Well--before nightfall we were all safely back in our big room. The damage we had done was quite ignored; the beds as smooth and comfortable as before, new clothing and towels supplied. The only thing those women did was to illuminate the gardens at night, and to set an extra watch. But they called us to account next day. Our three tutors, who had not joined in the recapturing expedition, had been quite busy in preparing for us, and now made explanation. They knew well we would make for our machine, and also that there was no other way of getting down--alive. So our flight had troubled no one; all they did was to call the inhabitants to keep an eye on our movements all along the edge of the forest between the two points. It appeared that many of those nights we had been seen, by careful ladies sitting snugly in big trees by the riverbed, or up among the rocks. Terry looked immensely disgusted, but it struck me as extremely funny. Here we had been risking our lives, hiding and prowling like outlaws, living on nuts and fruit, getting wet and cold at night, and dry and hot by day, and all the while these estimable women had just been waiting for us to come out. Now they began to explain, carefully using such words as we could understand. It appeared that we were considered as guests of the country--sort of public wards. Our first violence had made it necessary to keep us safeguarded for a while, but as soon as we learned the language--and would agree to do no harm--they would show us all about the land. Jeff was eager to reassure them. Of course he did not tell on Terry, but he made it clear that he was ashamed of himself, and that he would now conform. As to the language--we all fell upon it with redoubled energy. They brought us books, in greater numbers, and I began to study them seriously. “Pretty punk literature,” Terry burst forth one day, when we were in the privacy of our own room. “Of course one expects to begin on child-stories, but I would like something more interesting now.” “Can’t expect stirring romance and wild adventure without men, can you?” I asked. Nothing irritated Terry more than to have us assume that there were no men; but there were no signs of them in the books they gave us, or the pictures. “Shut up!” he growled. “What infernal nonsense you talk! I’m going to ask ’em outright--we know enough now.” In truth we had been using our best efforts to master the language, and were able to read fluently and to discuss what we read with considerable ease. That afternoon we were all sitting together on the roof--we three and the tutors gathered about a table, no guards about. We had been made to understand some time earlier that if we would agree to do no violence they would withdraw their constant attendance, and we promised most willingly.