STAGE DRIVERS IN THE INDIAN COUNTRY. 85 



These men were therefore of course always persons 

 of daring courage and reckless character; who rather 

 preferred living with their lives in their hands, to en- 

 during the monotony of a quiet life; and in the end 

 comparatively few of them, it may well be supposed, 

 ever died in their beds. The Indians generally got 

 them at last. 



Captain Bourke gives us the following sketch of a 

 well-known character of this sort, who used to drive 

 the mail-coaches through the Apache country in 

 Southern Arizona. At dangerous moments he generally 

 used very wisely to make his trips under cover of the 

 darkness of night, when the Indians could not see 

 him. Moreover it is well known that on superstitious 

 grounds, many of the prairie Indian tribes (the Apaches 

 among the number), rarely make their attacks by night. 

 Then making a wide detour, away from the beaten 

 trail, he so arranged his movements as to reach his 

 destination at dawn, before objects could be clearly 

 distinguished at a distance. Yet, like the rest, this 

 daring fellow got killed by the Indians in the end. 



But we must leave the Captain to tell his story in 

 his own way 



"The stage-drivers" (he remarks) "are an exceptionally 

 profane set, and this one, Frank Francis, was an adept in 

 the business. He has long since gone to his reward in the 

 skies, killed if I mistake not, by the Apaches in Sonora, in 

 1 88 1. He was a good 'square' man, as I can aver, and it 

 was Frank's boast, that no 'Injuns' should ever get either 

 Mm or the mail under his charge. 'All you've got to do 

 with 'n Injun's to be smarter nor he is. Now, fr instance, 

 7 n Injun'll allers lie in wait, 'longside the road, tryin' to 

 ketch th' mail. Wa'al I never don go 'long no derned road. 

 Savey ? I jes' cut right 'cross lots (farms), 'n dern my skin 



