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Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater - The Most Dangerous Performance on Record by Vance Barnum
page 37 of 188 (19%)
the veil, taking in its folds the false cap and the cross piece which
had represented Helen's shoulders. They were thin and light--these
pieces of trick apparatus--and no one suspected they were in the veil.
The hinged seat of the chair snapped back in place by means of a spring,
and when Joe stepped aside, holding the veil, there was the empty chair;
and the newspaper, which he picked up, seemed to preclude the
possibility of there having been a trap in the stage. But Joe was
careful how he exhibited this paper to his audience.

And so it was that the lady "vanished."

"And now, Joe, tell me all about it!" demanded Helen, when the circus
was over for the afternoon, and the box and vanishing tricks had been
successfully performed. "What happened to your trapeze?"

"Some one spilled acid on one of the wire ropes, and it ate into the
metal, corroding it and separating a number of the strands so that a
little extra weight broke them," said Joe.

"Acid on the cable?" cried Helen. "How did you find out?"

"I just examined the wire. I knew it couldn't have rusted naturally in
such a short time. There was a peculiar smell about the wire, and I know
enough of chemistry to make a simple acid test! What kind of acid was
used I don't know, but it was strong enough to eat the steel."

"Who could have put it on?"

"That I've got to find out!"

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