Part 17 (1/2)

Joe practised faithfully, for he had made up his mind that this was a good time to try to make a new under-water record--that is, new for him.

”If I can't get an elephant, or something big like that, to work in the water with me, I'll have to thrill the crowds by making them wonder how I can live so long without breathing,” decided Joe. ”I'll do four minutes or--bust!” and he smiled at his conceit.

Joe finished his breathing exercises. In them he made an attempt to hold a full breath for four minutes. This he did, timing himself with his watch. But this, of course, was in the open air, and under water conditions were different.

”If I can only do that in the tank,” thought Joe, as he noted the second hand slip five paces beyond the four minute mark, ”I'll be all right. Well, I'm going to make a big effort.”

Helen came back, and she and Joe went to breakfast. They sat not far from Tonzo and Sid Lascalla, and the former, looking over at Joe, asked:

”When are we going to have that supper?”

”I can't say,” Joe answered, trying to be jolly about it.

”What supper is that?” inquired Helen, smiling at Joe.

”Oh, it's one he's going to give to celebrate his increase in salary,”

answered Tonzo.

Helen looked at Joe, and became aware, from the expression of his face, that there was a hidden meaning in the words. She saw that Joe was embarra.s.sed and so she turned the conversation. Later on, when Helen and Joe were alone, the young aquatic performer said:

”I suppose you are wondering what Tonzo was driving at?”

”Oh, I don't want to hear any secrets,” Helen answered.

”It isn't a secret,” Joe answered. ”At least my increase in salary isn't, for I told you about it. What Tonzo was hinting at was that I ought to give some sort of banquet.”

”Why?” Helen demanded.

”Oh, because I'm getting so much money. Well, I suppose I am earning big pay, but, as I claim, I'm doing big work--that is double work. But I'm not going to waste my money on blow-outs.”

”I don't blame you,” Helen said. ”Don't let them worry you, Joe.”

The time of the afternoon performance arrived. Everything went off well except that in one elaborate elephant trick one of the huge beasts refused to do his share in the act.

His trainer endeavored to force the big brute, and the elephant grew ugly. It looked for a few seconds as if he would run out of the ring and into the crowd. But two of the more tractable elephants were ordered to force the unruly one into line and they did so.

This caused a little delay, and there was a slight feeling as of panic in the audience. The elephants were near Joe's tank, and for a while the boy fish was afraid lest they knock it over and smash it. In this case there would be a serious delay in getting another, though one spare gla.s.s side was always carried.

”And I don't want anything to happen when I'm going to try to make a record,” Joe thought.

He had said nothing to Jim Tracy about the attempt he was going to make, preferring not to have the public expect too much through an announcement by the ring-master.

Joe did his usual work, swimming about in the midst of the s.h.i.+mmering goldfish, showing different strokes, turning graceful somersaults and doing a longitudinal whirl that made him look like the propeller of some water craft.

Then Joe performed his tricks, those with the celluloid cards seeming especially to please the audience.

”Mr. Strong will now show you how long it is possible for him to stay under water,” announced the ring-master, ”and if any of you think it is an easy thing to do, just take out your watches and time him, holding your own breaths as long as does the boy fish. We challenge the world to produce his equal!”

The band blared as Joe made his bow, and then, having inflated his lungs to their capacity, he slipped into the tank, and began ”eating.”