matter with me," he said one day to Helen and
Joe, as he joined them after having been in the big glass tank. "But I
feel so tired after I come out that I want to go to bed."

"Maybe you stay under water too long," Helen said sympathetically.

"I don't stay under as long as I used to," Benny remarked. "In fact
Jim Tracy was sort of kicking just now. Said I was billed to stay
under water four minutes, and I was cutting it to three. I can't help
it. Something seems to hurt me here," and he put his hands to his ears
and to the back of his head.

"Maybe you ought to see a doctor," suggested Joe.

"I can't," said Benny shortly. "In this circus business if they find
out you're sick the management begins to think of booking some one else
for your act. No, I've got to keep on with it. But some days I don't
feel much like it."

Joe and Helen felt sorry for Benny, but there was little they could do
to aid him. It was not as if they could take some of the burden of
work off his shoulders. His act was peculiar, and he alone could do it.

"Though I think," said Joe to himself one day after watching Benny
perform, "I think I could stay under water almost as long as he does
after I'd practised it a bit. I'm going to try some time. I think
deep breathing exercises would help. I'm going to begin on them."

Joe had to have good "wind" for his own acts, but, as he was naturally
ambitious, he started in on systematic breathing exercises. These
would do him much general good even if he should never enter the
water-tank.

Occasionally Joe would do some simple sleight-of-hand tricks for the
amusement of Benny and Helen. He did not want to lose the art he had
acquired.

"I may want to quit the circus some day and go back in the illusion
business," he said.

"Quit the circus! Why?" Helen asked him.

"Oh, I'm not thinking seriously of it, of course," he said quickly.
"But I don't want to get rusty on those tricks."

Joe heard occasionally from Professor Rosello, who had leased his show
and was taking a much needed rest. He inquired as to Joe's progress,
and was glad, he said, to hear our hero was doing well.

One day, when the circus was playing a large manufacturing city on a
two days' date, Joe had another glimpse of the man he had supplanted.
The young trapeze artist went out of the tent when his share in the
afternoon performance was over, and as he paused to look at the crowd
in front of the sideshow tent he