“It’s about time those detectives got results, I think,” declared Jim Tracy.  “I wonder what they think we’re paying them for?”

“It takes time for a thing like that to be cleaned up,” said Joe.

“Well, I know what I’d do if I were detecting,” half-growled the ringmaster.

“What?” inquired the treasurer.

“I’d round up and arrest a certain few worthless men I know who used to be in the circus business—­some with this show!” declared Jim.  “It’s queer, but our outfit seems to be the only one that they pick on.  That’s what makes me think it was some one who used to work for us.”

“Who?” the treasurer wanted to know.

“Well, I’m not mentioning any names,” declared the ringmaster, as he prepared to divest himself of his dress suit in readiness for the trip to the circus train.  “But I have my suspicions.”

“What makes you say ours is the only circus to have lost money on bogus tickets?” asked Joe.

“Read it in Paste and Paper,” was the answer.  That was the name of the trade journal devoted to the interests of circus folk, tent shows, and the like.  “The last number had a piece in it about our losing money on fake tickets,” went on the ringmaster, “and it said it was the first case of its kind to appear in several years.  There have been no complaints of circuses in other parts of the country being cheated that way, this article said.  So I know it’s some one picking specially on us.”

“Well, perhaps you’re right,” assented Joe.  “But as long as we have changed our style of tickets and they haven’t tried their tricks again, maybe we’ve settled them.”

“All the same I’m going to be on the watch,” declared the treasurer.

The city where the circus showed the following day and night was a large one.  A new automobile industry employing many hands had located there within the last six months.  It was decided to make a stay of two days in this place, since the advance agent reported that many of the men worked overtime and nights, and otherwise they could not see the performance.

“Well, I’m glad we’re to be here two days,” remarked Helen, as she passed Joe’s private quarters, where he was going over some of his apparatus, costumes, and effects.

“Yes, we’ll have a good night’s rest,” he agreed, though, truth to tell, the circus folk were so used to traveling that the train journey almost every night did not bother them.  Still they always welcomed a stay in a city over night.

“You seem busy,” remarked Helen, as she sat down on a box and watched Joe.

“Yes, I’m going to introduce a little novelty in the slide down the slanting wire,” he answered.  “I’m going to work in a fire stunt.”

“A fire stunt!” exclaimed Helen.  “Surely you aren’t going to—­”

“Oh, it won’t be dangerous!” Joe assured her, guessing her thoughts.  Helen had learned that the jump into Benny’s tank the first time was due to an accident.  “It’s just a bit spectacular and will liven things up a bit, I think.  If it goes well I have an idea you can work one of the features in your bareback act.”