.

Rash Advances.
Not more than ten or fifteen miles we judged it from our landing rock to that last village.

For all our eagerness we thought it wise to keep to the woods and go carefully.
Even Terry's ardor was held in check by his firm conviction that there were men to be met, and we saw to it that each of us had a good stock of cartridges.
"They may be scarce, and they may be hidden away somewhere--some kind of a matriarchate, as Jeff tells us; for that matter, they may live up in the mountains yonder and keep the women in this part of the country--sort of a national harem! But there are men somewhere--didn't you see the babies ?" We had all seen babies, children big and little, everywhere that we had come near enough to distinguish the people.

And though by dress we could not be sure of all the grown persons, still there had not been one man that we were certain of.
"I always liked that Arab saying, 'First tie your camel and then trust in the Lord,'" Jeff murmured; so we all had our weapons in hand, and stole cautiously through the forest.

Terry studied it as we progressed.
"Talk of civilization," he cried softly in restrained enthusiasm.