s of igniting the gas,
starting your kitchen range, or enjoying your smoke. While the stage is
being made ready for my main act, I will show you how to carry fire in
your hands."

CHAPTER XIII

A SENSATIONAL DIVE

Striking a match, Joe ignited two candles that stood on a little table
at one side of his stage. On the other side his assistants were setting
up the apparatus he intended to use in his more elaborate experiments.

"You observe that the trick has not yet begun," said Joe, with a laugh,
as he blew out the match. "In other words, I am lighting these candles
in the ordinary way--just as any one of you would do it, if he needed
to. In a moment I will show you how to light the candles in case one is
accidentally blown out and you have no match."

Allowing both candles to burn up well, with clear, bright flames, Joe
suddenly blew out one.

"Now," he said, "I will show you how to carry fire in your hands from
the lighted to the unlighted candle. Watch me closely!"

Joe cupped his hands around the lighted candle, seeming to take the
flame up in his fingers. When he removed his hands, which he still held
in cup, or globular, shape, the second candle had been extinguished.
Both were now out.

"You will notice that I am carrying the flame in my hands from one
candle to the other," said Joe, in a loud voice, as he walked across the
stage.

For an instant he spread his hands, cup fashion, around the candle he
had first blown out. Suddenly he withdrew his hands, holding them wide
apart and in full view of the audience, and, lo! the unlighted candle
was glowing brightly.

There was a moment of silence, and then the applause broke forth. Joe
bowed and said:

"That is how to carry fire in your hands. But please don't any of you
try it unless you get the directions from me."

"Tell us how to do it!" piped up a small boy.

"Come and see me after the show!" laughed Joe.

And, while on this subject, it might be well to explain how Joe did the
trick. It is very simple, but it takes practice, and an amateur may
easily be fatally burned in the attempt, simple as it is.

Joe lighted the candles in the usual way, with a match, as already
explained. There was no trick about this, nor about blowing out one. But
immediately after that the trick started. Joe placed a little piece of
waxed paper between the first and second fingers of his left hand as
soon as he had blown out the first candle. This paper was a sl