"I think Ned's right here in New York," Frank went on. "Now look at it. His aunt goes away unexpectedly and closes the house up. It would seem natural for Ned to go back home, but we find out he has not. He doesn't know any one else in this part of the country, or he would have told us. Consequently he has not gone to any other city. Therefore he must be in New York." "But why would he stay here?" insisted Bart. "Probably for the same reason we're going to, in order to see the sights." "Then why didn't he send some word home to let his father know?" Bart asked. "Mr. Wilding wouldn't be starting for New York if he knew Ned was safe here. Ned hasn't communicated with his father, that's sure." "I forgot about that," Frank admitted. "That makes it look different." "Maybe something has happened to him," suggested Fenn. "Don't look for trouble, Stumpy," remarked Bart. "It's bad enough as it is." "However I still think Ned is in New York," Frank went on. "He may be sick or he may have been hurt, which would prevent him communicating with us, or with his father. But that he's in this city I'm sure. Now the thing for us to do is to find him." "But how?" asked Fenn. "There are dozens of ways. We must communicate with the police and ask their help." "Ned wouldn't like that," interposed Bart. "He's not a criminal." "Of course not," Frank answered. "But the police have to help find lots of persons who are not criminals. If Ned's in trouble we want to know it as soon as possible so we can help him." "Then the sooner we start the better," suggested Bart. "Where ought we to begin?" "Let's ask the agent here at the station where Ned's train came in," Frank said. "Perhaps he may have noticed him." "Not likely," replied Bart. "Too many passengers coming and going." They made some inquiries, but, as Bart had said, there were too many arrivals and departures for the agent to have taken particular note of a boy among a thousand others. "That settles one end of it," remarked Fenn, as they were about to leave the depot. "Let's arrange to stop at some hotel. We're going to be here several days, very likely." "So we are," Frank replied. "Hold on! Wait a minute! I've just thought of something." "What?" asked Bart. "The baggage room. We can find out if there are any trunks from Darewell, besides our own, that have not been called for. Besides I know Ned's when I see it." They hurried to the baggage agent and told him what they wanted. He soon ascertained from his records that four trunks had come in from Darewell in the last few days. Three were those of the three chums, which had arrived that noon. "I've got one other," the agent said. "It came in Monday, and there are storage charges on it now." "Can we look at it?" asked Frank. The agent showed it to them. "That's Ned's trunk!" cried Frank. "We're on the track. He hasn't left New York, that's sure. Has any one called for that trunk?" he asked the agent.