The direction of the movement was toward that part of the room occupied by the bed.

The listeners' strained sense of hearing was so acute that it was able to interpret the meaning of each varying sound.

A body had been slowly dragged across the floor, and now, hushed and almost noiselessly as the work went on, they knew that the body was being lifted from the floor and placed upon the bed.

For a little while all was quiet, but the movements soon began again, and were confined to the bed.

Something was being done with the dead or unconscious body.