swered Joe. "He will have to stay behind when the show goes
on."

And, as the circus was to play in another town the next day, the show
"moved on."

Benny Turton, the "human fish," was left behind. But it had to be so.
There was no other way.

"Poor boy," murmured Helen, as she thought of the slight figure resting
in the white hospital bed. "Poor boy! I suppose they'll all forget him
soon--when they have a new act in place of his."

But Joe Strong did not forget the promise which he had written on
Benny's pad--the promise which was under the pillow of the "human
fish."

CHAPTER VII

JOE'S OFFER

Joe Strong turned over in his berth in the circus sleeping car.
Something had awakened him from a sound sleep. At first he was not
aware what it was, but as his brain cleared he realized that it was
some sound of confusion outside the car.

"Where are we?" he asked, for he saw Tonzo Lascalla, his trapeze
partner, peering from between the curtains of his berth across the
aisle.

"I think we are in," was the answer, meaning that the circus train had
reached its destination. "We are on the siding, but it isn't time to
get up yet, thank goodness."

"Yes, let us sleep," begged a yawning voice. "Keep still, can't you?"

"Sounds as if something had happened," commented Joe. He looked out of
the window of his berth, but it was too dark yet to see more than a
confused jumble of black shapes moving about. Joe saw another train on
the track alongside of the sleeping cars. It was a train of "flats,"
on which the animal cages were carried.

"Look out now! There he goes! Get after him, some of you men!" a
voice ordered.

There was a crash of breaking wood, more shouts and the noise of a
cracking whip.

"Or maybe shots!" exclaimed Joe, half aloud. "I wonder if any of the
wild animals have escaped."

A moment later, however, there was the sound of laughter.

"Whoop!" a man yelled. "Here he comes at us! Look out! There, he's
got Bill down!"

There were excited yells, and a voice, presumably Bill's, was heard to
exclaim:

"Get off my leg, you big brute! Wow! If you step on me again I'll be as
flat as a board seat! Here, somebody take him off me!"

There was a stir inside the sleeping car, for most of the occupants
were now awake.

"For the love of Mike!" grumbled Tom Jefferson, the strong man. "Can't
they let a person get his sleep? Are they giving a private rehearsal
out there, or what's going on?"

"I gue