at it's all right."

Mr. Hearty's potato-cellar was reached through a trap-door flush with
the floor of the shop.

With the aid of an electric torch, Bindle looked about him. His eyes
fell on a large pair of scales, on which were weights up to 7 lbs.
This gave him an idea. Carefully placing a box beside the trap-door,
he lifted the scales and weights in his arms and, with great caution,
mounted on to the top of the box. Suddenly he let the scales and
weights fall with a tremendous crash, full in the centre of the
trap-door, at the same time giving vent to a shout. Millie came
running in from the parlour.

"Oh! Uncle Joe, what has happened?" she cried. "Are you hurt?"

"It's all right, Millikins, knocked over these 'ere scales I did.
Ain't I clumsy? 'Ush!"

Moans and cries could be distinctly heard from below.

"'Ere, 'elp me gather 'em up, Millikins. I 'ope I 'aven't broken the
scales."

Having replaced the scales and weights on the counter, Bindle
proceeded to pull up the trap-door.

"All clear!" he shouted cheerily.

There was no response, only a moaning from the extreme corner of the
cellar.

"'Ere, come along, 'Earty. Wot d'you two mean by takin' my missis down
into a cellar like that?"

"Is it gone?" quavered a voice that Bindle assumed must be that of Mr.
Gupperduck.

"Is wot gone?" he enquired.

"The bomb," whispered the voice.

"Oh, come up, Gupperduck," said Bindle. "Don't play the giddy goat in
the potato-cellar. Wot about you puttin' your trust in Gawd?"

There was a sound of movement below. A few moments later Mr.
Gupperduck's face appeared within the radius of light. He had lost his
spectacles and his upper set of false teeth. His hair was awry and his
face distorted with fear. He climbed laboriously up the steps leading
to the shop. He was followed by Mr. Hearty, literally yellow with
terror.

"Wot 'ave you done with my missis?" demanded Bindle.

"She--she--she's down there," stuttered Mr. Gupperduck.

"Then you two jolly well go down and fetch 'er up, or I'll kick you
down," cried Bindle angrily. "Nice sort of sports you are, leavin' a
woman alone in an 'ole like that, after takin' er down there."

Mr. Hearty and Mr. Gupperduck looked at Bindle and then at each other.
Slowly they turned and descended the ladder again. For some minutes
they could be heard moving about below, then Mr. Hearty appeared with
Mrs. Bindle's limp form clasped round the waist, whilst Mr. Gupperduck
pushe