He hurried to tell the professor what he had noticed.
“Good!” exclaimed Mr. Henderson. “Perhaps we can escape now!”
They waited a few minutes, listening to the sound of many big feet running away from the ship, and then, Bill cautiously opened the side door. The others were behind him, waiting, with knives and hatchets in their hands, to rush out and cut the restraining cables.
“All ready!” called Bill. “There doesn’t seem to be a one in sight!”
He stepped out but no sooner had he set foot on the ground than there came a thud, and Bill went down as if some one had knocked his feet from under him.
“Go back! Go back!” he cried. “They hit me with something. I’m being smothered!”
“Bring a light!” cried the professor, for the sally had been started in the dark.
Jack brought the portable electric it having been repaired and flashed it out of the door. In the gleam of it, Bill was seen lying prostrate, half covered by an orange, about half as big as himself. The fruit was as soft and mushy as some of the giants themselves, or Bill would not have fared so easily.
Then, as the others stood watching, and while Bill arose and wiped some of the juice from his face, there came a regular shower of the monstrous oranges.
“Get inside quick! We’ll be smothered under them!” Mr. Henderson cried.