and kings. I'm for you and the party."

A short walk brought them to the "space" of the vines. After testing
the matter out carefully, they found that they could each pull two of
them at a time. The vines stretched amazingly when they found those
whose far ends were fixed firmly in the tangle, permitting them to
carry their own ends along with them toward the safe. Phil wound his
vines around his left arm and stuck one club through his belt. The
other he got ready for the wooden animals.

He needed it. The size of the pack was doubled, and he rapped them
till his hand was numb before he and Ione got by. Their vines drew out
thin, but held until they were firmly tied about the safe. They went
back after four more.

"I should judge," said Phil, "that by the time we get thirty or forty,
the elastic pull will be strong enough to drag the safe back with
them as they snap back home."

* * * * *

Trip after trip they made, fighting the wooden animals with their
clubs each time. Their clothes were torn, and their legs bleeding;
their throats were dry and lips cracked. The hard animals seemed to
have a persistent, mechanical ferocity that was undismayed by
hammering with the clubs and by repeated repulses. Phil could not seem
to hurt them; he merely knocked them away. Finally, on the ninth trip,
Ione collapsed when she reached the safe. As she fell, the elasticity
of the vines began slowly to drag her back with them. Phil was forced
to sit across her knees while he tied his own vines about the safe.
Then he released her and added her vines to the great cable about the
safe.

An overbold hard animal rattled up and snapped at her. Goaded to fury,
Phil swung at it with his club and hurled it through the air. He could
feel the lurch as it left his space and entered another. Then he
pushed with his mightiest effort against the safe. It budged, and slid
a few inches. He used his stick as a lever. It moved again, a little
faster. Ione struggled to her feet and tried to help, but her efforts
were ineffectual.

With one arm about her, Phil pried again under the safe, knowing that
another trip after vines was out of question. Another animal snapped
at their heels. For a while, it was kick backwards, then a shove at
the safe. Each time the safe moved. The sight of its movement revived
Ione, so that she was able to push also. Gradually it acquired a
steady motion, pulled by the contraction of the vin