“Come back! Come back!” cried the professor, opening the conning tower door and calling to the two brave men. “Come back, both of you! Do you hear?”
As the portal slid back the rush of air was almost like that of a cyclone. Then it suddenly ceased, as the giants saw their plan was not likely to succeed.
But now there arose from the outer circle of the horde a shout of triumph. It was caused by the return of those who had, a little while before, hurried off to the woods. They came back bearing big trees, tall and slender, stripped of their branches, so that they resembled flag staffs. It took a dozen giants to carry each one.
The whole throng was soon busy laying the poles in a row in front of the ship.
“What can they be up to now?” asked Jack.
“It looks as if they were going to slide the ship along on rollers,” the professor replied.
Sure enough this was the giant’s plan. A few minutes later those in the Mermaid felt her moving forward, as the giants, massed behind, shoved. On to the poles she slid. The ropes were loosened to permit this, but not enough to enable the boat to rise.
Then the travelers felt the ship being lifted up.
“They are going to carry us away, with the poles for a big stretcher!” cried the professor.
Looking from the side windows the boys saw that a great crowd of the big men were on either side of the Mermaid, each giant grasping a pole, and lifting. Farther out were others, holding the ends of the cables which Washington and Andy had not succeeded in cutting.