im.

"I wonder what's bothering the boss?" asked one of the young
fire-eaters of another. "He nearly made a slip when he was lifting up
that fake fried oyster."

"Maybe the circus is losing money and he's got to cut out this act--let
some of us go--can't pay our salaries," was the reply.

"Don't you believe it!" declared the other. "The circus is making more
money than it ever did--more even when the fake tickets are worked off
on it."

"Well, it's none of our affair."

"I wouldn't like my salary to be cut off."

"Oh, neither would I."

"Fake tickets? I hadn't heard of them."

"Oh, yes," explained the first speaker, and he went into the details of
the affair.

"But there's surely something worrying the boss," commented still
another of the young men, and his associates, including the "pretty
girls," agreed with him.

And what really was worrying Joe was speculation over the fate of Ham
Logan. Not since Joe had first taken the old and broken circus actor
into his employ had Ham been away more than a few hours at a time, and
then Joe knew where he was. This time Ham had left no word, save the
uncertain one that he was going into the city, on the outskirts of
which the circus was at the time showing.

"But don't you think he'll come back?" asked Jim Tracy, when, after the
performance, Joe had spoken of the missing Ham.

"I wish I could think so," was the reply. "I sure will hate to lose him.
I depend a lot on him in my fire tricks."

"What makes you think you will lose him?" asked Tracy curiously.

"Well, his going off this way, for one," declared Joe. "What I'm really
afraid of is that he may have gone back to his bad habits. You know how
it is. A man starts to reform, and he keeps the pledges he makes until
he meets some of his boon companions who used to help him on the
downward road. They invite him to come along for a good time, and he
goes."

"And you think that's what's happened to Ham?"

"I'm afraid so. I'm going down town and see if I can get any trace of
him."

And this Joe did as soon as he was relieved of his duties in the circus.
The show was to remain in town over night, and this gave him just the
chance he wanted.

It was an unpleasant errand, but Joe went through with it. He had to
call at many places that were distasteful to him, but in none of them
did he get a trace of Ham Logan. Joe saw in the more brilliant parts of
the city a number of the circus men, including some of the chi