r.

"Well, I guess it's all true," Joe answered. "She has come into a
little money."

"Glad to hear it! I'll be with you to-night. Oh, by the way, Joe, I
had a letter from the railroad people about our wreck, or, rather,
derailment."

"Did you? What did they say?"

"They couldn't find any evidence that the fish plate was put in the
switch purposely. It might have dropped there. Of course some tramp
might have put it there to get revenge for being put off a train, but
it would be hard to prove. And as for getting evidence against Sim
Dobley--why, it's out of the question. But you want to keep on looking
out for yourself."

"I will," Joe promised.

After thinking the matter over Joe had decided it would be best to
speak to the ring-master about the threatening letter, which had been
received so close to the time when the derailment occurred. Jim Tracy
had at once agreed with Joe that the discharged acrobat might possibly
have been mad and rash enough to try to wreck the train, and the
railroad detectives had been communicated with. But nothing had come
of the investigation, and the accident had been set down as one of the
many unexplained happenings that occur on railroads.

A search had been made for Dobley, but he seemed to have disappeared
for the time being, and Joe was glad of it.

"Ready for the new stunt?" asked Tracy, as he passed on.

"Yes; I'll pull it off to-night if nothing happens," Joe said.

He was glad there were few people in the big tent when he entered it
after the afternoon performance, to put in some hard practice. Joe's
own trapeze was in place, but he lowered it to the ground, and went
carefully over every inch of the ropes, canvas straps, snaps, and the
various fastenings to make sure nothing was wrong. He found everything
all right.

It was not exactly that he was suspicious of the Lascalla Brothers, but
he was taking no chances.

Joe's act worked well in practice. When he had performed his trick for
the last time he saw Benny Turton, the "human fish," coming into the
tent to look after his tank, about which the young performer was very
particular.

"How do you like that, Ben?" asked Joe, as he finished the new trick.

"First rate. That's a thriller all right, Joe! That'll make 'em sit
up and take notice. I'll have to work in something new myself if you
keep on piling up the stuff."

"Oh, I guess you could do that, Ben."

The "human fish" shook his head.

"N