Nick Carter looked up at his assistant’s words, then nodded toward the door. “Lock that!” he commanded. “Quick!”  
Chick made his way dizzily across the room and turned the key in the lock. He knew the meaning of the move. The noise of the struggle might have been heard, and if so, the room might be invaded at any moment. It was evident that the chief did not wish such an interruption. As soon as Chick had locked the door, he returned to his chief’s side.
 
“Now, watch this fellow,” the detective directed. “Don’t let him make even a move to get up.”
 
As he spoke, Nick got to his feet, and, striding to the wall, switched on a couple more lights, flooding the room.
 
Follansbee lay where he had been left, but his evil eyes searched the features of the pajama-clad detective. Seemingly he had guessed his identity, but had failed to verify his suspicions from the bearded face.
 
“Who are you?” he demanded. “And what does this mean?”
 
Simultaneously he started to rise on one elbow, but Chick prodded him in the ribs with his foot.
 
“Stay where you are!” he advised. “I have my eye on you, you know.”
 
“It’s too much trouble to take off this beard, Follansbee,” Nick replied evenly. “I hardly think that’s necessary, anyhow. I have a notion you could guess at my name without much trouble, and that the guess would be right. I am Nick Carter, not at yours—but at James Stone’s—service.”
 
There was a tense, dramatic silence; then suddenly, with a curious, gurgling sound, another figure came to the stage.
 
Stone, swinging himself out of bed, rose to his feet unsteadily. The blind, vacant look had vanished. A perplexed, troubled frown had taken its place, and Stone turned his head slowly, eying each of the occupants of the room in turn.
 
“What is this?” he asked, in a hesitating voice. “What does it mean?”
 
Follansbee screwed himself round on the floor and faced the man. Chick caught the look on the doctor’s face, and guessed what he was up to.
 
“No, you don’t,” he remarked, stooping down and jerking Follansbee about by the collar. “Keep your eyes off him and cut out your Svengali tricks.”
 
There was no doubt that Stone was............