As they stamped, the rug continued to flatten down; it sank under their tread with a horrible, sickening, squashing sound. "Let's look," suggested the Very Young Man. "It must be dead"; and he threw back a corner of the rug. The men turned sick and faint at what they saw. Underneath the rug, mashed against the floor, lay a great, noisome, semi-liquid mass of brown and white. It covered nearly the entire under-surface of the rug--a hundred pounds, perhaps, of loathsome pulp and shell, from which a stench arose that stopped their breathing. With a muttered imprecation the Doctor flung back the rug to cover it, and sprang to his feet, steadying himself against a chair. "We killed it in time, thank God," he murmured and dropped into the chair, burying his face in his hands. For a time silence fell upon the room, broken only by the labored breathing of the four men. Then the Big Business Man sat up suddenly. "Oh, my God, what an experience!" he groaned, and got unsteadily to his feet. The Very Young Man helped the Banker up and led him to a seat by the window, which he opened, letting in the fresh, cool air of the night. "How did the drug get loose, do you suppose?" asked the Very Young Man, coming back to the center of the room. He had recovered his composure somewhat, though he was still very pale. He lighted a cigarette and sat down beside the Doctor. The Doctor raised his head wearily. "I suppose we must have spilled some of it on the floor," he said, "and the cockroach----" He stopped abruptly and sprang to his feet. "Good God!" he cried. "Suppose another one----" On the bare floor beside the table they came upon a few drops of water. "That must be it," said the Doctor. He pulled his handkerchief from his pocket; then he stopped in thought. "No, that won't do. What shall we do with it?" he added. "We must destroy it absolutely. Good Lord, if that drug ever gets loose upon the world----" The Big Business Man joined them. "We must destroy it absolutely," repeated the Doctor. "We can't just wipe it up." "Some acid," suggested the Big Business Man. "Suppose something else has got at it already," the Very Young Man said in a scared voice, and began hastily looking around the floor of the room. "You're right," agreed the Doctor. "We mustn't take any chance; we must look thoroughly." Joined by the Banker, the four men began carefully going over the room. "You'd better watch that nothing gets at it," the Very Young Man thought suddenly to say. The Banker obediently sat down by the little pool of water on the floor. "And I'll close the window," added the Very Young Man; "something might get out." They searched the room thoroughly, carefully scanning its walls and ceiling, but could see nothing out of the ordinary. "We'll never be quite sure," said the Doctor finally, "but I guess we're safe. It's the best we can do now, at any rate."