"All right, Harry?" asked Joe of one of the riggers who had charge of
putting up the platforms and the big swing.

"Sure, it's all right, Mr. Strong!" was the answer. "I should say so! I
don't make no mistakes when I'm putting up trapezes. You'll find
everything shipshape and proper. Going to have a big crowd to-day, I
guess."

Joe looked at Harry Loper closely. The young man had never talked so
much before, being, on the whole, rather close-mouthed. As the man
passed Joe, after giving a pull on the last rope, the young magician
became aware that Harry had been drinking--and something stronger than
pink lemonade.

"I'm sorry about that!" mused Joe, as the rope rigger passed on. "If
there's any place a man ought not to drink it's in a circus, and
especially when he has to rig up high flying apparatus for others. It
was drink that put Bill Carfax out of business. I didn't know Harry was
that kind, I never noticed it before. I'm sorry. And I'll take extra
precautions that my ropes won't slip. You can't trust a man who drinks."

Joe shook his head a bit sadly. He was thinking of Bill Carfax, and of
the fact that he had had to discharge the man because, while under the
influence of liquor, he had insulted Helen. Then Bill had tried to get
revenge on Joe.

"I hope it doesn't turn out this way with Harry Loper," mused Joe, as he
began climbing up a rope ladder that led to one of the high platforms.
And as Harry had to do with the placing of this ladder, Joe tested it