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Rh the floor at his feet. He fumbled for it, dizzily; then, better collecting his thoughts, he felt his way in the darkness to the point where he had located the electric switch; he found it and turned on the light.

The glare showed him the full confusion of the room, with the limp and crumpled form of Annis, bruised and bloody, against the wall near the corner where they had fought. As Hereford bent over him, he knew the man was merely stunned, not dead; but his head was cut and bruised shockingly. Hereford realized that he, himself, was badly battered about the head also. His gaze, dizzily, swept the floor to find the emerald; but, though he now was sure of the place where he had heard it fall, he could not find it. He fell to hands and knees to better examine the floor. Directly in the place