I settled my shoulders and stretched my arms, remarking: “They have worked out a mighty sensible dress, I’ll say that for them.” With which we all agreed. “Now then,” Terry proclaimed, “we’ve had a fine long sleep--we’ve had a good bath--we’re clothed and in our right minds, though feeling like a lot of neuters. Do you think these highly civilized ladies are going to give us any breakfast?” “Of course they will,” Jeff asserted confidently. “If they had meant to kill us, they would have done it before. I believe we are going to be treated as guests.” “Hailed as deliverers, I think,” said Terry. “Studied as curiosities,” I told them. “But anyhow, we want food. So now for a sortie!” A sortie was not so easy. The bathroom only opened into our chamber, and that had but one outlet, a big heavy door, which was fastened. We listened. “There’s someone outside,” Jeff suggested. “Let’s knock.” So we knocked, whereupon the door opened. Outside was another large room, furnished with a great table at one end, long benches or couches against the wall, some smaller tables and chairs. All these were solid, strong, simple in structure, and comfortable in use--also, incidentally, beautiful. This room was occupied by a number of women, eighteen to be exact, some of whom we distinctly recalled. Terry heaved a disappointed sigh. “The Colonels!” I heard him whisper to Jeff. Jeff, however, advanced and bowed in his best manner; so did we all, and we were saluted civilly by the tall-standing women. We had no need to make pathetic pantomime of hunger; the smaller tables were already laid with food, and we were gravely invited to be seated. The tables were set for two; each of us found ourselves placed vis-a-vis with one of our hosts, and each table had five other stalwarts nearby, unobtrusively watching. We had plenty of time to get tired of those women! The breakfast was not profuse, but sufficient in amount and excellent in quality. We were all too good travelers to object to novelty, and this repast with its new but delicious fruit, its dish of large rich-flavored nuts, and its highly satisfactory little cakes was most agreeable. There was water to drink, and a hot beverage of a most pleasing quality, some preparation like cocoa. And then and there, willy-nilly, before we had satisfied our appetites, our education began. By each of our plates lay a little book, a real printed book, though different from ours both in paper and binding, as well, of course, as in type. We examined them curiously. “Shades of Sauveur!” muttered Terry. “We’re to learn the language!” We were indeed to learn the language, and not only that, but to teach our own. There were blank books with parallel columns, neatly ruled, evidently prepared for the occasion, and in these, as fast as we learned and wrote down the name of anything, we were urged to write our own name for it by its side.