It took Captain a few moments to get to work. He seemed rather uncertain at first. Soon, however, he realized what he was to do, and, after padding about the carpet backward and forward, halting and sniffing at intervals, he made for the doorway. “Come along!” whispered Nick. “He’s got the scent!” The dog went down the staircase, sniffing on each stair, until he was in the lower hall. Then he crossed to what was obviously the drawing-room. The door was opened for Captain, and he took advantage of this to cross the floor of the big room to the grand piano, which was open. Here he smelled about for a little while, and then suddenly trotted off at a tangent to one of the big windows that extended from floor to ceiling, and gave upon a side porch. Nick Carter noted that the catch of this window was unfastened. He pushed open the casement, and out went Captain, across the porch and down the flight of steps close by. “It is easy to see that the tenant here is only temporary,” remarked Nick, as he pointed to the neglected condition of the grounds. “The lawn has been cut in a sort of way, but the flower beds have not been weeded, and the edges of the lawn are grown up with long, straggly grass.” “That’s true,” agreed the girl. “Marcos has not lived here long, and he would have been on his way home to Joyalita before this if there had been no interference with him.” The hound moved slowly along. The scent appeared to be very weak. He stuck to it, however, and at last, on reaching the end of the garden, went to the door of a wooden summerhouse fashioned like a Chinese pagoda. It was built solidly of hard woods. The door was shut. There was a wide wooden step in front, and here Captain crouched, his nose to the slit under the door. There was no mistaking the meaning of the dog’s movements. Something or somebody was in the pagoda carrying the scent he had been following. A cry of terror and apprehension broke from the lips of the girl. “Oh, Mr. Carter, he is in there, I know. Suppose he should be dead!” Nick Carter gave Chick a look he understood, and attacked the padlock which held a hasp in place and secured the door. Chick touched Claudia on the arm and beckoned her away, as if he had something important to say. Nick, with a piece of wire, picked the padlock as deftly as his assistant had the lock of the front door of the house, and threw open the door. One look inside was enough. Again he turned and gave his assistant the warning look on which he had acted so promptly before. Chick was not quick enough this time, however. The girl slipped past him and was in the pagoda almost as soon as Nick. Uttering a gasp of horror, she forced her way farther into the little place. Nick Carter was between her and the object she tried to see, and he was busy.