CHAPTER1
　　ANotUnnaturalEnterpriseThisiswrittenfrommemory，unfortunately。IfIcouldhavebroughtwithmethematerialIsocarefullyprepared，thiswouldbeaverydifferentstory。Wholebooksfullofnotes，carefullycopiedrecords，firsthanddescriptions，andthepictures——that’stheworstloss。Wehadsomebird’s—eyesofthecitiesandparks;
　　alotoflovelyviewsofstreets，ofbuildings，outsideandin，andsomeofthosegorgeousgardens，and，mostimportantofall，ofthewomenthemselves。
　　Nobodywilleverbelievehowtheylooked。Descriptionsaren’tanygoodwhenitcomestowomen，andIneverwasgoodatdescriptionsanyhow。Butit’sgottobedonesomehow;therestoftheworldneedstoknowaboutthatcountry。
　　Ihaven’tsaidwhereitwasforfearsomeself—appointedmissionaries，ortraders，orland—greedyexpansionists，willtakeituponthemselvestopushin。Theywillnotbewanted，Icantellthemthat，andwillfareworsethanwedidiftheydofindit。
　　Itbeganthisway。Therewerethreeofus，classmatesandfriends——TerryO。Nicholson（weusedtocallhimtheOldNick，withgoodreason），JeffMargrave，andI，VandyckJennings。
　　Wehadknowneachotheryearsandyears，andinspiteofourdifferenceswehadagooddealincommon。Allofuswereinterestedinscience。
　　Terrywasrichenoughtodoashepleased。Hisgreataimwasexploration。Heusedtomakeallkindsofarowbecausetherewasnothinglefttoexplorenow，onlypatchworkandfillingin，hesaid。Hefilledinwellenough——hehadalotoftalents——greatonmechanicsandelectricity。Hadallkindsofboatsandmotorcars，andwasoneofthebestofourairmen。
　　WenevercouldhavedonethethingatallwithoutTerry。
　　JeffMargravewasborntobeapoet，abotanist——orboth——buthisfolkspersuadedhimtobeadoctorinstead。Hewasagoodone，forhisage，buthisrealinterestwasinwhathelovedtocall"thewondersofscience。"
　　Asforme，sociology’smymajor。Youhavetobackthatupwithalotofothersciences，ofcourse。I’minterestedinthemall。
　　Terrywasstrongonfacts——geographyandmeteorologyandthose;Jeffcouldbeathimanytimeonbiology，andIdidn’tcarewhatitwastheytalkedabout，solongasitconnectedwithhumanlife，somehow。Therearefewthingsthatdon’t。
　　Wethreehadachancetojoinabigscientificexpedition。Theyneededadoctor，andthatgaveJeffanexcusefordroppinghisjustopeningpractice;theyneededTerry’sexperience，hismachine，andhismoney;andasforme，IgotinthroughTerry’sinfluence。
　　Theexpeditionwasupamongthethousandtributariesandenormoushinterlandofagreatriver，upwherethemapshadtobemade，savagedialectsstudied，andallmannerofstrangefloraandfaunaexpected。
　　Butthisstoryisnotaboutthatexpedition。Thatwasonlythemereststarterforours。
　　Myinterestwasfirstrousedbytalkamongourguides。I’mquickatlanguages，knowagoodmany，andpickthemupreadily。
　　Whatwiththatandareallygoodinterpreterwetookwithus，Imadeoutquiteafewlegendsandfolkmythsofthesescatteredtribes。
　　Andaswegotfartherandfartherupstream，inadarktangleofrivers，lakes，morasses，anddenseforests，withhereandthereanunexpectedlongspurrunningoutfromthebigmountainsbeyond，InoticedthatmoreandmoreofthesesavageshadastoryaboutastrangeandterribleWomanLandinthehighdistance。
　　"Upyonder，""Overthere，""Wayup"——wasallthedirectiontheycouldoffer，buttheirlegendsallagreedonthemainpoint——thattherewasthisstrangecountrywherenomenlived——onlywomenandgirlchildren。
　　Noneofthemhadeverseenit。Itwasdangerous，deadly，theysaid，foranymantogothere。Butthereweretalesoflongago，whensomebraveinvestigatorhadseenit——aBigCountry，BigHouses，PlentyPeople——AllWomen。
　　Hadnooneelsegone？Yes——agoodmany——buttheynevercameback。Itwasnoplaceformen——ofthattheyseemedsure。
　　Itoldtheboysaboutthesestories，andtheylaughedatthem。
　　NaturallyIdidmyself。Iknewthestuffthatsavagedreamsaremadeof。
　　Butwhenwehadreachedourfarthestpoint，justthedaybeforeweallhadtoturnaroundandstartforhomeagain，asthebestofexpeditionsmustintime，wethreemadeadiscovery。
　　Themainencampmentwasonaspitoflandrunningoutintothemainstream，orwhatwethoughtwasthemainstream。Ithadthesamemuddycolorwehadbeenseeingforweekspast，thesametaste。
　　Ihappenedtospeakofthatrivertoourlastguide，arathersuperiorfellowwithquick，brighteyes。
　　Hetoldmethattherewasanotherriver——"overthere，shortriver，sweetwater，redandblue。"
　　IwasinterestedinthisandanxioustoseeifIhadunderstood，soIshowedhimaredandbluepencilIcarried，andaskedagain。
　　Yes，hepointedtotheriver，andthentothesouthwestward。
　　"River——goodwater——redandblue。"
　　Terrywasclosebyandinterestedinthefellow’spointing。
　　"Whatdoeshesay，Van？"
　　Itoldhim。
　　Terryblazedupatonce。
　　"Askhimhowfaritis。"
　　Themanindicatedashortjourney;Ijudgedabouttwohours，maybethree。
　　"Let’sgo，"urgedTerry。"Justusthree。Maybewecanreallyfindsomething。Maybecinnabarinit。"
　　"Maybeindigo，"Jeffsuggested，withhislazysmile。
　　Itwasearlyyet;wehadjustbreakfasted;andleavingwordthatwe’dbebackbeforenight，wegotawayquietly，notwishingtobethoughttoogullibleifwefailed，andsecretlyhopingtohavesomenicelittlediscoveryalltoourselves。
　　Itwasalongtwohours，nearerthree。Ifancythesavagecouldhavedoneitalonemuchquicker。Therewasadesperatetangleofwoodandwaterandaswampypatchwenevershouldhavefoundourwayacrossalone。Buttherewasone，andIcouldseeTerry，withcompassandnotebook，markingdirectionsandtryingtoplacelandmarks。
　　Wecameafterawhiletoasortofmarshylake，verybig，sothatthecirclingforestlookedquitelowanddimacrossit。Ourguidetoldusthatboatscouldgofromtheretoourcamp——but"longway——allday。"
　　Thiswaterwassomewhatclearerthanthatwehadleft，butwecouldnotjudgewellfromthemargin。Weskirteditforanotherhalfhourorso，thegroundgrowingfirmerasweadvanced，andpresentlyweturnedthecornerofawoodedpromontoryandsawaquitedifferentcountry——asuddenviewofmountains，steepandbare。
　　"Oneofthoselongeasterlyspurs，"Terrysaidappraisingly。
　　"Maybehundredsofmilesfromtherange。Theycropoutlikethat。"
　　Suddenlyweleftthelakeandstruckdirectlytowardthecliffs。Weheardrunningwaterbeforewereachedit，andtheguidepointedproudlytohisriver。
　　Itwasshort。Wecouldseewhereitpoureddownanarrowverticalcataractfromanopeninginthefaceofthecliff。Itwassweetwater。Theguidedrankeagerlyandsodidwe。
　　"That’ssnowwater，"Terryannounced。"Mustcomefromwaybackinthehills。"
　　Butastobeingredandblue——itwasgreenishintint。Theguideseemednotatallsurprised。Hehuntedaboutalittleandshowedusaquietmarginalpoolwherethereweresmearsofredalongtheborder;yes，andofblue。
　　Terrygotouthismagnifyingglassandsquatteddowntoinvestigate。
　　"Chemicalsofsomesort——Ican’ttellonthespot。Looktomelikedyestuffs。Let’sgetnearer，"heurged，"uptherebythefall。"
　　Wescrambledalongthesteepbanksandgotclosetothepoolthatfoamedandboiledbeneaththefallingwater。Herewesearchedtheborderandfoundtracesofcolorbeyonddispute。
　　More——Jeffsuddenlyheldupanunlooked—fortrophy。
　　Itwasonlyarag，along，raveledfragmentofcloth。Butitwasawell—wovenfabric，withapattern，andofaclearscarletthatthewaterhadnotfaded。Nosavagetribethatwehadheardofmadesuchfabrics。
　　Theguidestoodserenelyonthebank，wellpleasedwithourexcitement。
　　"Onedayblue——onedayred——onedaygreen，"hetoldus，andpulledfromhispouchanotherstripofbright—huedcloth。
　　"Comedown，"hesaid，pointingtothecataract。"WomanCountry——upthere。"
　　Thenwewereinterested。Wehadourrestandlunchrightthereandpumpedthemanforfurtherinformation。Hecouldtellusonlywhattheothershad——alandofwomen——nomen——babies，butallgirls。Noplaceformen——dangerous。Somehadgonetosee——nonehadcomeback。
　　IcouldseeTerry’sjawsetatthat。Noplaceformen？
　　Dangerous？Helookedasifhemightshinupthewaterfallonthespot。
　　Buttheguidewouldnothearofgoingup，eveniftherehadbeenanypossiblemethodofscalingthatsheercliff，andwehadtogetbacktoourpartybeforenight。
　　"Theymightstayifwetoldthem，"Isuggested。
　　ButTerrystoppedinhistracks。"Lookhere，fellows，"hesaid。
　　"Thisisourfind。Let’snottellthosecockyoldprofessors。Let’sgoonhomewith’em，andthencomeback——justus——havealittleexpeditionofourown。"
　　Welookedathim，muchimpressed。TherewassomethingattractivetoabunchofunattachedyoungmeninfindinganundiscoveredcountryofastrictlyAmazoniannature。
　　Ofcoursewedidn’tbelievethestory——butyet！
　　"Thereisnosuchclothmadebyanyoftheselocaltribes，"
　　Iannounced，examiningthoseragswithgreatcare。"Somewhereupyondertheyspinandweaveanddye——aswellaswedo。"
　　"Thatwouldmeanaconsiderablecivilization，Van。Therecouldn’tbesuchaplace——andnotknownabout。"
　　"Oh，well，Idon’tknow。What’sthatoldrepublicupinthePyreneessomewhere——Andorra？Preciousfewpeopleknowanythingaboutthat，andit’sbeenmindingitsownbusinessforathousandyears。Thenthere’sMontenegro——splendidlittlestate——youcouldloseadozenMontenegroesupanddownthesegreatranges。"
　　Wediscussedithotlyallthewaybacktocamp。Wediscusseditwithcareandprivacyonthevoyagehome。Wediscusseditafterthat，stillonlyamongourselves，whileTerrywasmakinghisarrangements。
　　Hewashotaboutit。Luckyhehadsomuchmoney——wemighthavehadtobegandadvertiseforyearstostartthething，andthenitwouldhavebeenamatterofpublicamusement——justsportforthepapers。
　　ButT。O。Nicholsoncouldfixuphisbigsteamyacht，loadhisspecially—madebigmotorboataboard，andtuckina"dissembled"
　　biplanewithoutanymorenoticethanasnipinthesocietycolumn。
　　Wehadprovisionsandpreventivesandallmannerofsupplies。
　　Hispreviousexperiencestoodhimingoodsteadthere。Itwasaverycompletelittleoutfit。
　　Weweretoleavetheyachtatthenearestsafeportandgoupthatendlessriverinourmotorboat，justthethreeofusandapilot;
　　thendropthepilotwhenwegottothatlaststoppingplaceofthepreviousparty，andhuntupthatclearwaterstreamourselves。
　　Themotorboatweweregoingtoleaveatanchorinthatwideshallowlake。Ithadaspecialcoveringoffittedarmor，thinbutstrong，shutuplikeaclamshell。
　　"Thosenativescan’tgetintoit，orhurtit，ormoveit，"Terryexplainedproudly。"We’llstartourflierfromthelakeandleavetheboatasabasetocomebackto。"
　　"Ifwecomeback，"Isuggestedcheerfully。
　　"`Fraidtheladieswilleatyou？"hescoffed。
　　"We’renotsosureaboutthoseladies，youknow，"drawledJeff。"Theremaybeacontingentofgentlemenwithpoisonedarrowsorsomething。"
　　"Youdon’tneedtogoifyoudon’twantto，"Terryremarkeddrily。
　　"Go？You’llhavetogetaninjunctiontostopme！"BothJeffandIweresureaboutthat。
　　Butwedidhavedifferencesofopinion，allthelongway。
　　Anoceanvoyageisanexcellenttimefordiscussion。Nowwehadnoeavesdroppers，wecouldlollandloafinourdeckchairsandtalkandtalk——therewasnothingelsetodo。Ourabsolutelackoffactsonlymadethefieldofdiscussionwider。
　　"We’llleavepaperswithourconsulwheretheyachtstays，"
　　Terryplanned。"Ifwedon’tcomebackin——sayamonth——theycansendareliefpartyafterus。"
　　"Apunitiveexpedition，"Iurged。"Iftheladiesdoeatuswemustmakereprisals。"
　　"Theycanlocatethatlaststoppingplaceeasyenough，andI’vemadeasortofchartofthatlakeandcliffandwaterfall。"
　　"Yes，buthowwilltheygetup？"askedJeff。
　　"Samewaywedo，ofcourse。IfthreevaluableAmericancitizensarelostupthere，theywillfollowsomehow——tosaynothingoftheglitteringattractionsofthatfairland——let’scallit`Feminisia，’"hebrokeoff。
　　"You’reright，Terry。Oncethestorygetsout，theriverwillcrawlwithexpeditionsandtheairshipsriselikeaswarmofmosquitoes。"
　　IlaughedasIthoughtofit。"We’vemadeagreatmistakenottoletMr。YellowPressinonthis。Saveus！Whatheadlines！"
　　"Notmuch！"saidTerrygrimly。"Thisisourparty。We’regoingtofindthatplacealone。"
　　"Whatareyougoingtodowithitwhenyoudofindit——ifyoudo？"Jeffaskedmildly。
　　Jeffwasatendersoul。Ithinkhethoughtthatcountry——iftherewasone——wasjustblossomingwithrosesandbabiesandcanariesandtidies，andallthatsortofthing。
　　AndTerry，inhissecretheart，hadvisionsofasortofsublimatedsummerresort——justGirlsandGirlsandGirls——andthathewasgoingtobe——well，Terrywaspopularamongwomenevenwhentherewereothermenaround，andit’snottobewonderedatthathehadpleasantdreamsofwhatmighthappen。Icouldseeitinhiseyesashelaythere，lookingatthelongbluerollersslippingby，andfingeringthatimpressivemustacheofhis。
　　ButIthought——then——thatIcouldformafarclearerideaofwhatwasbeforeusthaneitherofthem。
　　"You’realloff，boys，"Iinsisted。"Ifthereissuchaplace——andtheredoesseemsomefoundationforbelievingit——you’llfindit’sbuiltonasortofmatriarchalprinciple，that’sall。Themenhaveaseparatecultoftheirown，lesssociallydevelopedthanthewomen，andmakethemanannualvisit——asortofweddingcall。
　　Thisisaconditionknowntohaveexisted——here’sjustasurvival。
　　They’vegotsomepeculiarlyisolatedvalleyortablelandupthere，andtheirprimevalcustomshavesurvived。That’sallthereistoit。"
　　"Howabouttheboys？"Jeffasked。
　　"Oh，thementakethemawayassoonastheyarefiveorsix，yousee。"
　　"Andhowaboutthisdangertheoryallourguidesweresosureof？"
　　"Dangerenough，Terry，andwe’llhavetobemightycareful。
　　Womenofthatstageofculturearequiteabletodefendthemselvesandhavenowelcomeforunseasonablevisitors。"
　　Wetalkedandtalked。
　　AndwithallmyairsofsociologicalsuperiorityIwasnonearerthananyofthem。
　　Itwasfunnythough，inthelightofwhatwedidfind，thoseextremelyclearideasofoursastowhatacountryofwomenwouldbelike。Itwasnousetotellourselvesandoneanotherthatallthiswasidlespeculation。Wewereidleandwedidspeculate，ontheoceanvoyageandtherivervoyage，too。
　　"Admittingtheimprobability，"we’dbeginsolemnly，andthenlaunchoutagain。
　　"Theywouldfightamongthemselves，"Terryinsisted。
　　"Womenalwaysdo。Wemustn’tlooktofindanysortoforderandorganization。"
　　"You’redeadwrong，"Jefftoldhim。"Itwillbelikeanunneryunderanabbess——apeaceful，harmonioussisterhood。"
　　Isnortedderisionatthisidea。
　　"Nuns，indeed！Yourpeacefulsisterhoodswereallcelibate，Jeff，andundervowsofobedience。Thesearejustwomen，andmothers，andwherethere’smotherhoodyoudon’tfindsisterhood——notmuch。"
　　"No，sir——they’llscrap，"agreedTerry。"Alsowemustn’tlookforinventionsandprogress;it’llbeawfullyprimitive。"
　　"Howaboutthatclothmill？"Jeffsuggested。
　　"Oh，cloth！Womenhavealwaysbeenspinsters。Buttheretheystop——you’llsee。"
　　WejokedTerryabouthismodestimpressionthathewouldbewarmlyreceived，butheheldhisground。
　　"You’llsee，"heinsisted。"I’llgetsolidwiththemall——andplayonebunchagainstanother。I’llgetmyselfelectedkinginnotime——whew！Solomonwillhavetotakeabackseat！"
　　"Wheredowecomeinonthatdeal？"Idemanded。"Aren’tweViziersoranything？"
　　"Couldn’triskit，"heassertedsolemnly。"Youmightstartarevolution——probablywould。No，you’llhavetobebeheaded，orbowstrung——orwhateverthepopularmethodofexecutionis。"
　　"You’dhavetodoityourself，remember，"grinnedJeff。"Nohuskyblackslavesandmamelukes！Andthere’dbetwoofusandonlyoneofyou——eh，Van？"
　　Jeff’sideasandTerry’sweresofarapartthatsometimesitwasallIcoulddotokeepthepeacebetweenthem。JeffidealizedwomeninthebestSouthernstyle。Hewasfullofchivalryandsentiment，andallthat。Andhewasagoodboy;heliveduptohisideals。
　　YoumightsayTerrydid，too，ifyoucancallhisviewsaboutwomenanythingsopoliteasideals。IalwayslikedTerry。Hewasaman’sman，verymuchso，generousandbraveandclever;butIdon’tthinkanyofusincollegedayswasquitepleasedtohavehimwithoursisters。Weweren’tverystringent，heavensno！ButTerrywas"thelimit。"Lateron——why，ofcourseaman’slifeishisown，weheld，andaskednoquestions。
　　Butbarringapossibleexceptioninfavorofanotimpossiblewife，orofhismother，or，ofcourse，thefairrelativesofhisfriends，Terry’sideaseemedtobethatprettywomenwerejustsomuchgameandhomelyonesnotworthconsidering。
　　Itwasreallyunpleasantsometimestoseethenotionshehad。
　　ButIgotoutofpatiencewithJeff，too。Hehadsuchrose—
　　coloredhalosonhiswomenfolks。Iheldamiddleground，highlyscientific，ofcourse，andusedtoarguelearnedlyaboutthephysiologicallimitationsofthesex。
　　Wewerenotintheleast"advanced"onthewomanquestion，anyofus，then。
　　Sowejokedanddisputedandspeculated，andafteraninterminablejourney，wegottoouroldcampingplaceatlast。
　　Itwasnothardtofindtheriver，justpokingalongthatsidetillwecametoit，anditwasnavigableasfarasthelake。
　　Whenwereachedthatandslidoutonitsbroadglisteningbosom，withthathighgraypromontoryrunningouttowardus，andthestraightwhitefallclearlyvisible，itbegantobereallyexciting。
　　Therewassometalk，eventhen，ofskirtingtherockwallandseekingapossiblefootwayup，butthemarshyjunglemadethatmethodlooknotonlydifficultbutdangerous。
　　Terrydismissedtheplansharply。
　　"Nonsense，fellows！We’vedecidedthat。Itmighttakemonths——wehaven’tgottheprovisions。No，sir——we’vegottotakeourchances。Ifwegetbacksafe——allright。Ifwedon’t，why，we’renotthefirstexplorerstogetlostintheshuffle。Thereareplentytocomeafterus。"
　　Sowegotthebigbiplanetogetherandloadeditwithourscientificallycompressedbaggage：thecamera，ofcourse;theglasses;asupplyofconcentratedfood。Ourpocketsweremagazinesofsmallnecessities，andwehadourguns，ofcourse——
　　therewasnoknowingwhatmighthappen。
　　Upandupandupwesailed，wayupatfirst，toget"thelayoftheland"andmakenoteofit。
　　Outofthatdarkgreenseaofcrowdingforestthishigh—
　　standingspurrosesteeply。Itranbackoneitherside，apparently，tothefar—offwhite—crownedpeaksinthedistance，themselvesprobablyinaccessible。
　　"Let’smakethefirsttripgeographical，"Isuggested。
　　"Spyouttheland，anddropbackhereformoregasoline。
　　Withyourtremendousspeedwecanreachthatrangeandbackallright。Thenwecanleaveasortofmaponboard——
　　forthatreliefexpedition。"
　　"There’ssenseinthat，"Terryagreed。"I’llputoffbeingkingofLadylandforonemoreday。"
　　Sowemadealongskirtingvoyage，turnedthepointofthecapewhichwascloseby，ranuponesideofthetriangleatourbestspeed，crossedoverthebasewhereitleftthehighermountains，andsobacktoourlakebymoonlight。
　　"That’snotabadlittlekingdom，"weagreedwhenitwasroughlydrawnandmeasured。Wecouldtellthesizefairlybyourspeed。Andfromwhatwecouldseeofthesides——andthaticyridgeatthebackend——"It’saprettyenterprisingsavagewhowouldmanagetogetintoit，"Jeffsaid。
　　Ofcoursewehadlookedatthelanditself——eagerly，butweweretoohighandgoingtoofasttoseemuch。Itappearedtobewellforestedabouttheedges，butintheinteriortherewerewideplains，andeverywhereparklikemeadowsandopenplaces。
　　Therewerecities，too;thatIinsisted。Itlooked——well，itlookedlikeanyothercountry——acivilizedone，Imean。
　　Wehadtosleepafterthatlongsweepthroughtheair，butweturnedoutearlyenoughnextday，andagainwerosesoftlyuptheheighttillwecouldtopthecrowningtreesandseethebroadfairlandatourpleasure。
　　"Semitropical。Lookslikeafirst—rateclimate。It’swonderfulwhatalittleheightwilldofortemperature。"Terrywasstudyingtheforestgrowth。
　　"Littleheight！Isthatwhatyoucalllittle？"Iasked。Ourinstrumentsmeasureditclearly。Wehadnotrealizedthelonggentlerisefromthecoastperhaps。
　　"Mightyluckypieceofland，Icallit，"Terrypursued。
　　"Nowforthefolks——I’vehadenoughscenery。"
　　Sowesailedlow，crossingbackandforth，quarteringthecountryaswewent，andstudyingit。Wesaw——Ican’tremembernowhowmuchofthiswenotedthenandhowmuchwassupplementedbyourlaterknowledge，butwecouldnothelpseeingthismuch，evenonthatexcitedday——alandinastateofperfectcultivation，whereeventheforestslookedasiftheywerecaredfor;alandthatlookedlikeanenormouspark，onlyitwasevenmoreevidentlyanenormousgarden。
　　"Idon’tseeanycattle，"Isuggested，butTerrywassilent。Wewereapproachingavillage。
　　Iconfessthatwepaidsmallattentiontotheclean，well—builtroads，totheattractivearchitecture，totheorderedbeautyofthelittletown。Wehadourglassesout;evenTerry，settinghismachineforaspiralglide，clappedthebinocularstohiseyes。
　　Theyheardourwhirringscrew。Theyranoutofthehouses——theygatheredinfromthefields，swift—runninglightfigures，crowdsofthem。Westaredandstareduntilitwasalmosttoolatetocatchthelevers，sweepoffandriseagain;andthenweheldourpeaceforalongrunupward"Gosh！"saidTerry，afterawhile。
　　"Onlywomenthere——andchildren，"Jeffurgedexcitedly。
　　"Buttheylook——why，thisisaCIVILIZEDcountry！"Iprotested。
　　"Theremustbemen。"
　　"Ofcoursetherearemen，"saidTerry。"Comeon，let’sfind’em。"
　　HerefusedtolistentoJeff’ssuggestionthatweexaminethecountryfurtherbeforeweriskedleavingourmachine。
　　"There’safinelandingplacerighttherewherewecameover，"heinsisted，anditwasanexcellentone——awide，flattoppedrock，overlookingthelake，andquiteoutofsightfromtheinterior。
　　"Theywon’tfindthisinahurry，"heasserted，aswescrambledwiththeutmostdifficultydowntosaferfooting。"Comeon，boys——
　　thereweresomegoodlookersinthatbunch。"
　　Ofcourseitwasunwiseofus。
　　Itwasquiteeasytoseeafterwardthatourbestplanwastohavestudiedthecountrymorefullybeforeweleftourswoopingairshipandtrustedourselvestomerefootservice。Butwewerethreeyoungmen。Wehadbeentalkingaboutthiscountryforoverayear，hardlybelievingthattherewassuchaplace，andnow——wewereinit。
　　Itlookedsafeandcivilizedenough，andamongthoseupturned，crowdingfaces，thoughsomewereterrifiedenough，therewasgreatbeauty——onthatweallagreed。
　　"Comeon！"criedTerry，pushingforward。"Oh，comeon！
　　HeregoesforHerland！"
　　CHAPTER2
　　RashAdvancesNotmorethantenorfifteenmileswejudgeditfromourlandingrocktothatlastvillage。Foralloureagernesswethoughtitwisetokeeptothewoodsandgocarefully。
　　EvenTerry’sardorwasheldincheckbyhisfirmconvictionthattherewerementobemet，andwesawtoitthateachofushadagoodstockofcartridges。
　　"Theymaybescarce，andtheymaybehiddenawaysomewhere——
　　somekindofamatriarchate，asJefftellsus;forthatmatter，theymayliveupinthemountainsyonderandkeepthewomeninthispartofthecountry——sortofanationalharem！Buttherearemensomewhere——didn’tyouseethebabies？"
　　Wehadallseenbabies，childrenbigandlittle，everywherethatwehadcomenearenoughtodistinguishthepeople。Andthoughbydresswecouldnotbesureofallthegrownpersons，stilltherehadnotbeenonemanthatwewerecertainof。
　　"IalwayslikedthatArabsaying，`FirsttieyourcamelandthentrustintheLord，’"Jeffmurmured;soweallhadourweaponsinhand，andstolecautiouslythroughtheforest。Terrystudieditasweprogressed。
　　"Talkofcivilization，"hecriedsoftlyinrestrainedenthusiasm。"Ineversawaforestsopetted，eveninGermany。
　　Look，there’snotadeadbough——thevinesaretrained——actually！
　　Andseehere"——hestoppedandlookedabouthim，callingJeff’sattentiontothekindsoftrees。
　　Theyleftmeforalandmarkandmadealimitedexcursiononeitherside。
　　"Food—bearing，practicallyallofthem，"theyannouncedreturning。
　　"Therest，splendidhardwood。Callthisaforest？It’satruckfarm！"
　　"Goodthingtohaveabotanistonhand，"Iagreed。
　　"Suretherearenomedicinalones？Oranyforpureornament？"
　　Asamatteroffacttheywerequiteright。Thesetoweringtreeswereunderascarefulcultivationassomanycabbages。Inotherconditionsweshouldhavefoundthosewoodsfulloffairforestersandfruitgatherers;butanairshipisaconspicuousobject，andbynomeansquiet——andwomenarecautious。
　　Allwefoundmovinginthosewoods，aswestartedthroughthem，werebirds，somegorgeous，somemusical，allsotamethatitseemedalmosttocontradictourtheoryofcultivation——atleastuntilwecameuponoccasionallittleglades，wherecarvedstoneseatsandtablesstoodintheshadebesideclearfountains，withshallowbirdbathsalwaysadded。
　　"Theydon’tkillbirds，andapparentlytheydokillcats，"
　　Terrydeclared。"MUSTbemenhere。Hark！"
　　Wehadheardsomething：somethingnotintheleastlikeabirdsong，andverymuchlikeasuppressedwhisperoflaughter——alittlehappysound，instantlysmothered。Westoodlikesomanypointers，andthenusedourglasses，swiftly，carefully。
　　"Itcouldn’thavebeenfaroff，"saidTerryexcitedly。
　　"Howaboutthisbigtree？"
　　Therewasaverylargeandbeautifultreeinthegladewehadjustentered，withthickwide—spreadingbranchesthatslopedoutinlappingfanslikeabeechorpine。Itwastrimmedunderneathsometwentyfeetup，andstoodtherelikeahugeumbrella，withcirclingseatsbeneath。
　　"Look，"hepursued。"Thereareshortstumpsofbrancheslefttoclimbon。There’ssomeoneupthattree，Ibelieve。"
　　Westolenear，cautiously。
　　"Lookoutforapoisonedarrowinyoureye，"Isuggested，butTerrypressedforward，sprangupontheseat—back，andgraspedthetrunk。
　　"Inmyheart，morelikely，"heanswered。"Gee！Look，boys！"
　　Werushedcloseinandlookedup。Thereamongtheboughsoverheadwassomething——morethanonesomething——thatclungmotionless，closetothegreattrunkatfirst，andthen，asoneandallwestartedupthetree，separatedintothreeswift—movingfiguresandfledupward。Asweclimbedwecouldcatchglimpsesofthemscatteringaboveus。Bythetimewehadreachedaboutasfarasthreementogetherdaredpush，theyhadleftthemaintrunkandmovedoutward，eachonebalancedonalongbranchthatdippedandswayedbeneaththeweight。
　　Wepauseduncertain。Ifwepursuedfurther，theboughswouldbreakunderthedoubleburden。Wemightshakethemoff，perhaps，butnoneofuswassoinclined。Inthesoftdappledlightofthesehighregions，breathlesswithourrapidclimb，werestedawhile，eagerlystudyingourobjectsofpursuit;whiletheyinturn，withnomoreterrorthanasetoffrolicsomechildreninagameoftag，sataslightlyassomanybigbrightbirdsontheirprecariousperchesandfrankly，curiously，staredatus。
　　"Girls！"whisperedJeff，underhisbreath，asiftheymightflyifhespokealoud。
　　"Peaches！"addedTerry，scarcelylouder。"Peacherinos——
　　apricot—nectarines！Whew！"
　　Theyweregirls，ofcourse，noboyscouldeverhaveshownthatsparklingbeauty，andyetnoneofuswascertainatfirst。
　　Wesawshorthair，hatless，loose，andshining;asuitofsomelightfirmstuff，theclosestoftunicsandkneebreeches，metbytrimgaiters。Asbrightandsmoothasparrotsandasunawareofdanger，theyswungtherebeforeus，whollyatease，staringaswestared，tillfirstone，andthenallofthemburstintopealsofdelightedlaughter。
　　Thentherewasatorrentofsofttalktossedbackandforth;
　　nosavagesing—song，butclearmusicalfluentspeech。
　　Wemettheirlaughtercordially，anddoffedourhatstothem，atwhichtheylaughedagain，delightedly。
　　ThenTerry，whollyinhiselement，madeapolitespeech，withexplanatorygestures，andproceededtointroduceus，withpointingfinger。"Mr。JeffMargrave，"hesaidclearly;Jeffbowedasgracefullyasamancouldintheforkofagreatlimb。"Mr。
　　VandyckJennings"——Ialsotriedtomakeaneffectivesaluteandnearlylostmybalance。
　　ThenTerrylaidhishanduponhischest——afinechesthehad，too，andintroducedhimself;hewasbracedcarefullyfortheoccasionandachievedanexcellentobeisance。
　　Againtheylaugheddelightedly，andtheonenearestmefollowedhistactics。
　　"Celis，"shesaiddistinctly，pointingtotheoneinblue;
　　"Alima"——theoneinrose;then，withavividimitationofTerry’simpressivemanner，shelaidafirmdelicatehandonhergold—
　　greenjerkin——"Ellador。"Thiswaspleasant，butwegotnonearer。
　　"Wecan’tsithereandlearnthelanguage，"Terryprotested。
　　Hebeckonedtothemtocomenearer，mostwinningly——buttheygailyshooktheirheads。Hesuggested，bysigns，thatweallgodowntogether;butagaintheyshooktheirheads，stillmerrily。
　　ThenElladorclearlyindicatedthatweshouldgodown，pointingtoeachandallofus，withunmistakablefirmness;andfurtherseemingtoimplybythesweepofalithearmthatwenotonlygodownward，butgoawayaltogether——atwhichweshookourheadsinturn。
　　"Havetousebait，"grinnedTerry。"Idon’tknowaboutyoufellows，butIcameprepared。"Heproducedfromaninnerpocketalittleboxofpurplevelvet，thatopenedwithasnap——andoutofithedrewalongsparklingthing，anecklaceofbigvaricoloredstonesthatwouldhavebeenworthamillionifrealones。Hehelditup，swungit，glitteringinthesun，offereditfirsttoone，thentoanother，holdingitoutasfarashecouldreachtowardthegirlnearesthim。Hestoodbracedinthefork，heldfirmlybyonehand——theother，swinginghisbrighttemptation，reachedfaroutalongthebough，butnotquitetohisfullstretch。
　　Shewasvisiblymoved，Inoted，hesitated，spoketohercompanions。
　　Theychatteredsoftlytogether，oneevidentlywarningher，theotherencouraging。Then，softlyandslowly，shedrewnearer。
　　ThiswasAlima，atalllong—limbedlass，well—knitandevidentlybothstrongandagile。Hereyesweresplendid，wide，fearless，asfreefromsuspicionasachild’swhohasneverbeenrebuked。
　　Herinterestwasmorethatofanintentboyplayingafascinatinggamethanofagirlluredbyanornament。
　　Theothersmovedabitfartherout，holdingfirmly，watching。
　　Terry’ssmilewasirreproachable，butIdidnotlikethelookinhiseyes——itwaslikeacreatureabouttospring。Icouldalreadyseeithappen——thedroppednecklace，thesuddenclutchinghand，thegirl’ssharpcryasheseizedheranddrewherin。Butitdidn’thappen。Shemadeatimidreachwithherrighthandforthegayswingingthing——hehelditalittlenearer——then，swiftaslight，sheseizeditfromhimwithherleft，anddroppedontheinstanttotheboughbelow。
　　Hemadehissnatch，quitevainly，almostlosinghispositionashishandclutchedonlyair;andthen，withinconceivablerapidity，thethreebrightcreaturesweregone。Theydroppedfromtheendsofthebigboughstothosebelow，fairlypouringthemselvesoffthetree，whileweclimbeddownwardasswiftlyaswecould。
　　Weheardtheirvanishinggaylaughter，wesawthemfleetingawayinthewideopenreachesoftheforest，andgavechase，butwemightaswellhavechasedwildantelopes;sowestoppedatlengthsomewhatbreathless。
　　"Nouse，"gaspedTerry。"Theygotawaywithit。Myword！
　　Themenofthiscountrymustbegoodsprinters！"
　　"Inhabitantsevidentlyarboreal，"Igrimlysuggested。
　　"Civilizedandstillarboreal——peculiarpeople。"
　　"Youshouldn’thavetriedthatway，"Jeffprotested。"Theywereperfectlyfriendly;nowwe’vescaredthem。"
　　Butitwasnousegrumbling，andTerryrefusedtoadmitanymistake。"Nonsense，"hesaid。"Theyexpectedit。Womenliketoberunafter。Comeon，let’sgettothattown;maybewe’llfindthemthere。Let’ssee，itwasinthisdirectionandnotfarfromthewoods，asIremember。"
　　Whenwereachedtheedgeoftheopencountrywereconnoiteredwithourfieldglasses。Thereitwas，aboutfourmilesoff，thesametown，weconcluded，unless，asJeffventured，theyallhadpinkhouses。Thebroadgreenfieldsandcloselycultivatedgardensslopedawayatourfeet，alongeasyslant，withgoodroadswindingpleasantlyhereandthere，andnarrowerpathsbesides。
　　"Lookatthat！"criedJeffsuddenly。"Theretheygo！"
　　Sureenough，closetothetown，acrossawidemeadow，threebright—huedfigureswererunningswiftly。
　　"Howcouldtheyhavegotthatfarinthistime？Itcan’tbethesameones，"Iurged。Butthroughtheglasseswecouldidentifyourprettytree—climbersquiteplainly，atleastbycostume。
　　Terrywatchedthem，wealldidforthatmatter，tilltheydisappearedamongthehouses。Thenheputdownhisglassandturnedtous，drawingalongbreath。"MotherofMike，boys——whatGorgeousGirls！Toclimblikethat！torunlikethat！andafraidofnothing。Thiscountrysuitsmeallright。Let’sgetahead。"
　　"Nothingventure，nothinghave，"Isuggested，butTerrypreferred"Faintheartne’erwonfairlady。"
　　Wesetforthintheopen，walkingbriskly。"Ifthereareanymen，we’dbetterkeepaneyeout，"Isuggested，butJeffseemedlostinheavenlydreams，andTerryinhighlypracticalplans。
　　"Whataperfectroad！Whataheavenlycountry！Seetheflowers，willyou？"
　　ThiswasJeff，alwaysanenthusiast;butwecouldagreewithhimfully。
　　Theroadwassomesortofhardmanufacturedstuff，slopedslightlytoshedrain，witheverycurveandgradeandgutterasperfectasifitwereEurope’sbest。"Nomen，eh？"sneeredTerry。
　　Oneithersideadoublerowoftreesshadedthefootpaths;betweenthetreesbushesorvines，allfruit—bearing，nowandthenseatsandlittlewaysidefountains;everywhereflowers。
　　"We’dbetterimportsomeoftheseladiesandset’emtoparkingtheUnitedStates，"Isuggested。"Mightyniceplacethey’vegothere。"Werestedafewmomentsbyoneofthefountains，testedthefruitthatlookedripe，andwenton，impressed，forallourgaybravadobythesenseofquietpotencywhichlayaboutus。
　　Herewasevidentlyapeoplehighlyskilled，efficient，caringfortheircountryasafloristcaresforhiscostliestorchids。Underthesoftbrilliantblueofthatclearsky，inthepleasantshadeofthoseendlessrowsoftrees，wewalkedunharmed，theplacidsilencebrokenonlybythebirds。
　　Presentlytherelaybeforeusatthefootofalonghillthetownorvillagewewereaimingfor。Westoppedandstudiedit。
　　Jeffdrewalongbreath。"Iwouldn’thavebelievedacollectionofhousescouldlooksolovely，"hesaid。
　　"They’vegotarchitectsandlandscapegardenersinplenty，that’ssure，"agreedTerry。
　　Iwasastonishedmyself。Yousee，IcomefromCalifornia，andthere’snocountrylovelier，butwhenitcomestotowns——！Ihaveoftengroanedathometoseetheoffensivemessmanmadeinthefaceofnature，eventhoughI’mnoartsharp，likeJeff。Butthisplace！Itwasbuiltmostlyofasortofdullrose—coloredstone，withhereandtheresomeclearwhitehouses;anditlayabroadamongthegreengrovesandgardenslikeabrokenrosaryofpinkcoral。
　　"Thosebigwhiteonesarepublicbuildingsevidently，"Terrydeclared。"Thisisnosavagecountry，myfriend。Butnomen？
　　Boys，itbehoovesustogoforwardmostpolitely。"
　　Theplacehadanoddlook，moreimpressiveasweapproached。
　　"It’slikeanexposition。""It’stooprettytobetrue。"
　　"Plentyofpalaces，butwherearethehomes？""Ohtherearelittleonesenough——but——。"Itcertainlywasdifferentfromanytownswehadeverseen。
　　"There’snodirt，"saidJeffsuddenly。"There’snosmoke，"headdedafteralittle。
　　"There’snonoise，"Ioffered;butTerrysnubbedme——"That’sbecausetheyarelayinglowforus;we’dbetterbecarefulhowwegointhere。"
　　Nothingcouldinducehimtostayout，however，sowewalkedon。
　　Everythingwasbeauty，order，perfectcleanness，andthepleasantestsenseofhomeoveritall。Aswenearedthecenterofthetownthehousesstoodthicker，rantogetherasitwere，grewintoramblingpalacesgroupedamongparksandopensquares，somethingascollegebuildingsstandintheirquietgreens。
　　Andthen，turningacorner，wecameintoabroadpavedspaceandsawbeforeusabandofwomenstandingclosetogetherinevenorder，evidentlywaitingforus。
　　Westoppedamomentandlookedback。Thestreetbehindwasclosedbyanotherband，marchingsteadily，shouldertoshoulder。Wewenton——thereseemednootherwaytogo——andpresentlyfoundourselvesquitesurroundedbythisclose—massedmultitude，women，allofthem，but——
　　Theywerenotyoung。Theywerenotold。Theywerenot，inthegirlsense，beautiful。Theywerenotintheleastferocious。
　　Andyet，asIlookedfromfacetoface，calm，grave，wise，whollyunafraid，evidentlyassuredanddetermined，Ihadthefunniestfeeling——averyearlyfeeling——afeelingthatItracedbackandbackinmemoryuntilIcaughtupwithitatlast。ItwasthatsenseofbeinghopelesslyinthewrongthatIhadsooftenfeltinearlyyouthwhenmyshortlegs’utmosteffortfailedtoovercomethefactthatIwaslatetoschool。
　　Jefffeltittoo;Icouldseehedid。Wefeltlikesmallboys，verysmallboys，caughtdoingmischiefinsomegraciouslady’shouse。
　　ButTerryshowednosuchconsciousness。Isawhisquickeyesdartinghereandthere，estimatingnumbers，measuringdistances，judgingchancesofescape。Heexaminedthecloseranksaboutus，reachingbackfaroneveryside，andmurmuredsoftlytome，"Everyoneof’emoverfortyasI’masinner。"
　　Yettheywerenotoldwomen。Eachwasinthefullbloomofrosyhealth，erect，serene，standingsure—footedandlightasanypugilist。
　　Theyhadnoweapons，andwehad，butwehadnowishtoshoot。
　　"I’dassoonshootmyaunts，"mutteredTerryagain。"Whatdotheywantwithusanyhow？Theyseemtomeanbusiness。"
　　Butinspiteofthatbusinesslikeaspect，hedeterminedtotryhisfavoritetactics。Terryhadcomearmedwithatheory。
　　Hesteppedforward，withhisbrilliantingratiatingsmile，andmadelowobeisancetothewomenbeforehim。Thenheproducedanothertribute，abroadsoftscarfoffilmytexture，richincolorandpattern，alovelything，eventomyeye，andoffereditwithadeepbowtothetallunsmilingwomanwhoseemedtoheadtheranksbeforehim。Shetookitwithagraciousnodofacknowledgment，andpasseditontothosebehindher。
　　Hetriedagain，thistimebringingoutacircletofrhinestones，aglitteringcrownthatshouldhavepleasedanywomanonearth。
　　Hemadeabriefaddress，includingJeffandmeaspartnersinhisenterprise，andwithanotherbowpresentedthis。Againhisgiftwasacceptedand，asbefore，passedoutofsight。
　　"Iftheywereonlyyounger，"hemutteredbetweenhisteeth。
　　"WhatonearthisafellowtosaytoaregimentofoldColonelslikethis？"
　　Inallourdiscussionsandspeculationswehadalwaysunconsciouslyassumedthatthewomen，whateverelsetheymightbe，wouldbeyoung。Mostmendothinkthatway，Ifancy。
　　"Woman"intheabstractisyoung，and，weassume，charming。
　　Astheygetoldertheypassoffthestage，somehow，intoprivateownershipmostly，oroutofitaltogether。Butthesegoodladieswereverymuchonthestage，andyetanyoneofthemmighthavebeenagrandmother。
　　Welookedfornervousness——therewasnone。
　　Forterror，perhaps——therewasnone。
　　Foruneasiness，forcuriosity，forexcitement——andallwesawwaswhatmighthavebeenavigilancecommitteeofwomendoctors，ascoolascucumbers，andevidentlymeaningtotakeustotaskforbeingthere。
　　Sixofthemsteppedforwardnow，oneoneithersideofeachofus，andindicatedthatweweretogowiththem。Wethoughtitbesttoaccede，atfirstanyway，andmarchedalong，oneofthesecloseateachelbow，andtheothersinclosemassesbefore，behind，onbothsides。
　　Alargebuildingopenedbeforeus，averyheavythick—walledimpressiveplace，big，andold—looking;ofgraystone，notliketherestofthetown。
　　"Thiswon’tdo！"saidTerrytous，quickly。"Wemustn’tletthemgetusinthis，boys。Alltogether，now——"
　　Westoppedinourtracks。Webegantoexplain，tomakesignspointingawaytowardthebigforest——indicatingthatwewouldgobacktoit——atonce。
　　Itmakesmelaugh，knowingallIdonow，tothinkofusthreeboys——nothingelse;threeaudaciousimpertinentboys——buttingintoanunknowncountrywithoutanysortofaguardordefense。
　　Weseemedtothinkthatifthereweremenwecouldfightthem，andiftherewereonlywomen——why，theywouldbenoobstaclesatall。
　　Jeff，withhisgentleromanticold—fashionednotionsofwomenasclingingvines。Terry，withhiscleardecidedpracticaltheoriesthatthereweretwokindsofwomen——thosehewantedandthosehedidn’t;DesirableandUndesirablewashisdemarcation。
　　Thelatterasalargeclass，butnegligible——hehadneverthoughtaboutthematall。
　　Andnowheretheywere，ingreatnumbers，evidentlyindifferenttowhathemightthink，evidentlydeterminedonsomepurposeoftheirownregardinghim，andapparentlywellabletoenforcetheirpurpose。