ht us. He's been a showman in his time, but says he hasn't been in
the biz for several years. He knows the biz, though, and has scads of
money. We are well fed and get our salaries regular. Him and Prince
Carl, that's the midget, are great pals. The midget sleeps in his tent,
and the boss seldom lets him out of his sight."

"Say, Bellows, how many times have I got to tell you not to stand there
gassing with patrons of the show? Every one don't want to bother with
your theories and troubles." Ted turned, to face the boss showman.

"Oh, it's you, Mr. Strong?" he went on. "I didn't recognize your back.
It's all right to talk to you. But I've got to call the giant down once
in so often for taking up people's time, for he's an awful gabber."

He walked away, but when Ted tried to get the giant to tell him some
more about the midget and the boss, he would not say a word.

But the giant had planted the seed of a theory in Ted's mind.

Presently Ted saw Stella beckoning to him in the crowd, and forced his
way to her side.

She took his arm, and they got out of the crowd. Ted saw that she had
something to communicate.

"Well?" he said, smiling down on her.

"There's going to be something doing here," said she. "The boss showman
has been talking with several of the gang."

"All right. Did you hear anything about Skip Riley?"

"Yes. He's been gone from Strongburg about a month."

"Learn anything else about him?"

"Skip Riley is not his name at all."

"That so? What is it? Did you learn?"

"I was talking to a lady from Strongburg, one of those who got him a job
on the fire department."

"What did she know about him?"

"She said that she was appointed a committee of one by the Ladies' Aid
Society over there to look up the new fireman's career."

"And I suppose she ran onto some hot stuff?"

"It seems that the ex-convict, Skip Riley, had been a circus performer
once upon a time, before he took to being a burglar."

"Was burglary the crime for which he was put in prison?"

"Yes, so she says. He was an aeronaut and acrobat."

"Good! And what was his stage name? Did she say?"

"Robinson--Ben Robinson. She says that she was told that he was quite
famous in his day as a circus performer, but that he couldn't resist the
temptation to steal, and so had to quit the business, as none of the
circus proprietors would have him around."

"Did she say where she got this information?"

"Yes. It was sent to her by the wa