“I never knew Washington was so strong!” exclaimed Jack.
“Nor I,” put in Mark. “Why I should think the men could carry him in one arm as if he was a baby.”
The three giants rose slowly to their feet. They uttered strange cries, and motioned with their hands toward the professor, the boys, and the others in the crowd.
“Look out! They’re goin’ t’ grab yo’!” cried Washington.
Three of the giants approached Mark, and a like number closed in on Jack.
“Back to the ship!” cried the professor. “We must defend ourselves!”
But by this time the big men had grabbed the two boys. Then a strange thing took place. Mark and Jack, though they felt that the giants must overcome them in a test of strength, struggled with all their might against being captured. They fought, as a cornered rat will fight, though it knows the odds to be overwhelming. But in this case the unexpected happened.
Both boys found they could easily break the holds of the giants, and Mark, by a vigorous effort, pushed the three men away from him, one at a time violently so that they fell in a heap, one on top of the other.
“Hurrah! We can fight ’em!” cried Mark. “Don’t be afraid. They’re like mush! They’re putty men!”
And, so it seemed, the giants were. Though big in size they were flabby and had nothing like the muscle they should have had in proportion to their build. They went down like meal sacks and were slow to rise.