Chapter 2, "Rash Advances" Summary

The men leave their biplane behind and traverse fifteen miles to the village they sited from the air. They travel through the forest to keep their presence a secret for the time being. Given the evidence of civilization, the men load their weapons, prepared to encounter the men who have built it. They conjecture that the men may live in the mountains and keep the women concentrated on the plain as a harem of sorts. As they walk, they notice that the forest is carefully tended and landscaped. All of the trees grow food or valuable timber. They notice no wild or ornamental trees. Everything has a purpose. Birds abound in the forest and the men assume the male citizens have killed off the local cat population. Suddenly, amidst the birdsong, they hear feminine giggles.

The sounds...