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。
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