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

Joe found a chance to speak to Mr. Flee

said the boy fish. He sat down a

. "You have some little act yoursel

go pretty well, but it's more because of the novelty of it

on't see how you hold

ater I wouldn't be able to hold the attention of th

hat goldfish ide

ays on the lookout for something new." Mr. Fleet nodded in comprehension. "Now it occurred to me while I was l

arity of Joe's act, and as trained dogs are not much of a novelty he welcomed the opportunity of inc

idea?" asked t

he turtle. Of course the fish look pretty, and I shall probably keep them, but they don't show off well enoug

you can take one of my do

" answered Joe. "Now take the one that jumps o

d my own troubles training him. However

r paces, and I have done most of my act, why can't we have t

ted the trainer, slowly considering the matte

th under water. It doesn't try to breathe, as a human being does who falls in for the first time. Of course a dog, or any other animal, instinctively comes to the

under water for a little while wouldn't be any harder for him to accomplish than some of the trick

lf. But if I stay under more than three minutes it will give the public a good idea of how much more endurance a human being h

ted Mr. Fleet. "We'll give it a trial,

l try to get him to jump into the tank of water first,

nimal started up from his master's feet. "A new trick, o

eems to love trying something new. If any of my dogs, or

performance. The high pole from which Toto jumped was on a movable platform, and with the help of some ring-men Jo

ldfish?" asked Mr. Fleet. "Some of

swim out of the way, and if the trick goes I'll want the dog us

a cat in an act like this, even if you could get her to go

! That would create a sensation, but I guess it couldn't be done. I've heard of diving h

ladder up which Toto climbed. On top of the pole was a small padded p

tarted up the ladder. Reaching the platform, he sat ther

ng, as he had always done at the word, Toto only whi

ied the trainer, but t

" said Joe. "He's used to

s right," agre

t so it won't touch the surface of the water. Gradually we can lower it until we have a little

Four men held a blanket which was stre

ter, and down the little dog ju

ur plan!"

d down in the water, a quantity of which was held in the depression of the cloth. Toto seeme

e was considered

go at it again,

of the new trick th

dog will surely create

" asked Jim Tracy at the evening pe

trying it. You me

es

k it," went on Joe; "but if w

. "We've got to keep working for new hi

umping rehearsal, using the blanket. Finally, when they thought the dog would no longer be afraid,

was put in the tank Toto seemed to think it was all right, and made his firs

little dog swam to the edge of the tank to be lifted ou

efore you can get him to stay under wa

after that Toto was given frequent practice in jumping into t

the water, since he did the trick as naturally as he did some of his ol

he tank frightened Toto, or whether the form of the boy fish was unduly magnified to the dog because of the fact that Joe was under the sur

things in a different way when training other dogs. You'll get them to the point of doing a tri

ded, and the music is playing, it will be

," suggested Mr. Fleet, "and we don't want that

le Joe was in the tank, and the boy fish had about con

t," he said. "Maybe we co

fearlessly as Toto does," objected the t

nce the first day, and as the weather was fine the circus folk were in high spirits, for

erformance. His act had been unusually successful, but he was still impressed with the idea that he must make it more novel. He and Mr. Flee

especially those with children, were coming back into the animal tent for another look at the elephants, camels, lions, tige

the lion tamer with an anxious look in his face, standing

n who went into their cages and put the lions thro

g Barba

. To-day he began throwing himself with all his force against the iron door. He e

d i

take off the canvas. The public does not like it that they do not see al

m escaping. She had been shot later, while he was in the hospital recovering

the lion tamer, as he removed the

ich had been lying down, jumped up with a roar an

with terror, and there was a

d the people. But they thought it safer ou

imself against the door, as

e canvas back!"

lp," off

he side of the cage that almost overturned it. Then, with a rending of wood and a sn