"Isn't it glorious?" he challenged her, above the uproar of wind, rain, hail and the frightened animal sounds of human beings in fear of death.
"I've got to find the midget--Pitty Sing!" she shouted, struggling frantically to release herself.
"The charming barker has rescued her," Van shouted. "I was afraid some officious ass had cheated me of the pleasure of rescuing you. I've waited all day--"
But his sentence was broken in two by the long-threatened collapse of the tent. A center-pole struck him a glancing blow, knocking him flat, and Sally with him.
For what seemed like hours of nightmare she struggled to release herself from the steel-like clasp of his arms and the smothering embrace of the rain-sodden canvas. To add to the horror, rain fell heavily upon the canvas that held them pinned helplessly to the earth; hail pelted her flesh bitingly even through the dubious protection of the canvas; and every moment they were in mortal danger of being trampled to death by the feet of fleeing carnival visitors, who had been clear of the tent when it had collapsed.
"Don't--struggle," came that mocking voice, panting a little with the effort of speaking under the smothering caul of canvas. "Lie--still. I'll hold up--the canvas--so you--can breathe. Shield your face--with your--arms. Sorry--I muffed--the role--of rescuer--of damsels--in distress."
"Oh, hush!" Sally cried angrily, but doing her best to obey him. She crooked an arm over her face, so that the hail no longer punished it. And she relaxed as much as possible, her head on Van's shoulder, her feet pushing futilely at the sodden mass of canvas that weighted them down.
"Better?" he asked casually, no fear at all in his voice, and only a mocking sort of anxiety. "We'll be safe enough here until the tent is raised, unless someone steps on us. And by this time your charming employer, the redoubtable Pop Bybee, has of course assembled his roustabouts to raise the tent in the expectation of finding buried treasure--ostrich men, midgets, and Turkish harem girls who read crystals."
"Aren't you ever serious? Aren't you frightened?" Sally gasped.
"Serious? Well, hardly ever!" the man chuckled. "Frightened? Frequently! But I am so appreciative of this opportunity to be alone with you that I could hardly quibble with fate to the extent of being frightened at the means which accomplished it."