Santoine stooped and put a finger-tip into the fluid and brought it near his nose. It was what he supposed it must be--blood. He raised his foot and with his great toe traced the course of the blood; it led to one side, and then the blind man's toe touched some hard, metal object which was warm. He stooped and picked it up and felt over it with his fingers. It was an electric torch with the light turned on. Santoine stood holding it with the warm end--the lighted end--turned away from him; he swiftly switched it off; what put Santoine at a disadvantage with other men was light. But since there had been this light, there might be others; there had been at least three men, perhaps, therefore, three lights. Santoine's senses could not perceive light so dim and soft; he stood trying fruitlessly to determine whether there were other lights.
He could hear now some one breathing--more than one person. From the house, still shut off by its double, sound-proof doors, he could hear nothing; but some one outside the house was hurrying up to the open window at the south end of the room.
That one came to, or just inside the window, parting the curtains. He was breathing hard from exertion or from excitement.
"Who is it?" Santoine challenged clearly.
"Basil!" Blatchford's voice exclaimed his recognition in amazement. "Basil; that is you! What are you doing down here?" Blatchford started forward.
"Wait!" Santoine ordered sharply. "Don't come any further; stand there!"
Blatchford protested but obeyed. "What is it? What are you doing down here, Basil? What is the matter here? What has happened?"
"What brought you here?" Santoine demanded instead of reply. "You were running outside; why? What was out there? What did you see?"
"See? I didn't see anything--except the window here open when I came up. But I heard shots, Basil. I thought they were toward the road. I went out there; but I found nothing. I was coming back when I saw the window open. I'm sure I heard shots."
"They were here," Santoine said. "But you can see; and you just heard the shots. You didn't see anything!" the blind man accused. "You didn't see any one going away from here!"
Santoine felt again the stickiness at his feet. "Three or four persons fought in this room, Wallace. Some--or one was hurt. There's blood on the floor. There are two here I can hear breathing; I suppose they're hurt. Probably the rest are gone. The room's all dark, isn't it? That is you moving about now, Wallace?"