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PART IV
THE ANCIENT PEOPLE
I
THE San Francisco Mountain lies in Northern Arizona；
above Flagstaff； and its blue slopes and snowy summit
entice the eye for a hundred miles across the desert。 About
its base lie the pine forests of the Navajos； where the great
red…trunked trees live out their peaceful centuries in that
sparkling air。 The PINONS and scrub begin only where the
forest ends； where the country breaks into open； stony
clearings and the surface of the earth cracks into deep can…
yons。 The great pines stand at a considerable distance from
each other。 Each tree grows alone； murmurs alone； thinks
alone。 They do not intrude upon each other。 The Navajos
are not much in the habit of giving or of asking help。 Their
language is not a communicative one； and they never
attempt an interchange of personality in speech。 Over
their forests there is the same inexorable reserve。 Each
tree has its exalted power to bear。
That was the first thing Thea Kronborg felt about the
forest； as she drove through it one May morning in Henry
Biltmer's democrat wagonand it was the first great
forest she had ever seen。 She had got off the train at Flag…
staff that morning； rolled off into the high； chill air when
all the pines on the mountain were fired by sunrise； so that
she seemed to fall from sleep directly into the forest。
Old Biltmer followed a faint wagon trail which ran south…
east； and which； as they traveled； continually dipped lower；
falling away from the high plateau on the slope of which
Flagstaff sits。 The white peak of the mountain； the snow
gorges above the timber； now disappeared from time to
time as the road dropped and dropped； and the forest closed
behind the wagon。 More than the mountain disappeared
as the forest closed thus。 Thea seemed to be taking very
little through the wood with her。 The personality of which
she was so tired seemed to let go of her。 The high； spark…
ling air drank it up like blotting…paper。 It was lost in the
thrilling blue of the new sky and the song of the thin wind
in the PINONS。 The old； fretted lines which marked one off；
which defined her；made her Thea Kronborg； Bowers's
accompanist； a soprano with a faulty middle voice；were
all erased。
So far she had failed。 Her two years in Chicago had not
resulted in anything。 She had failed with Harsanyi； and
she had made no great progress with her voice。 She had
come to believe that whatever Bowers had taught her was
of secondary importance； and that in the essential things
she had made no advance。 Her student life closed behind
her； like the forest； and she doubted whether she could
go back to it if she tried。 Probably she would teach music
in little country towns all her life。 Failure was not so tragic
as she would have supposed； she was tired enough not to
care。
She was getting back to the earliest sources of gladness
that she could remember。 She had loved the sun； and the
brilliant solitudes of sand and sun； long before these other
things had come along to fasten themselves upon her and
torment her。 That night； when she clambered into her big
German feather bed； she felt completely released from the
enslaving desire to get on in the world。 Darkness had once
again the sweet wonder that it had in childhood。
II
THEA'S life at the Ottenburg ranch was simple and full
of light； like the days themselves。 She awoke every
morning when the first fierce shafts of sunlight darted
through the curtainless windows of her room at the ranch
house。 After breakfast she took her lunch…basket and went
down to the canyon。 Usually she did not return until
sunset。
Panther Canyon was like a thousand othersone of
those abrupt fissures with which the earth in the Southwest
is riddled； so abrupt that you might walk over the edge of
any one of them on a dark night and never know what had
happened to you。 This canyon headed on the Ottenburg
ranch； about a mile from the ranch house； and it was acces…
sible only at its head。 The canyon walls； for the first two
hundred feet below the surface； were perpendicular cliffs；
striped with even…running strata of rock。 From there on
to the bottom the sides were less abrupt； were shelving；
and lightly fringed with PINONS and dwarf cedars。 The
effect was that of a gentler canyon within a wilder one。
The dead city lay at the point where the perpendicular
outer wall ceased and the V…shaped inner gorge began。
There a stratum of rock； softer than those above； had
been hollowed out by the action of time until it was like
a deep groove running along the sides of the canyon。 In
this hollow （like a great fold in the rock） the Ancient
People had built their houses of yellowish stone and mor…
tar。 The over…hanging cliff above made a roof two hun…
dred feet thick。 The hard stratum below was an ever…
lasting floor。 The houses stood along in a row； like the
buildings in a city block； or like a barracks。
In both walls of the canyon the same streak of soft rock
had been washed out； and the long horizontal groove had
been built up with houses。 The dead city had thus two
streets； one set in either cliff； facing each other across the
ravine； with a river of blue air between them。
The canyon twisted and wound like a snake； and these
two streets went on for four miles or more； interrupted by
the abrupt turnings of the gorge； but beginning again
within each turn。 The canyon had a dozen of these false
endings near its head。 Beyond； the windings were larger
and less perceptible； and it went on for a hundred miles；
too narrow； precipitous； and terrible for man to follow it。
The Cliff Dwellers liked wide canyons； where the great
cliffs caught the sun。 Panther Canyon had been deserted
for hundreds of years when the first Spanish missionaries
came into Arizona； but the masonry of the houses was
still wonderfully firm； had crumbled only where a landslide
or a rolling boulder had torn it。
All the houses in the canyon were clean with the clean…
ness of sun…baked； wind…swept places； and they all smelled
of the tough little cedars that twisted themselves into the
very doorways。 One of these rock…rooms Thea took for her
own。 Fred had told her how to make it comfortable。 The
day after she came old Henry brought over on one of the
pack…ponies a roll of Navajo blankets that belonged to
Fred； and Thea lined her cave with them。 The room was
not more than eight by ten feet； and she could touch the
stone roof with her finger…tips。 This was her old idea： a
nest in a high cliff； full of sun。 All morning long the sun
beat upon her cliff； while the ruins on the opposite side of
the canyon were in shadow。 In the afternoon； when she
had the shade of two hundred feet of rock wall； the ruins
on the other side of the gulf stood out in the blazing sun…
light。 Before her door ran the narrow； winding path that
had been the street of the Ancient People。 The yucca and
niggerhead cactus grew everywhere。 From her doorstep
she looked out on the ocher…colored slope that ran down