Reservation life had never appealed to Cochise, but he knew it was the lesser of two evils.  Also, he had accomplished what no other native American had before or would after:  He had gotten from the Americans exactly what he had demanded.  The Land of Cochise was now perhaps smaller, but it was safer and his people would no longer have to flee in the night at the first indications of approaching troops.  They would have the right to hunt on their own land -- a land that was to be off-limits to whites, including the soldiers, unless they were given permission by either Cochise or agent Tom Jeffords.  Ussen, the one God of the Apaches, was once again smiling on His people.

     But it was not long into the reservation period that trouble began when provisions were too few and too long in coming.  Jeffords many times had to spend his own money to keep his Indians from starving, as there was too little game left on the reserve after years of the whites killing everything in sight for sport.  There was, as has been mentioned, constant harassment from both the private sector and the military when the Apaches continued their forays below the border, and Jeffords was under scrutiny from day one. 

     Through it all Cochise steadfastly kept the peace, protecting the Tucson road and Apache Pass (to him and his people a place of ghosts and evil since the "cut the tent" affair in 1861 when his beloved brother and other relatives were hanged from an oak by American soldiers).  When other Indians stole livestock while passing nearby or through his land, Cochise saw to it that the animals were retreived and returned.  In time, even the public came to realize that Cochise was truly a remarkable man, and a man of his word.

     Cochise made a point to visit Fort Bowie on occasion to assure the soldiers that he was upholding the peace.  According to witnesses at the post he would always insist that his Indians leave the place before dark, and (at least during these visits, which must have been somewhat awkward for him) he "never smiled".

     Another situation that soon devloped was the arrival upon Cochise's reservation of two or three hundred Chihennes who had become disenchanted with conditions at Tularosa.  Traditionally this band was friendly with the Chokonens (Cochise's band) and Cochise was not inclined to turn them away.  This presented more problems for Jeffords who felt obliged to somehow ration them, making provisions for Cochise's people even slimmer.  General Crook again saw an opportunity to make his distate of the Cochise treaty apparent and he, along with other military officers, demanded the Indians be rounded up and sent back to New Mexico.  Sumner, in charge at Fort Bowie, had to decline, as he had no authority to do so.  Jeffords again took the brunt of the ensuing discord and was roundly criticized by Tucson newspapers.  Matters grew worse when some of the New Mexico Indians began raiding nearby settlements, apparently right under Cochise's nose, though it is certain he would not have tolerated it if he had known of it.  This, combined with continued incursions into Mexico by Indians who would not follow Cochise's example, caused an eventual showdown when the commissioner of Indian affairs threatened to fire Jeffords and put Crook in his place if the raids did not stop.  Jeffords wasted no time getting word to Cochise that it was time to take a firmer stand, and Cochise complied by calling a meeting of all his headmen.  It was decided that all Indians not of Cochise's band, and any who would continue raiding south of the border, must leave or face Cochise's justice.  Immediately the situation cooled down and depredations in Mexico lessened dramatically.  Jeffords, for a time, was off the hook.

     But something else was about to deal a blow to the new reservation.   Illness was overtaking Cochise rapidly.  His deterioration accelerated.  By the late spring of 1874 he was literally on death's doorstep, as reported by Levi Edwin Dudley, who paid a visit to the Chiricahua reservation to ascertain Cochise's feelings about the prospect of moving his people to New Mexico (another "fix" being considered to address growing concern over raids into Mexico).
 

     The following day Dudley paid a second visit and was astonished to find Cochise mounted on his horse in front of his wickiup.  He had been lifted into position by a couple of his men.  Dudley was impressed by the chief's spirit, but saw clearly that he not long to live.  Dudley returned to Fort Bowie and waited another day or two, fully expecting to hear of Cochise's demise.  He left on June 3rd.

     The same day Dudley left, Cochise's eldest son Taza mounted a war party and set out to find the man he had become convinced was the "witch" who had caused his father's illness.  This evil Apache was to be hanged in a tree and burned to death -- which would restore Cochise's health and save his life.  When Jeffords became aware of this he rushed to the camp just in time to find Taza and his warriors return with their man, who had been tied to a horse with rope.  Fast talking somehow convinced Taza that witchcraft had not been involved, and the innocent Apache, no doubt traumatized for life, was set free.