.

"And now," finished the ring-master, "the boy fish will show you that
it is as easy for him to live, move and have his being under water, as
it is for ordinary mortals in the atmosphere of this earth. Ready!"

"Ready!" cried Joe, and he nodded to the attendant who stood ready to
pull a rope that would let fall from the tank the canvas that concealed
it from view.

CHAPTER IX

A NEW STUNT

There was a hush of expectancy as Joe stood poised on the little
platform above the tank. The band, that had blared out when Joe made
his bow, had stopped playing, and the drummer was ready to sound a big
"boom" on the bass instrument when Joe should plunge into the water.

The canvas came slithering down from around the sides of the glass
tank, and at once there arose murmurs of admiration from the big crowd
in the tent.

"How pretty!" women's voices said.

"Say, you did pull off something new!" murmured Jim Tracy, greatly
pleased.

Joe had transformed the tank into a big aquarium. In the four corners
were long, waving, green, aquatic plants, seemingly growing in the
white sand.

The plants did not interfere with a view from all four sides through
the transparent glass, but they added greatly to the effectiveness of
the act. But, more than this, there were a score of large goldfishes
swimming about in the tank, their brilliant scales reflecting back the
light that came in from top and sides.

"Why, they're real!"

"They're alive!"

"They're real fish!"

Thus murmured the crowd, and Joe smiled at the sensation he had caused.
That had been the idea which had come to him as he saw the aquarium of
fish as he was going in to get his ice cream. He had bought the fish
from the dealer, as well as the long streamers of aquatic plants, and
had placed them in his tank, few if any of the circus folk being aware
of the surprise Joe was planning.

"That sure is great!" declared Jim, who was as much surprised as any
one in the audience.

Joe waited a moment for the crowd to appreciate the novel and pretty
little scenic background he had provided for his act. Then, having
inflated his lungs with air, he plunged gracefully into the tank of
water.

There was a rush of the real fish to one end as the boy fish came down
among them, and the flitting, glittering, golden bodies could easily be
seen as they darted to and fro in alarm when Joe settled down on the
white, sandy bottom.

Then, prevented by the glass sides fr