“Sure thing,” Chick added. “Four bearded men in a bunch is very suggestive.” “Continue. What followed, Mr. Clayton?” “I then was blindfolded, but not bound nor gagged, though I was threatened with death if I made any disturbance. I decided to take my medicine quietly, and I so informed the rascals.” “Otherwise you might have been roughly handled.” “I inferred so. Ten minutes later, after a rapid ride in directions I could not possibly determine, I arrived at a house and I was guided to a room on the second floor. I have not the slightest idea where the house is located, for I was completely lost by the several turns the car had taken.” “That was done in order to blind you.” “No doubt.” “What then occurred?” “Then began the extraordinary part of the outrage,” said Clayton, with an expressive shrug of his shoulders. “The bandage was removed from my eyes. I found myself in quite a large room, the four walls of which were entirely hung with thick black cloth. Not a window or door, not a picture, not so much as a square inch of the wall paper, were visible.” “By Jove, that was strange, indeed,” Chick remarked. “Even the chandelier, pendant from a perfectly plain, plastered ceiling, also was covered with the same somber cloth. It was like opening one’s eyes in a chamber of horrors, or one draped in deepest mourning.” Nick Carter smiled. “The design of your abductors is obvious, Clayton,” said he. “Do you think so?” “I certainly do,” Nick nodded. “All that was done to prevent your seeing anything by which you subsequently could positively identify the room.” “Well, well, that may be true, Nick, though I then was so affected by the mystery that that explanation did not occur to me,” said Clayton. “Nor, in fact, have I since thought of it.” “What else did the room contain?” Nick inquired. “Only two common wooden chairs and a narrow bed, the linen and blankets of which were perfectly plain.” “Was the floor bare?” “Yes. The appearance of it, however, indicated that a carpet had recently been removed.” “Additional evidence that I am right,” said Nick, smiling again. “The rascals took care that you should see absolutely nothing by which you could identify the place. Was the room lighted with electricity, or gas?” “Gas. One jet of the chandelier was burning.” “What followed?” “Only three of the scoundrels accompanied me to the room. I did not again see the fourth man until the evening of the third day of my captivity.” “Well, what occurred?” Nick inquired. “The three men then wore black masks,” Clayton continued. “I was ordered to remove all of my clothing except my undergarments. I did so under protest, of course, and all of my discarded garments were taken from the room by one of the rascals, who passed out between two overlapping draperies and through a concealed door. He presently returned with a woolen bath robe, which I was told to put on.” “And then?”