self and strove to obey, though ever and anon she cast
appealing glances to Billikens, who stood remote and aloof, his brows
wrinkled with displeasure.

Each of the men driving the harnessed spans lifted up the double-trees so
that the girl could grasp the hooks. She tried to take hold, but broke
down again.

"If anything breaks, my arms will be torn out of me," she protested.

"On the contrary," Collins reassured her. "You will lose merely most of
your jacket. The worst that can happen will be the exposure of the trick
and the laugh on you. But the apparatus isn't going to break. Let me
explain again. The horses do not pull against you. They pull against
each other. The audience thinks that they are pulling against you.--Now
try once more. Take hold the double-trees, and at the same moment slip
down the hooks and connect.--Now!"

He spoke sharply. She shook the hooks down out of her sleeves, but drew
back from grasping the double-trees. Collins did not betray his
vexation. Instead, he glanced aside to where the kissing pony and the
kneeling pony were leaving the ring. But the husband raged at her:

"By God, Julia, if you throw me down this way!"

"Oh, I'll try, Billikens," she whimpered. "Honestly, I'll try. See! I'm
not afraid now."

She extended her hands and clasped the double-trees. With a thin writhe
of a smile, Collins investigated the insides of her clenched hands to
make sure that the hooks were connected.

"Now brace yourself! Spread your legs. And straighten out." With his
hands he manipulated her arms and shoulders into position. "Remember,
you've got to meet the first of the strain with your arms straight out.
After the strain is on, you couldn't bend 'em if you wanted to. But if
the strain catches them bent, the wire'll rip the hide off of you.
Remember, straight out, extended, so that they form a straight line with
each other and with the flat of your back and shoulders. That's it.
Ready now."

"Oh, wait a minute," she begged, forsaking the position. "I'll do it--oh,
I will do it, but, Billikens, kiss me first, and then I won't care if my
arms are pulled out."

The dark youth who held Michael, and others looking on, grinned. Collins
dissembled whatever grin might have troubled for expression, and
murmured:

"All the time in the world, madam. The point is, the first time must
come off right. After that you'll have the confidence.--Bill, you'd
better love her up befo