"Have your weapons ready, and the moment they attempt to harm us we will have to begin shooting, even if they are women," said Van.
"Right you are," returned Jack Howard, "but they are a too good-looking set by far, to do us any harm."
"Suppose I try and talk to them?" observed Prof. Drearland.
"Go ahead!" exclaimed Van.
Clearing his throat, the learned man began addressing the women in all the foreign tongues he could command.
But he was evidently not understood, as a rather musical chattering was the only answer he received.
"S'pose you try 'em in the United States language," ventured Lank Edwards. "If they can't understand that they ain't worth botherin' with."
Taking the cue, the professor at once addressed the assemblage in English.
To the astonishment of all hands one of the elder women promptly stepped forward and answered him in the same tongue.