dart forward again, or Millard will be out
of sight. But I'll tell you what--while I trail Millard, you concern
yourself only with following me."

"Good enough," whispered Hastings, nodding. "Now, you start again!"

For just an instant Millard had disappeared. However, by moving forward
quickly, Benson was soon able to make out the quarry through the
darkness.

For some five minutes more the chase continued. Then, his long body
rather sharply defined against the sky, Millard began the ascent of a
low hill that ended in a cliff overlooking the broad ocean.

As Millard's course forward could end only in the sea, Jack now crouched
low, stealing along a parallel course behind a low ridge of rock.

Then Millard suddenly stepped into a clump of tall bushes. Though his
game was now out of sight, Jack did not lose his nerve, for he could
hear the fellow.

Spink! spank! clank! The noise came from a shovel, vigorously used.

"Not a hard one to guess," throbbed Captain Jack Benson, exultantly.
"He has brought his maps and his stolen records with him, and is
burying them in this lonely spot until some other time when he'll feel
safe about coming back for them. Talk about luck! Why, Hal and I can
pounce on this fellow, when he comes out over yonder, and, after we get
him, we can next dig up whatever it is that this foreign agent thinks
is worth burying!"

Then, with a shade of curiosity, Benson added to himself:

"I don't know, yet, how it happened that Hal was on my trail. There
wasn't time for him to tell me."

Clank! clank! But after a while the noise of the shovel ceased for a
while. Captain Jack craned his neck eagerly, trying to pierce the
darkness of the night. He could make out nothing, though he heard
some one still moving inside the clump of bushes.

Then again the noise of the shovel on the dirt was heard.

"He's filling in, now, beyond a doubt," thought Captain Jack. "He is
burying--what? The maps and records? Hiding them here that he may
dig them up at some later date?"

Benson chuckled noiselessly.

"If that's Millard's game I reckon some one else will do some digging
over yonder before he pays this place a second visit!"

Ah, the noise had stopped, at last. Now, Millard came out of the
thicket.

"He hasn't that bundle he brought up here!" throbbed Jack Benson. "And
he isn't bringing a shovel out, either, so it must be hidden right handy.
Great!"

Mr. Millard could depart, now