re, estimating numbers, measuring distances, judging chances of
escape. He examined the close ranks about us, reaching back far on every
side, and murmured softly to me, "Every one of 'em over forty as I'm a
sinner."

Yet they were not old women. Each was in the full bloom of rosy health,
erect, serene, standing sure-footed and light as any pugilist. They had
no weapons, and we had, but we had no wish to shoot.

"I'd as soon shoot my aunts," muttered Terry again. "What do they
want with us anyhow? They seem to mean business." But in spite of that
businesslike aspect, he determined to try his favorite tactics. Terry
had come armed with a theory.

He stepped forward, with his brilliant ingratiating smile, and made low
obeisance to the women before him. Then he produced another tribute, 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
unsmiling woman who seemed to head the ranks before him. She took it
with a gracious nod of acknowledgment, and passed it on to those behind
her.

He tried again, this time bringing out a circlet of rhinestones, a
glittering crown that should have pleased any woman on earth. He made a
brief address, including Jeff and me as partners in his enterprise, and
with another bow presented this. Again his gift was accepted and, as
before, passed out of sight.

"If they were only younger," he muttered between his teeth. "What on
earth is a fellow to say to a regiment of old Colonels like this?"

In all our discussions and speculations we had always unconsciously
assumed that the women, whatever else they might be, would be young.
Most men do think that way, I fancy.

"Woman" in the abstract is young, and, we assume, charming. As they get
older they pass off the stage, somehow, into private ownership mostly,
or out of it altogether. But these good ladies were very much on the
stage, and yet any one of them might have been a grandmother.

We looked for nervousness--there was none.

For terror, perhaps--there was none.

For uneasiness, for curiosity, for excitement--and all we saw was what
might have been a vigilance committee of women doctors, as cool as
cucumbers, and evidently meaning to take us to task for being there.

Six of them stepped forward now, one on either side of each of us, and
indicated that we were to go with them. We thought it best to accede, at
first anyway, and marched along, one o