Toot! Toot! Toot! it went, and that meant there was danger. The engineer had seen danger ahead, but not in time to stop his train. One of the circus trains had run off the track and could not go on. It had come to a halt, and another train that was running not far behind the first one crashed into it.
There was a terrible noise, a clanging of iron and a breaking of wood. The cars were smashed, and so were some of the animal cages.
“What is it? What’s the matter? roared Nero.
“We’re in a wreck!” trumpeted Tum Tum, the elephant, who was not quite so jolly, now. “The circus train is wrecked! I was in a wreck once before. It’s very bad! I hope none of our animal friends are hurt!”
But some were, I am sorry to say, and so were some of the circus men.
Tamba, the tame tiger, felt his cage slide off the flat car on which it had been fastened. The car was smashed and tossed to one side. [Off slid the tiger’s cage], and then it fell down the railroad bank and into a ditch. Tamba’s cage broke open, and the tiger was cut and bruised, but he knew that he was free. He was no longer in the cage.
“At last I am out!” he cried. “Now I can run away to my jungle! Now I am free!”
