do about my act?"

"Oh, I went through with it--after a fashion," said Joe, making himself
understood. "It's all right, Ben. I didn't do as well as you, of
course, and I couldn't stay under as long. But I did the best I could."

"We're mighty sorry this happened to you, but if you take a rest you'll
be all right again."

"That's just it," Benny wrote on the pad. "I can't afford to take a
rest. I must get back as soon as I can to help support my mother."

Joe did not know what to say. But he shook his head, and, after a
moment's thought, remarked.

"Well, you can't work to-night, Ben, so I'll go into the tank again for
you. After that we'll see what's to be done. Now don't you worry,
everything will be all right."

"We all miss you," said Helen, as she shook hands with the youth. "Get
well as soon as you can and come back to us."

Benny nodded, and tears came into his eyes, so that he turned away his
head.

"I don't like to drive you away," the nurse put in smiling, "but I
think he has seen you long enough for the present."

"May I come back later?" asked Joe.

"Perhaps--if the doctor says so. But we'll take good care of him."

"Oh, I know that!" Joe declared.

He and Helen bade Benny good-bye and went out, feeling rather sad. It
had all happened so suddenly, and the prospects were not very bright
for the young circus performer.

"What's to be done?" asked Helen.

"I don't know," Joe was frank enough to say. "I'll have to have a talk
with Jim Tracy."

The ring-master shook his head when Joe reported to him the
unsatisfactory result of the visit to the hospital.

"It looks bad, Joe," said Jim.

"That's what I think."

"Can you go into the tank again to-night?"

"I guess so. You'll have to fill in part of my trapeze work though."

"Well, I can do that more easily than I can get some one to work the
tank act. It's lucky you practised that."

"It was luck--nothing else. Well, I'll do the best I can. I'm going to
see Benny to-morrow, and there may be a change for the better."

"I hope there is. I don't want to lose him out of the show."

Joe went into the tank again at night. It was rather more spectacular
in the evening, for special lights above the big glass box filled with
water made it sparkle when the bubbles arose as Joe went through one
trick after another.

He did pretty much as he had done in the afternoon, and his act was
even better received. The crowd applauded loudly. Joe did not t