The Ely miner., 1923-04-20

servants had been killed, the private
secrets of his associates were in dam
ger. Undoubtedly there was danger
below; but that was why he did not
call again at the other door for some
one else to run risk for him.
He put his hand on the rail and
started to descend the stairs. He was
almost steady in step and he had firm
grasp on the rail; he noticed that now
to wonder at it. When he had aroused
at the sound of firing, his blindness,
as always when something was hap
pening about him, was obtruded upon
him. He felt helpless because he was
blind, not because he had been in
iured. He had forgotten entirely
that for almost two weeks he had not
stirred from bed; he had risen and
stood and walked, without staggering,
to the door and to the top of the
stairs before, now, he remembered. So
what he already had done showed him
that he had merely again to put his
injury from his mind and he could
go on. He went down the stairs al
most steadily.
The blind count stairs, and he had
| gone down twenty-one-and realized
fully his futility; but now he would
not retreat or merely call for help.
"Who is here?' he asked distinctly.
SIS anyone here? Who is here?"
No one answered. And now San
tome knew by the sense which let him
feel whether 1t was night or day, that
the room was really dark-dark for
others as well as for himself; the
lights were not burning. So an exal-
| tation, a sense of physical capability,
came to Santoine; in the dark he was
as fit, as capable as any other man.
He stepped down on the floor, and
in his uncertainty as to the position
of the furniture, felt along the wall.
There were bookcases there, but he
felt and passed along them swiftly,
until he came to the case which
concealed the safe at the left side OF
the doors. The books were gone from
that case his bare toes struck against
them where they had been thrown
down on the floor. The blind man, his
pulse beating unanimously, put his
hand through the case and felt the
panel behind. That was slid back
exposing the safe; and the door oi
the safe stood open. Santoine's
hands felt within the safe swiftly. The
safe was empty.
He recoiled from it, choking bacl
an ejaculation. The entry to thi:
room had been made for the purpose
which he supposed; and the thieves
must have succeeded in their errand
The blind man, in his uselessness 70
pursuit. could delay calling others t,
act for him no longer. He started
toward the bell, when some scrape ol
tbe fioor-not of the sort to be &C
counted for by an object moved b.
the wind-sounded behind him. San
!. tome swung toward the sound an
stood listening again; and then, crop
ing with his hands stretched out be
: fore him. he left the wall and steppe
toward the center of the room. III
took two steps-three, four-with n
result: then his foot trOd into som
fluid. thick and sticky and not cold.
Santoine stopped and put a finger
: tip into the fluid and brought 1t nea
: his nose. 1t was what he supposed
must be-blood. He could hear no.
someone breathing-more than on
person. From the house. still shu
off by it's double, sound-proof door
!. he could hear nothing; but someon
: outside the house was hurrying up
: the open window at the south end {
= the room.
: That one came to- or just inside th
!. window, parting the curtains. He wa
q breathing hard from exertion or fro
% excitement.