"I don't," maintained Willie. "I just know he's a spy, but how he sends his messages I can't figure out."
Just then the grocer's boy came out of the house. "There's no use trailing him," said Roy. "We already know who he is. While we're following him the messenger might come—if there is one."
"Captain Hardy said we should follow any one who left the house," said Willie, "so I suppose we'll have to watch this errand boy. You go this time, Roy."
In a minute Roy had reached the higher thoroughfare. He ran down the road at top speed and got to the grocery store before the loitering errand boy even came up into this higher road from the lower thoroughfare. But instead of entering the store, Roy turned the corner, retracing his steps in time to enter the store half a minute before the errand boy got there.
The grocer was behind the counter. "Have you any crackers?" asked Roy.
The grocer took down a package of Uneeda biscuits.
"You don't have any loose ones?" asked Roy.
"No, these are all we keep."
"Guess I'll have to take 'em," said Roy. "Got any candy?"
"In the case there," was the answer.