About: Joe Strong The Boy Fire-Eater by Vance Barnum

JOE STRONG THE BOY FIRE EATER

Produced by Steven desJardins and PG Distributed Proofreaders

JOE STRONG THE BOY FIRE EATER

OR

_THE MOST DANGEROUS PERFORMANCE ON RECORD_

BY VANCE BARNUM

Author of "Joe Strong, the Boy Wizard," "Joe Strong and His Wings ofSteel," "Joe Strong and His Box of Mystery," etc.

1916

JOE STRONG, THE BOY FIRE EATER

CHAPTER I

THE VANISHING LADY

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you will kindly give me your attention for afew moments I will be happy to introduce to your favorable notice anentertainer of world wide fame who will, I am sure, not only mystify youbut, at the same time, interest you. You have witnessed thedeath defying dives of the Demon Discobolus; you have laughed with thecomical clowns; you have thrilled with the hurrying horses; and you havegasped at the ponderous pachyderms. Now you are to be shown a trickwhich has baffled the most profound minds of this or any othercity aye, I may say, of the world!"

Jim Tracy, ringmaster and, in this instance, stage manager of SampsonBrothers' Circus, paused in his announcement and with a wave of his handindicated a youth attired in a spotless, tight fitting suit of whitesilk. The youth, who stood in the center of a stage erected in the bigtent, bowed as the manager waited to allow time for the applause to dieaway.

"You have all seen ordinary magicians at work making eggs disappear uptheir sleeves," went on the stage manager. "You have, I doubt not,witnessed some of them producing live rabbits from silk hats. ButProfessor Joe Strong, who will shortly have the pleasure of entertainingyou, not only makes eggs disappear, but what is far more difficult, hecauses a lady to vanish into thin air.

"You will see a beautiful lady seated in full view of you. A momentlater, by the practice of his magical art, Professor Strong will causethe same lady to disappear utterly, and he will defy any of you to tellhow it is done. Now, Professor, if you are ready " and with a nod and awave of his hand toward the youth in the white silk tights, Jim Tracystepped off the elevated stage and hurried to the other end of thecircus tent where he had to see to it that another feature of theentertainment was in readiness.

"Oh, Joe, I'm actually nervous! Do you think I can do it all right?"asked a pretty girl, attired in a dress of black silk, which was instriking contrast to Joe Strong's white, sheeny costume.

"Do it, Helen? Of course you can!" exclaimed the "magician," as he hadbeen termed by the ringmaster. "Do just as you did in the rehearsals andyou'll be all right."

"But suppose something should go wrong?" she asked in a low voice.

"Don't be in the least excited. I'll get you out of any predicament youmay get into. Tricks do, sometimes, go wrong, but I'm used to that. I'llcover it up, somehow. However, I don't anticipate anything going wrong.Now take your place while I give them a little patter."

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