"Oh, I'm in the circus business," confessed Joe. "I never ate fire," he
went on, "but--"

"Oh, I know you now!" cried the officer. "I was on duty out at the
circus grounds this afternoon, and I went into the tent when you did
that box act. Say, that's some stunt! Do they really pay ten thousand
dollars to the fellow who tells how it's done?"

"Well, we've never paid out the money yet," said Joe, with a smile. "But
it's there, waiting for some one to claim it."

"Then I'm coming to-night to watch you," said the officer, who appeared
delighted that he had recognized one of the "profesh."

"Come along," replied Joe. "Here, wait a minute! There are a couple of
passes. Come and bring a friend. If you tell how I do the trick you'll
get the ten thousand. Only you'll have to post a hundred dollars as a
forfeit to the Red Cross in case you don't guess right. That's included
in the offer."

"Oh!" The officer did not seem quite so pleased. "Well, I'll come
anyhow," he went on, accepting the passes Joe handed him. The policeman
had allowed Joe and Helen to stay in an advantageous place where they
could watch the fire.

"Where are they taking the man who did the dangerous trick that caused
all the trouble?" asked Helen, as she prepared to walk on with Joe.

"To the City Hospital, Miss. He's a bad case, I understand."