Joe became an expert on the trapeze, and, later, when Benny Turton was temporarily in a hospital, Joe “took on” the tank trick.  In the third volume some of his under-water feats are related, while in the fourth book Joe’s acts on a motor cycle on the high wire are dealt with.

With his “Wings of Steel,” Joe caused a sensation, and after an absence from the circus for a time he joined it again, bringing this act to it.

Eventually Joe was made one of the circus owners, and now controlled a majority of the stock.  He had also inherited considerable money from his mother’s relatives in England, so that now the youth was financially well off for one who had started so humbly.

The book immediately preceding this one is called “Joe Strong and His Box of Mystery; Or, the Ten Thousand Dollar Prize Trick.”  In that volume is related how Joe constructed a trick box, out of which he made his way after it was locked and corded about with ropes.  Helen Morton helped him in this trick, which was very successful.

The circus management offered a prize of ten thousand dollars to whomsoever could fathom how the trick was done.  Bill Carfax, an enemy of Joe’s and a former circus employee, tried to solve the problem but failed.

The box trick was a great attraction for the circus, and Joe was in higher favor than before.

He had been on the road with the show for some time when the events detailed in the first chapter of this book took place.

By dint of much shouting and urging the people to retain their seats and not rush into danger, Joe Strong and the others succeeded in calming the circus crowd.  Meanwhile there was much suppressed excitement.

“Is the tiger caught?  Is he back in his cage?” was asked on every side.

While Joe and his fellow showmen were calming the crowd, the animal men were having their own troubles.  Burma, one of the largest of the tigers, had got loose, having taken advantage of the open door of his cage.  He rushed out with a snarl of delight at his freedom.  His jungle cry was echoed by the roar of a lion in the next cage, and this was followed by the cries and snarls of all the wild jungle beasts in the tent.

Fortunately the animal tent was deserted by all save the keepers, the audience having filed into the tent where the main show was going on.

“Head him off now!  Head him off!” cried Tom Layton, the elephant man, as he saw the tiger dart out of its cage—­a flash of yellow and black.  “Head him off!  Don’t let him get in the main top!”

“That’s right!  Head him off!” cried Senor Bogardi, the lion tamer.  “He won’t hurt any one—­he’s too scared!”

This was true, but it was difficult to believe, and some of the people seated in the “main top,” or big tent, who were nearest the animal tent, hearing the cries and learning what had occurred, spread the alarm.