Which was the more surprised—­Benny Turton, who had just finished his fish act in his tank, the spellbound audience, or Jim Tracy, who was, in a way, directing Joe’s performance—­it would be hard to say.  All three were thrilled by the unexpected outcome of the fire-eating act.  Joe Strong alone seemed perfectly at his ease, and, it might be mentioned incidentally, perfectly at home in the water.  He had, as told in a previous volume, entitled “Joe Strong, the Boy Fish,” perfected himself in this sort of work, and could remain submerged for an unusually long time.

Of course the fire which seemed to envelop the young magician was instantly put out when he leaped into the tank.  He was wearing a rather fancy suit, and as he came up, wet and bedraggled, Jim Tracy could not help wondering what Joe meant by his performance.

“Joe!  Joe! was that part of the act or an accident?” asked Jim in a low voice, as he ran over to where Joe was now climbing out of the tank.  For one instant Joe hesitated.  The audience was wildly applauding now.  Clearly there was but one thought in their minds.  The whole thing was a trick—­Joe had only pretended to be on fire and had taken that sensational means of appearing to extinguish the blaze.

But the ringmaster noted a queer look on his friend’s face.  It was not the look it usually wore when Joe had completed some hazardous or sensational trick.

“Are you hurt, Joe—­burned?” asked Jim Tracy anxiously.

“No,” was the answer.  “It was all part of the act!”

The ringmaster looked satisfied, and it was not until some time afterward that he learned what a narrow escape Joe had had.

“This will be part of the fire-eating stunt at every show,” said Joe to the ringmaster.  “You might make the announcement so the people won’t be scared.”

“I will!  Say, it’s some stunt all right!” And then Jim began with his sonorous “Ladies and gentlemen!” He stated that the young fire-eater would show his familiarity with, and mastery over, fire by setting himself ablaze and leaping into the tank to extinguish the flames.  The ringmaster added that there would be no danger to either the audience or the performer in this feature.

Joe bowed to the applause that followed, and then hurried to his dressing room to don dry clothes for his mystery box trick.

“I should think, if you were going to do tank work, you’d wear a suit better adapted to it—­like mine,” said Benny Turton, whose apartment was next to Joe’s in the dressing tent.

“I’m going to,” Joe announced, looking around to make sure no one overheard.  “The fact of the matter is, Benny, I didn’t count on pulling off this stunt.  It was an accident.  Some of the alcohol I use on the tow was spilled on my sleeves and caught fire.  Then more flames burst out.  Luckily they were at my back, so when I ran the flames were fanned away from me.  But I knew the tank was the safest place to go, and in I jumped.”