"And you find yourself unable to accept the word of three men that you are not dreaming?"
"Not if they are men of my dream," said I.
"A good retort, sir," he said. "Do me the kindness to tell me your notion of a dream. Do you think it should be consistent throughout, or should there be strong intrinsic proof of its own unrealness?"
"Captain," I said, "I cannot tell. I know nothing. I doubt my own existence."
"Pardon me," said he; "you know the test--you think, therefore you exist. Are you not sure that you think?"
"I think, or I dream that I think."
"Well said, sir; an excellent reasoner while dreaming. But suppose you dream on; what will be the result?"
"Dream and sleep till I awake," said I.
"May I ask where you will awake?"
"In Aiken."