Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater / Or, The Most Dangerous Performance on Record

d when one of the wild animals is said to be at large. Not even the alarm that the b

er is

or a lion is loose, and it causes greater fear, even, than when it is stated that an elephant is on a rampage. An elepha

The creature is so surprised at getting loose, and so frightened at the hue and cry at once raised, that all it wants t

A tiger is loose." Who raised the cry and which of the several tigers in the Sampson show was out of its cage,

to the front of the platform. "There is no danger! The animal men will catch the

of-the pushing and "milling" of the crowd and the

ook place. What it was, Joe did not concern himself about just then. He felt it to be his task to prev

er which, it was learned afterward, had got out through an imperfectly fastened door, time will be taken t

ther mystery matters. His father, Alexander Strong, known professionally as Professor Morretti, was a

the man with whom he was living and joined a traveling magician, who called himself Professor Rosello. W

d inherited strength, skill and daring, and he liked nothing better than climbing to great heights or walking in lofty and dizzy places where the footing was perilous. So it was perhaps natural that he shou

Turton, who did a "tank act," and was billed as a "human fish." Jim Tracy, the ringmaster, Bill Watson, the veteran clown, and his

y," Se?orita Tanzalo, the pretty snake charmer, and Tom Jefferson, the "strong man." Joe loved them

ital, Joe "took on" the tank trick. In the third volume some of his under-water feats are re

on, and after an absence from the circus for a

e stock. He had also inherited considerable money from his mother's relatives in Engl

lar Prize Trick." In that volume is related how Joe constructed a trick box, out of which he made his way afte

oever could fathom how the trick was done. Bill Carfax, an enemy of Jo

ction for the circus, and Joe w

r some time when the events detailed in

and not rush into danger, Joe Strong and the others succeeded in calm

s he back in his cage?"

ers, 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 cr

l save the keepers, the audience having filed

t man, as he saw the tiger dart out of its cage-a flash of yell

Se?or Bogardi, the lion tamer. "He

seated in the "main top," or big tent, who were nearest the animal te

ith situations like this before. They surrounded the tiger, advancing on him in an ever-narrowing circle, and in a short time they drove him into an emergency cage which was pushed f

ening a number of people in the audience, the tiger

nd dollars to whomsoever could solve it was made, and there was great applause when Joe m

w how much he knows about this trick," said Joe to the ringmast

urned the laugh on him that time," said Jim Tracy. "I do

and remember how unscrupulous he was. But his plans came to naught then. Any one who wishes to l

trick horse, Rosebud. Joe Strong's promised wife was an accomplished bar

them to the next city where the circus performance would be given. "What with doing the vanishing lady a

ng came out all right. I'm going

Helen. "Something i

ze work. You know, since we lost Wogand ther

shing lady act with you on top of my other work that I hadn't given i

al acts now to draw the crowds. I used to do it, and I can again, I th

Helen, in a low voice, but J

pparatus. Part of this apparatus consisted of two platforms fastened to

to stand on, was a trapeze with long ropes, capable of being swung fr

own, catch hold of the bar with his hands, and swing up to the other platform. If he missed catching the bar it meant a dangerous fall; a fall into a net, it is true, but dangerous none the less. Its danger can be judged when i

ety nets, they do not usually do it haphazardly. If they did many wou

o this dangerous swing. He was an acrobat, as well as a stage magician, and h

"I have a premonition that something will happe

he said, Joe

the big swing," h