But it was too late.  Washington, who had obeyed the signal from the conning tower to shut off the engines, had disconnected most of them so they could not be started again save from the main room.  At the same time there came a yell of dismay from the colored man, who had slid back the steel covering of the main side entrance to the Mermaid.

“I’m caught!” cried Washington.

As the professor and the boys hurried from the tower, they could hear a struggle from where Washington was, and his voice calling: 

“Let me go!  Let me go!”

Reaching the engine room, which opened directly on the side entrance, the professor saw a pair of enormous hands and arms dragging poor Washington, feet first, out of the ship.  Bill and Tom were crouched in one corner, pale with fright.

“Wait until I get my gun!” cried Andy, as he ran for his rifle.

“Hold on!” called the professor in a loud voice.  “It will be folly to shoot them!  We must try strategy!”

Washington’s cries ceased as he was drawn entirely from the ship, the giant hands disappearing at the same time.

“Follow me!” yelled Mr. Henderson, running out of the door.

Hardly knowing what they did, the boys went after him, and their hearts almost stopped beating in fright as they saw the terrible things, which, in the glare of the changing lights, were on every side of them.

For the men were very repulsive looking.  They there 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.”