The party now remained silent for a while, and watched the prisoners who had just been brought in to see what would be done with them.
They saw Kanka go up to them, and after she had held a rather lengthy conversation with the pair they were released, much to the astonishment of our friends.
Doc Clancy and the other man walked about with expressions of satisfaction on their faces.
The idea of getting married to as many wives as they wanted, and living a life of idleness, evidently pleased them.
A few minutes after their release they saw Van and his companions for the first time.
Their looks of satisfaction suddenly changed, and they showed signs of uneasiness.
Van made up his mind to keep a strict watch upon Doc Clancy, for fear the villain might get an opportunity to murder him.
Meanwhile Kanka had issued orders for all the inhabitants of the valley to assemble in a large field, for the purpose of allowing the eight male strangers to pick out wives.
It took a couple of hours to get them all together, and when the lines had finally been formed, Kanka summoned Van and his companions to her side.
"See here," said Jack Howard, turning his eyes upon the leader of the Amazons, "isn't this a rather queer way of doing business?"