ence of that
fifth pigeon, that George Carboys left this room voluntarily," returned
Cleek; "that the bird brought him a message of such importance it was
necessary to leave this house at once, and that, not wishing to leave it
unlocked while he was absent, and not--because of the Captain's
inability to get back upstairs afterward--having anybody to whom he
could appeal to get up and lock it after him, he chose to get out of
this window, and to go down by means of that wistaria. I think, too, we
may decide that, as he left no note to explain his absence, he expected
to return before morning, and that, as he never did return, he has met
with foul play. Of course, it is no use looking for footprints in the
garden in support of this hypothesis, for the storm that night was a
very severe one and quite sufficient to blot out all trace of them;
but--Look here, Mr. Narkom, put two and two together. If a message was
sent him by a carrier pigeon, where must that pigeon have come from,
since it was one of Miss Morrison's?"

"Why, from Van Nant's place, of course. It couldn't possibly come from
any other place."

"Exactly. And as Van Nant and Carboys lived together--kept Bachelor
Hall--and there was never anybody but their two selves in the house at
any time, why, nobody but Van Nant himself could have despatched the
bird. Look at that fragment of burnt paper lying in the basin of that
candlestick on the washstand. If that isn't all that's left of the paper
that was tied under the pigeon's wing, and if Carboys didn't use it for
the purpose of lighting the spirit-lamp by which he heated his
shaving-water, depend upon it that, in his haste and excitement, he
tucked it into his pocket, and if ever we find his body we shall find
that paper on it."

"His body? My dear Cleek, you don't believe that the man has been
murdered?"

"I don't know--yet. I shall, however, if this Van Nant puts anything in
the way of my searching that house thoroughly or makes any pretence to
follow me whilst I am doing so. I want to meet this Maurice Van Nant
just as soon as I can, Mr. Narkom, just as soon as I can."

And it was barely two minutes after he had expressed this wish that Miss
Morrison reappeared upon the scene, accompanied by a pale, nervous,
bovine-eyed man of about thirty-five years of age, and said in a tone of
agitation: "Pardon me for interrupting, Mr. Headland, but this is Mr.
Maurice Van Nant. He is most anxious to meet you, and fathe