ey came up. They ferreted out the criminals; they
hunted down the whisky-peddlers; they drove the recalcitrant spirits
from other tribes away and quelled the dissatisfaction which they had
stirred up.

And because there was no appeal beyond their judgment; because no
hungry politician could bring it about that his friends got the chance
to swindle the Apaches or to rob them of their rations--as was being
done with other Indians all over the West at the time--these two old
men were able to enforce their edicts and to keep at peace the most
warlike savages in the whole Southwest. They kept the faith with the
government, those two; and they kept the faith with each other; and
the friendship which had begun that day when Jeffords rode up into
Cochise's stronghold, grew closer and closer.

That friendship never wavered until the day of Cochise's death. And
when he knew that the end was coming he called for Jeffords, who was
brought to his bedside. It was about two hours before noon.

"To-morrow at this time in the morning," Cochise said, "I will die. I
want to say good-by to you."

They talked for some time over things that had happened in days gone
by. And finally Cochise asked the old-timer whether he believed in a
hereafter. Jeffords, like many another man, could only hope that there
might be such a thing.

"Well," Cochise told him finally, "I believe that after I am gone I
will see you again, my friend."

And those were their last words together. The next morning, at the
hour which he had named, Cochise breathed his last.

ONE AGAINST MANY

Maybe you will get an insight into certain traits of the old-timers
and so will find it easier to believe the facts set forth in this
chronicle, if I begin with the tale of "Big Foot" Wallace.

Away back in the days before the Mexican War this Big Foot Wallace,
lusty then and in his prime, was taking part in a bushwhacking
expedition into Northern Chilhuahua; and his little company was
captured by the soldiers of the southern republic. No one was losing
any sleep in those parts over the laws of nations, and the officer
commanding the victorious enemy was in a hurry to be moving on.
Wherefore, like many another handful of Americans, the prisoners soon
found themselves surrounding a jar within whose hidden depths were
white and black beans, in number corresponding to their own.

The idea was that each man must draw his bean, and he who got a
white one lived, while h