A FIRE SENSATION
Joe Strong had to think quickly. Every acrobat, every person who does
"stunts" in a circus, must; for something is always happening, or on the
verge of taking place. And when Joe looked up and saw the rusted wire
and noted the fraying strands, several thoughts shot through his mind at
once.
"That rust spot wasn't there this morning when, I looked at the
trapeze," he mused. "And it hasn't rained since. How did it get there?"
He thought of the too talkative Harry Loper, and an ugly suspicion
associated itself with him. But Joe had no time for such thoughts then.
What was vital for him to know was whether or not the thin wire cable
would remain unbroken long enough for him to reach the maximum of his
swing, and land on the platform. Or would he fall, spoiling the act and
also endangering himself?
True he might land in the net in such a way as to come to no harm, as he
had done many times, and as many performers before him had done. But
the danger was that in a sudden and unexpected drop downward he might
not be able to get his limbs in the proper landing position.
Joe Strong had nerve. If he had lacked it he would never have been so
successful. And at once he decided on a courageous proceeding.
"I'll bring all my weight suddenly on that left hand cable," he mused,
as he swung to and fro, from side to side of the big tent. "If it's
going to break it will do so then. And I'll be ready for it. I'll then
keep hold of the trapeze bar, which will be straight up and down instead
of crosswise, and swing by that. The other cable seems all right." This
was a fact which Joe ascertained by a quick inspection.
There was no time for further thought. As he swung, Joe suddenly shifted
his weight, bringing it all on the frayed and strangely rusted cable. As
he half expected, it gave way, and he dropped in an instant, but not
far.
The watching crowd gasped. It looked like an accident. And it was, in a
way, but Joe had purposely caused it. As the wire broke Joe held tightly
to the wooden bar, which was now upright in his hands instead of being
horizontal. And though it slipped through his fingers, perhaps for the
width of his palm, at last he gripped it in a firm hold and kept on with
his swing.
And then the applause broke forth, for the audience thought it all a
part of the trick--they thought that Joe had purposely caused the cable
to break to make the act more effective.
To and fro swung Joe, nearer and nearer to the second platform, and
then, reaching the height of the long arc, he turned his body and
stepped full and fair on the little square of velvet-covered boards.
With a lithe contortion, Joe squirmed to an upright position, recovering
his balance with a great effort, for he had been put out in his
calculations of distance, and then, turning, he bowed to the crowds,
revolving on the platform to take in every one.
Again the applause broke forth, to be drowned in the boom and ruffle of
the drums as the band began to play. There is little time in a circus,
where act follows act so quickly, for long acknowledgments.
The other performers came into the rings or on to the raised platforms,
and Joe descended by means of the rope ladder. Helen met him, and they
walked toward the dressing rooms.
"That was a wonderful trick, Joe," she said. "But I didn't see you
practice that drop."
"I didn't practice it," he remarked dryly. "I did it on the spur of the
moment."
"Joe Strong! wasn't it dangerous?"
"Well, a little."
"What made you do it?"
"I couldn't help it."
"You couldn't help it? Joe--do you mean--?" She sensed that something
was wrong, but walking around the circus arena, with performers coming
and going, was not the place to speak of it. Joe saw that she
understood.
"I'll tell you later," he said. "We have to get ready for the trick box
and the vanishing lady stunt now."
"Oh, Joe! were you in much danger?" she asked in a low voice.
"Oh, not much," he answered, and he tried to speak lightly. Yet he did
not like to think of that one moment when he saw the rusted and broken
wire.
While Joe and Helen are preparing for the box act, which has been
treated fully in the previous volume, the explanation of how the
vanishing lady trick was accomplished will be given, though that, too,
has been explained in an earlier volume.
A large newspaper is put on the stage and the chair set on the paper,
thus, seemingly, precluding the possibility of a trap door being cut in
the stage through which the lady in the chair might slip. The word
"seemingly" is used with a due sense of what it means. The newspaper was
not a perfect one. On one of its sides which was not exhibited to the
audience, there was cut an opening, or trap, that exactly corresponded
in size with a trap door on the stage. The paper, as explained in the
previous book, is strengthened with cardboard, and the trap is a double
one, being cut in the center, the flaps being easily moved either way.
The audience thinks it sees a perfect newspaper. But there is a square
hole in it, but concealed as is a secret trap door.
When Joe laid the paper on the stage he placed it so that the square,
double flap in it was exactly over the trap in the stage floor. He then
drew the page of the paper that he had held out to the audience toward
himself, exposing the trap for use, but because it was so carefully
made, and the cut was so fine, it was not visible from the front.
Helen took her place in the chair, which, of course, was a trick one. It
was fitted with a concealed rod and a cap, and it was over this cap,
brought out at the proper moment, that Joe carefully placed the black
veil, when he was pretending to mesmerize Helen. There was a cross rod,
also concealed in the chair, and on either end of this, something like
the epaulettes of a soldier, so that when these ends were under the veil
and the cap was in place it looked as though some one sat in the chair,
when, really, no one did.
Helen was in the chair at the start. But as soon as she was covered by
the veil she began to get out The seat of the chair was hinged within
its frame As Helen sat on it, and after she had been covered with the
veil, she rested her weight on her hands, which were placed on the
extreme outer edges of this seat frame. She pulled a catch which caused
the seat to drop, and at the same time the trap beneath her, including
the prepared newspaper, was opened by an attendant. The black veil all
about the chair prevented the audience seeing this.
Helen lowered herself down through the dropped seat of the chair,
through the trap, and under the stage. And while she was doing this it
still looked as if she were in the chair, for the false cap and the
extended cross rod made outlines as if of a human form beneath the black
veil.
As soon as Helen was out of the chair and beneath the stage an attendant
closed the newspaper and wooden floor traps. Joe then suddenly raised
the veil, taking in its folds the false cap and the cross piece which
had represented Helen's shoulders. They were thin and light--these
pieces of trick apparatus--and no one suspected they were in the veil.
The hinged seat of the chair snapped back in place by means of a spring,
and when Joe stepped aside, holding the veil, there was the empty chair;
and the newspaper, which he picked up, seemed to preclude the
possibility of there having been a trap in the stage. But Joe was
careful how he exhibited this paper to his audience.
And so it was that the lady "vanished."
"And now, Joe, tell me all about it!" demanded Helen, when the circus
was over for the afternoon, and the box and vanishing tricks had been
successfully performed. "What happened to your trapeze?"
"Some one spilled acid on one of the wire ropes, and it ate into the
metal, corroding it and separating a number of the strands so that a
little extra weight broke them," said Joe.
"Acid on the cable?" cried Helen. "How did you find out?"
"I just examined the wire. I knew it couldn't have rusted naturally in
such a short time. There was a peculiar smell about the wire, and I know
enough of chemistry to make a simple acid test! What kind of acid was
used I don't know, but it was strong enough to eat the steel."
"Who could have put it on?"
"That I've got to find out!"
"Was it Harry Loper?"
"I taxed him with it, but he swears he knew nothing of it," said Joe.
"I'm inclined to believe him, too. I charged him with drinking, and he
could not deny that. But he said he met some old friends and they
induced him to have a little convivial time with them. No, I don't
believe he'd do it. He's weak and foolish, but he had no reason to try
to injure me."
"Who would, Joe? Of course there's Bill Carfax, but he hasn't been seen
near the circus of late."
"No, I don't believe it could have been Bill. I'll have to be on my
guard."
"Do, Joe!" urged Helen. "Oh, I can't bear to think of it!"
"Don't then!" laughed Joe, trying to make light of it. "Let's go down
town and I'll buy you some ice cream."
"But you're not going to give up trying to find out who put acid on the
trapeze, are you?"
"No, indeed!" declared the young performer. "I have two problems on my
hands now--that and trying to learn how too many persons came to the
circus this afternoon," and he told Helen about the extra tickets.
"That's queer!" she exclaimed. "Some jinx bug must be after us!"
"Don't get superstitious!" warned Joe. "Now we'll forget our troubles.
They may not amount to anything after all."
But, though he spoke lightly, Joe was worried, and he was not going to
let Helen know that. They went into an ice-cream parlor and "relaxed,"
as Helen called it.
The two were on their way back to the circus lot, intending to go to
supper and prepare for the evening entertainment, when there was a
sudden alarm down the street, and, in an instant, the fire engines and
other apparatus dashed past.
"A fire!" cried Joe. "Come on, Helen! It's just down the street!"
They could see smoke pouring from a small building and a crowd rushing
toward it. Thither, also, the fire apparatus was dashing. Joe and Helen
were among the early arrivals.
"What is it?" asked Joe of an officer. "I mean what sort of place is
that?" and he pointed to the building, which was now obscured by smoke.
"Dime museum," was the answer. "Lot of fakes. I sent in the alarm. A
fire-eater was trying some new stunt and he set the place ablaze, so the
boss yelled to me. Come now, youse all have to git back!" and he
motioned to the crowd, which was constantly increasing, to get beyond
the fire lines.