formidable band of marauders. The Scythians of the
country supposed that they were men, but they could learn nothing
certain respecting them. Their language, their appearance, their
manners, and their dress were totally new, and the inhabitants were
utterly unable to conceive who they were, and from what place they
could so suddenly and mysteriously have come.

At last, in one of the encounters which took place, the Scythians took
two of these strange invaders prisoners. To their utter amazement,
they found that they were women. On making this discovery, they
changed their mode of dealing with them, and resolved upon a plan
based on the supposed universality of the instincts of their sex.
They enlisted a corps of the most handsome and vigorous young men that
could be obtained, and after giving them instructions, the nature of
which will be learned by the result, they sent them forth to meet the
Amazons.

The corps of Scythian cavaliers went out to seek their female
antagonists with designs any thing but belligerent. They advanced to
the encampment of the Amazons, and hovered about for some time in
their vicinity, without, however, making any warlike demonstrations.
They had been instructed to show themselves as much as possible to the
enemy, but by no means to fight them. They would, accordingly, draw as
near to the Amazons as was safe, and linger there, gazing upon them,
as if under the influence of some sort of fascination. If the Amazons
advanced toward them, they would fall back, and if the advance
continued, they would retreat fast enough to keep effectually out of
the way. Then, when the Amazons turned, they would turn too, follow
them back, and linger near them, around their encampment, as before.

The Amazonians were for a time puzzled with this strange demeanor, and
they gradually learned to look upon the handsome horsemen at first
without fear, and finally even without hostility. At length, one day,
one of the young horsemen, observing an Amazon who had strayed away
from the rest, followed and joined her. She did not repel him. They
were not able to converse together, as neither knew the language of
the other. They established a friendly intercourse, however, by looks
and signs, and after a time they separated, each agreeing to bring one
of their companions to the place of rendezvous on the following day.

A friendly intercommunication being thus commenced, the example spread
very rapidly; matrimonial alli