I have to work in some
special stunts."

"So I noticed. That goldfish idea is a good one."

"And that brings me to what I want to say to you," Joe said. "I have a
new idea. You know, we've got to be always on the lookout for something
new." Mr. Fleet nodded in comprehension. "Now it occurred to me while I
was looking at your jumping dog," went on Joe, "that perhaps I could
use him in my act--with you to help, of course."

"I'd be very glad to do anything I could," returned Mr. Fleet. He had
soon become aware of the popularity of Joe's act, and as trained dogs
are not much of a novelty he welcomed the opportunity of increasing
attention to his particular act. To be associated with the boy fish
would be well worth while.

"What is your idea?" asked the dog trainer.

"This," said Joe. "I want to get something alive in the tank with
me--something bigger than the goldfish and the turtle. Of course the
fish look pretty, and I shall probably keep them, but they don't show
off well enough, especially at the far end of the tent. People can't
see them well--I mean as well as I'd like to have them."

"And you have an idea that you can take one of my dogs into the tank
with you?"

"Well, yes, that's what I've been thinking of," answered Joe. "Now take
the one that jumps off the pole. He seems to have a lot of nerve."

"He has. That dog is a wonder, but I had my own troubles training him.
However, I don't understand just what you mean."

"This," said Joe. "After you have put your dogs through their paces,
and I have done most of my act, why can't we have the jumping dog leap
into the tank, where I'm under the water?"

"We might be able to get him to do it," assented the trainer, slowly
considering the matter. "But he wouldn't stay under water with you."

"No, I don't suppose he would at first, certainly not very long at a
time," Joe said. "But he could be taught to. An animal, I think,
instinctively holds its breath under water. It doesn't try to breathe,
as a human being does who falls in for the first time. Of course a dog,
or any other animal, instinctively comes to the top as soon as it can
after finding itself under the water. But your dog is so smart we might
be able to teach it to swim under water, for say a minute at a time."

"Well, perhaps we might," assented Mr. Fleet. "Toto is very quick to
learn, and I suppose staying under water for a little while wouldn't be
any harder for him to accomplish than some of