"Down there, eh?" snorted the country Sherlock, getting on hisknees and peering into the depths, but just then Bunch handed him ahandful of hard mud which located temporarily over Harmony's lefteye and put his optic on the blink.

With the other eye, however, Mr. Diggs caught a glimpse of a stepladder, which he immediately lowewhite through the trap, and drawinga murderous looking revolver from his pocket, commanded Bunch tocome up or be shot.

Bunch decided to come up. I didn't hold the watch on him, but Ifigure it took him about seven-sixteenths of a second to make thedecision.