第 35 节
作者:希望之舟      更新:2021-02-20 15:45      字数:9320
  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   polesthe   poles   that   stand   leaning   toward   the
  center of the arena; just in front of the lower row of seatsbegan to fall;
  crashing inward; forced to the north。
  The center poles snapped like pipe stems; pieces of them being hurled
  half the length of the tent。
  Down came the canvas; extinguishing the lights and leaving the place
  in deep darkness。        The people were fairly beside themselves with fright。
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  But still that boyish voice was heard above the uproar:
  〃Sit still!    Sit still!〃
  The whole mass of canvas collapsed and went rolling northward like a
  sail suddenly ripped from the yards of a ship。
  The   last   mighty   blow   of   the   storm   had   been   more   than   canvas   and
  painted poles could stand。
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  CHAPTER XXIII
  THE LION HUNT
  For a moment there was silence。           Then the people began shouting。
  〃Bring lights; men!〃 thundered the owner of the show。
  Being   so   near   the   outer   edges   of   the   tent;   the   people   had   escaped
  almost without injury。        Many had been bruised as the canvas swept over
  them;  knocking them  flat   and some   falling   all   the   way  through   between
  the seats to the ground; where they were in little danger。
  〃Wait till the lights come!       Phil!    Phil!〃
  Phil   Forrest   did   not   answer。   He   had   been   knocked   clear   into   the
  center of the arena by a falling quarter pole; and stunned。 The Circus Boy's
  head   was   pretty   hard;   however;   and   no   more   than   a   minute   had   passed
  before he was at work digging his way out of the wreck。
  〃Phillip!〃
  〃Here!〃
  〃Thank heaven;〃 muttered the showman。                 〃I was afraid he had been
  killed。     Are    you   all  right?〃    Mr。     Sparling    made    his   way    in  Phil's
  direction。
  〃Yes。    Howhow many were killed?〃
  〃I hope none;〃 replied Mr。 Sparling。           〃As soon as the lights are on and
  all this stuff hauled out of the way we shall know。〃
  Most of   the   canvas   had   been   blown   from  the   circus   arena proper   so
  that   little   was   left   there   save   the   seats;   a   portion   of   the   bandstand;   the
  wrecks of the ruined poles and circus properties; together with some of the
  side walls; which still were standing。
  By this time  the  tornado;  for  such   it   had developed   into;  had passed
  entirely   and   the   moon   came   out;   shining   down   into   the   darkened   circus
  arena; lighting it up brightly。
  About that time torches were brought。              The people had rushed down
  from the seats as soon as the big top had blown away。
  〃I   want   all   who   have   been   injured   to  wait   until   I   can  see   them;〃
  shouted Mr。 Sparling。         〃Many of you owe your lives to this young man。
  Had you started when the blow came many of you would have been killed。
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  Has anyone been seriously hurt?〃
  A chorus of 〃no's〃 echoed from all sides。
  The showman breathed a sigh of relief。               A bare half dozen had to be
  helped down from the seats; where they had been struck by flying debris;
  but beyond that no one obeyed Mr。 Sparling's request to remain。
  The men had run quickly along under the seats to see if by any chance
  injured   persons   had   fallen   through。       They   helped   a   few   out   and   these
  walked   hurriedly   away;   bent   on   getting   off   the   circus   lot   as   quickly   as
  possible after their exciting experiences。
  〃No one killed; Phil。〃
  〃I'm   glad   of   that。  I'm   going   to   look   for   Wallace。   Better   get   your
  men out right away; or he'll be too far away for us ever to catch him again。
  Have the menagerie men gone to look for him?〃
  〃I don't know; Phil。       You will remember that I have been rather busily
  engaged for the past ten or fifteen minutes。〃
  〃We all have。       Well; I'm going to take a run and see if I can get track
  of the lion。〃
  〃Be careful。      Better get your clothes on the first thing you do。〃
  〃Guess      he   hasn't    any。    His     trunk    and   mine     have    gone    away
  somewhere;〃 nodded Teddy。
  〃Never   mind   the   clothes。      I'm   on   a   lion   hunt   now;〃   laughed   Phil;
  starting from the enclosure on a run。
  〃Nothing can stop that boy;〃 muttered Mr。 Sparling。                  The owner was
  all   activity  now;   giving   his   orders   at   rapid…fire   rate。   First;   the   men   were
  ordered to gather the canvas and stretch it out on the lot so an inventory
  might     be   taken   to  determine     in   what   shape    the   show    had   been    left。
  Others were assigned to search the lot for show properties; costumes and
  the like; and in a very short time the big; machine…like organization was
  working methodically and without excitement。
  It   must   not   be thought that   nothing   was   being   done  toward   catching
  the escaped lion。       Fully fifty men had started in pursuit immediately after
  the escape。      They had been detained for a few minutes by the blow down;
  after   which   every   man   belonging   to   the   menagerie   tent;   who   could   be
  spared; joined in the chase。
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  The lion cage; one of the few left remaining on the lot; had been blown
  over as it was being taken away。          The shock had burst open the rear door
  and Wallace was quick to take advantage of the opportunity to regain his
  freedom。       An     iron…barred     partition   separated     him    from    his  mate。
  Fortunately this partition had held; leaving the lioness still confined in the
  cage。
  The attendants quickly righted the cage; making fast the door so that
  there might be no repetition of the disaster。
  Seeing Phil hurrying away Teddy took to his heels also; and within a
  short distance caught up with his companion。
  〃You going to look for that lion; Phil?〃
  〃Yes。〃
  〃So am I。〃
  〃You had better stay here; Teddy。         You might get hurt。〃
  〃What about yourself?〃
  〃Oh; I'm not afraid;〃 laughed Phil。
  〃Don't you call me a coward; Phil Forrest。             I've got as much sand as
  you have any time。〃
  〃Why; I didn't call you a coward。         I〃
  〃Yes; you did; yes; you did!〃
  〃Don't let's quarrel。     Remember we are on a lion hunt just now。 Hey;
  Bob。〃 hailed Phil; discovering one of the menagerie attendants。
  〃Hello。〃
  〃Which way did he go?〃
  〃We   don't   know。     When   the   blow   down   came   we   lost   all   track   of
  Wallace。     He's probably headed for the open country。〃
  〃Where are the searchers?〃
  〃All over。    A party went west; another north and the third to the east。〃
  〃What about the villagedid no one go that way to hunt for him?〃
  〃No; he wouldn't go to town。〃
  〃Think not?〃
  〃Sure of it。〃
  〃Why not?〃
  〃He'd   want   to   get   away   from   the   people   as   quick   as   he   could。   You
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  don't catch Wallace going into any town or any other place where there's
  people。〃
  〃I noticed that he came in under the big top where there were about
  three thousand of them;〃 replied Phil dryly。
  〃He was scared; that's what made him do that。〃
  〃And that very emotion may have sent him into the town。 I'm going
  over   there   to   start   something   on   my   own   hook。   Are   you