n entering.

"Bob," said Carter to one of his men, "we haven't much time, and there's
a lot to be done. You take the servant's room and the kitchen, and you,
Williams, take the old man's quarters. I'll take care of the young man's
bedroom, and we'll tackle the living room and dining room later."

Thoroughly experienced in this sort of work all three of them set at
once to their tasks. Carter, standing for a moment in the doorway,
surveyed Frederic Hoff's quarters, taking in all the details of the
furnishings. Both the sitting room and the bedroom adjoining were
equipped in military simplicity, with hardly an extra article of
furniture or adornment, chairs, tables, everything of the plainest sort.
Moving first into the bedroom, Carter quickly investigated pillows and
mattress, but in neither place did he find what he sought, evidence of a
secret hiding place. He rummaged for a while through the drawers of two
tables, carefully restoring the contents, but discovering nothing that
aroused his suspicions. The books lying about on the tables and on
shelves he examined one by one, noting their titles, examining their
bindings for hidden pockets, holding them up by their backs and shaking
the leaves. There was nothing there. Lifting the rugs and moving the
furniture about he made a careful survey of the flooring, seeking to
find some panel that might conceal a hiding place. Once or twice in
corners he went so far as to make soundings but apparently the whole
floor was intact. His search in the bath room was equally profitless,
and at last he turned to the clothes press. As he opened the door an
exclamation of amazement burst from his lips.

There, concealed behind some other suits, was the complete outfit of a
British cavalry captain.

"That's one on the Chief," he said to himself. "It must have been Hoff
that Dean and Miss Strong saw. I wonder where he got it?"

With a grim smile of satisfaction he devoted himself to going carefully
through all the pockets and over all the seams of the clothing in the
closet. He even felt into the toe of the shoes and examined the soles.
There was nothing to be found anywhere, but he felt satisfied. The
uniform in itself was to his mind damning proof of the young man's
occupation.

No explanation that could be given by a young man of German name, even
though he was American-born, or had an American birth certificate, could
possibly account for his having a British uniform. It was prima