He watched Hathaway and Craft a few minutes, when, seeing no appearance of reviving, he arose and opened the windows and wheeled their chairs around so that the cool night air could strike them full in the face. This done, he sat himself down near the table and seemed to watch with great earnestness the countenances of his two friends. He had sat this way but a moment, when a sigh escaped the lips of Craft, his eyes opened, and he gazed about him with a most puzzled and dazed expression. Cobb sprang quickly to his side, and presented a glass of wine to his lips. "There," he said, "take some of that, old fellow; you will feel like your former self in a moment." Craft drank the liquor without saying a word; then, raising himself, he looked Cobb in the eyes, and asked: "Have I been asleep, Cobb, or what is the matter? I feel as if I had just awakened from a most delicious slumber, a most refreshing one, and yet I had no dreams, nor does it seem that I am fatigued in the least." At this moment Hathaway opened his eyes, and also in a dazed manner viewed his surroundings. "Why, bless me, I have been asleep!" he exclaimed. Cobb quickly filled a second glass of wine and gave it to him, saying: "Drink that; you will feel all right in a jiffy." Hathaway emptied the glass, and then, looking at Craft, said: "I know now; it was the bottle, or rather the contents, that has caused us both to fall asleep." "Yes," said Cobb, "it was the contents of that bottle that has caused you both to enter the first stages of death." "How long has this sleep continued?" asked Craft. "About ten minutes." "And was I also asleep as long?" asked Hathaway. "Yes; a little longer," returned Cobb. "Craft awoke first." Pausing to light a cigar, he then resumed: "How do you feel--sick or languid?" "Oh, as for me, not at all," spoke up Craft. "I cannot say that I feel any ill effect from the drug." "Nor I," said Hathaway, "except that I am a little dry," with a laugh. "Then take some of this wine," and Cobb filled a glass for each of them. "It will brace up your nerves." They drank the wine, and appeared to suffer no evil effects from their enforced sleep. "Will you not smoke, also?" asked Cobb, as he passed over a box of fine Havana cigars. Each took one, and Cobb laid the box aside. Soon the clouds of smoke rising to the ceiling renewed the scene of warmth and sociability which had prevailed before the uncorking of the bottle of ozone. "You, gentlemen," said Cobb, drawing his chair to the fire, and taking a seat near the others, "have seen pure ozone in its solid state, and you both have felt its effect. It is the life-giving principle of oxygen. Ozone is everywhere; in the air, of course; in all creation, in fact. I do not wish to tire you, but if you desire, I will explain why I said that I had the power to hold life in the human body for an indefinite time."