Cover of Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater; Or, The Most Dangerous Performance on Record

Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater; Or, The Most Dangerous Performance on Record

  • Free to read
  • 3 hours to read
  • 25 chapters
  • Reading level: 6th grade

"Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater; Or, The Most Dangerous Performance on Record" by Vance Barnum is a children's adventure novel published in the early 20th century. The story features Joe Strong, a young magician and circus performer, who embarks on a series of thrilling and suspenseful experiences, primarily centered around his spectacular feats and the challenges he faces in the circus environment. The novel explores themes of bravery, performance art, and the dynamics of life under the big top. The opening of the book sets the stage for a magic trick involving the vanishing of Joe's fiancée, Helen Morton, during a circus performance. As Joe prepares to perform the trick, nervous tension builds not only from their dynamic but also from the anticipation of a larger circus event. The act goes well, delighting the audience, but things take a dangerous turn when an announcement is made that a tiger has escaped nearby. This opens the door to a series of events that challenge Joe's skills and courage, signaling that his adventures will involve not just magical prowess, but also impending danger within the thrilling world of the circus.

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  • Circus performers
  • Fire-eating

Read the opening

Chapter I

THE VANISHING LADY

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you will kindly give me your attention for a few moments I will be happy to introduce to your favorable notice an entertainer of world-wide fame who will, I am sure, not only mystify you but, at the same time, interest you. You have witnessed the death-defying dives of the Demon Discobolus; you have laughed with the comical clowns; you have thrilled with the hurrying horses; and you have gasped at the ponderous pachyderms. Now you are to be shown a trick which has baffled the most profound minds of this or any other city—aye, I may say, of the world!"

Jim Tracy, ringmaster and, in this instance, stage manager of Sampson Brothers' Circus, paused in his announcement and with a wave of his hand indicated a youth attired in a spotless, tight-fitting suit of white silk. The youth, who stood in the center of a stage erected in the big tent, bowed as the manager waited to allow time for the applause to die away.

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Contents

Show all 25 chapters
  1. Chapter I
  2. Chapter II
  3. Chapter III
  4. Chapter IV
  5. Chapter V
  6. Chapter VI
  7. Chapter VII
  8. Chapter VIII
  9. Chapter IX
  10. Chapter X
  11. Chapter XI
  12. Chapter XII
  13. Chapter XIII
  14. Chapter XIV
  15. Chapter XV
  16. Chapter XVI
  17. Chapter XVII
  18. Chapter XVIII
  19. Chapter XIX
  20. Chapter XX
  21. Chapter XXI
  22. Chapter XXII
  23. Chapter XXIII
  24. Chapter XXIV
  25. Chapter XXV

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About this edition

This free edition of Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater; Or, The Most Dangerous Performance on Record by Vance Barnum comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #10579, released 2004-01-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Children & Young Adult Reading, Adventure, Novels.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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