She was more cheerful over it than Joe thought she would be. He
suspected that she had not altogether lost hope, but as for himself Joe
counted the money gone, and it was not a small sum to lose.

"Come on, Helen," he said. "I noticed a lawyer's office on the main
street as I was looking at the parade. We'll go there and get him to
take the case. We'll be out of here to-night and we can leave matters
in his hands, with instructions to send us word when he has the money
back."

"And I'm afraid you'll never get that word," said the old clown.

There was time enough before the afternoon performance for Joe and
Helen to pay a visit to the law office. Joe also reported to Jim
Tracy, who was glad to see him.

"I don't want you to get on the trapeze to-day," said the ring-master.
"Take a little light practice first for a few days. And do all you can
for her," he added in a low voice, motioning to Helen.

"I sure will!" Joe exclaimed fervently.

The lawyer listened to the story as Joe and Helen told it to him, and
agreed to take the case against Sanford and the Circle City Oil
Syndicate for a small fee.

"I'll do the best I can," he said, "but I'm afraid I can't promise you
much in results. Let me have the papers and your future address."

Joe put on his suit of tights for that afternoon, though he did not
take part in the trapeze work. He fancied that the Lascalla Brothers
were not very glad to see him, but this may have been fancy, for they
were cordial enough as far as words went.

"Maybe they thought I would be laid up permanently," reasoned Joe.
"Then they could have their former partner back. I wonder if he's been
around lately?"

He made some inquiries, but no one had noticed Sim Dobley hanging about
the lots as he had done shortly after his discharge. Nor had there
been, as Joe had a faint suspicion there might be, any connection
between the train wreck and the discharged employee.

"I don't believe Sim would be so desperate as to wreck a train just to
get even with me," decided Joe. "I guess it was just a coincidence.
He only wrote that threatening letter as a bluff."

Helen Morton did not allow her distress over the prospective loss of
her money to interfere with her circus act. She put Rosebud through
his paces in the ring, and received her share of applause at the antics
of the clever horse. Helen did a new little trick--the one she had
told Joe about.

She tossed flags of different nati