told what
had taken place.

"And you caught him?" asked Helen.

"Oh, it was just luck," said Joe modestly. "I didn't take any chances,
you may be sure."

"Maybe he thought you were a friend of his, because you work in a tank,
too," laughed Helen, for the wagon in which the hippopotamus was kept
was in two parts, one end being a tank for water.

"Maybe," agreed Joe. And at that laughing speech there came to mind a
matter he knew must be settled. What would be done about Benny's tank
act? The question would come up that day.

Breakfast was served to the circus folk in the big tent, which had been
put up in advance. The earliest arrivals at the circus ground are the
tent men, the cooks with their big stoves on heavy wagons, and the
animals. So that when the performers get up they generally find a hot
breakfast ready for them.

After the meal Joe strolled across the lot, watching the men at work.
Some of them were gathered about the wagon containing the glass tank in
which Benny, the "human fish," had done his act.

"You needn't open that," said Jim Tracy, who was already around,
looking after his many duties. "We won't set up the tank."

"Why not?" asked one of the men.

"Because Benny isn't with us any more. We'll have to cut out the fish
act."

Joe Strong heard this, and came to a sudden decision--and yet not so
sudden, either, for he had given it considerable thought.

"Look here, Mr. Tracy," he said. "I don't believe we'll have to give up
the tank act after all."

"Why not?"

"Well, can't I do it well enough?"

"Oh, it isn't a question of that, Joe. You sure did make a hit with it.
But I thought you'd rather keep at your trapeze work."

"So I would--for a while at any rate. But why can't I do part of the
trapeze act, and the rest of my stunts in the tank? I like it. I'm sure
I can do better the more practice I have. I'll make you that offer--to
do the tank act and as much of my trapeze work as I have time for. What
do you say?"

"Why, I guess I'll say 'yes,'" replied the ring-master. "I only thought
you were doing it to fill in at our opening engagement; to prevent the
public's howling, Joe. But if you want to keep on with it, why, I'm
willing, and thankful too."

"All right, I'll do it!" decided Joe.

"Good! Unpack the tank, boys!" cried Jim Tracy. "Set her up and fill
her with water. We'll have a 'boy fish' act after all!"

CHAPTER VIII

EXPERIMENTS

Since Joe Strong had decided