ances, and of his point of view.

During these same years there came a change in the command, and
General George Crook, who is looked upon by the old-timers as perhaps
the greatest of our Indian-fighters, led the cavalry against the
Apaches. Crook's understanding of the Indian was perfect; and not only
was he able to beat the natives at their own game of ambuscade but he
thoroughly sympathized with their cause. He knew how Washington and
incompetent officers had blundered and lied to them.

It was therefore with the utmost willingness that he combined his
campaign of savage fighting with another and quieter campaign of
diplomacy which was being waged by General O. O. Howard.

The latter had been sent out by President Grant to get the Chiracahua
Apaches back on the reservation. And one day he made up his mind to
open negotiations with the war-chief in person.

He asked his scouts for a man who could find where Cochise was hiding
at the time and conduct him to the place, and they told him that there
was only one man in the territory of Arizona, who stood a chance of
doing this--Captain Jeffords.

General Howard sent for Jeffords and the two conferred in the presence
of a number of cavalry officers. And when the general had announced
his purpose a dispute arose; the officers advised him to take along a
strong escort of troops if he intended making this call. Jeffords
declared flatly that such an escort would need all the cavalry along
the border. No troops or else an army, was his way of putting it; and
if there were an army he did not purpose accompanying the expedition.
On the other hand he would willingly take General Howard alone. They
compromised by sending along a single aide, a captain.

Then these three men journeyed to the northern end of the Dragoon
Mountains; and as they crossed the wide plains toward the somber
range, they halted two or three times while Captain Jeffords built a
little fire. The general and his aide watched the old-timer standing
by the wisp of flame, sprinkling upon it now one sort of fuel and now
another, occasionally smothering the rising fumes with his saddle
blanket. And as they rode onward they saw the smoke of Apache
signal-fires rising from the ragged summits ahead of them. They saw
these things, and it is a fact that they thought but little of them.

So they marveled when Captain Jeffords chose his route into the
mountains without hesitation; and their wonder grew when he pointe