“Is he still with the show?”

“Yes.  I’ll tell you all the circumstances,” which Joe did, mentioning Loper by name.

“Well, we won’t say anything,” declared Ham Logan; “but I’ll just keep my eyes on this Loper.  As you say, he may not have done it, but he may know who did.  I’ll keep my eyes on him.  Meanwhile be careful in overhauling your things.  Look out for bottles that smell as this one did.”

“I will!” promised Joe.  “I guess I won’t forget that odor.  I can’t tell you how I thank you, Ham.  You’ve done me a good turn!”

“Well, you did me one,” was the answer.  “I was down and out when you gave me work, and I won’t forget that in a hurry.”

Joe pondered over what had happened as he performed his circus acts the remainder of that day and evening.  He shuddered at the narrow escape he had had, and, when he had a chance, he carefully noted the conduct of Harry Loper.  But that young fellow did not seem at all to act like one who had tried to do a dastardly trick.  He was jolly and good-natured, as he always was, albeit somewhat of a weak character.

The circus performances went off well, Joe and the other actors receiving wild applause as they did their specialties.  Joe’s fire-eating was eagerly watched, and when he slid down the rope on his head, through the blazing hoops, the crowd went wild, as they did when, seemingly all afire, he leaped into the tank.

“When you going to spring that sensation you’ve been talking of, Joe?” asked Jim Tracy, at the conclusion of one afternoon show.

“Oh, pretty soon now,” was the reply.  “Ham Logan and I are working on it.”

“Ham Logan!  Is he going to be in it with you?” asked the ringmaster in some surprise.

“Of course!” answered Joe.  “It’s partly his idea.  He’s an old fire-actor, you know, and he’s given me some good suggestions.  Yes, he’s going to help me.  I think we’ll put the act on next week.  We’ve got to train some new performers first.”

“New performers!  Say, what are you going to do, Joe, take a troupe of fire-eating actors out on the road?”

“Something like that, yes,” answered the young magician, with a laugh.  “You’ll see.”

Joe Strong varied his acts in the circus tent Sometimes he would omit the “vanishing lady” act, as Helen wanted to put through some extra work with Rosebud, and there was not time for both.  Again he would leave out some of his acrobatic work, or perhaps not do the trick of seeming to catch fire and extinguishing the flames in Benny Turton’s tank.  Once in a while he would omit the ten thousand dollar mystery box trick.

But on the day when he had the above conversation with Jim Tracy they were showing in a large factory town.  There had been good business in the afternoon, and Joe had not done the box trick.  But just before the evening show Jim came to Joe and said: 

“There’ve been several requests, Joe, that you put the box trick on to-night.”