bread, and touched it to the candle flame. In an instant the object that
was on the fork burst into a blaze, and, before the eyes of his friends,
Joe calmly put the flaming portion into his mouth.

He closed his lips, seemed to be chewing something, opened his mouth,
and showed it empty.

"A little light lunch!" he remarked, but his smile faded as Helen
screamed in horror.




CHAPTER IX

THE CHEMIST'S LETTER


"Oh, Joe, you'll surely burn yourself!" exclaimed the startled bareback
rider.

"Did you get burned?" questioned Mrs. Watson.

"Some trick!" declared the snake charmer.

For the moment there was some excitement, for this was a new act for the
circus people.

Helen soon recovered her customary composure, and then she explained the
cause of her excitement and the startled cry she had given. She had, of