Radford was the busy, important little port four miles farther up the bay.

“He’s likely to be somewhere in Radford, anyway,” nodded young Benson.

“Wherever the fellow is found, he must be seized at once,” continued Major Woodruff, warmly.  “Any policeman will seize him on your request.  I will give each of you three a written statement that you have been asked to locate Millard and have him arrested.  If you run across Millard anywhere, turn him over to a policeman, then show my written authorization.  On that the police authorities will hold the scoundrel and notify the military authorities.  Then, once we have Millard out at Fort Craven, securely under lock and key, by authority from Washington, we will make every effort under the sun to locate his charts and notebooks.”

“Why, the work you want us to do is going to be easy enough,” murmured Captain Jack.

“It is going to be easy, if you succeed in finding the fellow, and in turning him over to a policeman,” replied Major Woodruff.  “And, by the way, I have just remembered that Lieutenant Ridder, of the engineer corps, reported last night from a former station in the West.  No one around here will know him.  Good enough!  I’ll have Ridder get into citizen’s clothes and go about with you three.  He can give you instructions on any point about which you’re in doubt.”

“We ought to run that rascal down, sir,” answered Jack Benson, rising.  “Unless—­”

“Unless what, Benson?”

“Why, sir, unless he’s more clever than a rascal usually succeeds in being.  I haven’t lived so very long, Major Woodruff, but, from what little I’ve seen of the world, it has struck me that the cleverest scoundrels are always just a little less smart, in the end, than the average of honest men.”

“I hope you’ll prove it, in this case,” replied the major.  “And now, to signal your boat.  We’ll run both craft in at the ordnance dock at Fort Craven.”

A couple of miles away Eph Somers was slowly running the submarine back and forth over the water in seeming aimlessness.  In response to sharp blasts from the whistle of the Army tug, the “Spitfire” was seen to turn and head for the tug.

“Mr. Somers, you will follow in our wake,” shouted Major Woodruff, when the two craft were within hailing distance of each other.  “We will show you where to make fast at the ordnance dock.”

“Very good, sir,” Eph responded, with a salute.

A little later in the forenoon both boats docked at the water front of Fort Craven.

“You’ll come up to my quarters, now, and meet Lieutenant Ridder,” announced the Major, when he had gathered the submarine boys together, and when Jack had given necessary explanations to Williamson.

“You may not see us again, for a few days,” Jack informed the machinist, in winding up.

“That won’t surprise me so very much, either,” laughed the machinist.  “Things are always happening, where you are, and mysteries have ceased to puzzle me.”