“You’re getting right into politics,” said Mr. Newton to Larry, as the young reporter prepared to go out.

“Yes, and I’m afraid I’ll get into water where I can’t swim.”

“Don’t let that worry you.  You’ve got to learn, and in New York politics is the most important news of all.”

Larry found Sullivan in the same place where he had secured the momentous interview.  The Assembly leader nodded to the boy, and then picked up a copy of the paper which contained an account of the talk with Sullivan.

“You made quite a yarn of this,” Sullivan remarked.

“Yes, it was a good story.”

“A little too good,” went on the politician.  “You got me into hot water.”

“Did I misquote you?”

“No, but you got the information before I was ready to give it out.  I thought you knew more than you did.  This last part,” pointing to the generalities written by Mr. Emberg, “this last part shows that you folks are up a tree.  Now I want to know where you heard that about Potter, and I’m going to have an answer,” and Sullivan lost his calm air and looked angrily at Larry.

“I can’t tell you where I got my tip.”

“You mean you will not?”

“Well, you can put it that way,” replied Larry.

“I’ll make you!” and the politician arose from his chair and stood threateningly over the young reporter.  For a moment Larry’s heart beat rapidly in fear.  Then he remembered what Mr. Emberg had said:  “Don’t let him bluff you.”  He was sure Sullivan was bluffing.

“Are you going to tell?” asked Sullivan again.

“I am not.”

Sullivan banged his fist down on his desk.  He shoved his hat on the back of his head.  Thrusting his face close to Larry’s he exclaimed: 

“Then I’ll put you out of business!  I’ll make the city too hot to hold you!  I’ll have you fired from the Leader, and no other paper in New York will hire you!  I’ll show you what it is to have Jack Sullivan down on you!  I was going to play fair with you.  But you sneaked in here and got information I wasn’t ready to give out.  Now you can take the consequences!”

“I didn’t sneak in here!” cried Larry.  “I came openly.  What’s more, you can’t scare me!  I’m not afraid of you!  I know what I did was all right!  Perhaps the Leader knows more than you think.  I’m not going to tell where I got my information, and you can do as you please!”

Sullivan had cooled down.  He was a bit ashamed of having given way to his anger, for usually he kept his temper.

“All right,” he said.  “It’s war between us now.  Tell your city editor he needn’t send you to get any more news from me, and when the Leader wants any favors from Jack Sullivan it can whistle for ’em.  I’m done with that sheet.  I’ll show ’em who Sullivan is!”

Larry turned and went out.  It was the first time he had been browbeaten like this, but he kept his nerve.  If he had only known it, Sullivan was not the first politician to threaten to annihilate a paper, nor was it Sullivan’s initial attempt to scare reporters into doing what he wanted.