Habitation of the Cliff Dwellers

Habitation of the Cliff Dwellers Legends of the Wasatch Chapter Two How Na-ki Saved the Tribe MANY days had passed since my "gentle spirit" had melted into the setting sun. Many days had I pondered over the tale she told me then, of the mystery of the dead sea and the strange antics of the gods of long ago. I yearned, exceedingly, to know more about that blessed age, of Na-Ki and his love, of the Wise Men beside the great lake, of the folks of simple faith — when the world was young. But all in vain! The spirit of tales came to the crescent pier no more. Yet is it written that "he who seeks, shall find" and so likewise I sought and in the end came to my reward. One wonderful autumn day, while roaming the hills to the north of the imperial city, I was forced by a sudden thunder shower to take refuge in a shallow cave. Here, safe and sheltered, I watched the play of the lightning over the roofs of the city — a city that would have lain one hundred fath- oms deep beneath the waters of the great lake in those ancient days of which I dreamed. "Strange, is it not," the well re- membered voice of tinkling bells whispered in my ear. "In this very spot Na-Ki saved the tribe By HENRY F. KIRKHAM A description of the cliff dwellers, their habitations, customs, re- ligious ceremonies, together with the coming of the red-skins and a battle between the two. and thus brought glory to the gods?" Did I still dream? For there at my side sat the gentle spirit I had sought so long — in vain. I was so pleased that I could have taken that airy creature to my bosom had I not remembered, in time, the un- substantial nature of her existence. Instead I greeted her with my most courtly bow. "Yes," said she, "at this very spot. And you, oh seeker after truth, shall hear the tale." U: PON the massive cliffs, that faced the great lake, the tribes had builded a home. Partly by reason of a shallow depression therein, and partly by reason of prodigious efforts, they had con- structed as snug a retreat as any- one, continually surrounded by hidden dangers, could desire. Within this safe enclosure, a line of irregular buildings encircled an open court. The overhanging cliffs protected any intrusion from the top, while access from below could only be obtained by means of a series of ladders that were always withdrawn at night. Within the shelter of this walled city all was reasonably secure, but without it was a far different story. In those days, giant bears roamed the hills, great cats infested the dense forests of the valleys, and the vast waters of the lake teemed with a thousand lurking monsters. 1 O combat all this hostile life, the tribe had but scant resources. Also, there were other tribes not always friendly, days of famine and of flood, and all the problems of everyday existence that might well have puzzled the minds of a more enlightened civil- ization. Therefore, the tribes trusted in the gods — and there was a host of these. Gods of the wa- ter, of the air, of the forests; but, above all these, O-Te, the spirit of the mountain, dwelling supreme in the vastness of the towering sum- mits. For O-te commanded all those other elementary spirits and spoke in the glory of dawn, in the darkness of the night, in the sullen echo of the thunder. He it was who shook the earth when he was vexed and troubled the waters, and showed his wonders in the clouds. So the tribes were sore afraid of

The Improvement Era for April, 1930 495 the might of this great god and sought to please him, for, when O-Te was pleased came the soft southern breezes and the fruitful spring, so that the tribes waxed fat and peace and happiness abided with them. Along the warm and fertile val- ley, that lay between the moun- tain and the lake, the tribes tilled the soil along the lower stretches of the hills. More they dare not at- tempt by reason of the fierce beasts that ranged the wooded places. If the harvest was good, they cele- brated their fortune by song and dance before the crude altar of their gods. If poor, they celebrated nevertheless — for these simple folks did not altogether forget past favors — as do many folks of the later days. Wherefore, the gods loved them and made manifest their presence. a _/N this particular day, a thousand years ago, the festival of the fall harvest was in the course of celebration. Contrary to most of the religious rites, that were per- formed m the place of the well, this one was being enacted before a stone altar in the valley of the fields. First came a company of maid- ens, garlanded in native flowers, bearing sheaves of ripened corn. This corn they placed upon the altar and arranged themselves in a ring around the stone. Next came the young men of the tribe, fan- tastically arrayed, singing and dancing. "Oh spirit of the Harvest! Oh blessed Gods! Be thou bountiful, Be thou fruitful. Great are thy wonders ! Great is O-Te!" AND the loudest in song, the maddest in the dance, was Na-Ki. Now Na-Ki was good to look upon. Straight as an arrow, active as the spotted cat, swift and tireless as the red deer. None could bound so high as he. None could extol the gods so wonderfully. Hence, Na-Ki found favor in the eyes of the Wise Men who tended the sacred fire. But Na-Ki minded this approval not at all. Except- ing for the gods, he leaped and sang only for the favor of a maiden in the ring — Le-Me, the lily. For even as Na-Ki was the most active among the young men, so was Le- Me the most beautiful of maidens. Sad to relate, this divine passion of Na-Ki's, found no answering re- sponse in the gentle heart of Le-Me — as yet. And the reason was this : although Na-Ki was surely fine to look upon, he had yet to do some deed worthy of the warrior's knighthood; some signal act of heroism that would distinguish him above the common run. But, alas, the ordinary life of the tribe afforded but scant opportunity to win the "red feather" that would raise him to the warrior's estate. Slaying the wild beasts of the hills, the scaling of the distant peaks, the daily adventures of the great lake — these were but the usual hazards, shared alike by all. Even the hon- ors to be gained by war were denied him. There dwelt, in fact, only two other tribes in all that small world, one to the far north, another nearer to the south, and between all of these, peace had for many years, prevailed. Therefore Na-Ki was sad in spite of his apparent gaiety. And to make matters worse, Le-Me ap- peared to look with favor upon another handsome youth — or so it seemed to Na-Ki. Here, again, we have that "eternal triangle" which goes to prove that there is really nothing new beneath the sun. /\S the balmy day waxed into night, the festival of the harvest came to an end. Two by two, under the silvery moon- light, the celebrants returned in solemn procession to the city of refuge. Na-Ki did not accompany them. In the bitterness of his unrequited love he had resolved to seek, forever, the solace of the trackless wilderness where the sight of the fickle Le-Me would trouble him no more. He even had a dim idea of expatriating himself from his own tribe and seeking an asylum amongst the alien people of the far north. And so he depart- ed, without a word to anyone, up- on his great adventure. For two days Na-Ki proceeded northward. Sometimes he chose the shoreline where the going was easier, sometimes the trackless for- est whose vast solitudes and sylvan mysteries served, in a measure, to calm the raging fever of his blood. His needs were few. His primitive weapons secured him ample food, the spreading branches of a mighty tree furnished a safe retreat at night. His keen eyes, schooled in all the arts of woodcraft, guarded him against the ambush of any hidden foe. Also, as is the habit of most primitive men, Na-Ki slept with one eye open. And well that he did, for, upon the second night of his journey there came running, beneath the tree in which he rested, one of the tribesmen from the far north. The appearance of this man was torn and bloody and he looked as one well nigh spent. Neverthe- less he turned bravely, at the foot of the tree, to meet the onslaught of two other men who closely pur- sued. Ti HE general appear- ance of these assailants utterly astonished Na-Ki. Never in his life had he seen their like before. Men of large stature, painted in gaudy colors; wild and fierce men who flourished short, keen, axes, and shouted loudly as they ran. For a brief moment, Na-Ki's sense of combat was paralyzed. But, when he noted the desperate condition of the lone tribesman of the north, he quickly rallied his courage. Dropping lightly to the ground, he hurled the short spear he carried full into the face of one of the foemen and, to such deadly effect, that this savage fell in mortal agony at his feet. In spite of the now unequal odds, the remaining savage came on as fiercely as ever and waged so gallant a fight that the issue still hung in the balance. But even as the trio battled, the gods seem to have taken a hand in the conflict. At any rate, Porky, the boar, asleep in the nearby brush dashed suddenly from his covert and, taking the savage full in the rear, threw that worthy abruptly to the ground — where Na-Ki speedily made an end of him. 1 HE wounded tribes- man told a tale of horror. It seems that while his own people were celebrating that very festival of the harvest, heretofore related, a horde of these savage red men had burst, unexpectedly, upon them like a plague of locusts. They had slain the worshipers, sacked the city — but feebly defended at that time— and, now, having learned, through some of the captured tribesmen, of Na-Ki's city, they were moving

496 The Improvement Era for April, 1930 several hundred strong, at this very moment, to sack it. Hoping to ef- fect a surprise attack, they had forced this tribesman to act as a guide. That morning of the march he had managed to escape, although wounded and pursued, and had come thus far but could go no farther. Now Na-Ki was but a simple child of nature but, in a flash, he saw his duty clearly. His own personal grievance must not stand in the way of the greater duty he owed his people. Besides, in spite of his present pique, he still loved the fair Le-Me and the thought of her grave danger, aroused every dormant power to instant action. Here was a deadly peril that, in all the ages of their existence, had never threatened them before. Casting aside the simple robes he wore and even his weapons so as to give unimpeded play to his matchless muscles, he started on a tireless run to the city by the lake. Na-Ki ran the race against death. He stopped neither to eat nor to sleep. He turned not to avoid the lurking dangers of the forest. Doggedly, with a long loping stride, he pursued the short- est trail. Hour after hour he ran until, at last, exhausted but tri- umphant, he burst into the city of refuge with his message of salva- tion. Talk of your marathon of other ages. The Grecian hero ran but to announce a victory. Na-Ki ran to save a nation! Though naturally appalled by the terrifying story of Na-Ki's, the Wise Men quickly summoned the council and preparation for defense was begun. The cattle were driven into secret places of the far hills, the boats hidden, supplies conveyed to the city, additional water stored in the reservoirs, and swift messen- gers dispatched to that tribe to the south to warn them also and to enlist their aid. The ladders were then withdrawn and a watch set. 1 HE prehistoric city was arrayed for battle. And a hard fight it was to be, the savage enemy found when they presently arrived. How to scale the granite face of this natural fortress might have puzzled the wisest; and the foemen, although the bravest of the brave, were greatly disappoint- ed, for their usual method of the ambush would not serve them here. Nevertheless, undaunted by the strong position of their antago- nists, the invaders proceeded to the attack. From great bows they launched a flight of arrows; by means of hastily constructed lad- ders they attempted to storm the front; they lowered themselves from the top by leather ropes. In short, they were a most amazing and persistent foe. The defenders, however, proved equally worthy, if not so well equipped in the matter of weapons. With short spears they slew many of the swarming enemies, those who sought to climb the front ap- proaches as well as those who came from above. They threw down great rocks upon the heads of their assailants and treated them to baths of boiling water. They hurled the topmost scaling ladders to the ground and thus brought death to many of the foemen. 1 ET, in the face of this gallant defense, the conflict hung in the balance. Many a hero among the tribesmen fell before the great bows, many lost their lives to some partly successful escalade. Still Na-Ki seemed to bear a charmed life. Foremost in the de- fense, wherever the danger was greatest there was Na-Ki, so that even Le-Me was forced to take no- tice. A very paladin, he performed such deeds of valor as might well have formed the theme of immortal poets. Still no help came from the tribes to the south and the situation became hourly more desperate. And now I again come to the gods of this favored land. For it is written that at this critical mo- ment O-Te loosed the thunders of heaven and shook the very hills with his thunderbolts. With light- ning and with storm he smote the ruthless invaders so that they be- came sore afraid and straightway fell into a panic and fled into the trackless forest and were seen no more thereabouts. Whence they first came or whence they fled, none ever knew. Only the legend of their coming lives in dark tradition and of things that may not be spoken aloud amongst those dwellers by the great waters. But this I do know that Na-Ki now wears proudly the "red feather" and sings blithely before his beloved, and this time I trust not in vain. The Battle o£ the Cereal By MAUD CHEGWIDDEN WITH singing heart I meas- ured out the tablespoon ful of cereal which had been cooked four hours, added to it the cor- rect amount of sugar and milk, and prepared for the daily battle with my baby. The expensive child specialist under whose directions I was rais- ing my first born had decreed that she should now have cereal added to her diet; the baby had decreed otherwise. I had started with cream of wheat. After the first little taste she spit the strange food down her little pink chin and refused to open her screwed -up button of a mouth further. I coaxed, I begged, I commanded, I threatened; but the only response she vouchsafed me was a toothless grin and a gurgle or two, which plainly meant: "Take the sloppy stuff away — I'll have none of it!" WHEN I had next visited the specialist, and had ex- plained to him that my wayward daughter would absolutely not take cereal, I was treated to a severe lecture on the subject of in- dulgent mothers and pampered ba- bies. I was told that my baby must take the food; that infants of her tender years (or months) had no preferences regarding their palate; that they would eat what- ever was presented to them if only the mother showed she meant bus- iness. And finally the concession was made that I might try farina (Continued on page 504)