"I wonder what's bothering the boss?" asked one of the young fire-eaters of another. "He nearly made a slip when he was lifting up that fake fried oyster."
"Maybe the circus is losing money and he's got to cut out this act—let some of us go—can't pay our salaries," was the reply.
"Don't you believe it!" declared the other. "The circus is making more money than it ever did—more even when the fake tickets are worked off on it."
"Well, it's none of our affair."
"I wouldn't like my salary to be cut off."
"Oh, neither would I."
"Fake tickets? I hadn't heard of them."
"Oh, yes," explained the first speaker, and he went into the details of the affair.
"But there's surely something worrying the boss," commented still another of the young men, and his associates, including the "pretty girls," agreed with him.
And what really was worrying Joe was speculation over the fate of Ham Logan. Not since Joe had first taken the old and broken circus actor into his employ had Ham been away more than a few hours at a time, and then Joe knew where he was. This time Ham had left no word, save the uncertain one that he was going into the city, on the outskirts of which the circus was at the time showing.