uth under water without swallowing any of the liquid. Then came an
idea for varying the trick.

"Picking up the coins doesn't show off very well," he decided. "I ought
to have something larger. And yet I can't get so many of them in my
mouth. I have it--I'll eat under water! I wonder if it can be done."

After some experiments--not all of which were pleasant ones--Joe found
that bananas were easier to handle and eat while under water than any
other food; and, moreover, the moisture did not spoil them.

So one day he added to his stock of tricks that of eating a banana
while submerged. Some persons were skeptical as to whether or not he
really did swallow the fruit, thinking it might be sleight-of-hand
work. But Joe invited a committee to search him and the tank for any
trace of the fruit or of a hiding place, and he proved that he really
did swallow the banana under water. It was not easy, but he soon became
used to it.

Then he elaborated the trick a little. He had a sheet iron table made,
and this was lowered to him after he entered the tank. On the table
were plates, a cup and saucer, a knife, a fork and a spoon. It was a
complete table set under water.

For food Joe used bananas cut into different shapes. He swallowed them,
cutting them with his knife, feeding himself with his fork and
pretending to drink from the cup. That of course was pretense.

Then he did his "sleep act" and came up to receive merited applause.
Joe was certainly highly successful in his tank work. He had lengthened
the whole act by several minutes, and he was nearer than ever to
remaining under the full four minutes.

Another performer had been secured in his place to act with the
Lascalla Brothers, but Joe did his lone trapeze work with the same
satisfactory results as before.

Finally, the young performer decided to take a step he had contemplated
for some time.

"Look here, Mr. Tracy," he said one afternoon, after the big crowd that
had applauded our hero had filed out, "don't you think I ought to be
getting more money?"

"More money!" repeated the ring-master. "What for?"

"Well, I'm doing a double turn. I do almost as much trapeze work as I
did at first, and I'm putting on the tank act too. I've made that
longer than Benny did. I really think I ought to be getting more
money."

"You get a pretty good salary now, Joe. You've had several increases
since you joined the show."

"I know I have, Mr. Tracy. But I want more now. W