From then on Joe's rise had been steady until now he was
earning a salary many a mature man would be glad to receive.

"It may seem a funny way to make a living, turning somersaults in the
air, and seeing how long I can stay under water," mused Joe, "but it
brings in the money, and that's what counts."

Joe was quite disappointed at the failure to get the diving dog worked
into his act. He knew the necessity for something novel from time to
time in performances destined to please the public, and he saw, all
about him, men and women connected with the circus always striving to
get some new effect, or do an old act in a new way.

The clowns were particularly anxious in this respect, for the public
tires of nothing so quickly as of something funny. A thing may beget a
laugh the first time, and even up to the fourth or fifth time, and then
the cry is:

"Give us something new!"

The clowns knew this, and, from the veteran Bill Watson to the newest
member of the staff, they were continually cudgeling their brains for
novelty. All were afraid lest some fellow-clown steal their ideas;
consequently they each worked on them in secret until he had them
perfected and ready to give to the public. After that, of course no
clown would be allowed to do what another offered for the amusement of
the audiences.

Sometimes the simplest thing was made the basis for a funny act. Bill
Watson could come out, attired in a suit half black and half white with
his face tinted to match, and by going through the motions of a
baseball player in his own inimitable way, raise a gale of laughter.

Some of the other clowns would go through the pretense of eating a
meal, some one would pretend to go sailing in a soap box, while one
team would do a "barber act." Each act was good and funny because of
the peculiar way it was done.

So, seeing this spirit all about him, Joe was sorry he had not been
able to add something new to his act. Of course, the goldfish had added
greatly to it since Benny had been forced to give up his performance.

It did not seem likely that Benny Turton would take up his act again
for some time, as a report received from the hospital said that a
delicate and dangerous operation would have to be performed if he was
to hear and speak again. Therefore, as the days went by, Joe kept his
eyes open for a chance to supplement his tank act. There was not much
he could do that was new or different in his trapeze work, though he
s