"Yes. We can feel the draft."
"Show me into the room and I'll take a look."
One of the men, who evidently lived in the house, stepped gingerly across the hall, turned the knob and pushed the door in ever so little. Phil and Teddy, with torches still in hand, crowded in.
As they did so their guide uttering a frightened yell, slammed the door shut, and Phil heard a bolt shoot in place.
The boys found themselves in a large room running the full depth of the house. It had been rigged up, as a gymnasium, with the familiar flying rings, parallel bars and other useful equipment.
All this they saw instinctively. But what they saw beyond all this caused the Circus Boys to pause almost spellbound.
"He's in there! He's in there!" shouted half a dozen voices at the same moment. Then the lads heard the people rush down the stairs and out into the street shouting and screaming for help.
Crouching in the far corner of the room, lashing its tail, its evil eyes fixed upon them, was the lion Wallace.
"Wow!" breathed Teddy.
Phil with eyes fixed upon the lion reached back one hand and tried the door behind him. It was locked.