“Not without a fight!” exclaimed the youth, aiming a blow at the officer. The policeman drew his club, and it looked as if there would be a battle royal, when another officer came up and the two bluecoats soon subdued the youth. As they started to march him to the station house, in the basement of the city hall, which was near by, the Italian demanded to know who was going to pay for his peanuts. “You can come to the sergeant and make a complaint against him if you like,” spoke the officer who had made the capture. The Italian, leaving his cart in charge of a friend who happened along, trailed after the policemen and their captive. A big crowd gathered, and the woman whose purse had been stolen, and who was almost in hysterics over her loss, was located and invited to go to the police station to tell her story and make a charge against the thief. Larry had been in the van the whole time, as had a score of other boys determined to see the thing through. “This will make a good story or I’m mistaken,” he thought. “I’ll get all the particulars I can and tell Mr. Emberg. It’s something out of the ordinary too,” and though the affair might have been tragic, he could not help laughing as he thought of the fleeing youth covered first with ashes and then with peanuts. A big throng trooped after the officers, and Larry was beginning to wonder how he was going to get into the police station to learn the names of the prisoner and the woman, for he knew the crowd would not be allowed to enter. “I’ll run ahead and get in before they do,” thought Larry. “Then I’ll be there when they come in.” So, taking a short cut, he reached the station house ahead of the throng. “Well, what is it, boy?” asked the sergeant, looking over the desk. “I’m from the _Leader_,” announced Larry boldly as he had heard Mr. Newton tell the policeman that day at the fire. “A thief has just been arrested down the street. The officers are bringing him here, and I want to get the story.” “Pretty young to be a police reporter, aren’t you?” asked the sergeant with a smile. “Oh, I’m not a regular reporter yet,” said Larry, not wishing to sail under false colors. “I’m just learning.” “I knew it,” replied the sergeant with a smile, for he was acquainted with most of the _Leader’s_ police reporters. “But make yourself at home, and get all the story you want.” Then came a confusion of sound as the throng approached the outer doors of the station house. CHAPTER X LARRY MEETS HIS ENEMY Into the main room of the police station came the two officers, their prisoner, the woman, and the Italian. Some of the crowd tried to follow, wild with excitement, but the doorman closed the heavy portal in their faces and several policemen on reserve duty came from the assembly room to aid in preserving order. “Now then,” said the sergeant briskly. The officers lined their man up in front of the brass railing and the sergeant behind the desk began asking the prisoner’s name.