“Fire! Fire!” he shouted wildly. “The house is on fire!”
CHAPTER II
QUICK AS LIGHTNING
For one awful instant the crowd sat as though paralyzed.
But in that instant Joe acted.
With one powerful leap he reached the frenzied shouter, his fist shot out, and the man went down as though hit with an axe.
Up the aisle Joe went like a flash, cleared the orchestra rail at a bound, and with one more jump was on the stage.
The audience had risen now and was crowding toward the aisles. Women screamed, some fainted, and all the conditions were ripe for a panic.