go back on the road with the dream he had, Pickett urgently asked Zack Miller for a bottle101 shows for the next few years while in the meantime of whiskey - the Miller brother obliged, Pickett drank aboutTo quote Wallis - "In an astonishing feat which would definethe Millers, ambitious as they were - planned to take their half of it before he rode into the ring wearing his customaryhis entire life, Bill Pickett had remained on the bull\'s headvery successful show across the Atlantic to Europe. It was a tremendous undertaking, but one that would have dire and fateful consequences for the Millers, if only indirectly for The Millers also went out of their way, unheard of in those segregated times, to buildPickett, for the time they chose to bring the Wild West to a home for Bill and his family. It was a two-room with a lean-to on 101 Ranch grounds,Europe was the spring of 1914.quite close to the main ranch house. Perhaps there had been an omen, as animal rights protestors, knowing of Pickett\'s bulldogging exploits, managed to convince local British authorities to arrest the "Dusky Demon" on charges of animal cruelty. Zack Miller, on hand, paid the authorities to release Pickett which they promptly did. It might have been better if the Millers had a crystal ball, sensed the prevailing political winds, then packed it all up and booked passage for home. But they pressed on, at first to large and enthusiastic crowds with even King George V applauding and venturing over to meet the performers including Pickett, repeating over and over "most wonderful exhibition!" "Most wonderful exhibition" (Wallis, pp. 336-337) until a July morning when a Serbian terrorist in faraway Bosnia pressed his revolver against the abdomen of the Austrian Regent, Prince Franz Ferdinand, and pulled the trigger, killing the prince and then his wife Sophie. Events then moved at a dizzying pace as Europe\'s armies began mobilizing, the Millers at first seemingly in a dream world planning additional shows on the European continent. They didn\'t realize the dire implications it was too late to book passage for the entire entourage to sail safely home - and on August 7th, Britain already having declared war on Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Zack Miller received a notice that read:To Zack T. Miller, 68 Holland Rd W (London),His Majesty, having declared a national emergency has Oklahoma Historical Society continued on page 57ArizonaRealCountry.com November 2022 55'