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

wakened him from a sound sleep. At first he was not aware what it was, but as h

calla, his trapeze partner, peering from betwe

rcus train had reached its destination. "We are on the s

gged a yawning voice. "

too dark yet to see more than a confused jumble of black shapes moving about. Joe saw another train on th

es! Get after him, some of

ng wood, more shouts and th

half aloud. "I wonder if any of

ever, there was the

e he comes at us! Look out!

and a voice, presumably Bi

u step on me again I'll be as flat as a bo

sleeping car, for most of

g man. "Can't they let a person get his sleep? Are they g

re loose," said Joe, "though i

h laughter, seemed to te

ere told that dawn was beginning to break, though it was still very dark. "I've had enough sle

r caring to see what the trouble was. The rest of the circus

en about some central object, he heard a voice calling to him from one of

d?" some one aske

ied, recognizing the tones of the pretty trick rider.

about it. I hope it i

But I don't believe it

f the feline tribe as "cats," and elephants, camels, horses and their like are

crowd gathered about

ell, and Joe saw the crowd part, and a b

us!" cried Joe. "The

it," as it is sometimes called on the circus bills, was

wd yelled to Joe. "If he stamps on yo

For the hippopotamus weighed nearly two tons, b

t was beginning to break. Some of the crowd of men came rushing after the hippopotamus with r

came a voice. "If he gets on t

dollars originally, and his value had increased. Joe remembered hearing that Jumbo, the big elephant, many years ago,

im!" begged the

could!" th

bat stumbled over a coil of rope which had been used to let s

a lasso, even if I could tie a noose in this rope. And I don't see how one lassoes a hippo anyhow. However

him, Joe having leaped to one side. And he did by accident what the circus men had for some time been trying to do by

!" cried the animal's keeper

pounced upon by a crowd of the anim

e faced Joe in the now gray dawn o

get loose?

He dropped with it and started off on his own hook. He walk

h!" complained Bill Dudley, one of the animal me

eplied t

t loose again. He almos

arters until his own cage could be repaired, and the wor

len asked Joe, as he

over. It was the hippo," and

ught him?"

Joe modestly. "I didn't take

a tank, too," laughed Helen, for the wagon in which the hippop

to mind a matter he knew must be settled. What would be done

st arrivals at the circus ground are the tent men, the cooks with their big stoves on heavy wagons, a

work. Some of them were gathered about the wagon containing th

who was already around, looking after his

asked one

us any more. We'll have

en decision-and yet not so sudden, either

"I don't believe we'll have to

y n

t I do it w

sure did make a hit with it. But I though

y stunts in the tank? I like it. I'm sure I can do better the more practice I have. I'll make you

e doing it to fill in at our opening engagement; to prevent the public's howlin

I'll do it!"

Tracy. "Set her up and fill her with wate