Joe Strong, the Boy Fish / or Marvelous Doings in a Big Tank

resenting. But Joe could not hear the people clapping, for he was under water, and all sound was lost to him. He could, ho

cks, I may be able to pull off a good stunt in the t

t deflated and then inflated his lungs to their fullest capacity, and he felt sure he

" owned it-was practically a big glass box. That is, four sides of it were of glass, meas

been made. For this the instant the surface of the water is struck the body must curve upward, also curving upward the extended arms and hands. The result is a "shallow

the bottom was of metal, covered with a layer of white sand. This not only made an agreeable surface on which the perf

tank stood on a raised platform the "human fish" act was one of the best-viewed acts in the show. At each corner of t

ers sagging forward. He actually pressed from his lungs all the air possible. This was to enable him to fill them again with a fresh s

ing this, for he had often swum comparatively long distances under water when a boy

at it was no harder to stay under water now than it was the time he had p

water more nearly resembles a human being than does a fish, which has no need of breathing air into the lungs, as a seal does. The gills of a fish are so constructed as

in a graceful fashion, just as a seal does. Joe really turned backward and forward somersaults under water, but of course he did

shown three or four different styles of swimming-the old-fashioned breas

ld stay much longer than that. But it was to make the act last a little longer, and to g

e deeply impressed, if some one, even the performer, states just what is going to be done, with, perhaps, a reference to the danger or difficulty of

to the rubber-covered platform. He nodded to Jim Tracy to let the rin

to attempt to stay three minutes-possibly longer. Of course that is not the record, but you are aware of the circumstances

the under-water act. While Jim Tracy had been speaking Joe had deflated hi

ngth on the bed of soft white sand, an attendant lowered t

f apparatus made," thought Joe. "But I guess Benny will be bac

tural thing in the world, Joe juggled with three small iron balls, using only one hand. It was an easy enough trick to do "on land" so to speak, but Joe found that th

Joe reasoned, as he kept juggling the balls. "Water won't hurt celluloid. I must have a pack

might see, Joe now turned slowly about under

it could not be three yet, though he was beginning to feel the strain. He ha

tank where I could look at it," thought Joe. "That's anot

es and balls, in his hands and then, by a mere motion, he caused them to vanish. This he accomplished by the famil

doing very well, and the audience seemed pleased. At any rate a panic had been averted and the circus crowd was not given a c

enny had done a trick of picking up in his mouth a number of metal coins from the bottom of the tank. Joe wished he had practised that tri

that by pressing the back of his tongue up against his soft palate he could clo

ater," thought Joe, "and that's something

act. He knew he must bring it to a close soon now, for h

duals. It follows that a person of large lung capacity is able to fill himself w

hings, such as picking up objects in her mouth, three and a half minutes. It can be seen that it is not always a man or a boy who has the largest lung capacity. This girl

nutes-but the records give about three minutes as the average, though it is possible that some exceptional individual may equal

er water gave the you

uth as though sleepy, and then, using the box his tricks came in as a pillow,

ter nearly three minutes, made quite an impression on the crowd. There was some laug

lt dizzy and it seemed as if his lungs would burst through

er did that, but came out as though he could have stayed under al

at a watch as though it were time to get up, an

d to gulp in a whole lot of it at once, but he held himself in r

ced the ring-master, as he held up his w

d the day for us. I put some one else on your trapeze fo

ou did. Do you thin

sure

laimed Helen as the young performer

get you all wet!

answered blushingly.

ow Benny is? I think I'll go to the hospital and f

th you," of

afternoon, were soon on their way to the hospital. Th

's the news

sorry to say,"

o die?" asked Helen,

ll be a long while before he