The reporter went back to where Larry had parted from him, and made careful inquiries. He found one or two who remembered having seen several boys, more or less like Larry, about the time he disappeared. But the bomb had exploded that same time, and the attention of everyone had centered on that. CHAPTER XIX LARRY’S MOVEMENTS Larry passed a restless night. He slept but little and frequently he got up to peer from the darkened window. Sometimes he heard voices in the next room, and he knew the men were on guard. “I must keep up my courage,” thought the boy, “someone will surely come for me. This is New York, and they have lots of police.” But Larry forgot that the very size of the city was a factor against his being found very soon. Toward morning he fell into a doze and got a little sleep on the pile of blankets. He was awakened by one of the men coming into the room. The fellow had a plate of bread and butter and a cup of coffee. “We ain’t going to starve you,” he said, in not an unkind tone. “We don’t want to hurt you any, but we’ve got to protect ourselves.” Larry did not answer. He took the food, of which he was beginning to feel the need. The coffee warmed him and he felt better after drinking it. “Remember now, no tricks,” the man warned as he prepared to leave. “The windows are guarded.” Left to himself once more, Larry walked over to the window and examined it. As the man had said there were several wires near the casement, and they seemed to run into the next room. “I don’t believe it is an electric alarm at all,” thought the boy. “What would they want of a burglar alarm on a window so far from the ground? I’m going to try and see, anyhow.” At first he thought he would raise the window and see if the men rushed in. “No, I have a better plan,” said Larry after a moment’s thought. He took from his pocket a bunch of string. He had not yet gotten over that habit he formed while in the country, for a boy there doesn’t have as many chances to get cord as does a city chap, so they generally carry some with them. Larry fastened one end of the cord to the lowest wire. Then, unwinding the string, Larry went to the farthest side of the room, pulling the twine taut after him. “We’ll see if the alarm goes off when I break the wire,” he said. He knew burglar alarms were constructed on the principle that if one wire in the circuit was broken by the opening of a door or window, it would cause a bell to ring. He was now going to break the wire and see what happened. He thought that by doing it at long distance, by means of the string, he could fool the men. If the bell did ring, and they rushed into the room he would be far away from the window, and they would wonder who had severed the copper conductor of electricity. Larry was a little nervous over the outcome of the experiment. He did not just know what would happen, and he was somewhat afraid of what the men might do. “Well, here goes,” he said in a whisper.