354 ON THE FRONTIER, 



There ! What does the reader think of those two speci- 

 mens of " the evidence in the case " ? There is just enough 

 truth in each to make them mischievous, enough falsehood 

 to make them worthless ; and they very fairly represent the 

 respective sincere opinion of thousands. 



The chief source of error in judging what, considering 

 the circumstances of the case, an Apache will do or has 

 done is a natural tendency in us to attribute to him, as the 

 reason for his intentions or acts, a like impulse, motive, and 

 train of thought to what we should experience if similarly 

 placed. He judges the white man on the same principle, 

 and misjudges us as much as we do him. 



The times when black-mailing was an every-day event, 

 when payment of tribute as propitiation to the wielder of 

 superior force was the ordinary rule of life, are long since 

 passed in England, and generosity is a universally known 

 and admired sentiment ; every gift made in England is 

 presumably made from that motive, and its looked-for 

 effect and return is gratitude. The reverse is true with the 

 Apache. Generosity is no more an ever-present thought 

 in his mind or common act of his life than is fear of being 

 black -mailed before night, or the providing tribute for a 

 marauding baron, a familiar thought and act of an English 

 country squire. But the giving to another as tribute is a 

 most familiar practice of the Apache. He gives his goods 

 as tribute to the spirits of air, water, fire, by tearing them 

 up and scattering the fragments to the winds, by throwing 

 them into the river, by consuming them to ashes. Why ? 

 Because they are devils he fears. He gives to his priests. 

 Why? Because they are sorcerers, and can bewitch him. 



