If we came a step too near they backed off, standing light and eager for flight.
"It's no sort of use," I said.

"Come on--let's get a sharp stone or something--we must get this thing off." So we hunted about and found what edged fragments we could, and hacked away, but it was like trying to cut sailcloth with a clamshell.
Terry hacked and dug, but said to us under his breath.

"Boys, we're in pretty good condition--let's make a life and death dash and get hold of those girls--we've got to." They had drawn rather nearer to watch our efforts, and we did take them rather by surprise; also, as Terry said, our recent training had strengthened us in wind and limb, and for a few desperate moments those girls were scared and we almost triumphant.
But just as we stretched out our hands, the distance between us widened; they had got their pace apparently, and then, though we ran at our utmost speed, and much farther than I thought wise, they kept just out of reach all the time.
We stopped breathless, at last, at my repeated admonitions.
"This is stark foolishness," I urged.

"They are doing it on purpose--come back or you'll be sorry." We went back, much slower than we came, and in truth we were sorry.
As we reached our swaddled machine, and sought again to tear loose its covering, there rose up from all around the sturdy forms, the quiet determined faces we knew so well.
"Oh Lord!" groaned Terry.

"The Colonels! It's all up--they're forty to one." It was no use to fight.