The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-12-08
% LOST EM;a,
Z KINGDOM Ngys1
- CoV,-s SsA s.~e. he ,N EX III
49,. Sy oRsN ARNOLD coO,r.sS, 1907. SsA s.~%. loe VI

lived up there for protection.
They farmed this valley, which
has some springs in it; and the
river courses on the other side of
the cliff near our camp, remem-
Der? But enemies came raiding.
They killed most of the other cliff
dwellerS, or took off the girls to
be slaves. Probably the enemies
were YaquiS, or Apaches.
This castle, though, was hard
est 70 attack, because it was so
high and hard to get al"
Then what happened. Bob"
The girl was intensely Interested,
These people, | mean their an
cestorS, made smart move. They
destroyed their front ladders,
such as We built, abandoned their
cliff home. and came into this
hidden valley to live. The enemies
didn't know about this valley,
and there was enough rich soil
here TO support the few surviving
cliff people. See"
Yes, but wouldn't the raiders
find this valley in time?"
mo. they didn't. The raiders
didn't live in this area. They
came in from many miles away.
When they thought all the cliff
people had been killed or fled,
they ceased coming
But Rob. why haven't white
people found it? You say it's new
10 science, and these people are
living rs they did 500 years ago"
Look around us, LISA. he
the great cliffs - there? And
there? And on all sides? This
really is a wide box canyon. a
Shut-in valley. As you know, this
part Of the Mexican border is
very spayScly populated anyway.
Few travellers would ever have
cause 10 get over here. If one
happened along, or if an aviator
saw this valley and village, he
likely would think it some OBJ
Scurc Mexican settlement of no
This may actually be
in Mexico; | don't know exactly
where the international line is
along here. Remember we are
many miles from any white town.
SO YOU see. sweetheart, we have
really stumbled onto a lost king
dom"
II was all sort Of fantastic. but
il made sense. The Lost People
Bob formally named them that
were indeed a turn-back of the
human calendar. Their kingdom
would be a microscopic point on
the vast map of the United States
or of Mexico. And by a freak of
geography and circumstance, they
had remained completely isolated
from all the rest of the world,
unknown TO 1T, and 1t unknown
to them. Probably it could have
happened nowhere else in North
America save in this arid. almost
unknown southwest.
The box canyon would be one
of 10000 spots in the maze of
mountains that make up Arizona,
old and New Mexico. With a
stream for irrigation and for
drinking, the Lost People had ex-
listed here in a long self-suffi-
cheney, a tiny utopia in its way,
gentlcfo!k who through many
peaceful generations had lost
their fear of enemies and their
inclination TO travel or expand.
They were content TO live and
rest here, Jealous worshipers of
the sun.
AT least that's the best | can
do at interpreting the story old
whatshisname told me-" Bob con-
cludcd, 10 Melissa. Except for
one rather important thing. In
fact. / think it's extremely inn
portant to you and me. Melissa"
What is it, Bob? What did he
say about u.s."
"Why these Lost People think
we're messengers from their god,
the Sun. We're pretty important,
dcmi gods or something. We
brought them watch. yellow and
shiny. a piece Of the sun, as you
observed Now they beg us not
TO destroy them, not to reveal
them 10 their ancient enemies
outside. See?"
"Oh. ! can't imagine all this. |
Just cant, Bob. II wouldn't be
possible. if it weren't true"
Check, | agree. But here we
are. Facts are facts. They never