“That’s what I’m going to do. But don’t be alarmed. There’s no one at that place now. The gang moved out soon after I traced them there, and have not been back since. I learned that from some detectives. So there’s no danger in going back there.” “But what good will it do?” “It may put me on the track of the gang’s new headquarters. That it is somewhere in Chinatown I’m certain, but to locate it is a harder proposition. I may be able to make friends with someone in the house where the room with the sign of the blue hand on the door is located, and he may be able to tell me where the members of the gang hold out. Once I get a clew the rest will be comparatively easy.” “Well, I hope you’ll succeed,” spoke Larry. “In the meanwhile I’ll see if I can locate Peter.” Arranging to meet again late that night at Mr. Newton’s house, Larry and his friend separated. The boy hardly knew where to begin. Without experience in this sort of work, for which Mr. Newton’s training as a newspaper reporter fitted him, Larry thought the only way to do would be to walk about the streets, taking a chance of seeing Peter in the crowds that passed by. He even tried this plan, but he saw that it would be apt to fail, since the chances were so much against him. “I ought to start at the beginning,” he said. “That is, if I knew where the beginning was.” Then it occurred to him that the most natural way would be to find out where Peter lived, or had lived, and to go there. “I wonder why I didn’t think of that at first?” mused Larry. “Of course I should have. I’ll go back to the office. They’ll probably have Peter’s address on the payroll.” Back to the _Leader_ office he went. He explained what he wanted to Mr. Emberg, who soon ascertained from the cashier’s books where the former copy boy had lived. “But he probably doesn’t live there now,” said the city editor. “This was nearly a year ago. He’s likely moved since.” “I’ll trace him!” exclaimed Larry. “I’ll get on his trail and find him, if he’s in the city.” CHAPTER XXXII IN QUEST OF PETER The address Larry had as that where Peter had lived took him to a poor, though respectable, part of the city. It was pretty well uptown, on the East Side, and the young reporter soon found himself in a thickly-settled tenement district. The streets were filled with children, among whom pushcart peddlers shoved their vehicles laden with everything from fish to calico, and from books to suspenders. After some search Larry located the house where Peter had resided. There were five floors, and four families lived on each. “That makes twenty places to inquire, if I don’t strike the fight place first,” reasoned Larry. “Well, it’s like hunting a needle in a haystack, but it’s got to be done.”