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。