, as refreshing as that of a he

wn from a horse while on a visit to a wild mountainous country quite new to me, and I can clearly remember the mental experience of coming back to life, through lifting veils of dream. When

ion, memories of home, the steamer, the boat, the airship, the forest-at last all sinking away

y soft and level; with the finest linen, some warm light quilt of blanket, and a counterpane that was a joy to the eye.

e to conscientiously locate my arms and legs, to feel the vivid s

ds let through soft green-lit air; a beautiful room, in proportion,

e conscious, and yet not actively realiz

was what

three beds in this chamber,

, alert as ever. His remark, though not

be, a sort of seamless garment, undoubtedly comfortable-we all found ourselves so covered. Shoe

e not there, nor anything of all t

vided with towels, soap, mirrors, and all such convenient comforts, with indeed our

again and found a large airy closet, h

bed-the bed's all right anyhow. Now then, my scientif

ut Jeff seemed

aid. "They could have killed us-or-or any

nd highly civilized. You know you hit one in the last

uired. "They have taken away all our possessions, all our clothes-every stitch. We have been st

also different. I always flattered myself I had the scientific imagination, which, incidentally, I considered t

ctly harmless. It remains for us to cook up some plan of escape like any othe

a one-piece cotton undergarment, thin and soft, that reached over the knees and shoulders, something like the one-piece pajamas some fellows wear

ghts and somewhat sturdier material-evidently they would do at a pinch with nothing further

dressed quit

s somewhat longer than when we left the last barber, and the hats provided

men, though some of them, those working in the fields, glimpsed

king: "They have worked out a mighty sensible dress

th-we're clothed and in our right minds, though feeling like a lot of neuters.

they had meant to kill us, they would have done it b

iverers, I thi

old them. "But anyhow, we wan

was not

amber, and that had but one outlet,

iste

tside," Jeff sugges

, whereupon t

es or couches against the wall, some smaller tables and chairs. All these were soli

of women, eighteen to be exact, s

d sigh. "The Colonels!" I

best manner; so did we all, and we were s

invited to be seated. The tables were set for two; each of us found ourselves placed vis-a-vis with one of our hosts, a

velty, and this repast with its new but delicious fruit, its dish of large rich-flavored nuts, and its highly satisfactory littl

y, before we had satisfied our

ok, though different from ours both in paper and binding,

uttered Terry. "We're

with parallel columns, neatly ruled, evidently prepared for the occasion, and in these, as fast as w

we judged from this, and from their frequent consultation as to methods, that they had had no

genius. Such subtle understanding, such instant recognition of our di

ntage to be able to understand and speak with them, and as to refusing to

incere admiration, Terry with that highly technical look of his, as of a past master-like a

we did try to do any damage, with a chair, say, why five to one was too many for us, even if they were women; t

en we were alone. "They've given us a room-with no great possibility of escape-and personal

re are no men here, you innocent? Don't

agreed. "Of co

bdurate sentimentalist-wha

" I suggested. "The men may live in separate towns, or they may have

, Van," Terry protested. "Same as they've go

y you please. We saw plenty of kids, the

entioned 'em. I declare, if I thought there was nothing in

s," I suggested, "l

ds opened easily enough, and there were no

f castle, built out on a steep spur of rock. Immediately below us were gardens, fruitful and fragrant, but their high walls followed

etched the open country, lying bright and fair in the morning lig

an tell you that," said Terry. We nodded agreeingly. "It's r

es the first day," Jeff reminded us. "If

away from here. I don't propose to make a rope of bedcloth

oint, and returned to our

urged. "It isn't just that we don't see any men-but we don't see any signs of

ou say, Jeff," I agreed. "The

on. "They treat us-well-just as they do one anoth

ed it myself. But T

. They're all grandmas, I tell you-or ought to be. Great aun

't afraid-they flew up that tree and hid, like sc

hon winners-you'll admit

or I did; and he harped on Alima, and how near he'd come to catching her. "If I had

dy the subtle difference between these women and other women, and try to account for them. In the matter of personal appearance, there

Jeff would complain, "they wo

hinaman's queue is hard to explain, except that we are so convinced that the long hair "belongs" to a woman. Whereas t

iff. The walls were perfectly smooth and high, ending in the masonry of the building; and as I studied the great stones I became convinced that

e," I told the others. "And SOME time t

ring of those uncomfortably strong women sitting about, always one of them watching

Terry said, "I can alm

Jeff promptly replied. "Scotch

at the far peaks, "when we get out of this and get t

asked, rather gloomily. "How d

we unanimously considered, return

espectful and polite and they are not afraid of us-then perhaps they will let us out.

nguage, and seeing they had books, was eager to get

ite that I marveled at it. They had an absolutely phonetic system, the whole thing w

of and partly in the story below. Here we learned real respect for our tall guards. No change of costume was needed for this work, save to lay off outer clothing

ty, I bet-and look at 'em!" grumb

-around development they had a most excellent system. A good deal of music went with

mall a part of their physical culture methods this really

t wasn't absolutely compulsory, b

ell you those old ladies gave us cards and spades. They ran like deer, by which I mean that they ran not as if it was a performance

sidelong twist of the body. I remembered the sprawling spread-eagle way in which some of the fellows used

bossed by a lot of elderly l

first. It was like two people playing solitaire to see who would get it first; mor

it argued against their having any men about. "

ke them," Jeff objected, "and

Terry protested. "Fancy going to a dam

of rather finer quality than the guards, though all were on terms of easy friendliness. Mine was named Somel, Jeff's Zava

but there's no similarity of termination-and no two

between two and four; always pleasant with a steady friendly kindness that I grew to enjoy very much. Jeff said Miss Zava-he would put on a title, though they appare

as helpless as a bunch of three-year-old orphans, and being taught what they t

tifully made, and increased our knowledge of geographical terms; but when we inq

d studies of plants and trees and flowers and birds. They brought tool

een much more contented, but as the weeks ra

e getting on finely. Every day we can understand them better,

er school. I want to Get Out, and I'm going to. I want

erested in," Jeff commented. "What ar

" And Terry squared off and tapped Jeff sof

we could get back to ou

e," I cautiou

t there, we'll find our way down

of escape. It was difficult, it was highly dangerous, but he declared that he'

e point of the promontory we could get a fair idea of the stretch of wall, and the drop below. Also

hings," he said. "Ropes, ag

ping to dissuade him. "One or another pair o

it at night," he ans

y catch us we may not be so wel

t take. I'm going-if I break my

s down into the garden, and then down over the wall. There were plenty of strong ropes in the

moreover, we should have to do it after we were shut in for the night,

. 'Love will find out a way,'" he hummed. "When we're all out of the window, we'll stand three-man high and cut the rope as far up as we can reach, so a

s was, in a way, Terry's expedition, an

, and spent an anxious hour or two in the

ck cloth, and break it without noise was not difficult, and br

indows-we had not dared leave our lights on too long-

d-furniture-even the mattress covers-we left

ed one end of our cable, strongly, to the firm-set hinge of the

I'll come last, so as to

y, who shook us a little as he sawed through the cord above his head. Then I slowly dropped to the gro

he shadow of every bush and tree. He had been foresighted enough to mark the very spot, only a scratch of stone on

on top. Then I'll go down to the end. If I can get off safely, you can see me and follow-or, say, I'll twitch it thre

er. Jeff climbed up and I followed, and we rather shivered to see how far down that swaying,

and I, not without a joyous sense of recover