Not a sound.
Dillon, with the instinct of the roundsman in him still, tried the
handle of the door gently. To our surprise it moved. I could not
believe that anyone could have gone away and left it open,
trusting that the place would not be looted by the neighbours
before he returned. I felt instinctively that there must be
somebody there, in spite of the darkness.
The commissioner pushed in, however, followed closely by both of
us, prepared for an on-rush or a hand-to-hand struggle with
anything, man or beast.
A quick succession of shots greeted us. I do not recall feeling
the slightest sensation of pain, but with a sickening dizziness in
the head I can just vaguely remember that I sank down on the oil
and grease of the floor. I did not fall. It seemed as if I had
time to catch myself and save, perhaps, a fractured skull. But
then it was all blank.
It seemed an age, though it could not have been more than ten
minutes later when I came to. I felt an awful, choking sensation
in my throat which was dry and parched.
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