was one of the Lascalla trio. He was discharged
for misconduct, and Joe was given his place in an emergency. This
angered Sim and he threatened revenge. Though the other two
Lascallas--Tonzo and Sid--wanted Sim back, and though Joe suspected
them of at least once trying to cause him to get a humiliating fall,
nothing had come of Sim's threats.

"Yes, they may want him back," Joe admitted. "But I don't know just
what I can do. I'll go on with as much of my trapeze work here as I
can, and also do the tank act. But when we move on----"

"We'll talk of that later," interrupted the ring-master. "Well, what is
it?" he asked as a man came running up to him.

"A boy just got clawed by the lion," the man said. "Went too near the
cage."

"Blame those kids!" cried Jim. "Well, I'll be right over. Have some
of the animal men attend to the lad, and I'll get a doctor. Was he one
of our boys?"

"No, some kid who wanted to carry water for the elephants. He isn't
clawed bad--just on his hand."

"Well, I'm glad it isn't bad."

In spite of his vexation against the lad, Jim had a kind spot in his
heart.

The ring-master went to see about the lad, who, it appeared, in his
eagerness to get a view of the animals in their cages, had gone too
near the one containing a dangerous lion. With a quick, cat-like
motion of his great claw, the big beast had ripped some skin from the
boy's outstretched hand. A doctor soon made him comfortable.

Joe looked for Helen to tell her about Benny.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for him!" she exclaimed. "Is there anything I can
do?"

"I don't believe so," was the answer. "He'll have to stay in the
hospital for a while."

Joe did not find it exactly easy to fill the role of two performers,
but he did his best, and cheerfully, for he felt he owed a debt of
gratitude to Jim Tracy for giving him a chance in the circus.

Joe first had to dress for the trapeze work, and go through with those
exploits which were not easy, especially the long swing and the triple
suspension. Then Joe, alone, did an act which has been fully described
in the book just previous to this one. It is called the "drop back to
instep hang," and Joe did it in such a way that it was very thrilling.
The act looked as though an accident had happened and that Joe was
falling from the trapeze. But he caught himself in the nick of time.

Joe also did some tricks on a long suspended rope, fastened high in the
tent. He slid rapidly down this, head