Part 8 (1/2)

”You fools!” roared Mr Sparling from the opposite side of the tent, as he quickly noted as happening ”Run for your lives! You'll have the whole outfit down on your heads!”

Thefor places of safety,tent collapse and descend upon them

The man who had held the key rope was the one who had been at fault Soive theetful of the ined to hi to assist his associate

Instantly the do noise as the huge iron ring in the peak began slipping down the center pole

The key rope coiled on the ground was running out and squirle coil of it remained when Phil suddenly darted forward With a bound, he threw hi it a quick twist about his arrip upon the rope he shot up into the air so quickly that the onlookers failed to catch the ht

One pair of eyes, however, saw and understood They belonged to Mr Sparling, the owner of the show

”The boy will he killed!” he groaned ”Let go!”

CHAPTER V

DOING A MAN'S WORK

For one brief instant Phil Forrest's head was giddy and his breath fairly left his body from the speed hich he was propelled upward on the key rope

But the lad had not for a second lost his presence ofin the air

With a sudden movement that could only have been executed by one with unusual strength and agility, Phil let the rope slip through his hands just enough to slacken his speed Instantly he threw hi the rope around and around it, each twist slackening his upward flight a little

He knew that, were his head to strike the iron ring in the do, he would undoubtedly be killed

It was as much to prevent this as to save the tent that Phil took the action he did, though his one real thought was to save his employer's property

Now the rapid upward shoot had dwindled to a slow, gradual slipping of the rope as it moved up the center pole inch by inch

But Phil's peril was even greater than before Thedown on his head and shoulders with the weight of the canvas behind it, there would be nothing for hiround below seemed inevitable

Yet he did not lose his presence of mind for an instant

”Give him a hand!” yelled the boss canvasman

”Ho?” shouted the canvasmen ”We can't reach him”

”Get a net under that boy, you blockheads!” thundered Mr

Sparling, rushi+ng over from his station ”Don't you see he's bound to fall, and if he does he'll break his neck?”

The boss canvaset the trapeze perfor nearest the dressing tent, for there were two rings now in the Great Sparling Coed it over as quickly as possible; then willing hands grabbed it and stretched the heavy net out At Mr Sparling's direction the four corners of the net were round, ready to catch the lad should he fall