Weallthoughthardjustthen。Ithadnotseemedwisetoobjecttogoingwiththem，evenifwecouldhave;ouronechancewasfriendliness——acivilizedattitudeonbothsides。
Butonceinsidethatbuilding，therewasnoknowingwhatthesedeterminedladiesmightdotous。Evenapeacefuldetentionwasnottoourminds，andwhenwenameditimprisonmentitlookedevenworse。
Sowemadeastand，tryingtomakeclearthatwepreferredtheopencountry。Oneofthemcameforwardwithasketchofourflier，askingbysignsifweweretheaerialvisitorstheyhadseen。
Thisweadmitted。
Theypointedtoitagain，andtotheoutlyingcountry，indifferentdirections——butwepretendedwedidnotknowwhereitwas，andintruthwewerenotquitesureandgavearatherwildindicationofitswhereabouts。
Againtheymotionedustoadvance，standingsopackedaboutthedoorthatthereremainedbuttheonestraightpathopen。Allaroundusandbehindtheyweremassedsolidly——therewassimplynothingtodobutgoforward——orfight。
Weheldaconsultation。
\"Ineverfoughtwithwomeninmylife，\"saidTerry，greatlyperturbed，\"butI’mnotgoinginthere。I’mnotgoingtobe——
herdedin——asifwewereinacattlechute。\"
\"Wecan’tfightthem，ofcourse，\"Jeffurged。\"They’reallwomen，inspiteoftheirnondescriptclothes;nicewomen，too;
goodstrongsensiblefaces。Iguesswe’llhavetogoin。\"
\"Wemaynevergetout，ifwedo，\"Itoldthem。\"Strongandsensible，yes;butI’mnotsosureaboutthegood。Lookatthosefaces！\"
Theyhadstoodatease，waitingwhileweconferredtogether，butneverrelaxingtheircloseattention。
Theirattitudewasnottherigiddisciplineofsoldiers;therewasnosenseofcompulsionaboutthem。Terry’stermofa\"vigilancecommittee\"washighlydescriptive。Theyhadjusttheaspectofsturdyburghers，gatheredhastilytomeetsomecommonneedorperil，allmovedbypreciselythesamefeelings，tothesameend。
Never，anywherebefore，hadIseenwomenofpreciselythisquality。
Fishwivesandmarketwomenmightshowsimilarstrength，butitwascoarseandheavy。Theseweremerelyathletic——lightandpowerful。Collegeprofessors，teachers，writers——manywomenshowedsimilarintelligencebutoftenworeastrainednervouslook，whilethesewereascalmascows，foralltheirevidentintellect。
Weobservedprettycloselyjustthen，forallofusfeltthatitwasacrucialmoment。
Theleadergavesomewordofcommandandbeckoneduson，andthesurroundingmassmovedastepnearer。
\"We’vegottodecidequick，\"saidTerry。
\"Ivotetogoin，\"Jeffurged。Butweweretwotooneagainsthimandheloyallystoodbyus。Wemadeonemoreefforttobeletgo，urgent，butnotimploring。Invain。
\"Nowforarush，boys！\"Terrysaid。\"Andifwecan’tbreak’em，I’llshootintheair。\"
ThenwefoundourselvesmuchinthepositionofthesuffragettetryingtogettotheParliamentbuildingsthroughatriplecordonofLondonpolice。
Thesolidityofthosewomenwassomethingamazing。Terrysoonfoundthatitwasuseless，torehimselflooseforamoment，pulledhisrevolver，andfiredupward。Astheycaughtatit，hefiredagain——weheardacry——。
Instantlyeachofuswasseizedbyfivewomen，eachholdingarmorlegorhead;wewereliftedlikechildren，straddlinghelplesschildren，andborneonward，wrigglingindeed，butmostineffectually。
Wewereborneinside，strugglingmanfully，butheldsecuremostwomanfully，inspiteofourbestendeavors。
Socarriedandsoheld，wecameintoahighinnerhall，grayandbare，andwerebroughtbeforeamajesticgray—hairedwomanwhoseemedtoholdajudicialposition。
Therewassometalk，notmuch，amongthem，andthensuddenlytherefelluponeachofusatonceafirmhandholdingawettedclothbeforemouthandnose——anorderofswimmingsweetness——anesthesia。
CHAPTER3
APeculiarImprisonmentFromaslumberasdeepasdeath，asrefreshingasthatofahealthychild，Islowlyawakened。
Itwaslikerisingup，up，upthroughadeepwarmocean，nearerandnearertofulllightandstirringair。Orlikethereturntoconsciousnessafterconcussionofthebrain。Iwasoncethrownfromahorsewhileonavisittoawildmountainouscountryquitenewtome，andIcanclearlyrememberthementalexperienceofcomingbacktolife，throughliftingveilsofdream。WhenIfirstdimlyheardthevoicesofthoseaboutme，andsawtheshiningsnowpeaksofthatmightyrange，Iassumedthatthistoowouldpass，andIshouldpresentlyfindmyselfinmyownhome。
Thatwaspreciselytheexperienceofthisawakening：recedingwavesofhalf—caughtswirlingvision，memoriesofhome，thesteamer，theboat，theairship，theforest——atlastallsinkingawayoneafteranother，tillmyeyeswerewideopen，mybrainclear，andIrealizedwhathadhappened。
Themostprominentsensationwasofabsolutephysicalcomfort。
Iwaslyinginaperfectbed：long，broad，smooth;firmlysoftandlevel;withthefinestlinen，somewarmlightquiltofblanket，andacounterpanethatwasajoytotheeye。Thesheetturneddownsomefifteeninches，yetIcouldstretchmyfeetatthefootofthebedfreebutwarmlycovered。
Ifeltaslightandcleanasawhitefeather。Ittookmesometimetoconscientiouslylocatemyarmsandlegs，tofeelthevividsenseofliferadiatefromthewakeningcentertotheextremities。
Abigroom，highandwide，withmanyloftywindowswhoseclosedblindsletthroughsoftgreen—litair;abeautifulroom，inproportion，incolor，insmoothsimplicity;ascentofblossominggardensoutside。
Ilayperfectlystill，quitehappy，quiteconscious，andyetnotactivelyrealizingwhathadhappenedtillIheardTerry。
\"Gosh！\"waswhathesaid。
Iturnedmyhead。Therewerethreebedsinthischamber，andplentyofroomforthem。
Terrywassittingup，lookingabouthim，alertasever。Hisremark，thoughnotloud，rousedJeffalso。Weallsatup。
Terryswunghislegsoutofbed，stoodup，stretchedhimselfmightily。Hewasinalongnightrobe，asortofseamlessgarment，undoubtedlycomfortable——weallfoundourselvessocovered。
Shoeswerebesideeachbed，alsoquitecomfortableandgoodlookingthoughbynomeanslikeourown。
Welookedforourclothes——theywerenotthere，noranythingofallthevariedcontentsofourpockets。
Adoorstoodsomewhatajar;itopenedintoamostattractivebathroom，copiouslyprovidedwithtowels，soap，mirrors，andallsuchconvenientcomforts，withindeedourtoothbrushesandcombs，ournotebooks，andthankgoodness，ourwatches——butnoclothes。
Thenwemadeasearchofthebigroomagainandfoundalargeairycloset，holdingplentyofclothing，butnotours。
\"Acouncilofwar！\"demandedTerry。\"Comeonbacktobed——thebed’sallrightanyhow。Nowthen，myscientificfriend，letusconsiderourcasedispassionately。\"
Hemeantme，butJeffseemedmostimpressed。
\"Theyhaven’thurtusintheleast！\"hesaid。\"Theycouldhavekilledus——or——oranything——andIneverfeltbetterinmylife。\"
\"Thatarguesthattheyareallwomen，\"Isuggested，\"andhighlycivilized。Youknowyouhitoneinthelastscrimmage——
Iheardhersingout——andwekickedawfully。\"
Terrywasgrinningatus。\"Soyourealizewhattheseladieshavedonetous？\"hepleasantlyinquired。\"Theyhavetakenawayallourpossessions，allourclothes——everystitch。Wehavebeenstrippedandwashedandputtobedlikesomanyyearlingbabies——bythesehighlycivilizedwomen。\"
Jeffactuallyblushed。Hehadapoeticimagination。Terryhadimaginationenough，ofadifferentkind。SohadI，alsodifferent。
IalwaysflatteredmyselfIhadthescientificimagination，which，incidentally，Iconsideredthehighestsort。Onehasarighttoacertainamountofegotismiffoundedonfact——andkepttoone’sself——Ithink。
\"Nousekicking，boys，\"Isaid。\"They’vegotus，andapparentlythey’reperfectlyharmless。Itremainsforustocookupsomeplanofescapelikeanyotherbottledheroes。Meanwhilewe’vegottoputontheseclothes——Hobson’schoice。\"
Thegarmentsweresimpleintheextreme，andabsolutelycomfortable，physically，thoughofcourseweallfeltlikesupesinthetheater。Therewasaone—piececottonundergarment，thinandsoft，thatreachedoverthekneesandshoulders，somethingliketheone—piecepajamassomefellowswear，andakindofhalf—hose，thatcameuptojustunderthekneeandstayedthere——hadelastictopsoftheirown，andcoveredtheedgesofthefirst。
Thentherewasathickervarietyofunionsuit，alotoftheminthecloset，ofvaryingweightsandsomewhatsturdiermaterial——evidentlytheywoulddoatapinchwithnothingfurther。Thenthereweretunics，knee—length，andsomelongrobes。Needlesstosay，wetooktunics。
Webathedanddressedquitecheerfully。
\"Nothalfbad，\"saidTerry，surveyinghimselfinalongmirror。
Hishairwassomewhatlongerthanwhenweleftthelastbarber，andthehatsprovidedweremuchlikethoseseenontheprinceinthefairytale，lackingtheplume。
Thecostumewassimilartothatwhichwehadseenonallthewomen，thoughsomeofthem，thoseworkinginthefields，glimpsedbyourglasseswhenwefirstflewover，woreonlythefirsttwo。
Isettledmyshouldersandstretchedmyarms，remarking：
\"Theyhaveworkedoutamightysensibledress，I’llsaythatforthem。\"Withwhichweallagreed。
\"Nowthen，\"Terryproclaimed，\"we’vehadafinelongsleep——we’vehadagoodbath——we’reclothedandinourrightminds，thoughfeelinglikealotofneuters。Doyouthinkthesehighlycivilizedladiesaregoingtogiveusanybreakfast？\"
\"Ofcoursetheywill，\"Jeffassertedconfidently。\"Iftheyhadmeanttokillus，theywouldhavedoneitbefore。Ibelievewearegoingtobetreatedasguests。\"
\"Hailedasdeliverers，Ithink，\"saidTerry。
\"Studiedascuriosities，\"Itoldthem。\"Butanyhow，wewantfood。
Sonowforasortie！\"
Asortiewasnotsoeasy。
Thebathroomonlyopenedintoourchamber，andthathadbutoneoutlet，abigheavydoor，whichwasfastened。
Welistened。
\"There’ssomeoneoutside，\"Jeffsuggested。\"Let’sknock。\"
Soweknocked，whereuponthedooropened。
Outsidewasanotherlargeroom，furnishedwithagreattableatoneend，longbenchesorcouchesagainstthewall，somesmallertablesandchairs。Alltheseweresolid，strong，simpleinstructure，andcomfortableinuse——also，incidentally，beautiful。
Thisroomwasoccupiedbyanumberofwomen，eighteentobeexact，someofwhomwedistinctlyrecalled。
Terryheavedadisappointedsigh。\"TheColonels！\"IheardhimwhispertoJeff。
Jeff，however，advancedandbowedinhisbestmanner;sodidweall，andweweresalutedcivillybythetall—standingwomen。
Wehadnoneedtomakepatheticpantomimeofhunger;thesmallertableswerealreadylaidwithfood，andweweregravelyinvitedtobeseated。Thetablesweresetfortwo;eachofusfoundourselvesplacedvis—a—viswithoneofourhosts，andeachtablehadfiveotherstalwartsnearby，unobtrusivelywatching。Wehadplentyoftimetogettiredofthosewomen！
Thebreakfastwasnotprofuse，butsufficientinamountandexcellentinquality。Wewerealltoogoodtravelerstoobjecttonovelty，andthisrepastwithitsnewbutdeliciousfruit，itsdishoflargerich—flavorednuts，anditshighlysatisfactorylittlecakeswasmostagreeable。Therewaswatertodrink，andahotbeverageofamostpleasingquality，somepreparationlikecocoa。
Andthenandthere，willy—nilly，beforewehadsatisfiedourappetites，oureducationbegan。
Byeachofourplateslayalittlebook，arealprintedbook，thoughdifferentfromoursbothinpaperandbinding，aswell，ofcourse，asintype。Weexaminedthemcuriously。
\"ShadesofSauveur！\"mutteredTerry。\"We’retolearnthelanguage！\"
Wewereindeedtolearnthelanguage，andnotonlythat，buttoteachourown。Therewereblankbookswithparallelcolumns，neatlyruled，evidentlypreparedfortheoccasion，andinthese，asfastaswelearnedandwrotedownthenameofanything，wewereurgedtowriteourownnameforitbyitsside。
Thebookwehadtostudywasevidentlyaschoolbook，oneinwhichchildrenlearnedtoread，andwejudgedfromthis，andfromtheirfrequentconsultationastomethods，thattheyhadhadnopreviousexperienceintheartofteachingforeignerstheirlanguage，oroflearninganyother。
Ontheotherhand，whattheylackedinexperience，theymadeupforingenius。Suchsubtleunderstanding，suchinstantrecognitionofourdifficulties，andreadinesstomeetthem，wereaconstantsurprisetous。
Ofcourse，wewerewillingtomeetthemhalfway。Itwaswhollytoouradvantagetobeabletounderstandandspeakwiththem，andastorefusingtoteachthem——whyshouldwe？Lateronwedidtryopenrebellion，butonlyonce。
Thatfirstmealwaspleasantenough，eachofusquietlystudyinghiscompanion，Jeffwithsincereadmiration，Terrywiththathighlytechnicallookofhis，asofapastmaster——likealiontamer，aserpentcharmer，orsomesuchprofessional。Imyselfwasintenselyinterested。
Itwasevidentthatthosesetsoffiveweretheretocheckanyoutbreakonourpart。Wehadnoweapons，andifwedidtrytodoanydamage，withachair，say，whyfivetoonewastoomanyforus，eveniftheywerewomen;thatwehadfoundouttooursorrow。Itwasnotpleasant，havingthemalwaysaround，butwesoongotusedtoit。
\"It’sbetterthanbeingphysicallyrestrainedourselves，\"
Jeffphilosophicallysuggestedwhenwewerealone。\"They’vegivenusaroom——withnogreatpossibilityofescape——andpersonalliberty——heavilychaperoned。It’sbetterthanwe’dhavebeenlikelytogetinaman—country。\"
\"Man—Country！Doyoureallybelievetherearenomenhere，youinnocent？Don’tyouknowtheremustbe？\"demandedTerry。
\"Ye——es，\"Jeffagreed。\"Ofcourse——andyet——\"
\"Andyet——what！Come，youobduratesentimentalist——whatareyouthinkingabout？\"
\"Theymayhavesomepeculiardivisionoflaborwe’veneverheardof，\"Isuggested。\"Themenmayliveinseparatetowns，ortheymayhavesubduedthem——somehow——andkeepthemshutup。
Buttheremustbesome。\"
\"Thatlastsuggestionofyoursisaniceone，Van，\"
Terryprotested。\"Sameasthey’vegotussubduedandshutup！
youmakemeshiver。\"
\"Well，figureitoutforyourself，anywayyouplease。Wesawplentyofkids，thefirstday，andwe’veseenthosegirls——\"
\"Realgirls！\"Terryagreed，inimmenserelief。\"Gladyoumentioned’em。Ideclare，ifIthoughttherewasnothinginthecountrybutthosegrenadiersI’djumpoutthewindow。\"
\"Speakingofwindows，\"Isuggested，\"let’sexamineours。\"
Welookedoutofallthewindows。Theblindsopenedeasilyenough，andtherewerenobars，buttheprospectwasnotreassuring。
Thiswasnotthepink—walledtownwehadsorashlyenteredthedaybefore。Ourchamberwashighup，inaprojectingwingofasortofcastle，builtoutonasteepspurofrock。Immediatelybelowusweregardens，fruitfulandfragrant，buttheirhighwallsfollowedtheedgeofthecliffwhichdroppedsheerdown，wecouldnotseehowfar。
Thedistantsoundofwatersuggestedariveratthefoot。
Wecouldlookouteast，west，andsouth。Tothesoutheastwardstretchedtheopencountry，lyingbrightandfairinthemorninglight，butoneitherside，andevidentlybehind，rosegreatmountains。
\"Thisthingisaregularfortress——andnowomenbuiltit，Icantellyouthat，\"saidTerry。Wenoddedagreeingly。\"It’srightupamongthehills——theymusthavebroughtusalongway。\"
\"Wesawsomekindofswift—movingvehiclesthefirstday，\"
Jeffremindedus。\"Ifthey’vegotmotors，theyAREcivilized。\"
\"Civilizedornot，we’vegotourworkcutoutforustogetawayfromhere。Idon’tproposetomakearopeofbedclothesandtrythosewallstillI’msurethereisnobetterway。\"
Weallconcurredonthispoint，andreturnedtoourdiscussionastothewomen。
Jeffcontinuedthoughtful。\"Allthesame，there’ssomethingfunnyaboutit，\"heurged。\"Itisn’tjustthatwedon’tseeanymen——butwedon’tseeanysignsofthem。The——the——reactionofthesewomenisdifferentfromanythatI’veevermet。\"
\"Thereissomethinginwhatyousay，Jeff，\"Iagreed。\"Thereisadifferent——atmosphere。\"
\"Theydon’tseemtonoticeourbeingmen，\"hewenton。
\"Theytreatus——well——justastheydooneanother。It’sasifourbeingmenwasaminorincident。\"
Inodded。I’dnoticeditmyself。ButTerrybrokeinrudely。
\"Fiddlesticks！\"hesaid。\"It’sbecauseoftheiradvancedage。
They’reallgrandmas，Itellyou——oroughttobe。Greataunts，anyhow。Thosegirlsweregirlsallright，weren’tthey？\"
\"Yes——\"Jeffagreed，stillslowly。\"Buttheyweren’tafraid——
theyflewupthattreeandhid，likeschoolboyscaughtoutofbounds——
notlikeshygirls。\"
\"Andtheyranlikemarathonwinners——you’lladmitthat，Terry，\"
headded。
Terrywasmoodyasthedayspassed。HeseemedtomindourconfinementmorethanJefforIdid;andheharpedonAlima，andhownearhe’dcometocatchingher。\"IfIhad——\"hewouldsay，rathersavagely，\"we’dhavehadahostageandcouldhavemadeterms。\"
ButJeffwasgettingonexcellenttermswithhistutor，andevenhisguards，andsowasI。Itinterestedmeprofoundlytonoteandstudythesubtledifferencebetweenthesewomenandotherwomen，andtrytoaccountforthem。Inthematterofpersonalappearance，therewasagreatdifference。Theyallworeshorthair，somefewinchesatmost;somecurly，somenot;alllightandcleanandfresh—looking。
\"Iftheirhairwasonlylong，\"Jeffwouldcomplain，\"theywouldlooksomuchmorefeminine。\"
Iratherlikeditmyself，afterIgotusedtoit。Whyweshouldsoadmire\"awoman’scrownofhair\"andnotadmireaChinaman’squeueishardtoexplain，exceptthatwearesoconvincedthatthelonghair\"belongs\"toawoman。Whereasthe\"mane\"inhorsesisonboth，andinlions，buffalos，andsuchcreaturesonlyonthemale。
ButIdidmissit——atfirst。
Ourtimewasquitepleasantlyfilled。Wewerefreeofthegardenbelowourwindows，quitelonginitsirregularramblingshape，borderingthecliff。Thewallswereperfectlysmoothandhigh，endinginthemasonryofthebuilding;andasIstudiedthegreatstonesIbecameconvincedthatthewholestructurewasextremelyold。Itwasbuiltlikethepre—IncanarchitectureinPeru，ofenormousmonoliths，fittedascloselyasmosaics。
\"Thesefolkshaveahistory，that’ssure，\"Itoldtheothers。
\"AndSOMEtimetheywerefighters——elsewhyafortress？\"
Isaidwewerefreeofthegarden，butnotwhollyaloneinit。
Therewasalwaysastringofthoseuncomfortablystrongwomensittingabout，alwaysoneofthemwatchinguseveniftheotherswerereading，playinggames，orbusyatsomekindofhandiwork。
\"WhenIseethemknit，\"Terrysaid，\"Icanalmostcallthemfeminine。\"
\"Thatdoesn’tproveanything，\"Jeffpromptlyreplied。
\"Scotchshepherdsknit——alwaysknitting。\"
\"Whenwegetout——\"Terrystretchedhimselfandlookedatthefarpeaks，\"whenwegetoutofthisandgettowheretherealwomenare——themothers，andthegirls——\"
\"Well，what’llwedothen？\"Iasked，rathergloomily。\"Howdoyouknowwe’llevergetout？\"
Thiswasanunpleasantidea，whichweunanimouslyconsidered，returningwithearnestnesstoourstudies。
\"Ifwearegoodboysandlearnourlessonswell，\"Isuggested。
\"Ifwearequietandrespectfulandpoliteandtheyarenotafraidofus——thenperhapstheywillletusout。Andanyway——whenwedoescape，itisofimmenseimportancethatweknowthelanguage。\"
Personally，Iwastremendouslyinterestedinthatlanguage，andseeingtheyhadbooks，waseagertogetatthem，todigintotheirhistory，iftheyhadone。
Itwasnothardtospeak，smoothandpleasanttotheear，andsoeasytoreadandwritethatImarveledatit。Theyhadanabsolutelyphoneticsystem，thewholethingwasasscientificasEsparantoyetboreallthemarksofanoldandrichcivilization。
Wewerefreetostudyasmuchaswewished，andwerenotleftmerelytowanderinthegardenforrecreationbutintroducedtoagreatgymnasium，partlyontheroofandpartlyinthestorybelow。Herewelearnedrealrespectforourtallguards。Nochangeofcostumewasneededforthiswork，savetolayoffouterclothing。Thefirstonewasasperfectagarmentforexerciseasneedbedevised，absolutelyfreetomovein，and，Ihadtoadmit，muchbetter—lookingthanourusualone。
\"Forty——overforty——someof’emfifty，Ibet——andlookat’em！\"grumbledTerryinreluctantadmiration。
Therewerenospectacularacrobatics，suchasonlytheyoungcanperform，butforall—arounddevelopmenttheyhadamostexcellentsystem。Agooddealofmusicwentwithit，withposturedancingand，sometimes，gravelybeautifulprocessionalperformances。
Jeffwasmuchimpressedbyit。Wedidnotknowthenhowsmallapartoftheirphysicalculturemethodsthisreallywas，butfounditagreeabletowatch，andtotakepartin。
Ohyes，wetookpartallright！Itwasn’tabsolutelycompulsory，butwethoughtitbettertoplease。
Terrywasthestrongestofus，thoughIwaswiryandhadgoodstayingpower，andJeffwasagreatsprinterandhurdler，butIcantellyouthoseoldladiesgaveuscardsandspades。
Theyranlikedeer，bywhichImeanthattheyrannotasifitwasaperformance，butasifitwastheirnaturalgait。
Werememberedthosefleetinggirlsofourfirstbrightadventure，andconcludedthatitwas。
Theyleapedlikedeer，too，withaquickfoldingmotionofthelegs，drawnupandturnedtoonesidewithasidelongtwistofthebody。Irememberedthesprawlingspread—eaglewayinwhichsomeofthefellowsusedtocomeovertheline——andtriedtolearnthetrick。Wedidnoteasilycatchupwiththeseexperts，however。
\"NeverthoughtI’dlivetobebossedbyalotofelderlyladyacrobats，\"Terryprotested。
Theyhadgames，too，agoodmanyofthem，butwefoundthemratheruninterestingatfirst。Itwasliketwopeopleplayingsolitairetoseewhowouldgetitfirst;morelikearaceora——acompetitiveexamination，thanarealgamewithsomefightinit。
IphilosophizedabitoverthisandtoldTerryitarguedagainsttheirhavinganymenabout。\"Thereisn’taman—sizegameinthelot，\"
Isaid。
\"Buttheyareinteresting——Ilikethem，\"Jeffobjected，\"andI’msuretheyareeducational。\"
\"I’msickandtiredofbeingeducated，\"Terryprotested。
\"Fancygoingtoadameschool——atourage。IwanttoGetOut！\"
Butwecouldnotgetout，andwewerebeingeducatedswiftly。Ourspecialtutorsroserapidlyinouresteem。Theyseemedofratherfinerqualitythantheguards，thoughallwereontermsofeasyfriendliness。MinewasnamedSomel，Jeff’sZava，andTerry’sMoadine。Wetriedtogeneralizefromthenames，thoseoftheguards，andofourthreegirls，butgotnowhere。
\"Theysoundwellenough，andthey’remostlyshort，butthere’snosimilarityoftermination——andnotwoalike。
However，ouracquaintanceislimitedasyet。\"
Thereweremanythingswemeanttoask——assoonaswecouldtalkwellenough。BetterteachingIneversaw。FrommorningtonighttherewasSomel，alwaysoncallexceptbetweentwoandfour;
alwayspleasantwithasteadyfriendlykindnessthatIgrewtoenjoyverymuch。JeffsaidMissZava——hewouldputonatitle，thoughtheyapparentlyhadnone——wasadarling，thatsheremindedhimofhisAuntEstherathome;butTerryrefusedtobewon，andratherjeeredathisowncompanion，whenwewerealone。
\"I’msickofit！\"heprotested。\"Sickofthewholething。Herewearecoopedupashelplessasabunchofthree—year—oldorphans，andbeingtaughtwhattheythinkisnecessary——whetherwelikeitornot。Confoundtheirold—maidimpudence！\"
Neverthelessweweretaught。Theybroughtinaraisedmapoftheircountry，beautifullymade，andincreasedourknowledgeofgeographicalterms;butwhenweinquiredforinformationastothecountryoutside，theysmilinglyshooktheirheads。
Theybroughtpictures，notonlytheengravingsinthebooksbutcoloredstudiesofplantsandtreesandflowersandbirds。
Theybroughttoolsandvarioussmallobjects——wehadplentyof\"material\"inourschool。
IfithadnotbeenforTerrywewouldhavebeenmuchmorecontented，butastheweeksranintomonthshegrewmoreandmoreirritable。
\"Don’tactlikeabearwithasorehead，\"Ibeggedhim。
\"We’regettingonfinely。Everydaywecanunderstandthembetter，andprettysoonwecanmakeareasonablepleatobeletout——\"
\"LETout！\"hestormed。\"LETout——likechildrenkeptafterschool。IwanttoGetOut，andI’mgoingto。Iwanttofindthemenofthisplaceandfight！——orthegirls——\"
\"Guessit’sthegirlsyou’remostinterestedin，\"Jeffcommented。
\"WhatareyougoingtofightWITH——yourfists？\"
\"Yes——orsticksandstones——I’djustliketo！\"AndTerrysquaredoffandtappedJeffsoftlyonthejaw。\"Justforinstance，\"hesaid。
\"Anyhow，\"hewenton，\"wecouldgetbacktoourmachineandclearout。\"
\"Ifit’sthere，\"Icautiouslysuggested。
\"Oh，don’tcroak，Van！Ifitisn’tthere，we’llfindourwaydownsomehow——theboat’sthere，Iguess。\"
ItwashardonTerry，sohardthathefinallypersuadedustoconsideraplanofescape。Itwasdifficult，itwashighlydangerous，buthedeclaredthathe’dgoaloneifwewouldn’tgowithhim，andofcoursewecouldn’tthinkofthat。
Itappearedhehadmadeaprettycarefulstudyoftheenvironment。
Fromourendwindowthatfacedthepointofthepromontorywecouldgetafairideaofthestretchofwall，andthedropbelow。Alsofromtheroofwecouldmakeoutmore，andeven，inoneplace，glimpseasortofpathbelowthewall。
\"It’saquestionofthreethings，\"hesaid。\"Ropes，agility，andnotbeingseen。\"
\"That’sthehardestpart，\"Iurged，stillhopingtodissuadehim。
\"Oneoranotherpairofeyesisonuseveryminuteexceptatnight。\"
\"Thereforewemustdoitatnight，\"heanswered。\"That’seasy。\"
\"We’vegottothinkthatiftheycatchuswemaynotbesowelltreatedafterward，\"saidJeff。
\"That’sthebusinessriskwemusttake。I’mgoing——ifIbreakmyneck。\"Therewasnochanginghim。
Theropeproblemwasnoteasy。Somethingstrongenoughtoholdamanandlongenoughtoletusdownintothegarden，andthendownoverthewall。Therewereplentyofstrongropesinthegymnasium——theyseemedtolovetoswingandclimbonthem——butwewerenevertherebyourselves。
Weshouldhavetopieceitoutfromourbedding，rugs，andgarments，andmoreover，weshouldhavetodoitafterwewereshutinforthenight，foreverydaytheplacewascleanedtoperfectionbytwoofourguardians。
Wehadnoshears，noknives，butTerrywasresourceful。
\"TheseJennieshaveglassandchina，yousee。We’llbreakaglassfromthebathroomandusethat。`Lovewillfindoutaway，’\"hehummed。\"Whenwe’realloutofthewindow，we’llstandthree—manhighandcuttheropeasfarupaswecanreach，soastohavemoreforthewall。IknowjustwhereIsawthatbitofpathbelow，andthere’sabigtreethere，too，oravineorsomething——Isawtheleaves。\"
Itseemedacrazyrisktotake，butthiswas，inaway，Terry’sexpedition，andwewerealltiredofourimprisonment。
Sowewaitedforfullmoon，retiredearly，andspentananxioushourortwointheunskilledmanufactureofman—strongropes。
Toretireintothedepthsofthecloset，muffleaglassinthickcloth，andbreakitwithoutnoisewasnotdifficult，andbrokenglasswillcut，thoughnotasdeftlyasapairofscissors。
Thebroadmoonlightstreamedinthroughfourofourwindows——wehadnotdaredleaveourlightsontoolong——andweworkedhardandfastatourtaskofdestruction。
Hangings，rugs，robes，towels，aswellasbed—furniture——eventhemattresscovers——weleftnotonestitchuponanother，asJeffputit。
Thenatanendwindow，aslessliabletoobservation，wefastenedoneendofourcable，strongly，tothefirm—sethingeoftheinnerblind，anddroppedourcoiledbundleofropesoftlyover。
\"Thispart’seasyenough——I’llcomelast，soastocuttherope，\"
saidTerry。
SoIslippeddownfirst，andstood，wellbracedagainstthewall;thenJeffonmyshoulders，thenTerry，whoshookusalittleashesawedthroughthecordabovehishead。ThenI
slowlydroppedtotheground，Jefffollowing，andatlastweallthreestoodsafeinthegarden，withmostofourropewithus。
\"Good—bye，Grandma！\"whisperedTerry，underhisbreath，andwecreptsoftlytowardthewall，takingadvantageoftheshadowofeverybushandtree。Hehadbeenforesightedenoughtomarktheveryspot，onlyascratchofstoneonstone，butwecouldseetoreadinthatlight。Foranchoragetherewasatough，fair—sizedshrubclosetothewall。
\"NowI’llclimbuponyoutwoagainandgooverfirst，\"saidTerry。\"That’llholdtheropefirmtillyoubothgetupontop。
ThenI’llgodowntotheend。IfIcangetoffsafely，youcanseemeandfollow——or，say，I’lltwitchitthreetimes。IfIfindthere’sabsolutelynofooting——whyI’llclimbupagain，that’sall。Idon’tthinkthey’llkillus。\"
Fromthetophereconnoiteredcarefully，wavedhishand，andwhispered，\"OK，\"thenslippedover。JeffclimbedupandIfollowed，andwerathershiveredtoseehowfardownthatswaying，waveringfiguredropped，handunderhand，tillitdisappearedinamassoffoliagefarbelow。
Thentherewerethreequickpulls，andJeffandI，notwithoutajoyoussenseofrecoveredfreedom，successfullyfollowedourleader。
CHAPTER4
OurVentureWewerestandingonanarrow，irregular，alltooslantinglittleledge，andshoulddoubtlesshaveignominiouslyslippedoffandbrokenourrashnecksbutforthevine。Thiswasathick—leaved，wide—spreadingthing，alittlelikeAmphelopsis。
\"It’snotQUITEverticalhere，yousee，\"saidTerry，fullofprideandenthusiasm。\"Thisthingneverwouldholdourdirectweight，butIthinkifwesortofslidedownonit，oneatatime，stickinginwithhandsandfeet，we’llreachthatnextledgealive。\"
\"Aswedonotwishtogetupourropeagain——andcan’tcomfortablystayhere——Iapprove，\"saidJeffsolemnly。
Terrysliddownfirst——saidhe’dshowushowaChristianmeetshisdeath。Luckwaswithus。Wehadputonthethickestofthoseintermediatesuits，leavingourtunicsbehind，andmadethisscramblequitesuccessfully，thoughIgotaprettyheavyfalljustattheend，andwasonlykeptonthesecondledgebymainforce。Thenextstagewasdownasortof\"chimney\"——alongirregularfissure;andsowithscratchesmanyandpainfulandbruisesnotafew，wefinallyreachedthestream。
Itwasdarkerthere，butwefeltithighlynecessarytoputasmuchdistanceaspossiblebehindus;sowewaded，jumped，andclambereddownthatrockyriverbed，intheflickeringblackandwhitemoonlightandleafshadow，tillgrowingdaylightforcedahalt。
Wefoundafriendlynut—tree，thoselarge，satisfying，soft—
shellednutswealreadyknewsowell，andfilledourpockets。
IseethatIhavenotremarkedthatthesewomenhadpocketsinsurprisingnumberandvariety。Theywereinalltheirgarments，andthemiddleoneinparticularwasshingledwiththem。SowestockedupwithnutstillwebulgedlikePrussianprivatesinmarchingorder，drankallwecouldhold，andretiredfortheday。
Itwasnotaverycomfortableplace，notatalleasytogetat，justasortofcrevicehighupalongthesteepbank，butitwaswellveiledwithfoliageanddry。Afterourexhaustivethree—orfour—
hourscrambleandthegoodbreakfastfood，wealllaydownalongthatcrack——headsandtails，asitwere——andslepttilltheafternoonsunalmosttoastedourfaces。
Terrypokedatentativefootagainstmyhead。
\"Howareyou，Van？Aliveyet？\"
\"Verymuchso，\"Itoldhim。AndJeffwasequallycheerful。
Wehadroomtostretch，ifnottoturnaround;butwecouldverycarefullyrollover，oneatatime，behindtheshelteringfoliage。
Itwasnousetoleavetherebydaylight。Wecouldnotseemuchofthecountry，butenoughtoknowthatwewerenowatthebeginningofthecultivatedarea，andnodoubttherewouldbeanalarmsentoutfarandwide。
Terrychuckledsoftlytohimself，lyingthereonthathotnarrowlittlerimofrock。Hedilatedonthediscomfitureofourguardsandtutors，makingmanydiscourteousremarks。
Iremindedhimthatwehadstillalongwaytogobeforegettingtotheplacewherewe’dleftourmachine，andnoprobabilityoffindingitthere;butheonlykickedme，mildly，foracroaker。
\"Ifyoucan’tboost，don’tknock，\"heprotested。\"Ineversaid’twouldbeapicnic。ButI’drunawayintheAntarcticicefieldsratherthanbeaprisoner。\"
Wesoondozedoffagain。
Thelongrestandpenetratingdryheatweregoodforus，andthatnightwecoveredaconsiderabledistance，keepingalwaysintheroughforestedbeltoflandwhichweknewborderedthewholecountry。Sometimeswewereneartheouteredge，andcaughtsuddenglimpsesofthetremendousdepthsbeyond。
\"Thispieceofgeographystandsuplikeabasaltcolumn，\"Jeffsaid。\"Nicetimewe’llhavegettingdowniftheyhaveconfiscatedourmachine！\"Forwhichsuggestionhereceivedsummarychastisement。
Whatwecouldseeinlandwaspeaceableenough，butonlymoonlitglimpses;bydaylightwelayveryclose。AsTerrysaid，wedidnotwishtokilltheoldladies——evenifwecould;andshortofthattheywereperfectlycompetenttopickusupbodilyandcarryusback，ifdiscovered。Therewasnothingforitbuttolielow，andsneakoutunseenifwecoulddoit。
Therewasn’tmuchtalkingdone。Atnightwehadourmarathon—obstaclerace;we\"stayednotforbrakeandwestoppednotforstone，\"andswamwhateverwaterwastoodeeptowadeandcouldnotbegotaround;butthatwasonlynecessarytwice。Byday，sleep，soundandsweet。Mightyluckyitwasthatwecouldliveoffthecountryaswedid。Eventhatmarginofforestseemedrichinfoodstuffs。
ButJeffthoughtfullysuggestedthatthatverythingshowedhowcarefulweshouldhavetobe，aswemightrunintosomestalwartgroupofgardenersorforestersornut—gatherersatanyminute。
Carefulwewere，feelingprettysurethatifwedidnotmakegoodthistimewewerenotlikelytohaveanotheropportunity;andatlastwereachedapointfromwhichwecouldsee，farbelow，thebroadstretchofthatstilllakefromwhichwehadmadeourascent。
\"Thatlooksprettygoodtome！\"saidTerry，gazingdownatit。
\"Now，ifwecan’tfindthe’plane，weknowwheretoaimifwehavetodropoverthiswallsomeotherway。\"
Thewallatthatpointwassingularlyuninviting。Itrosesostraightthatwehadtoputourheadsovertoseethebase，andthecountrybelowseemedtobeafar—offmarshytangleofrankvegetation。Wedidnothavetoriskourneckstothatextent，however，foratlast，stealingalongamongtherocksandtreeslikesomanycreepingsavages，wecametothatflatspacewherewehadlanded;andthere，inunbelievablegoodfortune，wefoundourmachine。
\"Covered，too，byjingo！Wouldyouthinktheyhadthatmuchsense？\"criedTerry。
\"Iftheyhadthatmuch，they’relikelytohavemore，\"Iwarnedhim，softly。\"Betyouthething’swatched。\"
Wereconnoiteredaswidelyaswecouldinthefailingmoonlight——
moonsareofapainfullyunreliablenature;butthegrowingdawnshowedusthefamiliarshape，shroudedinsomeheavyclothlikecanvas，andnoslightestsignofanywatchmannear。
Wedecidedtomakeaquickdashassoonasthelightwasstrongenoughforaccuratework。
\"Idon’tcareiftheoldthing’llgoornot，\"Terrydeclared。
\"Wecanrunhertotheedge，getaboard，andjustplanedown——plop！
——besideourboatthere。Lookthere——seetheboat！\"
Sureenough——therewasourmotor，lyinglikeagraycocoonontheflatpalesheetofwater。
Quietlybutswiftlywerushedforwardandbegantotugatthefasteningsofthatcover。
\"Confoundthething！\"Terrycriedindesperateimpatience。
\"They’vegotitsewedupinabag！Andwe’venotaknifeamongus！\"
Then，aswetuggedandpulledatthattoughclothweheardasoundthatmadeTerrylifthisheadlikeawarhorse——thesoundofanunmistakablegiggle，yes——threegiggles。
Theretheywere——Celis，Alima，Ellador——lookingjustastheyhadwhenwefirstsawthem，standingalittlewayofffromus，asinterested，asmischievousasthreeschoolboys。
\"Holdon，Terry——holdon！\"Iwarned。\"That’stooeasy。Lookoutforatrap。\"
\"Letusappealtotheirkindhearts，\"Jeffurged。\"Ithinktheywillhelpus。Perhapsthey’vegotknives。\"
\"It’snouserushingthem，anyhow，\"IwasabsolutelyholdingontoTerry。\"Weknowtheycanout—runandout—climbus。\"
Hereluctantlyadmittedthis;andafterabriefparleyamongourselves，wealladvancedslowlytowardthem，holdingoutourhandsintokenoffriendliness。
Theystoodtheirgroundtillwehadcomefairlynear，andthenindicatedthatweshouldstop。Tomakesure，weadvancedasteportwoandtheypromptlyandswiftlywithdrew。Sowestoppedatthedistancespecified。Thenweusedtheirlanguage，asfaraswewereable，toexplainourplight，tellinghowwewereimprisoned，howwehadescaped——agooddealofpantomimehereandvividinterestontheirpart——howwehadtraveledbynightandhiddenbyday，livingonnuts——andhereTerrypretendedgreathunger。
Iknowhecouldnothavebeenhungry;wehadfoundplentytoeatandhadnotbeensparinginhelpingourselves。Buttheyseemedsomewhatimpressed;andafteramurmuredconsultationtheyproducedfromtheirpocketscertainlittlepackages，andwiththeutmosteaseandaccuracytossedthemintoourhands。
Jeffwasmostappreciativeofthis;andTerrymadeextravagantgesturesofadmiration，whichseemedtosetthemoff，boy—
fashion，toshowtheirskill。Whileweatetheexcellentbiscuitstheyhadthrownus，andwhileElladorkeptawatchfuleyeonourmovements，Celisranofftosomedistance，andsetupasortof\"duck—on—a—rock\"arrangement，abigyellownutontopofthreebalancedsticks;Alima，meanwhile，gatheringstones。
Theyurgedustothrowatit，andwedid，butthethingwasalongwayoff，anditwasonlyafteranumberoffailures，atwhichthoseelvishdamselslaugheddelightedly，thatJeffsucceededinbringingthewholestructuretotheground。Ittookmestilllonger，andTerry，tohisintenseannoyance，camethird。
ThenCelissetupthelittletripodagain，andlookedbackatus，knockingitdown，pointingatit，andshakinghershortcurlsseverely。\"No，\"shesaid。\"Bad——wrong！\"Wewerequiteabletofollowher。
Thenshesetituponcemore，putthefatnutontop，andreturnedtotheothers;andtherethoseaggravatinggirlssatandtookturnsthrowinglittlestonesatthatthing，whileonestayedbyasasetter—up;andtheyjustpoppedthatnutoff，twotimesoutofthree，withoutupsettingthesticks。PleasedasPunchtheywere，too，andwepretendedtobe，butweren’t。
Wegotveryfriendlyoverthisgame，butItoldTerrywe’dbesorryifwedidn’tgetoffwhilewecould，andthenwebeggedforknives。
Itwaseasytoshowwhatwewantedtodo，andtheyeachproudlyproducedasortofstrongclasp—knifefromtheirpockets。
\"Yes，\"wesaideagerly，\"that’sit！Please——\"Wehadlearnedquiteabitoftheirlanguage，yousee。Andwejustbeggedforthoseknives，buttheywouldnotgivethemtous。Ifwecameasteptooneartheybackedoff，standinglightandeagerforflight。
\"It’snosortofuse，\"Isaid。\"Comeon——let’sgetasharpstoneorsomething——wemustgetthisthingoff。\"
Sowehuntedaboutandfoundwhatedgedfragmentswecould，andhackedaway，butitwasliketryingtocutsailclothwithaclamshell。
Terryhackedanddug，butsaidtousunderhisbreath。\"Boys，we’reinprettygoodcondition——let’smakealifeanddeathdashandgetholdofthosegirls——we’vegotto。\"
Theyhaddrawnrathernearertowatchourefforts，andwedidtakethemratherbysurprise;also，asTerrysaid，ourrecenttraininghadstrengthenedusinwindandlimb，andforafewdesperatemomentsthosegirlswerescaredandwealmosttriumphant。
Butjustaswestretchedoutourhands，thedistancebetweenuswidened;theyhadgottheirpaceapparently，andthen，thoughweranatourutmostspeed，andmuchfartherthanIthoughtwise，theykeptjustoutofreachallthetime。
Westoppedbreathless，atlast，atmyrepeatedadmonitions。
\"Thisisstarkfoolishness，\"Iurged。\"Theyaredoingitonpurpose——comebackoryou’llbesorry。\"
Wewentback，muchslowerthanwecame，andintruthweweresorry。
Aswereachedourswaddledmachine，andsoughtagaintotearlooseitscovering，thereroseupfromallaroundthesturdyforms，thequietdeterminedfacesweknewsowell。
\"OhLord！\"groanedTerry。\"TheColonels！It’sallup——they’refortytoone。\"
Itwasnousetofight。Thesewomenevidentlyreliedonnumbers，notsomuchasadrilledforcebutasamultitudeactuatedbyacommonimpulse。Theyshowednosignoffear，andsincewehadnoweaponswhateverandtherewereatleastahundredofthem，standingtendeepaboutus，wegaveinasgracefullyaswemight。
Ofcoursewelookedforpunishment——acloserimprisonment，solitaryconfinementmaybe——butnothingofthekindhappened。
Theytreatedusastruantsonly，andasiftheyquiteunderstoodourtruancy。
Backwewent，notunderananestheticthistimebutskimmingalonginelectricmotorsenoughlikeourstobequiterecognizable，eachofusinaseparatevehiclewithoneable—bodiedladyoneithersideandthreefacinghim。
Theywereallpleasantenough，andtalkedtousasmuchaswaspossiblewithourlimitedpowers。AndthoughTerrywaskeenlymortified，andatfirstweallratherdreadedharshtreatment，I
foronesoonbegantofeelasortofpleasantconfidenceandtoenjoythetrip。
Hereweremyfivefamiliarcompanions，allgood—naturedascouldbe，seemingtohavenoworsefeelingthanamildtriumphasofwinningsomesimplegame;andeventhattheypolitelysuppressed。
Thiswasagoodopportunitytoseethecountry，too，andthemoreIsawofit，thebetterIlikedit。Wewenttooswiftlyforcloseobservation，butIcouldappreciateperfectroads，asdustlessasasweptfloor;theshadeofendlesslinesoftrees;theribbonofflowersthatunrolledbeneaththem;andtherichcomfortablecountrythatstretchedoffandaway，fullofvariedcharm。
Werolledthroughmanyvillagesandtowns，andIsoonsawthattheparklikebeautyofourfirst—seencitywasnoexception。
Ourswifthigh—sweepingviewfromthe’planehadbeenmostattractive，butlackeddetail;andinthatfirstdayofstruggleandcapture，wenoticedlittle。Butnowweweresweptalongataneasyrateofsomethirtymilesanhourandcoveredquiteagooddealofground。
Westoppedforlunchinquiteasizabletown，andhere，rollingslowlythroughthestreets，wesawmoreofthepopulation。
Theyhadcomeouttolookatuseverywherewehadpassed，buthereweremore;andwhenwewentintoeat，inabiggardenplacewithlittleshadedtablesamongthetreesandflowers，manyeyeswereuponus。Andeverywhere，opencountry，village，orcity——
onlywomen。Oldwomenandyoungwomenandagreatmajoritywhoseemedneitheryoungnorold，butjustwomen;younggirls，also，thoughthese，andthechildren，seemingtobeingroupsbythemselvesgenerally，werelessinevidence。Wecaughtmanyglimpsesofgirlsandchildreninwhatseemedtobeschoolsorinplaygrounds，andsofaraswecouldjudgetherewerenoboys。Wealllooked，carefully。Everyonegazedatuspolitely，kindly，andwitheagerinterest。