"Let's get out of this!"
"That's right! I don't want to be burnt to death!"
Such were some of the exclamations which arose on the air. A panic had seized the audience, and, like one person, they leaped to their feet and began to fight to get out of the theater. In a twinkling there was a crush in the aisles, and several people came close to being knocked down and trampled upon.
"Where's my hat?"
"Get back there—don't crush these children!"
"See the smoke pouring in!"
"Open the side door, somebody!"
"Keep cool! Keep cool!" yelled somebody from the gallery. "There is no fire! Keep cool!" But there was such a tumult below that scarcely anybody paid attention to these words.
While many fought to get out the way they had come in, others stormed towards the side doors of the playhouse. Meanwhile, an ill-smelling cloud of smoke drifted through the auditorium.
With the first alarm the Rover boys had leaped to their feet, and almost by instinct the others looked to Jack to see what he would do.