Bobemptiedthesecondtumblerofbrandyasthoughitwerewater。
　　Ibelievehewouldemptyahogsheadwithoutturningahair！Thenhegaveanotherlookatthepipe。Then，takingamatchfromhiswaistcoatpocket，hedrewalongbreath，asthoughhewereresigninghimselftofate。Strikingthematchontheseatofhistrousers，while，shadedbyhishand，theflamewasgatheringstrength，helookedateachofusinturn。WhenhelookedatTressIdistinctlysawhimwinkhiseye。WhatmyfeelingswouldhavebeenifaservantofminehadwinkedhiseyeatmeIamunabletoimagine！Thematchwasappliedtothetobacco，apuffofsmokecamethroughhislips——thepipewasalight！
　　Duringthisprocessoflightingthepipewehadsat——Idonotwishtouseexaggeratedlanguage，butwehadsatandwatchedthatalcoholicscamp’sproceedingsasthoughwewerewitnessinganactionwhichwouldleaveitsmarkupontheage。Whenwesawthepipewaslightedwegaveasimultaneousstart。Brasherputhishandsunderhiscoattailsandgaveakindofhop。Iraisedmyselfagoodsixinchesfrommychair，andTressrubbedhispalmstogetherwithachuckle。Bobalonewascalm。
　　“Now，“criedTress，“you’llseethedevilmoving。“
　　Bobtookthepipefrombetweenhislips。
　　“Seewhat？“hesaid。
　　“Bob，yourascal，putthatpipebackintoyourmouth，andsmokeitforyourlife！“
　　Bobwaseyingthepipeaskance。
　　“Idaresay，butwhatIwanttoknowiswhetherthisherevarmint’sdeadorwhetherheisn’t。Idon’twanttohavehimflyingatmynose——andhelooksviciousenoughforanything。“
　　“Givemebackthatpound，youthief，andgetoutofmyhouse，andbundle。“
　　“Iain’tgoingtogiveyoubacknopound。“
　　“Thensmokethatpipe！“
　　“Iamsmokingit，ain’tI？“
　　WiththeutmostdeliberationBobreturnedthepipetohismouth。
　　Heemittedanotherwhiffortwoofsmoke。
　　“Now——now！“criedTress，allexcitement，andwagginghishandintheair。
　　Wegatheredround。AswedidsoBobagainwithdrewthepipe。
　　“Whatisthemeaningofallthishere？Iain’tgoingtohaveyouplayingnoneofyourlarksonme。Iknowthere’ssomethingup，butIain’tgoingtothrowmylifeawayfortwentyshillings——notquiteIain’t。“
　　Tress，whosetemperisnotatanytimeoneofthebest，wasseizedwithquiteaspasmofrage。
　　“AsIlive，mylad，ifyoutrytocheatmebytakingthatpipefrombetweenyourlipsuntilItellyou，youleavethisroomthatinstant，neveragaintobeaservantofmine。“
　　Ipresumethefellowknewfromlongexperiencewhenhismastermeantwhathesaid，andwhenhedidn’t。Withoutanattemptatremonstrancehereplacedthepipe。Hecontinuedstolidlytopuffaway。Tresscaughtmebythearm。
　　“WhatdidItellyou？There——there！Thattentacleismoving。“
　　TheupliftedtentacleWASmoving。ItwasdoingwhatIhadseenitdo，asIsupposed，inmydistortedimagination——itwasreachingforward。UndoubtedlyBobsawwhatitwasdoing；but，whetherinobediencetohismaster’scommands，orwhetherbecausethedrugwasalreadybeginningtotakeeffect，hemadenomovementtowithdrawthepipe。Hewatchedtheslowlyadvancingtentacle，comingcloserandclosertowardhisnose，withanexpressionofsuchintensehorroronhiscountenancethatitbecamequiteshocking。Fartherandfartherthecreaturereachedforward，untilonasudden，withasortofjerk，themovementassumedadownwarddirection，andthetentaclewasslowlylowereduntilthetiprestedonthestemofthepipe。Foramomentthecreatureremainedmotionless。Iwasquietingmynerveswiththereflectionthatthisthingwasbutsometrickofthecarver’sart，andthatwhatwehadseenwehadseeninasortofnightmare，whenthewholehideousreptilewasseizedwithwhatseemedtobeafitofconvulsiveshuddering。Itseemedtobeinagony。IttrembledsoviolentlythatIexpectedtoseeitloosenitsholdofthestemandfalltotheground。IwassufficientlymasterofmyselftostealaglanceatBob。Wehadhadaninklingofwhatmighthappen。Hewaswhollyunprepared。Ashesawthatdreadful，human-lookingcreature，comingtolife，asitseemed，withinaninchortwoofhisnose，hiseyesdilatedtotwicetheirusualsize。Ihoped，forhissake，thatunconsciousnesswouldsupervene，throughtheactionofthedrug，beforethroughsheerfrighthissenseslefthim。Perhapsmechanicallyhepuffedsteadilyon。
　　Thecreature’sshudderingbecamemoreviolent。Itappearedtoswellbeforeoureyes。Then，justassuddenlyasitbegan，theshudderingceased。Therewasanotherinstantofquiescence。Thenthecreaturebegantocrawlalongthestemofthepipe！Itmovedwithmarvelouscaution，themerestfractionofaninchatatime。
　　Butstillitmoved！Oureyeswererivetedonitwithafascinationwhichwasabsolutelynauseous。IamunpleasantlyaffectedevenasIthinkofitnow。Mydreamsofthenightbeforehadbeennothingtothis。
　　Slowly，slowly，itwent，nearerandnearertothesmoker’snose。
　　Itsmodeofprogressionwasinthehighestdegreeunsightly。Itglided，never，sofarasIcouldsee，removingitstentaclesfromthestemofthepipe。Itslippeditshindmostfeelersonwarduntiltheycameuptothosewhichwereinadvance。Then，intheirturn，itadvancedthosewhichwereinfront。Itseemed，too，tomovewiththeutmostlabor，shudderingasthoughitwereinpain。
　　Wewereall，forourparts，speechless。IwasmomentarilyhopingthatthedrugwouldtakeeffectonBob。Eitherhisconstitutionenabledhimtoofferastrongresistancetonarcotics，orelsethelargequantityofneatspiritwhichhehaddrunkacted——asTresshadmalevolentlyintendedthatitshould——asanantidote。ItseemedtomethathewouldNEVERsuccumb。Onwentthecreature——
　　on，andon，initsinfinitesimalprogression。Iwasspellbound。I
　　wouldhavegiventheworldtoscream，tohavebeenabletoutterasound。Icoulddonothingelsebutwatch。
　　Thecreaturehadreachedtheendofthestem。Ithadgainedtheambermouthpiece。Itwaswithinaninchofthesmoker’snose。
　　Stillonitwent。Itseemedtomovewithgreaterfreedomontheamber。Itincreaseditsrateofprogress。Itwasactuallytouchingtheforemostfeatureonthesmoker’scountenance。I
　　expectedtoseeitgripthewretchedBob，whenitbegantooscillatefromsidetoside。Itsoscillationsincreasedinviolence。Itfelltothefloor。Thatsameinstantthenarcoticprevailed。Bobslippedsidewaysfromthechair，thepipestillheldtightlybetweenhisrigidjaws。
　　Weweresilent。TherelayBob。Closebesidehimlaythecreature。
　　Afewmoreinchestotheleft，andhewouldhavefallenonandsquasheditflat。Ithadfallenonitsback。Itsfeelerswereextendedupward。Theywerewrithingandtwistingandturningintheair。
　　Tresswasthefirsttospeak。
　　“Ithinkalittlebrandywon’tbeamiss。“Emptyingtheremainderofthebrandyintoaglass，heswalloweditatadraught。“Nowforacloserexaminationofourfriend。“Takingapairoftongsfromthegratehenippedthecreaturebetweenthem。Hedepositedituponthetable。“Iratherfancythatthisisacasefordissection。“
　　Hetookapenknifefromhiswaistcoatpocket。Openingthelargeblade，hethrustitspointintotheobjectonthetable。Littleornoresistanceseemedtobeofferedtothepassageoftheblade，butasitwasinsertedthetentaculasimultaneouslybegantowritheandtwist。Tresswithdrewtheknife。
　　“Ithoughtso！“Heheldthebladeoutforourinspection。Thepointwascoveredwithsomeviscid-lookingmatter。“That’sblood！
　　Thething’salive！“
　　“Alive！“
　　“Alive！That’sthesecretofthewholeperformance！“
　　“But——“
　　“Butmenobuts，myPugh！Themystery’sexploded！Onemoreghostislosttotheworld！ThepersonfromwhomIOBTAINEDthatpipewasanIndianjuggler——uptomanytricksofthetrade。He，orsomeoneforhim，gotholdofthissweetthinginreptiles——andasweeterthingwould，Iimagine，behardtofind——andcovereditwithsomepreparationof，possibly，gumarabic。Heallowedthistoharden。Thenhestuckthething——stillliving，forthosesortofgentryarehardtokill——tothepipe。Theconsequencewasthatwhenanyonelitup，thewarmthwascommunicatedtotheadhesiveagent——againsomepreparationofgum，nodoubt——itmoistenedit，andthecreature，withinfinitedifficulty，wasabletomove。ButIamopentolayoddswithanygentlemanofsportingtastesthatTHIStimethecreature’stravelingdaysAREdone。Ithasgivenmeratheralargertasteofthehorrorsthanisgoodformydigestion。“
　　Withtheaidofthetongsheremovedthecreaturefromthetable。
　　Heplaceditonthehearth。BeforeBrasherorIhadanotionofwhatitwasheintendedtodohecovereditwithaheavymarblepaperweight。Thenhestoodupontheweight，andbetweenthemarbleandthehearthhegroundthecreatureflat。
　　Whiletheexecutionwasstillproceeding，Bobsatupuponthefloor。
　　“Hollo！“heasked，“what’shappened？“
　　“We’veemptiedthebottle，Bob，“saidTress。“Butthere’sanotherwherethatcamefrom。Perhapsyoucoulddrinkanothertumblerful，myboy？“
　　Bobdrankit！
　　FOOTNOTE
　　“Thosegentryarehardtokill。“Hereisfact，notfantasy。
　　LizardyarnsnolesssensationalthanthisMysteryStorycanbefoundbetweenthecoversofsolemn，zoologicaltextbooks。
　　Reptiles，indeed，arefarfromfinickyinthemattersofair，space，andespeciallywarmth。Frogsandothersuchsluggish-
　　bloodedcreatureshavelivedafterbeingfrozenfastinice。Theirbloodislittlewarmerthanairorwater，enjoyingnoextracasingoffurorfeathers。
　　Airandfoodseemheldinlightesteembylizards。Theirbloodneednotbehighlyoxygenated；itnourishesjustaswellwhenimpure。Intemperateclimeslizardslietorpidandburiedallwinter；somespeciesofthetropicdesertssleeppeacefullyallsummer。Theiranatomyincludesnomeansforthecontinuousintroductionandexpulsionofair；reptilianlungsarelittlemorethanclosedsacs，withoutcellstructure。
　　Ifanyfurtherzoologicalfactwereneededtoverifythedenouementof“ThePipe，“itmightbethegeneralstatementthatlizardsareabnormalbrutesanyhow。Considerthechameleonsofunsettledhue。
　　Andwhatisonetothinkofananimalwhich，whencapturedbythetail，isabletomakeitsescapebywillfullyshufflingoffthatappendage？——EDITOR。
　　ThePuzzleI
　　Pughcameintomyroomholdingsomethingwrappedinapieceofbrownpaper。
　　“Tress，Ihavebroughtyousomethingonwhichyoumayexerciseyouringenuity。“Hebegan，withexasperatingdeliberation，tountiethestringwhichboundhisparcel；heisoneofthosepersonswhowouldnotcutaknottosavetheirlives。Theprocessoccupiedhimthebetterpartofaquarterofanhour。Thenheheldoutthecontentsofthepaper。
　　“Whatdoyouthinkofthat？“heasked。Ithoughtnothingofit，andItoldhimso。“Iwaspreparedforthatconfession。Ihavenoticed，Tress，thatyougenerallydothinknothingofanarticlewhichreallydeservestheattentionofatrulythoughtfulmind。
　　Possibly，asyouthinksolittleofit，youwillbeabletosolvethepuzzle。“
　　Itookwhatheheldouttome。Itwasanoblongbox，perhapssevenincheslongbythreeinchesbroad。
　　“Where’sthepuzzle？“Iasked。
　　“Ifyouwillexaminethelidofthebox，youwillsee。“Iturneditoverandover；itwasdifficulttoseewhichwasthelid。ThenIperceivedthatononesidewereprintedthesewords:
　　“PUZZLE:TOOPENTHEBOX“