why should that people bother their heads and risk their lives in
fighting him? He followed that question by reminding Cochise of the
reprisals which he had launched against the Chiracahua Apaches. They
had killed fourteen of his men and stolen much of his property; but he
and his men had killed several times fourteen of Cochise's warriors
and had wrought devastation in proportion. Did that pay the Apaches?

Well, then, why keep on with it? He knew good things of Cochise and
had respect for him. Cochise knew who he was and the sort of man he
was. No need for them to go on injuring each other and each other's
people. They could call it a draw and quit right now.

If the white soldiers demanded Jefford's services, all well and good;
he would go and serve them as scout or interpreter or guide, and do
what fighting one must do when he is on the war-path. And on such
occasions, if the warriors of Cochise could kill him or capture him,
all right; it was their privilege. But no more of this attacking each
other out of season. If Cochise would let his men and property alone,
he would no longer make any raids on Cochise's people.

That was the gist of it and it took a long time to say; a long time
during which Cochise told Jeffords many things and Jeffords spoke with
Cochise of many subjects outside the direct line of discussion. For
that was the Indian manner; they must feel each other out and satisfy
themselves each as to the other's personality.

In the end they shook hands on their bargain, and Captain Thomas
Jonathan Jeffords got back his weapons from the squaw, saddled up his
pony, and rode forth from the camp of the Apache war-chief, the party
of the first part to a compact such as never had been heard of up to
that time in the history of Indian warfare.

That compact stood. And there were times when its observance was a
delicate matter; times when Captain Jeffords had to draw fine lines
between his duty as a government scout and his obligations to Cochise.
But he managed to perform those duties and to keep the faith; and
although he went forth with the cavalry troopers on many an occasion,
serving them faithfully and well, he never fell out with the war-chief
of the Chiracahuas.

In fact their friendship grew as the years went by and they came to
regard each other as brothers. During such visits as he paid to the
stronghold in lulls of the border warfare, Jeffords got to know much
of Cochise's history, of his griev