Part 42 (1/2)

However, between the storm and the escaped lion, none seemed to have his wits about him sufficiently to knoas best to do

Had the showht have been able to capture the beast then and there

Seeing that they were not going to do so, and that the lion alking slowly toward the reserved seats, Phil sprang in front of the dangerous brute to head hi up The panic ht break at any minute

”Sit down!” came the command, in a stern, boyish voice

Phil faced the escaped lion, starting toward it with a threatening et a net?”

”Get a net!” thundered Mr Sparling ”Get away fro so, the Circus Boy stepped closer to the beast

No one htest ht easily be done now, if only a few had the presence of master's whip in Phil's hands snapped and the leather lash bit deep into the nose of Wallace

With a roar that sounded louder than that of the storet the lash on his nose again

Suddenly he turned about and in long, curving bounds headed for the lower end of the tent Mr Sparling sprang to one side, knowing full well that it would be better to lose the lion than to stir up the audience more than they already were stirred

Phil was in full pursuit, cracking his whip at every juh the open flap at the lower end of the tent and disappeared in the night

Just as he did so there ca that had preceded it A series of reports followed one another until it sounded as if a battery of s and tearing and rending that sent every spectator in the big tent, to his feet yelling and shouting

”The tent is co down!”

Woet down into the arena

”Stay where you are!” shouted Phil Then the Circus Boy did a bold act Running along in front of the seats he let drive the lash of his long whip full into the faces of the struggling people The sting of the lash brought many of them to their senses Then they too turned to help hold the others back

With a wrench, the center poles were lifted several feet up into the air

”Look out for the quarter poles! Keep back or you'll be killed!”

shouted Phil

”Keep back! Keep back!” bellowed Mr Sparling

And now the quarter poles--the poles that stand leaning toward the center of the arena, just in front of the lower row of seats--began to fall, crashi+ng inward, forced to the north

The center poles snapped like pipe steth of the tent