Tawana Yazzie glanced up at the clock above the phone. It was almost nine at night.  A long black cloud crept over the western horizon late that afternoon and stole up - in the teeth of a brisk wind. It blotted out the sun, making it seem much later than it was.

Her mother, Rita, had a job as a waitress in a bar a short distance away and was working when she wasn't at the bingo parlor or some seedy joint with one of her socalled friends. And her dad was at the mine office a few miles north of the reserve.  He said it would be late that night when he got home. He still hadn't finished his monthly reports and they were already due on the superintendent's desk.

Once that was done, he talked about moving the family to a trailer on mine property closer to his work. He didn't like the idea of having the kids alone and he was never sure when Rita would be home, or if she would be home at all. Yet, Tawana knew that one reason he hadn't moved his family was their mother's reluctance to leave the reserve. She had heard them arguing about it more times than she cared to remember.

Their mother claimed she didn't want to leave her parents, but that seemed strange to Tawana. She never seemed to think of grandma and grandpa when some guy came by with a bottle of whiskey and a few dollars in his pockets that he was itching to spend.

Like now. She hadn't been home for a week and probably wouldn't show up until her new friend was broke and she had the shakes and a headache that wouldn't quit. She often wondered why their dad put up with it, but he said he had a hand in getting her that way and he was praying that she would change, the way he had.

Tawana paused just outside the door, turning the weak beam of the flashlight on the bush across from their home just inside the reserve. She glanced uneasily toward the western horizon. Lightning drove a flaming arrow toward the trees, followed by a sharp crack of thunder.

Darkness was gathering fast as the clouds moved higher. She wished her dad had thought to get new batteries for the flashlight when he went to the store earlier that day, but she couldn't think about that at the moment. But, no matter. It wasn't far to the Broucher home. She pulled her sweater tighter about her neck and started up the path toward the government nurse's home.

Robert and Louis, who had been mending a net until darkness stopped them, looked up as they heard the door slam behind her.

"Are you going somewhere, Tawana?" her older brother asked.

"Just over to see Mrs. Broucher. When we move I may not get over there very often."

"It's going to rain."

She made a face at him. Why was it that older brothers were so bossy? He asked her more questions than their dad ever did when she was going somewhere. "I'm not going to stay that long," she explained, her voice tightening. "I just want to talk to her."

"Why don't you wait until tomorrow?"

"I'm just going to see Mrs. Broucher," she retorted, her voice telling them to mind their own business.

Louis wasn't so bad, but Robert acted as though he was her dad, or worse. He wanted to know where she was going, who she'd be with, and when she'd be back. She supposed she shouldn't get upset with him. He just wanted to be sure that she didn't have any problems, but it did get old having her brother act as though he was her dad.

"Dad wants us to finish packing as soon as we can."

"Nobody's doing any packing tonight that I can see," she retorted, her temper building.

"I'm finished here. Want me to go with you?"

"No, I don't want you to go with me," Tawana snapped, continuing up the path to the Broucher home. "I think I can find my way over there and back without getting lost." She started down the path toward the Broucher house. "I'll be back soon enough to please you," she called over her shoulder.

The worst thing about leaving the reserve was being away from Evelyn Broucher and the girls in their Bible club. There was the club the boys were in, too, but they did not feel as close to each other as the girls did. They were just like family - maybe even closer than family. They shared secrets she never would have told Robert or Louis, or her dad.  She might have told her mother some of those things, but she was never around long enough, and she always made fun of Evelyn Broucher and the girls who met at her house once a week.

Yet, Tawana was glad that she had two brothers. In her heart she was glad Robert cared so much about her. He was always thinking about her, trying to look out for her.  She was only a year and a half younger than Robert and a whole two years older than Louis. If they would just give her a little credit for being able to take care of herself, it wouldn't be half so aggravating.

The rumble of thunder grew louder as she hurried toward the government building.  She couldn't stay too long or she'd get soaked going back home.

She rounded a sharp turn in the path when there was a rustling in the bush on either side of the narrow trail.  Startled, she stopped and looked to one side. At that instant the brush parted and two tall, gangling figures with long, scraggly hair sticking out from under their grimy ski masks, stepped out in front of her. They were taller than her older brother by several inches and had to be older, too. Robert was bigger than most of the guys his age.

"Going somewhere?" a coarse voice snarled.

Fear quickened the pounding of her heart as she tried to place the one talking to her and she flicked the yellow ray of the light toward him. She caught a glimpse of his lean, muscular forearm before he knocked the flashlight out of her hand.

That voice was vaguely familiar, but she couldn't find a name for its owner. She had the distinct impression that whoever it was, tried to disguise his voice. In spite of her fear she glared defiantly at the one staring at her. "Get out of my way!" she ordered.

"Now don't be that way. It was real good of you to come along. My friend and I think you're sort of special. A little too 'goody-goody,' but we'll soon take that out of you."

       He grasped her arm, but she jerked away.

"You don't need to think you're so high and mighty," his companion broke in, hoarsely.  "We aren't going to hurt you. We just want you to be nice to us. That's right! Real nice!"

The color drained from her cheeks and her heart pounded fiercely against her ribs. She wanted to scream but for the moment, she could not make a sound.

"Speak for yourself!" the taller one retorted. "Take me!  I like a girl who's got some spunk. You appreciate it more when you have to fight for it."

His friend grasped her arm and pulled her close. She slapped him so hard with her free hand- that she broke his grip.

The tall one laughed. "When I saw that she's the lucky one I told you she'd be hard to get"

"Come here you little witch!  I don't want to hurt you," he laughed. "I like 'em when they're feisty."

He grabbed for her a second time. That time her terror found voice. She screamed.  Her shrill voice echoed above the continuing whine of the wind.

"Yell all you want to! That won't do you any good! We know your dad can't hear you! It's lucky for us that he's working at the mine!"

She yelled a third time, and whirled to run, but they were too fast for her. The shorter one grabbed her and threw her to the ground while his tall friend tore at her clothes.

Back at the house Robert heard her piercing cry.

"That's Tawana!" he cried. "Come on!"

Both boys dashed through the brush in response to her screech for help.

"You little fool! You'll pay for that!" Her larger assailant clamped his hand over her mouth and she bit him so hard she drew blood!

"I'll make you sorry you did that!" he growled, cursing angrily.

By that time Tawana's brothers were crashing through the bush in an effort to get to their sister.

"Let's get out of here. Somebody's coming!"

"It's just those half-baked brothers of hers!"

At that instant Robert burst through the bush and grabbed the tall one's collar, jerking him away from their sister. Louis was half a step behind him. He reached out and grabbed the tall one's sweater and yanked him off balance. He swore violently as he struggled to his feet. Louis attacked again, kicking him so hard he knocked him backward to the ground where he lay momentarily, fighting for breath.

"Run!" Robert shouted to Tawana.  "Run!  Run!"

His order wasn't necessary. By that time Tawana was dashing down the path to the nurse's home.

"Get her!" the short one shouted. "Don't let her get away!" The words caught in his throat as Robert hit him, his knuckles splitting the attacker's chin.  Snarling with rage, one of Tawana's assailants swung hard at Robert Yazzie. The next blow sent Robert reeling backward.  He caught his heel on a fallen branch and sprawled on the ground.  His adversary was on him in an instant. He kicked him savagely on the shoulder and sharp pains stabbed up into his neck. "I'll teach you to mess with me!" With that he hauled Robert to his feet and hit him again.

The guy Louis was fighting knocked him down again, but as he stumbled backwards, he grasped the ski mask the big bruiser was wearing and ripped out a piece of it.  Young Yazzie stared at the older boy, but he was hit savagely in the nose.

The blow was so hard it knocked Louis back to the hard ground. With that his attacker broke off the fight and vanished into the bush. The younger boy lay there, panting heavily and reached up to see if his nose was still there. It was only then that he realized he had a piece of the ski mask in his hand.

While that was taking place, Tawana dashed blindly through the bush to the nurse's home where she burst through the door without knocking.

Evelyn heard her wild screams and ran to the door as she came in.

"What is it? What's wrong.?"

It was a full minute before she could tell them what had happened to her.

"Are you all right?"

She nodded hesitantly. "I'm fine, but I don't know how Robert and Louis are. Whoever grabbed me is a lot bigger than they are. I'm afraid they're getting beaten up something terrible."

"Jim!" Evelyn called to her husband. He pulled on his sweater and hurried to where Tawana told him the attack took place. He was almost there when he met the Yazzie boys.

"You guys look like you've been in fight."

"How's Tawana?"

"She's fine."

"You're sure?" Robert persisted.

"Of course I'm sure." He directed the beam of his flashlight at the boys. "She's all right, but I'm not so sure you guys are. You look like you've tangled with a couple of timber wolves. I was going over to talk to your dad.  He'll have

to know about this, but I think I'll phone him.  Is he home?"

Robert shook his head. "He had some reports he had to get out, so he's working late tonight."

"I can call him there."

They went into the Broucher place with Jim, and Evelyn treated their cuts and bruises while her husband called their dad at the mine.

"I'll be right there!" He jammed the phone into its cradle as Jim Broucher hung up.

While that was going on, the government nurse examined Tawana's brothers.

"You've got to have some stitches in your face, Robert," she said. "And Louis, I'm afraid your nose is broken."

Tawana was sitting on the couch alone, her shoulders jerking convulsively and tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

"Are you all right?" Evelyn Broucher asked softly.

"I - I guess so." There was a short silence.

"What about your mother?"

Tawana hesitated. "Sometimes she comes home and sometimes she doesn't." She paused uneasily. "I guess I'd just as well tell you. She hasn't been home for a week."

"I was afraid of that. I want you to stay here until your dad gets home. I don't think you kids should be alone, even until your dad gets there," Evelyn told them.

"I'm not afraid of those guys!" Louis muttered under his breath.

"Maybe you aren't," Jim Broucher said, "but you ought to be." It was then that he saw the piece of ski mask sticking out of young Yazzie's pocket. "What's that?" he asked.

Louis grinned. "The guy I was fighting with was wearing a ski mask. That's a piece of it."

"That's something Sterling will want to have."

"Those guys warned us they'd be after us if we told anyone what happened."

"You don't want them to attack some other girl," Robert said. "If they aren't caught, they'll try the same thing with someone else, and whoever it is might not have anyone to stop them."

"I never thought of that," Louis said. "I was just thinking about the trouble you and I had." He paused. "Do you think that piece of ski mask might help find the guilty guys?"

"It might," Jim told him, "but one of the stores in Prince Albert had a whole table full of those ski masks at a closeout price last winter. There's probably a couple of dozen around here. And some of those were made by women on the reserve. Still, Sterling will probably want to see what you have."

"I think he was wearing a sweater something like it," Louis added, "but I'm not sure."