Grace Willard Edick

“ The Indians had paint on their faces and bows in their hands. They had long black hair like Teni’s, but their skin was much darker.
Mavo clung to Teni, and both crouched behind the bushes.
They did not speak, for fear the Indians might hear them.
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Teni drew Mavo close to him and wiped the tears from her eyes. He knew that this tribe of Indians hated his people, and would kill him and his sister if they should find them. ”

“ Then, after they had put the bronze and stone weapons beside their chief, they had gathered about the hill and chosen a new one.
They always chose for their new chief the bravest and strongest man of all the tribe. The brave and strong chief they chose that day was Lodrix’s father. ”

“ Tevico had been left to guard the prisoner, but the Bear people did not know that Lodrix’s father had once saved Tevico’s life.
This young watcher felt very friendly toward the Lake-Dweller people, and he was ready to help the captive boy.
When Lodrix saw Tevico, he said, “Where am I? Why am I here?”
“You have been taken prisoner by the Bear people because they hate your father and your people. ”

“ In the early morning, when Father Sun began to put his star babies to bed, the little cliff-dwellers awoke.
They looked about for their father and mother, for they thought they had been sleeping on their own little skin bed.
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“Why, Teni,” said Mavo, “we are out of doors; see the red cliff, and the cedar-tree over there.” ”

“ One day when Mavo and Teni were playing at the foot of the cliff, they saw some baby rabbits not far away.
They were brown rabbits, just the kind that Teni loved to play with.
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“Oh, Mavo! Let us catch them,” he said, and the two ran off together.
As the children came near, the little rabbits scampered away as fast as they could.
The mother rabbit was waiting for her children in a hole near by and they ran straight for home.
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Mavo laughed as the little creatures ran over the sand toward the hollow cliff.
“Come, Mavo,” said Teni. “We can catch them if we hurry.” ”

“ While Lodrix summoned the people, the chief rushed out to pull back the drawbridge which connected their homes with the land.
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The lake people were very much frightened. They knew that the people on land were their enemies; so they were ready to obey every command of their chief.
First he called for the messenger who had brought the news.
A youth with a deer hanging from his shoulder stepped forward.
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Laying the deer at the chief’s feet, the boy said, “My chief! As I was hunting, I met the boy Tevico, whom you once saved from the wolves in the forest. ”

“ The chief came out of the hut, and looked kindly at the two boys.
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He beckoned Lodrix to him, and said:
“How much bronze is there in your father’s village?”
Lodrix answered:
“There is more bronze in the village of the Dormorants than in any other village on the lake.”
“Is there more than one messenger can carry?” said the chief.
“You must send a strong messenger,” said Lodrix, “for our bronze is very heavy.”
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The chief thought a moment, then turned to his son and said, “You may take Lodrix about the village, but do not go far, for Tevico will return at sunset.” ”

“ The mother and father could not see the pony as it neared the cliff.
Mavo had fallen asleep in Teni’s arms, and Demino walked on, thinking how glad the parents would be to see their children.
Teni did not say a word, but kept looking toward his home.
The father and mother were looking anxiously into the valley.
While they were watching, they saw shadows in the distance.
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“Look!” said the mother. “I see something. Can it be our children?”
They waited a moment, then the father climbed down the cliff and ran quickly toward Demino. ”

“ The Bear people had come together and were waiting for Tevico.
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They were very glad to hear the message for it meant great wealth for them.
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They would now have more bronze than any other land tribe.
“Lodrix must be sent home. We must have a messenger,” said the chief. “He must be very strong, for the bronze is heavy.”
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Then he chose one of the strongest of the men, who started off with Lodrix.
At sunrise, they reached the shore of the lake.
There the Lake-Dweller messenger was waiting with the bronze. ”

“ The father and mother sat about the fire for a long time, then rose quietly, and after throwing more corn to the flames, walked out of the kiva.
They went on the cliff, and looked about them for some sign of their children.
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“The moon is clear to-night,” said the father. “There are no clouds to hide her light. She will guide Teni and Mavo home.” ”

“ They crowded about the chief’s hut and listened, as Lodrix told the story of his capture.
When Lodrix had finished his story, he went into the hut to rest.
He soon fell asleep, tired from his long journey.
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Then the chief sent two men to pull up the drawbridge which had been down since early morning.
He still feared that the Bear tribe would attack them.
After this had been done, the chief said to his people: “My son has returned to us. Now we must think of winter.
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“Our fruit-trees have been destroyed by our enemies and we have very little dried fruit left. ”

“ They wished for rain, that they might plant their corn and beans.
The wind might blow the seed away if the rain did not come to wet the dry sand.
“The rain is late this year,” said one, “but our dried fruit will last a long time even though we have no grain.”
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The cliff people dried their fruit in the sun.
We would not have liked it because it was so sour.
Soon the men noticed Teni and Mavo and asked who they were.
“They are children of the Bear people, our neighbors,” said Demino.
“This morning, as I was walking near the tower, I saw a band of Indians coming toward me. ”

“ The cliff-dwellers used these jars for holding water.
The children watched the women for a while, then went to another part of the cliff where other women were weaving baskets from cedar fibers.
The baskets were closely woven, so that they could be used to carry water.
As the children stood there, Demino came down the ladder with a water jar on his head, and behind him came his wife with the baby on her back.
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“Let us have a race,” said Teni. Mavo wanted to run too, but Teni said she was too little. ”

“ On the fourth day, when everything seemed quiet, the chief of the Dormorants ordered the drawbridge to be put in place, and stationed a man at the end to watch for the enemy. Then he sent a messenger to the chief of a Lake-Dweller village near by. ”

“ They could not play in the shade of the trees, because in that dry land there were very few trees.
But the little boy and girl had great fun climbing up and down the rocks and running in the sunshine. ”

“ As the sun grew hotter the sand seemed to grow heavier.
How glad they would be to find their home!
18 CHAPTER III
THE TOWER
As they stopped a moment to rest under some sage-bushes, they saw something which frightened them.
A band of fierce Indians was coming toward them. ”

“ Transcriber’s Notes Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public domain in the country of publication. In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.) ”