ng--for at
that time they were what they so calmly called us--a bi-sexual race.

What happened to them first was merely a succession of historic
misfortunes such as have befallen other nations often enough. They
were decimated by war, driven up from their coastline till finally the
reduced population, with many of the men killed in battle, occupied this
hinterland, and defended it for years, in the mountain passes. Where it
was open to any possible attack from below they strengthened the natural
defenses so that it became unscalably secure, as we found it.

They were a polygamous people, and a slave-holding people, like all of
their time; and during the generation or two of this struggle to defend
their mountain home they built the fortresses, such as the one we were
held in, and other of their oldest buildings, some still in use. Nothing
but earthquakes could destroy such architecture--huge solid blocks,
holding by their own weight. They must have had efficient workmen and
enough of them in those days.

They made a brave fight for their existence, but no nation can stand
up against what the steamship companies call "an act of God." While
the whole fighting force was doing its best to defend their mountain
pathway, there occurred a volcanic outburst, with some local tremors,
and the result was the complete filling up of the pass--their only
outlet. Instead of a passage, a new ridge, sheer and high, stood between
them and the sea; they were walled in, and beneath that wall lay their
whole little army. Very few men were left alive, save the slaves;
and these now seized their opportunity, rose in revolt, killed their
remaining masters even to the youngest boy, killed the old women too,
and the mothers, intending to take possession of the country with the
remaining young women and girls.

But this succession of misfortunes was too much for those infuriated
virgins. There were many of them, and but few of these would-be masters,
so the young women, instead of submitting, rose in sheer desperation and
slew their brutal conquerors.

This sounds like Titus Andronicus, I know, but that is their account. I
suppose they were about crazy--can you blame them?

There was literally no one left on this beautiful high garden land but a
bunch of hysterical girls and some older slave women.

That was about two thousand years ago.

At first there was a period of sheer despair. The mountains towered
between them and their old enemi