“Maybe the men who are after the property have not got Jimmy,” suggested Larry, hoping to cheer up his mother. “Oh, I’m sure he’s been kidnapped!” she exclaimed. “I feel that he has. I only hope they will not harm him,” and the poor woman began to cry softly again, in spite of the efforts Lucy and Larry made to comfort her. Thus the long night wore on; none in the Dexter household, save little Mary, sleeping more than a few minutes at a time. Every now and then one of them would awaken, thinking they heard someone coming, bringing what might prove joyful news, but each time it was a false alarm. CHAPTER XXIX IN THE ENEMY’S POWER When Jimmy, holding tightly to Larry’s hand, started away from the bench in the Garden where he had watched the wonderful show, the little fellow’s mind was in a tumult at what he had seen. It was one endless round of delight for him, and he was sorry that it was over, that the people were going home, and that the performers had disappeared. “Let’s go and see the animals again,” begged Jimmy, but Larry was too intent on getting out of the crowd to pay any attention to the request. Just at that moment a lad, who seemed to be about the same age as Larry, stepped up behind Jimmy, who was lagging in the rear. He cast a sharp look at the young reporter and his little brother, and, when the small chap asked to be taken once more to the animals, the youth seemed to be much excited. He leaned over and whispered to Jimmy, taking good care that Larry did not see him. “If you come with me I’ll take you to the animals,” the youth said. “We’ll see the elephants, the tigers, the lions, the zebras, and the horses. Come on, Jimmy, and we’ll have a good time!” It was done in an instant, but, swift and low as the voice was, the little boy heard and understood. Still he remembered what his mother had said to him about keeping tight hold of Larry’s hand. The strange youth seemed to understand this, for he went on: “After we see the animals we’ll come back to Larry. Don’t let him know about this, for the animals might all run away, and we wouldn’t see them again.” That settled it for Jimmy. He was ready to do anything to see the wild beasts again, and was willing to keep quiet for fear of scaring them away. So, almost before he knew what he was doing, Jimmy had released his hold of Larry’s hand, and clasped that of the strange youth who promised such delights as unlimited quantities of wild animals. Once he had hold of Jimmy, the youth made his way rapidly through the crowd. He dodged this way and that, pulling the little chap along, half dragging him at times, until Jimmy, from very weariness, cried out: “Please show me the wild animals. I’m awful tired!” “We’ll soon be there,” the lad went on. “It’s just around the next corner, and down a little ways. Oh, but you’ll see the finest lot of animals that ever got into a circus!”