I did not wonder that on mail-day everybody came out in front of the quarters and asked: "Is the mail-carrier in ?" And nothing much was done or thought of on that day, until we saw him come jogging in, the mail-bag tied behind his saddle.
Our letters were from two to three weeks old.

The eastern mail came via Santa Fe to the terminus of the railroad, and then by stage; for in 1874, the railroads did not extend very far into the Southwest.

At a certain point on the old New Mexico road, our man met the San Carlos carrier, and received the mail for Apache.
"I do not understand," I said, "how any soldier can be found to take such a dangerous detail." "Why so ?" said Jack.

"They like it." "I should think that when they got into those canons and narrow defiles, they would think of the horrible fate of their predecessor," said I.
"Perhaps they do," he answered; "but a soldier is always glad to get a detail that gives him a change from the routine of post life." I was getting to learn about the indomitable pluck of our soldiers.

They did not seem to be afraid of anything.