THE TOWER
As they stopped a moment to rest under some sage-bushes, they saw
something which frightened them.
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A band of fierce Indians was coming toward them.
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.
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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.
It was well that the children were hidden by the trees, for the Indians
passed by without seeing them.
The children's eyes were filled with red dust so that they could not see
for a long time.
When the dust cleared away, they saw a man running toward them.
He was running from those fierce Indians.
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"Look, look, Teni," said Mavo, "there is father coming for us. See! Here
he is! Call him, Teni!"
Teni jumped up very quickly and called as loudly as he could.
The man understood the call because he was a cliff-dweller too.
The cliff people were Indians, who had a language of their own.
As the man came nearer, the children saw it was not their father, though
he looked very much like him.
"What are you doing here?" he said to Teni.
"We want to go home," said the boy, "but we can not find the way."
"You can not go home now," said the man, "for those Indians would get
you."
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"Come, I will take care of you."
He took Mavo in his strong arms, and telling Teni to follow, he walked
over the hot sand to a tall tower on the cliff.
The tower was made of stones held together with clay.
It stood high on the cliff, and from its little windows one could see
far into the valley.
When the cliff-dwellers were in this fortress, they were safe from their
enemies because when the ladders were pulled up there was no way to get
in.
The man found a ladder and raised it to a hole high in the tower.
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They climbed it and were soon inside.
Mavo and Teni looked through the peep-holes in the walls while their new
friend pulled in the ladder.
"Are you hungry?" said the man, looking toward the children.
Mavo nodded, for she was very hungry.
The brother and sister had had nothing but herbs to eat since the day
before.
"I will look for some food," said their new friend. "There must be some
here."
Then he climbed into the storeroom and came back with his hands full of
dried meat.
He gave the meat to the children, and while they ate, he climbed down to
a room below and pulled some willow branches from a hole in the wall. He
called the children, and lifted them into this room.
It was dark down there, but he told Mavo and Teni not to be afraid, for
they would soon be out in the light.
They crawled through the hole into a dark tunnel.
The way was very long and the children were very tired.
But soon they reached the end of the tunnel.
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