landing rock to that last village. For all our eagerness

nviction that there were men to be met, and we saw

ells us; for that matter, they may live up in the mountains yonder and keep the women in this par

r enough to distinguish the people. And though by dress we could not be sure of

in the Lord,'" Jeff murmured; so we all had our weapons in hand, and

petted, even in Germany. Look, there's not a dead bough-the vines are trained-actually! And

ark and made a limited e

announced returning. "The rest, splendid har

d," I agreed. "Sure there are no medi

so many cabbages. In other conditions we should have found those woods full of fair foresters and f

that it seemed almost to contradict our theory of cultivation-at least until we came upon occasional little glades,

ently they do kill cats," Terry d

h like a suppressed whisper of laughter-a little happy sound, instantly smothere

off," said Terry excitedly.

spreading branches that sloped out in lapping fans like a beech or pine. It was trimmed unde

tumps of branches left to climb on. Th

near, c

ry pressed forward, sprang up on the seat-back, and grasped the t

and all we started up the tree, separated into three swift-moving figures and fled upward. As we climbed we could catch glimpses of them scattering above us. By the time we had

oft dappled light of these high regions, breathless with our rapid climb, we rested awhile, eagerly studying our objects of pursuit; while they in turn, with no more

der his breath, as if they

arcely louder. "Peacherino

d ever have shown that sparkling beauty,

eches, met by trim gaiters. As bright and smooth as parrots and as unaware of danger, they swung there before us,

tossed back and forth; no savage sing-

nd doffed our hats to them, at whi

us, with pointing finger. "Mr. Jeff Margrave," he said clearly; Jeff bowed as gracefully as a man could in the

had, too, and introduced himself; he was braced carefu

tedly, and the one neares

then, with a vivid imitation of Terry's impressive manner, she laid a firm delicat

that we all go down together; but again they shook their heads, still merrily. Then Ellador clearly indicated that we should go down, pointing to each and all of us, with

kling thing, a necklace of big varicolored stones that would have been worth a million if real ones. He held it up, swung it, glittering in the sun, offered it first to one, then to another, holding it out as fa

and slowly, she drew nearer. This was Alima, a tall long-limbed lass, well-knit and evidently both strong and agile. Her eyes were splendid, wide, fearless, as fre

could already see it happen-the dropped necklace, the sudden clutching hand, the girl's sharp cry as he seized her and drew her in. But it didn't happen. She made a timid reach w

ped from the ends of the big boughs to those below, fairly pouring themselves off the tree, while we climbed downward as swiftly as we could. We heard their vanishing gay laughte

way with it. My word! The men of th

I grimly suggested. "Civilized a

" Jeff protested. "They were perfec

hey expected it. Women like to be run after. Come on, let's get to that town; maybe we'll fi

same town, we concluded, unless, as Jeff ventured, they all had pink houses. The broad green fields and closely cultivated gar

ried Jeff suddenl

cross a wide meadow, three bright

e same ones," I urged. But through the glasses we could identi

n his glass and turned to us, drawing a long breath. "Mother of Mike, boys-what Gorgeous Girls! To clim

I suggested, but Terry preferred

en, we'd better keep an eye out," I suggested, but Jeff seemed

at a heavenly country! S

n enthusiast; but we co

erfect as if it were Europe's best. "No men, eh?" sneered Terry. On either side a double row of trees shaded the footpaths;

nice place they've got here." We rested a few moments by one of the fountains, tested the fruit that look

s for his costliest orchids. Under the soft brilliant blue of that clear sky, in the pleasant sha

of a long hill the town or village we we

t have believed a collection of hou

landscape gardeners in plent

see the offensive mess man made in the face of nature, even though I'm no art sharp, like Jeff. But this place! It was built mostly of a sort of dull

rry declared. "This is no savage country, my friend. But

"It's too pretty to be true." "Plenty of palaces, but where are the homes?" "Oh there

f suddenly. "There's no smo

ed me-"That's because they are laying low for

him to stay out, howe

neared the center of the town the houses stood thicker, ran together as it were, grew into rambling pa

d space and saw before us a band of women standing cl

g steadily, shoulder to shoulder. We went on-there seemed no other way to go-and presently

wholly unafraid, evidently assured and determined, I had the funniest feeling-a very early feeling-a feeling that I traced back and back in memory until I caught up with it at last

showed no such consciousness. I saw his quick eyes darting here and there, estimating numbers, measuring distances, judging chances of escape.

ealth, erect, serene, standing sure-footed and light as any pugil

anyhow? They seem to mean business." But in spite of that businesslike aspect

a broad soft scarf of filmy texture, rich in color and pattern, a lovely thing, even to my eye, and offered it with a deep bow to the tall un

leased any woman on earth. He made a brief address, including Jeff and me as partners in his enterpris

een his teeth. "What on earth is a fellow to

onsciously assumed that the women, whatever else they mig

the stage, somehow, into private ownership mostly, or out of it altogether. But these good

nervousness-

perhaps-th

t might have been a vigilance committee of women doctors, as cool as

ere to go with them. We thought it best to accede, at first anyway, and marched along, one

thick-walled impressive place, big, and old-look

quickly. "We mustn't let them get u

o make signs pointing away toward the big forest

ent boys-butting into an unknown country without any sort of a guard or defense. We seemed to think that

practical theories that there were two kinds of women-those he wanted and those he didn't; Desirable and Unde

what he might think, evidently determined on some purpose of their

bject to going with them, even if we could have; our one c

ermined ladies might do to us. Even a peaceful detention was not t

open country. One of them came forward with a sketch of our fli

we ad

ections-but we pretended we did not know where it was, and in truth we

here remained but the one straight path open. All around us and behind they

a cons

eatly perturbed, "but I'm not going in there. I'm not

women, in spite of their nondescript clothes; nice women, t

em. "Strong and sensible, yes; but I'm not

ile we conferred together, but nev

's term of a "vigilance committee" was highly descriptive. They had just the aspect of sturdy burghers, gat

it was coarse and heavy. These were merely athletic-light and powerful. College professors, teachers, writers-many women showe

ust then, for all of us felt

nd and beckoned us on, and the sur

decide quick

gainst him and he loyally stood by us. We made one more

said. "And if we can't break

he suffragette trying to get to the Parliament bu

t it was useless, tore himself loose for a moment, pulled his revolver,

leg or head; we were lifted like children, straddling helpless ch

nfully, but held secure most womanf

, gray and bare, and were brought before a majestic gr

e fell upon each of us at once a firm hand holding a wetted cloth