d" on blazing food.

In the other acts, where Joe juggled on the slack wire with the flaming
torches, where he slid down the wire through the blazing hoops, and
where he jumped into the tank of water with his garments apparently in
flames, no change was needed. In these feats Joe's costume was
fireproofed, and, as they had been treated some time before, he knew
there was only a remote possibility that they had been tampered with.

Still he was taking no chances, and while he was waiting for Ted to
complete the mixing of the fire-resisting chemical mixture, Joe tested
his garments with a blazing bit of paper. They did not catch fire, which
assured him of safety during his sensational acts.

"How about you, Joe?" asked Jim Tracy, thrusting his head into the tent
a little later. "Are you going to be able to make it?"

"Oh, sure. I'll be there!"

"Sorry to have to make the change," went on the ringmaster. "But Baraldi
is hurt, and his act had to be cut out completely. So I had to move you
up."

"Oh, that's all right," Joe assured him.

"Hello, what are you doing here--and what's the matter with you?" cried
Jim, seeing Harry Loper sitting dejectedly in a chair. "Why aren't you
out fixing the trapezes? You know Mr. Strong goes on them soon."

"I--I--he told me to stay here," Loper stammered, indicating Joe.

"Yes," supplemented Joe Strong, "there's something doing, Jim. I'll tell
you later. I want some one to stay in here with Harry. Some one we can
trust," he added significantly.

"I'll send Paddy Flynn," promised the ringmaster. As he went out he
looked curiously at Harry.

"How's the stuff coming on, Ted?" asked Joe, when the doctored mixture
had been thrown away and new made.

"All right, I guess. I'll try it."

He put some on one finger, thrust the member into the flame of a candle,
and held it there longer than usual.

"Look out!" Joe warned him. "You can't be too familiar with fire."

"The stuff's all right," was the answer. "It's better than the last we
used."

"Good! Well, let's get busy!"

In spite of the strain of what he had gone through in listening to the
partial confession of Harry Loper, Joe did some of his best work in the
fire acts that day. The blazing banquet was most effective.

Having changed to his costume for his magical box and other tricks, and
learning that Harry was still safe under the watchful eye of Paddy
Flynn, Joe hurried out to his stage, where Mr. Tracy was already maki