'Spitfire' up?"

"By no means," answered Major Woodruff, decisively. "In reality
operations will be suspended at this point until we have run Millard
down. Yet we must have the appearance of being as busy as ever. The
submarine will hover about, and this tug will be busy, apparently, in
laying the bay with mines. You have a fourth man on your boat?"

"Yes, sir; Williamson, the machinist."

"Can he run the engines all right?"

"As well as any of us, Major."

"Then I will put aboard a man who can steer. Thus the 'Spitfire' will
be seen moving about the bay, and apparently at work. I'll also put
aboard a guard of a sergeant and three or four soldiers of the engineer
corps, and they'll guard that boat from harm with their lives. That
will leave all three of you young officers of the 'Spitfire' free for
shore duty."

"It will, Major. And now, sir, what is that shore duty to be?"

"Simply to locate Millard. He may be at one of the hotels in Radford."

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.