# Stephen Gobel — The Life of Buffalo Bill character guide

> Stephen Gobel in The Life of Buffalo Bill by William F. Cody.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Steve, Gobel, Steve Gobel, old Gobel

**First appearance:** 0005-iii-boy-days-in-kansas

## Snapshot

A Kansas neighbor known as old Gobel, he hires young Cody for early work that puts the boy in the saddle and on the road west.

## Who they are

Gobel belongs to the rough settlement community where the Cody family made its home during Kansas's turbulent years. As an employer of the young Cody, he represents the practical, unglamorous frontier economy—freighting, wagon work, and long hauls—that shaped the boy before fame found him. His presence matters because these early jobs are where Cody's plainsman skills and appetite for adventure first take root.

## In the story

### [Youthful Experiences](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_life_of_buffalo_bill_se/chapters/iv-youthful-experiences)

School bully and rival for Mary Hyatt's affections; stabbed by Cody in a fight.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_life_of_buffalo_bill_se/characters/stephen_gobel
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_life_of_buffalo_bill_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_life_of_buffalo_bill_se/characters