"On the floor. In about as uncomfortable a position as you can easily conceive. I was lying face downward, with my legs bent under me. I was never so surprised in my life as I was when I found myself _where_ I was. At first I supposed that I had had a stroke. But by degrees it dawned upon me that I didn't _feel_ as though I had had a stroke." Tress, by the way, has been an army surgeon. "I was conscious of distinct nausea. Looking about, I saw the pipe. With me it had fallen on to the floor. I took it for granted, considering the delicacy of the carving, that the fall had broken it. But when I picked it up I found it quite uninjured. While I was examining it a thought flashed to my brain. Might it not be answerable for what had happened to me? Suppose, for instance, it was drugged? I had heard of such things. Besides, in my case were present all the symptoms of drug poisoning, though what drug had been used I couldn't in the least conceive. I resolved that I would give the pipe another trial." "On yourself? or on another party, meaning me?" "On myself, my dear Pugh--on myself! At that point of my investigations I had not begun to think of you. I lit up and had another smoke." "With what result?" "Well, that depends on the standpoint from which you regard the thing. From one point of view the result was wholly satisfactory--I proved that the thing was drugged, and more." "Did you have another fall?" "I did. And something else besides." "On that account, I presume, you resolved to pass the treasure on to me?" "Partly on that account, and partly on another." "On my word, I appreciate your generosity. You might have labeled the thing as poison." "Exactly. But then you must remember how often you have told me that you _never_ smoke your specimens." "That was no reason why you shouldn't have given me a hint that the thing was more dangerous than dynamite." "That did occur to me afterwards. Therefore I called to supply the slight omission." "_Slight_ omission, you call it! I wonder what you would have called it if you had found me dead." "If I had known that you _intended_ smoking it I should not have been at all surprised if I had." "Really, Tress, I appreciate your kindness more and more! And where is this example of your splendid benevolence? Have you pocketed it, regretting your lapse into the unaccustomed paths of generosity? Or is it smashed to atoms?" "Neither the one nor the other. You will find the pipe upon the table. I neither desire its restoration nor is it in any way injured. It is merely an expression of personal opinion when I say that I don't believe that it _could_ be injured. Of course, having discovered its deleterious properties, you will not want to smoke it again. You will therefore be able to enjoy the consciousness of being the possessor of what I honestly believe to be the most remarkable pipe in existence. Good day, Pugh."