In one upper room Benson found a small mirror hung from a nail in the wall. In this same room was a small trunk, lid up and empty.
Back to the bas.e.m.e.nt Jack returned. At the rear he found a small yard.
Beyond that a fence, with a gate in it. The gate was unlocked. On a nail at the edge of the gateway Jack found a fluttering fragment of gray veiling.
"A woman has left here," thought Jack, holding the fragment of veiling in his hand. "Or else Millard got away disguised as a woman. That trunk may have held woman"s apparel for the very purposes of such an escape."
This rear gateway opened upon a long, narrow alley that led to a street beyond.
Having satisfied himself on this point, Benson stepped back into the yard.
"Hold on! Here"s something that will help," muttered the boy, staring down curiously at the ground.
It was the imprint of a foot in a wet spot on the ground. As Jack bent over it he saw the marks of diagonal criss-crossing such as is found in the soles of rubbers.
"The print is a fresh one. Either Millard wore rubbers away, or some woman has been here who wore them," Jack concluded.
Dropping his cudgel, since he would have no use for it, Benson made his way down the alley to the street beyond. At the corner stood a small grocery store, whose proprietor was in the doorway.
"I wonder," began Jack, "whether you saw a woman came down out of this alley-way lately? A tall woman?"
"About twenty minutes ago I saw a tall woman, in a gray dress and wearing a gray veil," replied the storekeeper.
"Was she carrying anything?"
"Some sort of a grip--a suit case, I guess."
"Did you ever see the woman before?" persisted Jack.
The storekeeper shook his head.
"Which way did the woman go?"
"I don"t remember, particularly, but I think down that way," replied the grocer, pointing.
Jack hurried along. It was a quiet part of the town. None of the people to whom he spoke within the next three or four minutes remembered having seen the tall, veiled woman in gray, though some "thought" they "might have."
"I reckon," wisely decided Captain Jack Benson, "that I know just about enough to take my information to Lieutenant Ridder."
CHAPTER VIII
EPH FEELS LIKE THIRTY TACKS
As agreed, the young West Pointer was in a room at the Grindley House.
As this room was equipped with a telephone, the young Army man was in touch both with Fort Craven and with the submarine boys, should the latter find anything to report over the talking wire.
Here in the room Captain Jack found Ridder, for the boy had felt it best to go direct to the hotel.
"Surely, you haven"t found out anything as quickly as this?" asked the young lieutenant of engineers, looking up in surprise.
"I"ve learned a few things," replied Jack, quietly.
"Sit down, and let us hear what you"ve learned."
Jack dropped to the chair, but Lieutenant Ridder, when he heard the news, was so excited that no chair could hold him.
"Jove! and just our luck!" gasped the Army officer. "No policeman in sight! Now, if you three boys had kept together--"
"But, you see, when I dropped from the automobile, I wasn"t sure it was Millard. I had had only a glance, and his face was away from me."
"If you see that wretch again, jump on him wherever he is."
"I could have done it, this last time," Benson nodded. "Yet I had an idea that, if I followed him, he might lead me to the place where he kept his maps and his other stolen information. And he did, I guess,"
added Jack, with a somewhat disappointed smile.
"Wait a moment. I"ll try to get Major Woodruff over the wire," muttered Lieutenant Ridder. "He may have some orders for us."
Major Woodruff was at his home. He heard the message and sent his orders crisply.
"The major thinks we had better keep this matter from the police, yet, and do our best to find Millard, either in his own garments, or behind that gray dress and veil," announced the Army lieutenant.
"Then I wish we had the other boys here," muttered Jack, wistfully.
At that moment the "phone bell rang. It was Hal, reporting, and inquiring whether any word had come from his chum.
"Mr. Benson is here, and I think you"ll do well to get here as quickly as you can," replied Ridder.
"Is there any word--" began Hal Hastings.
Ting-ling-ling! The "phone bell rang, cutting off Hal. The latter had received his orders, and his next concern was to obey them. That was lesson number one in brisk Army discipline.
Hal was on hand in five minutes. While Jack was recounting to him the adventure with Millard, Eph Somers came in. He stood in the background, listening, his jaw gradually dropping until his mouth was wide open.
"You heard how Benson ran into the fellow?" asked Lieutenant Ridder, turning to Somers.
"Yes," muttered Eph, disgustedly, "and I guess I have been enjoying the fool"s part of the adventure!"
"How so?" demanded the Army officer quickly.
"I met that same woman, I"ll bet a cookie," growled Eph, "and--and--I--"
"Well, sir?" demanded Lieutenant Ridder, briskly.
"I carried that bag for _her_--carried it nearly two blocks!"