Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater | Page 5

his fellow showmen were calming the crowd, the animal
men were having their own troubles. Burma, one of the largest of the
tigers, had got loose, having taken advantage of the open door of his
cage. He rushed out with a snarl of delight at his freedom. His jungle
cry was echoed by the roar of a lion in the next cage, and this was
followed by the cries and snarls of all the wild jungle beasts in the tent.
Fortunately the animal tent was deserted by all save the keepers, the
audience having filed into the tent where the main show was going on.
"Head him off now! Head him off!" cried Tom Layton, the elephant
man, as he saw the tiger dart out of its cage--a flash of yellow and black.
"Head him off! Don't let him get in the main top!"
"That's right! Head him off!" cried Señor Bogardi, the lion tamer. "He
won't hurt any one--he's too scared!"
This was true, but it was difficult to believe, and some of the people
seated in the "main top," or big tent, who were nearest the animal tent,
hearing the cries and learning what had occurred, spread the alarm.
Burma, the tiger, slunk around in behind the cages of the other animals.
All about him were men with clubs and pointed goads, with whips and
pistols. The circus men had had to cope with situations like this before.
They surrounded the tiger, advancing on him in an ever-narrowing
circle, and in a short time they drove him into an emergency cage
which was pushed forward with the open door toward him. Burma had
no choice but to enter, to get away from the cracking whips and the
prodding goads. And, after all, he was glad to be barred in again.
So, without causing any harm except for badly frightening a number of
people in the audience, the tiger was caged again, and the circus
performance went on.

Joe Strong did his Box of Mystery trick. The usual announcement of a
reward of ten thousand dollars to whomsoever could solve it was made,
and there was great applause when Joe managed to get out of the big
box without disturbing the six padlocks or the binding ropes.
"I'm glad Bill Carfax isn't here to make trouble, trying to show how
much he knows about this trick," said Joe to the ringmaster, as he
stepped off the stage at the conclusion of the trick.
"Yes, you put several spokes in Bill's wheels when you turned the
laugh on him that time," said Jim Tracy. "I don't believe he'll ever show
up around our circus again."
But they little knew Bill Carfax. Those who have read the book just
before this will recall him and remember how unscrupulous he was.
But his plans came to naught then. Any one who wishes to learn how
the wonderful box trick was worked will find a full explanation in the
previous volume.
Helen Morton received much applause at the conclusion of her act with
her trick horse, Rosebud. Joe Strong's promised wife was an
accomplished bareback rider, as well as one of her fiancé's helpers in
his mystery tricks.
"Well, I'm glad to-day is over," said Helen to Joe that night, as they
went to the train that was to take them to the next city where the circus
performance would be given. "What with doing the vanishing lady act
for the first time in a long while and the tiger getting loose, we have
had quite a bit of excitement."
"Yes," agreed Joe. "But everything came out all right. I'm going to put
on a new stunt next week."
"What's that?" asked Helen. "Something in the mystery line?"
"No. I'm going back to some of my high trapeze work. You know,
since we lost Wogand there hasn't been any of the big swing work
done."

"That's so," agreed Helen. "But I've been so busy practicing the
vanishing lady act with you on top of my other work that I hadn't given
it a thought. But you aren't going to do that dangerous trick, are you?"
"I think I am," Joe answered. "It's sensational, and we need sensational
acts now to draw the crowds. I used to do it, and I can again, I think,
with a little practice. I'm going to start in and train to-morrow."
"I wish you wouldn't," said Helen, in a low voice, but Joe did not seem
to hear her.
The big swing was a trapeze act performed on the highest of the circus
apparatus. Part of this apparatus consisted of two platforms fastened to
two of the opposite main poles, and up under the very roof of the big
top.
Midway between the platforms, which were just large enough for