It is evident from reading Sladen's journal entries that he entered Cochise's domain reluctantly and with some trepidation -- much less confident than his mentor that good would come of the mission.  That he was a brave man is never in doubt, however.  In fact it could be argued that he possessed courage even more profound than that of General Howard, in that Sladen did not have Howard's deep religious faith on which to fall back.  In addition, he came into camp the typical American with the typical American prejudices of his time.  It is easy to see in his narratives that though he went in respecting Indians in general as human beings, his deeper attitude looked considerably down upon them; considering them "savage" and "wild".  Howard must have shared some of this opinion regardless of his Christian viewpoints, for it was unfortunately true that virtually no attempt had yet been made by any American to forge an understanding of Native American culture.  Indians in general were simply viewed to be primitive, immoral and hopelessly inferior to Anglo races.

     But if Sladen expected to be treated like some kind of hostage -- the willing but unfortunate prisoner of a bunch of wildmen -- he was very quickly to have the surprise of his life.

     The first pleasant surprise can be seen to have occurred right after Howard's departure with Chie for Fort Bowie.  Sitting together on a rock (almost certainly the "big rock" mentioned earlier), Cochise, Jeffords and Sladen found themselves engaging in what can only be described as idle conversation.  Sladen soon discovered that Cochise could be a pleasant host, and one with an understated sort of humor.  It has already been detailed how he attempted to ease Sladen's obvious discomfort by joking about breaking out the tiswin (a lightly alcoholic beverage the Apache's made from corn) -- a promise that was later fulfilled.  During the same period of idleness, Cochise, through Jeffords, asked Sladen what he would do if the camp were to be suddenly attacked by soldiers.   Sladen could see that Cochise was trying to size him up and he suspected that how he answered the question would be quite important.  He told the Chief that he would simply ride out to the soldiers and explain to them that there were peace talks going on and they would listen to him as a fellow American solider and turn back.  Cochise pressed further with the supposition, asking Sladen what he would do if the soldiers refused to listen to him -- would he join them and fight the Indians?

     "But they would not fight, when I told them my message.  General Howard is a Tatah Grande, and they would not dare to disobey him."

     "But," Cochise persisted, "if they would not hear you, would you fight against them?"

     "No," Sladen responded, certainly aware of Cochise's intolerance with liars, "I would not fight against my own people, but I am sure they would not dare to fight, after I had given them General Howard's orders."

     Sladen then writes that Cochise "laughed quietly to himself" at the reply and then said, "What would you do if some Mexican soliders came to fight us?"  Sladen's answer was that we go to meet them and tell them he was an officer of the United States Army involved in important peace talks with the Indians, and that they must go back to Mexico.  Cochise's reply:  "But if they would not listen to you, and would fight us, would you fight against us?"  

     "No, in that case I would fight with you against them for they are not my people."

     Sladen writes that Cochise seemed very pleased with the answer.  This exchange must have gone a long way to convince Cochise that Sladen was an honorable and intelligent man, and to convince Sladen that Cochise was fair minded -- something he undoubtedly found surprising and contrary to all he had heard about "blood-thirsty savages".