The Project Gutenberg EBook of Joe Strong, the Boy Fish, by Vance Barnum

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Title: Joe Strong, the Boy Fish
or Marvelous Doings in a Big Tank

Author: Vance Barnum

Release Date: April 18, 2008 [EBook #25095]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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JOE STRONG

THE BOY FISH

OR

_MARVELOUS DOINGS IN A BIG TANK_

By

VANCE BARNUM

Author of "Joe Strong, the Boy Wizard," "Joe Strong on the Trapeze,"
etc.

WHITMAN PUBLISHING CO.
RACINE, WISCONSIN

JOE STRONG, THE BOY FISH

CHAPTER I

SOMETHING WRONG

Bass drums were booming, snare drums were rattling, above them sounded
the shrill notes of the bugles. There was the rumble of big-wheeled
wagons, now and then an elephant trumpeted or a lion gave a hungry
roar. Gay banners fluttered, glistening spears flashed with points of
light, gaily attired women and men sat on the backs of swaying, ugly
camels, or galloped on mettlesome steeds. And looking at it all was a
vast throng of eager-eyed men, women and children. It was the opening
performance of the circus.

"Good crowd all right," remarked Joe Strong, as he came back to the
dressing tent from a preliminary survey of the audience. He took up
one hole in the belt of his acrobatic suit of tights.

"Full house--is there?" asked a dark-complexioned, foreign-looking man,
as he rubbed some rosin on the soles of his soft shoes, so they would
not slip when he attempted some feat high up on a trapeze bar, or let
himself down a rope head first, disdaining the use of his hands.

"I should say it is a full house!" went on Joe as he, too, west over to
the rosin box. "They'll have to do as they do in theatres, and hang out
the S.R.O. sign if it keeps on. It looks as though there would be
standing room only before long, it certainly is starting the season
good."

"I'm glad to hear it," remarked Tonzo Lascalla, one of a trio of
"brothers" with whom Joe Strong did more or less dangerous things on
the high trapeze. "If the owners t