"Rotted?" asked Sid, his voice trembling. "Something like that, yes," answered Joe. "Ah, that is too bad!" exclaimed Tonzo, and neither by a false note nor by a change in his face did he betray anything. "I am glad you discovered the defect in time." "So am I," said Joe significantly. "Come on, now. "Probably they fixed the rope with acid, and kept it ready against the chance that some day I might use it," reflected Joe. "The worst that could happen would be to spoil my tricks--I couldn't get much hurt falling into the net, and they knew that. But it was a mean act, all right, and I sha'n't forget it. I guess they want to discourage me so they can get their former partner back. But I'm going to stick!" "Did you find out anything, Joe?" asked Helen, when she had a chance to speak to him alone. "I sure did, thanks to you, little girl. I might have had a ridiculous fall if I'd used their trapeze. You were right in what you suspected." "Oh, Joe! I'm so glad I saw it in time to warn you." "So am I, Helen. It was a mean piece of business, and cunning. I never suspected them of it." "Oh, but you will be careful after this, won't you, Joe?" "Indeed I will! I want to live long enough to see you get your fortune. By the way, when is that lawyer coming?" "He is to meet me day after to-morrow." "I'll be on hand," Joe promised. It rained the next day, and working in a circus during a rain is not exactly fun. Still the show goes on, "rain or shine," as it says on the posters, and the performers do not get the worst of it. It is the wagon and canvas men who suffer in a storm. "And this is a bad one," Joe remarked, when he went in the tent that afternoon for his act. "It's getting worse. I hope they have the tent up good and strong." "Why?" asked Helen. "Because the wind's increasing. Look at that!" he exclaimed as a gust careened the big, heavy canvas shelter. "If some of the tent pegs pull out there'll be trouble." Helen looked anxious as she set off to put Rosebud through his tricks, and Joe was not a little apprehensive as he was hoisted to the top of the tent. He saw the big pole to which his trapeze was fastened, swaying as the wind shook the "main top." CHAPTER XIV HELEN'S INHERITANCE Joe Strong had scarcely begun his act when he became aware that indeed the storm was no usual blow and bluster, accompanied by rain. He could feel his trapeze swaying as the whole tent shook, and while this would not have deterred him from going on with his performance, he felt that an accident was likely to occur that would start a panic. "It surely does feel as if the old 'main top' was going to fall," thought Joe as he swung head downward by his knees, preparatory to doing another act. He could see that many in the audience were getting uneasy, and some were leaving their seats, though the red-capped ushers were going about calling: "Sit still! Keep your seats! There is no danger. The tent is perfectly safe."