ttering 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," rep