CHAPTER	O
1	O
.	O

A	O
Not	O
Unnatural	O
Enterprise	O
This	O
is	O
written	EVENT
from	O
memory	O
,	O
unfortunately	O
.	O

If	O
I	O
could	O
have	O
brought	O
with	O
me	O
the	O
material	O
I	O
so	O
carefully	O
prepared	O
,	O
this	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
very	O
different	O
story	O
.	O

Whole	O
books	O
full	O
of	O
notes	O
,	O
carefully	O
copied	O
records	O
,	O
firsthand	O
descriptions	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
pictures	O
--	O
that	O
’s	O
the	O
worst	O
loss	O
.	O

We	O
had	O
some	O
bird	O
’s	O
-	O
eyes	O
of	O
the	O
cities	O
and	O
parks	O
;	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
lovely	O
views	O
of	O
streets	O
,	O
of	O
buildings	O
,	O
outside	O
and	O
in	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
of	O
those	O
gorgeous	O
gardens	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
most	O
important	O
of	O
all	O
,	O
of	O
the	O
women	O
themselves	O
.	O

Nobody	O
will	O
ever	O
believe	O
how	O
they	O
looked	O
.	O

Descriptions	O
are	O
n’t	O
any	O
good	O
when	O
it	O
comes	O
to	O
women	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
never	O
was	O
good	O
at	O
descriptions	O
anyhow	O
.	O

But	O
it	O
’s	O
got	O
to	O
be	O
done	O
somehow	O
;	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
world	O
needs	O
to	O
know	O
about	O
that	O
country	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
n’t	O
said	O
where	O
it	O
was	O
for	O
fear	O
some	O
self-appointed	O
missionaries	O
,	O
or	O
traders	O
,	O
or	O
land-greedy	O
expansionists	O
,	O
will	O
take	O
it	O
upon	O
themselves	O
to	O
push	O
in	O
.	O

They	O
will	O
not	O
be	O
wanted	O
,	O
I	O
can	O
tell	O
them	O
that	O
,	O
and	O
will	O
fare	O
worse	O
than	O
we	O
did	O
if	O
they	O
do	O
find	O
it	O
.	O

It	O
began	O
this	O
way	O
.	O

There	O
were	O
three	O
of	O
us	O
,	O
classmates	O
and	O
friends	O
--	O
Terry	O
O.	O
Nicholson	O
(	O
we	O
used	O
to	O
call	O
him	O
the	O
Old	O
Nick	O
,	O
with	O
good	O
reason	O
)	O
,	O
Jeff	O
Margrave	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
,	O
Vandyck	O
Jennings	O
.	O

We	O
had	O
known	O
each	O
other	O
years	O
and	O
years	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
spite	O
of	O
our	O
differences	O
we	O
had	O
a	O
good	O
deal	O
in	O
common	O
.	O

All	O
of	O
us	O
were	O
interested	O
in	O
science	O
.	O

Terry	O
was	O
rich	O
enough	O
to	O
do	O
as	O
he	O
pleased	O
.	O

His	O
great	O
aim	O
was	O
exploration	O
.	O

He	O
used	O
to	O
make	O
all	O
kinds	O
of	O
a	O
row	O
because	O
there	O
was	O
nothing	O
left	O
to	O
explore	O
now	O
,	O
only	O
patchwork	O
and	O
filling	O
in	O
,	O
he	O
said	O
.	O

He	O
filled	O
in	O
well	O
enough	O
--	O
he	O
had	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
talents	O
--	O
great	O
on	O
mechanics	O
and	O
electricity	O
.	O

Had	O
all	O
kinds	O
of	O
boats	O
and	O
motorcars	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
of	O
our	O
airmen	O
.	O

We	O
never	O
could	O
have	O
done	O
the	O
thing	O
at	O
all	O
without	O
Terry	O
.	O

Jeff	O
Margrave	O
was	O
born	EVENT
to	O
be	O
a	O
poet	O
,	O
a	O
botanist	O
--	O
or	O
both	O
--	O
but	O
his	O
folks	O
persuaded	EVENT
him	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
doctor	O
instead	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
a	O
good	O
one	O
,	O
for	O
his	O
age	O
,	O
but	O
his	O
real	O
interest	O
was	O
in	O
what	O
he	O
loved	O
to	O
call	O
“	O
the	O
wonders	O
of	O
science	O
.	O
”	O

As	O
for	O
me	O
,	O
sociology	O
’s	O
my	O
major	O
.	O

You	O
have	O
to	O
back	O
that	O
up	O
with	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
other	O
sciences	O
,	O
of	O
course	O
.	O

I	O
’m	O
interested	O
in	O
them	O
all	O
.	O

Terry	O
was	O
strong	O
on	O
facts	O
--	O
geography	O
and	O
meteorology	O
and	O
those	O
;	O
Jeff	O
could	O
beat	O
him	O
any	O
time	O
on	O
biology	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
did	O
n’t	O
care	O
what	O
it	O
was	O
they	O
talked	O
about	O
,	O
so	O
long	O
as	O
it	O
connected	O
with	O
human	O
life	O
,	O
somehow	O
.	O

There	O
are	O
few	O
things	O
that	O
do	O
n’t	O
.	O

We	O
three	O
had	O
a	O
chance	O
to	O
join	O
a	O
big	O
scientific	O
expedition	O
.	O

They	O
needed	O
a	O
doctor	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
gave	O
Jeff	O
an	O
excuse	EVENT
for	O
dropping	EVENT
his	O
just	O
opening	EVENT
practice	O
;	O
they	O
needed	O
Terry	O
’s	O
experience	O
,	O
his	O
machine	O
,	O
and	O
his	O
money	O
;	O
and	O
as	O
for	O
me	O
,	O
I	O
got	O
in	O
through	O
Terry	O
’s	O
influence	O
.	O

The	O
expedition	EVENT
was	O
up	O
among	O
the	O
thousand	O
tributaries	O
and	O
enormous	O
hinterland	O
of	O
a	O
great	O
river	O
,	O
up	O
where	O
the	O
maps	O
had	O
to	O
be	O
made	O
,	O
savage	O
dialects	O
studied	O
,	O
and	O
all	O
manner	O
of	O
strange	O
flora	O
and	O
fauna	O
expected	O
.	O

But	O
this	O
story	O
is	O
not	O
about	O
that	O
expedition	EVENT
.	O

That	O
was	O
only	O
the	O
merest	O
starter	O
for	O
ours	O
.	O

My	O
interest	EVENT
was	O
first	O
roused	O
by	O
talk	O
among	O
our	O
guides	O
.	O

I	O
’m	O
quick	O
at	O
languages	O
,	O
know	O
a	O
good	O
many	O
,	O
and	O
pick	O
them	O
up	O
readily	O
.	O

What	O
with	O
that	O
and	O
a	O
really	O
good	O
interpreter	O
we	O
took	EVENT
with	O
us	O
,	O
I	O
made	EVENT
out	O
quite	O
a	O
few	O
legends	O
and	O
folk	O
myths	O
of	O
these	O
scattered	O
tribes	O
.	O

And	O
as	O
we	O
got	EVENT
farther	O
and	O
farther	O
upstream	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
dark	O
tangle	O
of	O
rivers	O
,	O
lakes	O
,	O
morasses	O
,	O
and	O
dense	O
forests	O
,	O
with	O
here	O
and	O
there	O
an	O
unexpected	O
long	O
spur	O
running	O
out	O
from	O
the	O
big	O
mountains	O
beyond	O
,	O
I	O
noticed	EVENT
that	O
more	O
and	O
more	O
of	O
these	O
savages	O
had	O
a	O
story	O
about	O
a	O
strange	O
and	O
terrible	O
Woman	O
Land	O
in	O
the	O
high	O
distance	O
.	O

“	O
Up	O
yonder	O
,	O
”	O
“	O
Over	O
there	O
,	O
”	O
“	O
Way	O
up	O
”	O
--	O
was	O
all	O
the	O
direction	O
they	O
could	O
offer	O
,	O
but	O
their	O
legends	O
all	O
agreed	O
on	O
the	O
main	O
point	O
--	O
that	O
there	O
was	O
this	O
strange	O
country	O
where	O
no	O
men	O
lived	O
--	O
only	O
women	O
and	O
girl	O
children	O
.	O

None	O
of	O
them	O
had	O
ever	O
seen	O
it	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
dangerous	O
,	O
deadly	O
,	O
they	O
said	EVENT
,	O
for	O
any	O
man	O
to	O
go	O
there	O
.	O

But	O
there	O
were	O
tales	O
of	O
long	O
ago	O
,	O
when	O
some	O
brave	O
investigator	O
had	O
seen	EVENT
it	O
--	O
a	O
Big	O
Country	O
,	O
Big	O
Houses	O
,	O
Plenty	O
People	O
--	O
All	O
Women	O
.	O

Had	O
no	O
one	O
else	O
gone	O
?	O

Yes	O
--	O
a	O
good	O
many	O
--	O
but	O
they	O
never	O
came	O
back	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
no	O
place	O
for	O
men	O
--	O
of	O
that	O
they	O
seemed	O
sure	O
.	O

I	O
told	O
the	O
boys	O
about	O
these	O
stories	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
laughed	EVENT
at	O
them	O
.	O

Naturally	O
I	O
did	EVENT
myself	O
.	O

I	O
knew	O
the	O
stuff	O
that	O
savage	O
dreams	O
are	O
made	O
of	O
.	O

But	O
when	O
we	O
had	O
reached	EVENT
our	O
farthest	O
point	O
,	O
just	O
the	O
day	O
before	O
we	O
all	O
had	O
to	O
turn	O
around	O
and	O
start	O
for	O
home	O
again	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
best	O
of	O
expeditions	O
must	O
in	O
time	O
,	O
we	O
three	O
made	O
a	O
discovery	EVENT
.	O

The	O
main	O
encampment	O
was	O
on	O
a	O
spit	O
of	O
land	O
running	O
out	O
into	O
the	O
main	O
stream	O
,	O
or	O
what	O
we	O
thought	O
was	O
the	O
main	O
stream	O
.	O

It	O
had	O
the	O
same	O
muddy	O
color	O
we	O
had	O
been	O
seeing	O
for	O
weeks	O
past	O
,	O
the	O
same	O
taste	O
.	O

I	O
happened	O
to	O
speak	EVENT
of	O
that	O
river	O
to	O
our	O
last	O
guide	O
,	O
a	O
rather	O
superior	O
fellow	O
with	O
quick	O
,	O
bright	O
eyes	O
.	O

He	O
told	EVENT
me	O
that	O
there	O
was	O
another	O
river	O
--	O
“	O
over	O
there	O
,	O
short	O
river	O
,	O
sweet	O
water	O
,	O
red	O
and	O
blue	O
.	O
”	O

I	O
was	O
interested	O
in	O
this	O
and	O
anxious	O
to	O
see	O
if	O
I	O
had	O
understood	O
,	O
so	O
I	O
showed	EVENT
him	O
a	O
red	O
and	O
blue	O
pencil	O
I	O
carried	O
,	O
and	O
asked	EVENT
again	O
.	O

Yes	O
,	O
he	O
pointed	EVENT
to	O
the	O
river	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
to	O
the	O
southwestward	O
.	O

“	O
River	O
--	O
good	O
water	O
--	O
red	O
and	O
blue	O
.	O
”	O

Terry	O
was	O
close	O
by	O
and	O
interested	EVENT
in	O
the	O
fellow	O
’s	O
pointing	EVENT
.	O

“	O
What	O
does	O
he	O
say	O
,	O
Van	O
?	O
”	O

I	O
told	EVENT
him	O
.	O

Terry	O
blazed	EVENT
up	O
at	O
once	O
.	O

“	O
Ask	O
him	O
how	O
far	O
it	O
is	O
.	O
”	O

The	O
man	O
indicated	EVENT
a	O
short	O
journey	O
;	O
I	O
judged	EVENT
about	O
two	O
hours	O
,	O
maybe	O
three	O
.	O

“	O
Let	O
’s	O
go	O
,	O
”	O
urged	EVENT
Terry	O
.	O

“	O
Just	O
us	O
three	O
.	O

Maybe	O
we	O
can	O
really	O
find	O
something	O
.	O

May	O
be	O
cinnabar	O
in	O
it	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
May	O
be	O
indigo	O
,	O
”	O
Jeff	O
suggested	EVENT
,	O
with	O
his	O
lazy	O
smile	EVENT
.	O

It	O
was	O
early	O
yet	O
;	O
we	O
had	O
just	O
breakfasted	EVENT
;	O
and	O
leaving	O
word	EVENT
that	O
we	O
’d	O
be	O
back	O
before	O
night	O
,	O
we	O
got	EVENT
away	O
quietly	O
,	O
not	O
wishing	O
to	O
be	O
thought	O
too	O
gullible	O
if	O
we	O
failed	O
,	O
and	O
secretly	O
hoping	O
to	O
have	O
some	O
nice	O
little	O
discovery	O
all	O
to	O
ourselves	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
a	O
long	O
two	O
hours	O
,	O
nearer	O
three	O
.	O

I	O
fancy	O
the	O
savage	O
could	O
have	O
done	O
it	O
alone	O
much	O
quicker	O
.	O

There	O
was	O
a	O
desperate	O
tangle	O
of	O
wood	O
and	O
water	O
and	O
a	O
swampy	O
patch	O
we	O
never	O
should	O
have	O
found	O
our	O
way	O
across	O
alone	O
.	O

But	O
there	O
was	O
one	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
could	O
see	EVENT
Terry	O
,	O
with	O
compass	O
and	O
notebook	O
,	O
marking	EVENT
directions	O
and	O
trying	EVENT
to	O
place	O
landmarks	O
.	O

We	O
came	EVENT
after	O
a	O
while	O
to	O
a	O
sort	O
of	O
marshy	O
lake	O
,	O
very	O
big	O
,	O
so	O
that	O
the	O
circling	O
forest	O
looked	O
quite	O
low	O
and	O
dim	O
across	O
it	O
.	O

Our	O
guide	O
told	EVENT
us	O
that	O
boats	O
could	O
go	O
from	O
there	O
to	O
our	O
camp	O
--	O
but	O
“	O
long	O
way	O
--	O
all	O
day	O
.	O
”	O

This	O
water	O
was	O
somewhat	O
clearer	O
than	O
that	O
we	O
had	O
left	EVENT
,	O
but	O
we	O
could	O
not	O
judge	O
well	O
from	O
the	O
margin	O
.	O

We	O
skirted	EVENT
it	O
for	O
another	O
half	O
hour	O
or	O
so	O
,	O
the	O
ground	O
growing	O
firmer	O
as	O
we	O
advanced	EVENT
,	O
and	O
presently	O
we	O
turned	EVENT
the	O
corner	O
of	O
a	O
wooded	O
promontory	O
and	O
saw	EVENT
a	O
quite	O
different	O
country	O
--	O
a	O
sudden	O
view	O
of	O
mountains	O
,	O
steep	O
and	O
bare	O
.	O

“	O
One	O
of	O
those	O
long	O
easterly	O
spurs	O
,	O
”	O
Terry	O
said	EVENT
appraisingly	O
.	O

“	O
May	O
be	O
hundreds	O
of	O
miles	O
from	O
the	O
range	O
.	O

They	O
crop	O
out	O
like	O
that	O
.	O
”	O

Suddenly	O
we	O
left	EVENT
the	O
lake	O
and	O
struck	EVENT
directly	O
toward	O
the	O
cliffs	O
.	O

We	O
heard	EVENT
running	EVENT
water	O
before	O
we	O
reached	EVENT
it	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
guide	O
pointed	EVENT
proudly	O
to	O
his	O
river	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
short	O
.	O

We	O
could	O
see	EVENT
where	O
it	O
poured	EVENT
down	O
a	O
narrow	O
vertical	O
cataract	O
from	O
an	O
opening	O
in	O
the	O
face	O
of	O
the	O
cliff	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
sweet	O
water	O
.	O

The	O
guide	O
drank	EVENT
eagerly	O
and	O
so	O
did	EVENT
we	O
.	O

“	O
That	O
’s	O
snow	O
water	O
,	O
”	O
Terry	O
announced	EVENT
.	O

“	O
Must	O
come	O
from	O
way	O
back	O
in	O
the	O
hills	O
.	O
”	O

But	O
as	O
to	O
being	O
red	O
and	O
blue	O
--	O
it	O
was	O
greenish	O
in	O
tint	O
.	O

The	O
guide	O
seemed	O
not	O
at	O
all	O
surprised	O
.	O

He	O
hunted	EVENT
about	O
a	O
little	O
and	O
showed	EVENT
us	O
a	O
quiet	O
marginal	O
pool	O
where	O
there	O
were	O
smears	O
of	O
red	O
along	O
the	O
border	O
;	O
yes	O
,	O
and	O
of	O
blue	O
.	O

Terry	O
got	EVENT
out	O
his	O
magnifying	O
glass	O
and	O
squatted	EVENT
down	O
to	O
investigate	EVENT
.	O

“	O
Chemicals	O
of	O
some	O
sort	O
--	O
I	O
ca	O
n’t	O
tell	O
on	O
the	O
spot	O
.	O

Look	EVENT
to	O
me	O
like	O
dyestuffs	O
.	O

Let	O
’s	O
get	O
nearer	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
urged	EVENT
,	O
“	O
up	O
there	O
by	O
the	O
fall	O
.	O
”	O

We	O
scrambled	EVENT
along	O
the	O
steep	O
banks	O
and	O
got	EVENT
close	O
to	O
the	O
pool	O
that	O
foamed	EVENT
and	O
boiled	EVENT
beneath	O
the	O
falling	EVENT
water	O
.	O

Here	O
we	O
searched	EVENT
the	O
border	O
and	O
found	EVENT
traces	O
of	O
color	O
beyond	O
dispute	O
.	O

More	O
--	O
Jeff	O
suddenly	O
held	EVENT
up	O
an	O
unlooked-for	O
trophy	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
only	O
a	O
rag	O
,	O
a	O
long	O
,	O
raveled	O
fragment	O
of	O
cloth	O
.	O

But	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
well-woven	O
fabric	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
pattern	O
,	O
and	O
of	O
a	O
clear	O
scarlet	O
that	O
the	O
water	O
had	O
not	O
faded	O
.	O

No	O
savage	O
tribe	O
that	O
we	O
had	O
heard	O
of	O
made	O
such	O
fabrics	O
.	O

The	O
guide	O
stood	O
serenely	O
on	O
the	O
bank	O
,	O
well	O
pleased	O
with	O
our	O
excitement	O
.	O

“	O
One	O
day	O
blue	O
--	O
one	O
day	O
red	O
--	O
one	O
day	O
green	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
told	EVENT
us	O
,	O
and	O
pulled	EVENT
from	O
his	O
pouch	O
another	O
strip	O
of	O
bright-hued	O
cloth	O
.	O

“	O
Come	O
down	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
said	EVENT
,	O
pointing	EVENT
to	O
the	O
cataract	O
.	O

“	O
Woman	O
Country	O
--	O
up	O
there	O
.	O
”	O

Then	O
we	O
were	O
interested	EVENT
.	O

We	O
had	O
our	O
rest	EVENT
and	O
lunch	EVENT
right	O
there	O
and	O
pumped	EVENT
the	O
man	O
for	O
further	O
information	O
.	O

He	O
could	O
tell	EVENT
us	O
only	O
what	O
the	O
others	O
had	O
--	O
a	O
land	O
of	O
women	O
--	O
no	O
men	O
--	O
babies	O
,	O
but	O
all	O
girls	O
.	O

No	O
place	O
for	O
men	O
--	O
dangerous	O
.	O

Some	O
had	O
gone	O
to	O
see	O
--	O
none	O
had	O
come	O
back	O
.	O

I	O
could	O
see	EVENT
Terry	O
’s	O
jaw	O
set	EVENT
at	O
that	O
.	O

No	O
place	O
for	O
men	O
?	O

Dangerous	O
?	O

He	O
looked	O
as	O
if	O
he	O
might	O
shin	O
up	O
the	O
waterfall	O
on	O
the	O
spot	O
.	O

But	O
the	O
guide	O
would	O
not	O
hear	O
of	O
going	O
up	O
,	O
even	O
if	O
there	O
had	O
been	O
any	O
possible	O
method	O
of	O
scaling	O
that	O
sheer	O
cliff	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
had	O
to	O
get	O
back	O
to	O
our	O
party	O
before	O
night	O
.	O

“	O
They	O
might	O
stay	O
if	O
we	O
told	O
them	O
,	O
”	O
I	O
suggested	EVENT
.	O

But	O
Terry	O
stopped	EVENT
in	O
his	O
tracks	O
.	O

“	O
Look	O
here	O
,	O
fellows	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
said	EVENT
.	O

“	O
This	O
is	O
our	O
find	O
.	O

Let	O
’s	O
not	O
tell	O
those	O
cocky	O
old	O
professors	O
.	O

Let	O
’s	O
go	O
on	O
home	O
with	O
‘	O
em	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
come	O
back	O
--	O
just	O
us	O
--	O
have	O
a	O
little	O
expedition	O
of	O
our	O
own	O
.	O
”	O