An uneasy murmur swayed the audience. The manager ran out into the ring, swiftly glanced at the centre pole, and drawing a whistle from his pocket gave three piercing blasts.
"It's a wind storm," Andy heard some one remark.
A second gust swayed the centre pole. The great spreads of canvas bulged and flapped. The audience arose in their seats.
Andy saw the manager seize a great megaphone near the band stand. He shouted:
"Preserve order. There is no danger. Keep your seats. It is only a passing gust of wind. Play! play!" he shouted frantically to the band.
"Take care!" shouted the man, Marco, with a look through the outside flap, "she's coming again!"
A sudden tumult fell on the air. Shrieks, yells, a great babel arose from the audience. The centre pole creaked and swayed dangerously. Then, with a sharp rip the canvas roof over Andy's head was wrenched from place and went sailing up into the air.
A heavy wooden cross-piece running between two supports had been torn loose at one end. The rope securing it whipped about and struck Andy in the face.
He dodged, and was about to leap to the ground, when a sharp cry from
Stella Starr announced a new peril.
The free end of the heavy cross piece was descending with the force of a driven sledge hammer. She was directly within range. Andy saw her danger, jumped erect, grabbed at the rope whipping about, and pulled it towards himself.