Treasure of the Anasazi Page 4

  Now what was I going to do? By the time I could get back to my jeep, then to the Ranger’s station and get someone out here, they would most likely be gone. If I could get close enough to the truck, I could let the air out of their tires. That would at least keep the truck and them here a little longer while I went for help. I waited until they had gone back up to the site to load more boxes. I made my way to the side of the truck farthest from the cliff. I removed the valve stem cap and depressed the valve on the front tire. I hoped they wouldn’t hear the air escaping. Slowly the tire deflated until it was sitting on its rim. I repeated the process for the back tire. I crept back into the bushes to watch. All three headed back to the truck, each carrying another box.

  “Okay, boys. I think that’s enough for this trip,” said Billy. “Let’s not push our luck. Baker and Trader were near here just yesterday.”

  “Billy, I think we have a problem. Look,” said Daryl.

  Billy came around to the driver’s side.

  “What the …?” yelled Billy as he kicked the side of the truck. “How did this happen?”

  Daryl shrugged.

  “I knew I should have brought a spare,” said Billy.

  “We need two spares,” said Daryl.

  “Thank you, Daryl. That’s very helpful.”

  “Billy?” asked Donny timidly.

  “Yeah? What Donny?”

  “I filled the air bubble this morning. It’s in the back of the truck.”

  Billy looked behind the cab, looked at Donny, and a smile grew until a full mouth of teeth were showing.

  “Donny, I could kiss you right now.”

  “That’s okay,” said Donny as he backed away holding his hand over his mouth.

  “Daryl, let’s see if they’ll hold air before we celebrate.”

  Daryl added air to both tires. They inflated immediately and appeared to be holding air.

  “No!” I regretted it as soon as it came out of my mouth.

  “Did you hear that?” asked Billy as he turned a 360 looking all around the site. “Something’s not right here. Those two tires didn’t just go flat on their own. Split up and look around. I think we’ve got company.”

  Hunched over, I started backing away. I turned around to make a hastier retreat. I was startled to see Sarah kneeling in my path. I started to ask what she was doing there, but she placed her forefinger to her lips. I understood and remained silent. She waved for me to follow her, which I did. I could hear the brothers yelling back and forth as they searched the brush around the pickup. Out of earshot of the Hightowers, Sarah stopped.

  “We should be okay now,” whispered Sarah.

  “We should keep moving. The Hightowers are still looking for me,” I said.

  “Don’t worry. My friends will make sure they don’t find you,” said Sarah.

  I had no idea what friends she was referring to. I hadn’t seen anyone else and I didn’t know anything about her, but for some reason I trusted her.

  “What are you doing out here?” I asked in a low voice.

  “The important thing is that you will be safe now.”

  “Thanks. You should know, I told Ranger Baker about you. She said a girl by the name of Sarah Leaphorn that fits your description disappeared in the park ten years ago. That girl couldn’t possibly be you, could it?”

  Hesitantly she replied, “Yes, it’s me.”

  “I don’t understand. From the way she described you then, you haven’t aged at all. How is that possible?”

  “I’ll explain everything to you later. Now, will you please trust me a little longer?”

  “I guess so. Then will you tell me why you’re out here and why you decided to help me? I didn’t think you even wanted me out here.”

  “I didn’t, but the elders… they think you can help us.”

  “The elders? Who are you talking about?”

  I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was trying to decide whether to tell me something. Then, asked, “Will you just come with me?”

  “What about those guys back there? They’re stealing from that cliff dwelling.”

  “The brothers? We’ll deal with them another time.”

  “I need to tell the park ranger or sheriff.”

  “Most likely they’ve taken off by now anyway.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “We have a much bigger problem anyway.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I know you don’t understand, but you will if you come with me. I’d rather show you than try to tell you.”

  I was becoming increasingly curious. I’m beginning to think it’s a character flaw. I didn’t sense any danger from her though. The only way I would find out what she was talking about was to go with her.

  “Lead on.”

  After following for several minutes, “Sarah, where are you taking me? I’m sure we’re going further into the Restricted Area. This is supposed to be off limits…for everyone.”

  “Don’t worry. It’s all right.”

  I didn’t feel right about it, but I had already gone this far. I was getting an uncomfortable feeling though, like before, when I felt as though I was being watched. Then I heard that same low, rumbling growl.

  “Sarah! Stop!”

  “What?”

  “There is some kind of animal on both sides of us. Didn’t you hear it growling?”

  Sarah didn’t seem to be worried. It didn’t make me any less concerned when she just smiled and kept going.

  “Please,” she said, motioning me on. “We’re almost there.”

  At this point I didn’t feel I could turn back. The thrill of the unknown drew me forward. I continued to follow closely, looking frequently to my sides and behind.

  We followed along the narrow canyon bottom for what must have been another half mile. Sarah turned up a merging canyon off to our right. As it opened wider, the vegetation increased and became greener, the grass thicker and more lush. There was a small, clear stream meandering lazily back and forth across the canyon floor. This canyon was much more visually inviting than any other canyon I had ever seen in this region. Ahead I could see people moving about. When I came closer, I could see that it was an Indian settlement. As we approached, some of the people looked up and smiled and continued with what they were doing. The village and the people appeared as though they had been caught up in a different time from the past, at least a century earlier.

  “Who are these people?”

  “These people are the Anasazi, or what’s left of them anyway.”

  Taken by surprise, I paused and then smiled. This had to be an elaborate joke.

  “That’s not possible. The Anasazi left this area eight hundred years ago. Now tell me the truth, who are these people and why did you bring me here?”

  “It’s true Jack. These people are the last of the Anasazi, and they need your help.”

  With a beaming smile, the boy from yesterday ran up to Sarah.

  “This is Niyol. His name means ‘wind’.”

  “Well, he’s living up to his name. I didn’t stand a chance of catching him.”

  I smiled and extended my hand. “Hello, Niyol.” He paid no attention to me whatsoever.

  “Don’t take it personally. It takes him a while to warm up to others. For some reason, he’s been following me around since he could walk.”

  As Sarah led me through the community, the canyon opened up across its base. The cave-like void below the overhang extended much further back into the wall of the canyon than at any other location I had seen before. One main difference from the public cliff dwellings in the park was that here the void extended to the canyon floor at places, creating an enormous half-dome, nine to ten stories in height. The entire undercut area was occupied with adobe structures reaching from the canyon floor to the top of the dome. I suspected that the structures served two purposes, one, to provide shelter and two, to help support the overhead dome from collapse. As we continued along the c
anyon, we came to another such domed area but this time on the opposite side of the canyon. In the distance, another dome was seen, switching back to the other side of the canyon. It appeared that over time the meandering stream had cut from one side to the other as it flowed through the canyon. The location of the settlement had another interesting characteristic. The edges of the overhang from both sides were relatively close, maybe fifty feet apart, forming an almost continuous ceiling for the community. It would be nearly impossible to see the canyon from a flyover even if one knew it was here. The area had been proclaimed a no-fly zone. I had always thought it had something to do with the wildlife, now I knew there had been another reason. With the increase of small plane travel, this undoubtedly had helped these people to remain undetected. Establishing a no-fly zone over this specific area would have had to of been the result of the government extending their long arm to protect these people. And if the government was involved, the reasons could be two-fold. It was hard to believe that these people, Anasazi or not, were concealed so completely from the outside world. I had spent years in this area and I had no idea of their existence. Who ever was responsible for maintaining this secret had done their job very well.

  This was the largest and most complex settlement of this type I had ever seen. Of course, I’d never seen an active site before. My first impression was that the housing structures were typical of what would be found at any of the tourist sites, except on a much larger scale. On closer examination the construction was obviously more refined. An effort had been made to finish the outside walls with well laid-out lines. The window and door openings were uniform in size and dimensions, constructed with their corners at right angles. An obvious advancement in building techniques could be seen everywhere along with the introduction of more intricate details.

  I looked around, taking in everything around me. There were women and men weaving baskets, molding pottery, making repairs to the adobe walls of the homes, tending to fires, grinding corn and preparing meals. From what I saw, I was beginning to believe what Sarah had been trying to tell me. A little old woman, maybe five feet tall with gray hair, walked up and offered me a drink, smiling with the few teeth she had. She didn’t say anything, not that I would have been able to understand her anyway, but continued to look up at me with outstretched hands. I accepted the carved wooden cup, smelled the liquid, which had no odor and took a sip. It was plain, cool, sweet water. It seemed to make her happy that I had accepted the gesture. I smiled and nodded a thank you back to her. Several others had been curiously watching and observing. I guess they had been waiting to see how I reacted. Several of the other ladies now came forward, crowding around Sarah and myself, carrying colorfully detailed bowls of food, some with things I recognized and some that I didn’t.

  Sarah smiled. “They’re welcoming you. You should taste what they’re offering so as not to offend them.”

  “Aren’t you going to have some? There seems to be plenty.” I wasn’t expecting to be poisoned, but sharing with Sarah would put me at ease.

  “No, thanks. It’s been prepared for you.” So much for being put at ease.

  “They knew I was coming?” I asked.

  “They were hoping you would.”

  “What about your little friend? Where did he go?”

  “Don’t worry about him, he’s around. You go ahead.”

  I was still a little apprehensive. I was being offered food by people who hadn’t wanted me here just the day before. Out here in the middle of nowhere it would be easy to get rid of my body. And to add to my uneasiness, I was outnumbered significantly. If they wanted to get rid of me they wouldn’t have to use poison. Then there was Sarah. If I believed her, which is the way I was leaning, and they actually did need my help, then poisoning me would be the last thing on their minds, I hoped.

  I forced a smile and picked a small portion out of one of the bowls. After taking a deep breath, I placed it in my mouth. I didn’t even chew it right away but let it sit on my tongue. It actually smelled and tasted pretty good. With all the surrounding women watching intently, I swallowed hard. I paused, waiting for any kind of reaction. My forehead had broken out with beads of sweat. There didn’t seem to be any immediate negative reaction. I waited a moment before tasting a little bit from each bowl, continuing to smile nervously, as the group of women held up their offering for me. The more I ate the more comfortable and relaxed I became. After sampling a little bit of everything, I held up my hands to signify ‘no more.’ They appeared to understand, smiled and walked away. Sarah came up to me.

  “Now do you believe?” asked Sarah.

  I looked into Sarah’s eyes. I was convinced that what she had been telling me she believed wholeheartedly was the truth, but I still had my doubts. Just because this was an Indian village, somehow stuck in the past, wasn’t enough to convince me that these were indeed the Anasazi. But then on the other hand, it was obvious that this was a real community of some people, living day to day as though they were from a different time, which in itself was remarkable. From an archeologist’s or anthropologist’s perspective or anyone else’s for that matter, these people shouldn’t even exist. But it was too soon to draw a definite conclusion.

  “Okay, let’s assume for the moment that I do believe you, and these people are who you say they are. You said they needed my help. What can I possibly do?”

  “Mr. Trader,…”

  “Jack, please.”

  “Okay, Jack. Can you imagine what would happen if outsiders found out about this place and word got out? How long do you think it would last as it is?”

  “Not very long.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Is there a chance of that happening?”

  “There’s always that chance, but recently it’s come very close to becoming a reality.”

  “Why? What’s happened?”

  “This place and these people are in danger of being discovered by men who have no honor or respect for either. They don’t care anything for our way of life. These men have come uncomfortably close to this place. We’re not sure why. We can only guess that they are looking for us. If they continue to search, it’s only a matter of time before they do.”

  I could see that she was genuinely concerned, but these people had remained hidden without contact with the outside world for what I assumed had been a very long time. There must have been other times in the past when strangers had strayed too close.

  “Has no one else ever found this place?”

  “Yes, there have been some. I don’t know how many, but from listening to the stories around the campfires I’ve only heard about a few. Fortunately, they turned out to be friends of the Anasazi and understood the importance of keeping them and this place a secret. One was the Territorial Indian Agent, who was here when the park was dedicated, and another was one of the Wetherill family, the first ranchers to graze their cattle in this area. Since the park was opened, there have only been two others who have learned the secret, the two Rangers overseeing the park property. They knew what would happen if this place was made public and used every means available to them to make sure the Anasazi were left alone to live their lives as they always had, or as close to it as possible. The Anasazi are becoming more aware all the time that the world is changing outside their valley. It’s probably inevitable that they will be discovered, but it needs to be postponed as long as possible.”

  “What do you think I can do?” I asked, still confused about what she expected from me.

  “Help us.”

  “How? Why haven’t you gone to the Ranger? I’m sure Baker or Emitt either one would be glad to keep your secret. If you trust me, you can trust them. You mentioned that two Rangers know about them. Is Emitt one of them?”

  “Yes, he is, but that’s not the issue. I haven’t had a chance to ask him.”

  “Why not?”

  “He hasn’t come close enough.”

  “I don’t understand. I can take you to the Ranger’s station ri
ght now. We’ll find Baker and let her know. Maybe she’ll have some ideas.”

  “No. That’s not possible. I have to stay within the Restricted Area, the fenced area. I am that girl who disappeared in this area ten years ago. I was hiking in this area. Even though I knew I wasn’t supposed to. I had an accident and these people found me. They took care of me and nursed me back to health.”

  “And you’ve been here ever since?”

  “Yes. Now, I can’t leave, at least not without consequences.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I don’t understand completely myself, but believe me when I say I can’t leave. They have told me that I can’t.”

  “Have they threatened you?”

  “No, it’s not like that at all. They would never harm me. It’s more of a warning for my protection. I trust them and believe what they tell me.”

  “So, you don’t really know what would happen if you tried to leave?”

  “I have no desire or reason to leave. Everything I need is right here. We all have everything we need, but now we need outside help. Your help.”

  “I’m not sure what you want me to do, but I’ll do what I can.”

  “There is something else. There is a spring in this canyon. The water from the spring has special properties. How old would you say that old woman over there is?”

  “Around seventy years old?”

  “I’d say more like 170 years old.”

  I knew that was impossible, but I played along. “That would make you… “

  “I do not drink the water, but I am told it would have no effect on me,” she said. “But to the Anasazi it is the spring of life or if you prefer, a fountain of youth. It is the one element that has sustained them through the years. Without it they would die.”