"Dixon, Franklin W - Hardy Boys 111 - Three-Ring Terror" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dixon Franklin W)

Joe saw the room was full of wood, paint, and worktables. There was even a huge table saw and drill. The room looked a lot like his shop class in school. "You have to make your own props?" he asked.
Chet nodded. "Every clown learns how to make his or her own props. That's part of building a clown character."
Frank let out a whistle. "Boy, you're serious about this clowning thing, aren't you?"
Chet grinned. "As serious as any clown can be."
They continued down the hall. When they reached the elevators, Chet said, "Down the rest of the hallway are the offices for arena employees and the offices Circus U. people are using. The circus animals are also kept down here. The elevators lead to the arena and locker rooms."
"I searched around the locker rooms and down here when I was looking for the juggler last night," Joe said.
The Hardys and Chet rode one of the passenger elevators up to the main floor. They walked down a short hallway toward double glass doors that said Entrance to Arena.
When they stepped through the doors, they found themselves at the top of the last aisle of seats. Way below them were the three circus rings. A cannon was placed in the middle of the center ring, and there was a podium next to it. The seats were beginning to fill up with families and students. Some of the students were dressed in leotards and sweatshirts and had Circus U. tote bags with them.
"Let's get a good seat," Chet urged. "I want to be up close."
"Not too close," Frank said with a grin. "We don't want Dean Turner to come flying right at us."
The three friends took seats in the third row of the center section. Joe noticed that there was a safety net strung up in front of the seats on his right, and that the cannon was pointed at the net. He nudged Frank and pointed to the net. "Just in case you were really worried that we'd be hit by the human cannonball," he said, smiling.
Soon the bleachers around them were full of students and parents with young children.
"How many students are there at Circus U.?" Joe asked Chet.
Chet scanned the crowd. "There are ten from Bayport High. I'm not sure how many full-timers are interning with the Montero Brothers Circus."
Just then a short, thin man with dark hair and glasses stepped up to the podium. He was wearing a tweed coat and brown slacks. Joe thought he looked almost like a college professor. "That's Dean Turner?" Joe asked Chet in a whisper.
Chet shrugged. "I guess so. I've never met him. I've only seen his picture in the Circus U. catalog."
"He's not exactly the kind of guy you'd expect to be shot from a cannon, is he?" Frank asked Joe.
The crowd grew quiet as the dean began to speak. "I'd like to welcome you all here today. I'm Paul Turner, dean of Circus University and a member of the board of directors of the Montero Brothers Circus. We're very proud to have you here for this annual open house. Bayport has always welcomed the circus and Circus U., and we're glad to have this chance to thank you."
For the next few minutes, Turner explained the purpose of Circus U. for the crowd of students and Bayport residents. At the end of his speech, he told them, "Please feel free to stay.and watch the circus performers rehearse, and to ask the students and performers whatever questions you have. There will be circus performances all week, and I hope you will want to attend at least one." Dean Turner smiled. "The performance Friday night should be particularly exciting, because the Bayport High students will be performing along with the circus performers."
A buzz of excitement ran through the audience. Frank and Joe turned and looked at Chet. "Did you know that was going to happen?" Joe whispered.
Chet nodded and smiled happily. "And you guys had better be there."
"And now, without further ado," Dean Turner continued, "I'd like to show you all a trick I used to perform back in my professional circus days, before I became the dean at Circus U."
"I can't believe he's going to get in that cannon with his tweed jacket on," Joe said.
But Turner had stepped back from the podium and removed his jacket. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and straightened his bow tie. Nearby, a man in a tuxedo sitting at a drum set began to play a snare drum. Turner bowed to the audience and walked slowly toward the cannon.
"That's one of the things I love about the circus," Joe whispered. "The suspense."
"Shh," Chet said. "I can't concentrate."
When Turner reached the ladder that led up to the cannon's mouth, he turned to the crowd.
"Don't try this at home," he joked. "This stunt requires special training. The kind of training a place like Circus U. offers, in fact."
He turned and began to climb the ladder. When he got to the top, he grabbed the rim of the cannon and hoisted himself feetfirst into the barrel. Two men in circus blazers removed the ladder. Then a tall woman with long brown hair stepped across the ring to the end of the cannon. A long fuse reached out of the cannon and trailed to the ground. The woman lit the fuse with a flourish, and it began to burn, sending out sparks.
Next to him, Joe heard Chet draw in his breath. He glanced over at his friend. Chet was sitting on the edge of the bleacher, watching every move. As the fuse came closer to the cannon, Chet’s eyes widened.
Then, in a flash, the fuse went off, lighting the gunpowder inside the cannon. A huge boom exploded from the barrel, and smoke came pouring out.
The crowd let out a gasp. Joe waited to see Turner shoot from the cannon's barrel, but nothing happened. More and more smoke appeared, but there was still no sign of the dean.
Then he heard the sound of coughing coming from the cannon and Dean Turner's voice cry out, "Help! Someone help me!"
Chapter 4
The Disappearing Juggler
Frank jumped up from his seat and raced down the aisle ahead of Joe and Chet. As he hurried across the ring to the cannon, he heard Dean Turner's cries for help grow weaker and weaker.
"Help him!" a man in the audience shouted. "He'll suffocate in there!"
Frank saw that the man was right. Smoke was pouring out of the cannon's mouth now, filling the area with a smelly, bluish haze.
The tall woman who had lit the fuse was standing by the cannon, a worried expression on her face. Frank quickly tried to think of a plan. The cannon was a good ten feet above the ground.
"Help," Turner said faintly. "I can't last much ..."
At that moment, Joe and Chet came up to Frank. "What's the matter?" Joe asked. "Why can't he get out by himself?"
"I think he's been overcome by smoke," Frank said. He coughed and added, "We've got to think of a way to get him out of there—fast."
He fanned the smoke away from his face, coughing several times as huge billows kept pouring out of the cannon. Joe was rubbing his eyes, and Chet had his hand over his mouth.
Frank motioned for Joe to hold back the crowd that had formed around them. A short, wiry older man stood by, scowling. "Do something, boys," he snapped. "Or let someone else take over."
"Why don't you do something," Joe muttered angrily.
Chet grabbed Joe's arm. "That's Bo Costello, director of admissions at Circus U.," he told Joe in a harsh whisper. "Keep cool."
"Joe, Chet," Frank called out suddenly. "Get the ladder Dean Turner used to get into the cannon. Hurry!"
Seconds later, Joe and Chet returned with the ladder. They propped it up against the mouth of the cannon and held it in place as Frank scrambled up the rungs.
The smoke had thinned out a little. When Frank reached the cannon's mouth, he could see Turner lying on his stomach deep inside the cannon. Frank desperately hoped the dean was still conscious. He stretched his arm down into the dark barrel.
"Dean Turner, can you reach my hand?" he asked. There was no reply. Frank waited an anxious moment, then he felt Turner's fingers meet his. "Hold tight," Frank said. "I'm going to pull you out."