The crackling of the fire behind her was the only sound within.

And then I heard a crackling and rustling as of stiff paperhe was never more than a dozen yards from me all the time,and in another minute there was a spurt up of bluish flame, and I saw that the man had turned on the light of an electric pocket-torch and was shining it on a map which he had unfolded and shaken out, and was holding in his right hand.