For the men were very repulsive looking. They were attired in clothes, very similar in cut to those worn by the travelers, and which seemed to be made of some sort of cloth. But they were loose and baggy and only added to the queer appearance of the giants. Veritable giants they were too. Their faces seemed as large as kegs, and they were so clumsy in shape that Mark, even, frightened as he was, exclaimed: “They look like men made of putty!” At the same time he saw they bore a resemblance to the creature he had observed on the hill top. “What shall we do?” asked Andy of the professor. “They are really carrying Washington away!” Three of the giants were dragging the colored man along the ground, while the other terrible beings stood about as if waiting to see the outcome of the first sally. “I will try to speak to them,” Mr. Henderson said. “I know several languages. They may understand one.” But before he could start on his parley a surprising thing happened. There was a struggle in the little group about Washington. The colored man seemed to be fighting, though the odds, it would appear, were too great to enable him to accomplish anything. But, making a desperate effort to escape, Washington quickly wrenched himself free from the giants’ hands and then, striking out with his fists, knocked the three down, one after another. “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. [Illustration: THE BIG MEN HAD GATHERED IN A COMPACT MASS]