g a
certain town after the circus had left, and it had been forwarded from
place to place, always getting there a day after the show had moved on.
So that when it finally did reach Joe it was about a week after it had
been written.

To Joe's delight the seal was guaranteed to be so kind and docile that
a stranger could, in a short time, put it through the course of its
tricks. And the animal was said to be young, so that it could be taught
new tricks.

"I think it is just what I'm looking for," mused Joe. "If only he
hasn't sold it to some one else on account of my delay in answering
because I didn't get this letter. I guess I'd better telegraph and say
I'll take it, but I'd like to look at it first."

The price asked for the seal was within Joe's means. He quickly decided
that, and he also made up his mind that he would take the seal, after
having seen it, and add it to his tank act if it came up to his
expectations.

One might think that Joe's proper course would have been to apply to
the owners of the circus and get them to buy the seal for him. But in
circuses, just as is often the case in theatrical companies, the
performers "dress" their own acts--that is, they provide all they need
to work with, and these accessories become their personal property. Of
course in big pageants, such as are sometimes seen with circuses, the
management provides the costumes and the weapons, chariots, thrones and
other spectacular pieces.

But in an act each performer usually provides his own things. A man
with trained dogs will own them personally, as a snake charmer owns her
crawling pets. Then, when he leaves one show and goes to another, which
is often done, he takes his property with him. It is his act.

In the case of the tank, that belonged to Benny Turton, and Joe was, in
a sense, only borrowing it. Now he proposed to add a seal as his
personal property. He knew the circus people would not object if the
act went well, and they would also provide transportation for the
animal, just as they did for Helen's horse, Rosebud, or for the trained
dogs.

"Yes, if I can only get this to work I'll make a hit; I'm sure I will,"
reasoned Joe.

He sent a telegram to the man who had advertised the seal for sale,
stating that he would buy it if the animal were as represented, and Joe
added that within two days he would call and talk matters over.

He found that the next day the circus would play in a town not far from
Elmwood, whe