Usually dressed in a white shirt, a vest, a leather jacket, pants that went over his boots, a red bandana, and a wide-brimmed hat, Ike McSwain was the gentlest, sweetest, most kind-hearted soul you'd ever meet. Even though the odds seemed against him almost from the start, he always tried his best, and he proved himself just as good as any of the other riders - on horseback and otherwise.

Like everyone else, Ike had his own demons to fight. Due to an attack of scarlet fever when he was a child, Ike had not a single hair on his head. Either for that same reason, or from witnessing the brutal murder of his entire family, he had lost the ability to talk as well. For a long time, he was without any means of communication. Therefore, he had not been able to tell anyone about who were responsible for the killing of his parents and only sister.

Having no one to take care of him, Ike had ended up in a Catholic mission school. There he met Buck Cross, a half White, half Kiowa boy, who also had a hard time adjusting to a new way of life.

The two outsiders became friends for life after Ike one day jumped into a fight in order to help Buck out. Seeking new adventures together, both ended up as riders for the Pony Express. Ike nearly didn't get the job because of his inability to speak, but as Teaspoon, the station manager, told him: “I guess it don't matter much that you can't talk so long as you can ride.”

In the meantime, Ike had learned Indian Sign Language from Buck, so now he was finally able to “voice himself,” i.e. if he could find someone who also knew sign.

Being the gentle young man that he was, Ike always had a special way of dealing with animals and children. Both kinds seemed to love him dearly. Overlooking his shortcomings and accepting him for who he really was, they were able to return all the love and attention he gave them. Dealing with adults, however, was totally another matter.

During his days with the Express, Ike fell in love twice. Unlike some of the other riders, Ike preferred inner beauty to great looks.

His first affection was Annie Lawfer, an ordinary-looking young woman who had come to Sweetwater as a mail-order bride. She soon got word that the man she was supposed to marry had died in a mining accident. Feeling sorry for her, Ike took good care of her. Later, as Ike was about to ask her to marry him, her promised husband suddenly showed up - evidently he hadn't died in the accident after all.