IN THE TANK
"Are you really serious in that?" asked Joe of the old clown, after a
moment's consideration.
"Of course I am, Joe. Why? Would it be strange to have some one leave
you money?"
"It certainly would! But it would be a nice sort of strangeness,"
replied the young performer. "I never dreamed that such a thing might
happen."
"Oh, I don't say it _will_," Bill Watson reminded him. "But the fact
remains that your mother came from what is sometimes called 'the landed
gentry' of England, and the estates there, or property, descend to
eldest sons differently than property does in this country. It may be
worth looking into, Joe."
"But I don't know much about my mother," Joe said. "I hardly ever meet
any one who knew her. My foster-parents would never speak of her--they
were ashamed of her calling."
"More shame to them!" exclaimed the clown. "There never was a finer
woman than your mother, Joe Strong. And as for riding--well, I wish we
had a few of her kind in the show now. I don't mean to say anything
against your riding, my dear," he said to Helen. "But Janet Strong did
a different sort, for she was a powerful woman, and could handle a
horse better than most men."
"I guess I must get my liking for horses from her," Joe remarked.
"Very likely," agreed Bill Watson. "Some day I'll have a long talk
with you about your mother, Joe, and I'll give you all the information
I can. There may be some of her old acquaintances you can write to, to
find out if she was entitled to any property."
"Wouldn't it be fine if we both came into fortunes!" gaily cried Helen,
with sparkling eyes. "Wouldn't it be splendid, Joe?"
"Too good to be true, I'm afraid. But you have a better chance than I,
Helen."
"Perhaps. Would you leave the circus, Joe, if you got rich?"
"Oh, I don't know. I guess I'd stay in it while you did--to sort of
look after you," and he smiled quizzically.
"Trying to get my job, are you?" chuckled Bill. "Well, we are young
only once. But I must say, Helen, that this young man gave you as good
advice as I could, and I hope it turns out all right."
Joe liked Bill Watson--every one did in fact--and the young performer
was pleased to learn something of his mother, and glad to learn that he
would be told more.
The enforced rest Bill Watson had taken on account of a slight illness,
seemed to have done the old clown good, for he worked in some new
"business" in his acts when he again donned the odd suit he wore. His
presence, too, had a good effect on the other clowns, so that the
audiences, especially the younger portion, were kept in roars of
merriment at each performance.
Joe, also, did his share to provide entertainment for the circus
throngs. Perhaps it would be more correct to say that Joe provided the
thrills, for some of his feats were thrilling indeed. Not that the
other members of the Lascalla troupe did not share in the honors, for
they did. Both Sid and Tonzo were accomplished and veteran performers
on the flying rings and trapeze bars, but they had been in the business
so long that they had become rather hardened to it, and stuck to old
tricks and effects instead of getting up new ones.
Joe was especially good at this, and while some of his feats were not
really new, he gave a different turn to them that seemed to make for
novelty.
"But I don't like to see you take such risks," Helen said to him on
more than one occasion. "I'm afraid you'll be hurt."
"You have to take risks in this business," Joe stated. "I don't think
about them when I'm away up at the top of the tent, swinging on the
bar. I just think of the trick and wonder if Sid or Tonzo will catch
me or me one of them when the jump is made. Besides, the life net is
always below us.
"Yes, but suppose you miss the net or it breaks?"
"I don't like supposes of that sort," laughed Joe, coolly. Truly he
had good nerves, under perfect control. He was adding to his muscular
strength, too. Constant and steady practice was making his arms and
legs powerful indeed.
For a while Joe had been on the watch for some overt act on the part of
Sid or Tonzo that would spoil an act and bring censure down on himself.
But following that one attempt neither of the Spaniards did anything
that Joe could find fault with. They were enthusiastic over some of
the feats he performed, and worked in harmony with him. If they were
jealous over Joe's popularity and the applause he often received as his
share alone in some trick, they did not show it.
"Oh, Joe!" exclaimed Helen one day, when they were in the small tent
getting ready for the afternoon performance. "I have a letter from the
New York lawyers."
"What do they say?" Joe asked eagerly. "Did they send the money?"
"No. But they thanked me for the copies of the proofs I sent, and they
said they believed they were on the right track. They will write again
soon. So it wasn't a joke, anyhow."
"It doesn't look so," the youth agreed. "Is everything all
right--Rosebud safe, and all that?"
"Yes. He's feeling himself again." The trick horse had been ailing
the day before, and Helen was a little worried about her pet.
Joe and Helen wandered into the main tent, which was now set up. Joe
wanted to get in a little practice on the trapeze, while Helen went in
to watch, as she often did. The men were setting up the big glass tank
in which the "human fish" performed, and when Joe came down from his
trapeze, rather warm and tired, the water looked very inviting.
"I've a good notion to go in for a swim," he said to Helen.
"Why don't you?" she dared him. "It would do you good. It's such a
hot day. I almost wish I could myself."
"I believe I will," Joe said. "I've got a bathing suit in my trunk."
The big tent was almost deserted at this hour, for the parade was in
progress. Joe and Helen did not take part in this. Joe came back
attired for a swim, and going up the steps by which Benny mounted to
the platform on the edge of the tank before he plunged in, Joe poised
there.
"Here I go," he called to Helen. "Got a watch?"
"Yes, Joe."
"Time me then. I'm going to see how long I can stay under water."
In he went head first, making a clean dive, for Joe was an adept in the
water. He swam about in the limpid depths, Helen watching him
admiringly through the glass sides of the tank. Then Joe settled down
on the bottom as Benny was in the habit of doing. Helen nervously
watched the seconds tick off on her wrist watch.
When two minutes had passed, and Joe was still below the water, the
girl became nervous.
"Come on out, Joe!" she called. Joe could not hear her, of course. He
waved his hand to her. He could not stay under much longer, he felt
sure, but he did not want to give up. It was not until three seconds
of the third minute had passed that he found it impossible to hold his
breath longer, and up he shot, filling his lungs with air as he reached
the surface.
At that moment Benny Turton came into the tent, and saw some one in his
tank.
"What happened?" he cried, running forward. "Did some one fall in?"
"It's all right," Helen informed the "human fish."