Produced by Al Haines [Illustration: Cover art] JOE STRONG ON THE TRAPEZE OR _THE DARING FEATS OF A YOUNG CIRCUS PERFORMER_ BY VANCE BARNUM Author of "Joe Strong, the Boy Wizard," "Joe Strong, the Boy Fish," "Joe Strong on the High Wire," etc. WHITMAN PUBLISHING CO. RACINE, WISCONSIN BOOKS FOR BOYS BY VANCE BARNUM THE JOE STRONG SERIES JOE STRONG, THE BOY WIZARD _Or, The Mysteries of Magic Exposed_ JOE STRONG ON THE TRAPEZE _Or, The Daring Feats of a Young Circus Performer_ JOE STRONG, THE BOY FISH _Or, Marvelous Doings in a Big Tank_ JOE STRONG ON THE HIGH WIRE _Or, Motor-Cycle Perils of the Air_ JOE STRONG AND HIS WINGS OF STEEL _Or, A Young Acrobat in the Clouds_ JOE STRONG--HIS BOX OF MYSTERY _Or, The Ten Thousand Dollar Prize Trick_ JOE STRONG, THE BOY FIRE EATER _Or, The Most Dangerous Performance on Record_ COPYRIGHT, 1916 GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY Printed by WESTERN PRINTING & LITHOGRAPHING CO. Racine, Wisconsin Printed in U. S. A. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE FIRE TRICK II. JOE'S RESPONSIBILITY III. ANOTHER OFFER IV. A CHANCE ENCOUNTER V. OFF TO THE CIRCUS VI. JOE MAKES A HIT VII. JOE TURNS A TRICK VIII. HELEN'S LETTER IX. BILL WATSON'S IDEA X. IN THE TANK XI. HELEN'S DISCOVERY XII. JUST IN TIME XIII. A BAD BLOW XIV. HELEN'S INHERITANCE XV. A WARNING XVI. THE STRIKE XVII. IN BEDFORD XVIII. HELEN'S MONEY XIX. JOE IS SUSPICIOUS XX. A FALL XXI. JOE HEARS SOMETHING XXII. BAD NEWS XXIII. HELEN GOES XXIV. JOE FOLLOWS XXV. THE LAST PERFORMANCE JOE STRONG ON THE TRAPEZE CHAPTER I THE FIRE TRICK "Better put on your pigeon-omelet trick now, Joe." "All right. That ought to go well. And you are getting ready for----" "The fire trick," interrupted Professor Alonzo Rosello, as he and his young assistant, Joe Strong, stood bowing and smiling in response to the applause of the crowd that had gathered in the theatre to witness the feats of "Black Art, Magic, Illusion, Legerdemain, Prestidigitation and Allied Sciences." That was what the program called it, anyhow. "The fire trick!" repeated Joe. "Do you think it will work all right now?" "I think it will. I've had the apparatus overhauled, and you know we can depend on the electric current here. It isn't likely to fail just at the wrong moment." "No, that's so, still----" Again Joe had to bow, as did Professor Rosello, for the applause continued. They were both sharing it, for both had taken part in a novel trick, and it had been successfully performed. Joe had taken his place in a chair on the stage, and, after having been covered by a black cloth by the professor, had, when the cloth was removed a moment later, totally disappeared. Then he was seen walking down the aisle of the theatre, coming in from the lobby.