No Way Out by Franklin W. Dixon Page B

lance, stabbing into Frank’s gut. Other yells and screams joined Kay’s, and Frank flew through the crowd so fast, it felt as if his feet hardly touched ground.
    He smelled the fire before he saw it. It had an oily smell that seemed to coat the inside of his nose and slither down his throat. Frank finally reached the small crowd gathering around the billowing smoke. He pushed his way through to find the source of the smoke: a ring of fire broiling up from the ground. In the center stood Kay, her eyes wide with the reflections of flames.

10 Fly-by-Knight
    â€œFrank!” Kay called from inside the ring of fire. “Get me out of here!” The diameter of the circle was only about five or six feet, so Frank knew he had to act fast.
    â€œStand still, Kay,” Frank yelled. His throat immediately filled with oily black smoke. “Cover your face,” he told her. Kay put her hands up to protect her face.
    Frank peeled off his jacket and slammed it down onto the flames. But the moving air just seemed to breathe more life into the fire. Some people in the crowd had drinks that they threw on the flames, but it wasn’t enough to calm the fire.
    Frank looked around. The stadium was about thirty yards away, and he remembered the big barrelsof sand and sawdust sitting around the outside. Ray had told him they used them to replenish the stadium floor during the jousting matches.
    â€œCome on!” he ordered, motioning to a strong-looking young man. The two boys raced to the stadium and grabbed one of the barrels. It had no lid, so they wouldn’t be able to roll it back without spilling all the contents. But they could rock and roll it around on its bottom rim without losing too much. Frank’s helper was as strong as he looked, and between them they maneuvered the heavy barrel back in just a few minutes.
    Pushing the crowd back even farther, they lowered the barrel and began rolling it around the ring of fire. The sand and sawdust cascaded out over the flames and snuffed them instantly.
    Kay jumped out of danger as Frank and the other man continued around the circle, extinguishing the whole fire. A couple of security guards arrived with fire extinguishers and made sure the job was complete.
    Frank ran back to Kay. “What happened?” he asked.
    â€œIt was all so fast,” Kay said. “I was following the fire-eater, and then I saw Vincenzo Blackstone, too. He turned quickly and recognized me. When he ducked around the booth, I followed. And the fire-eater was waiting for me with this can of—something. He sprayed it around the ground with onehand and set fire to it with the other. The ground just burst into flames in seconds. I didn’t have a chance to get out before I was completely trapped in this awful circle.”
    â€œHe just happened to have this fire-making stuff?” Frank asked.
    â€œHe had a bag over his shoulder. I’ve seen him off by himself before, rehearsing his act. He probably had some of that stuff in the bag in case he wanted to practice.”
    â€œOnly this time, he decided to practice on you,” Frank said, shaking his head. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
    â€œSure, just a little shaky. But I’m okay.” She took a glass of water someone offered her and sipped it slowly.
    â€œWhat happened to Blackstone? Did you see which way he went?” Frank asked.
    â€œYes. They both headed for the woods over there,” she answered, pointing.
    â€œWhat happened?” Officer Chester asked, hurrying over to Frank. “I was talking to your brother by the stadium when I heard all the commotion over here. We could see the fire but figured it was the entertainer putting on a show. Someone just told me it wasn’t an act.”
    â€œThe fire-eater and Blackstone went into the woods over there,” Frank said, turning on his heels. He sped across the meadow to the edge of thesmall forest, and heard Officer Chester