One of the desperadoes had taken a bomb from under his duster, lighted it, and thrown it up through the hole in the floor.
It sailed up over our heads and landed near our little group on the floor, the fuse sputtering ominously.
Quickly we divided and backed away even further.
I heard an exclamation of fear from Elaine.
Kennedy had pushed his way past us and picked up the deadly infernal machine in his bare hands.
I watched him, fascinated. As near as he dared, he approached the hole in the floor, still holding the thing off at arm's length. Would he never throw it?
He was coolly holding it, allowing the fuse to burn down closer to the explosion point.
It was now within less than an inch sure death.
Suddenly he raised it and hurled the deadly thing down through the hole.
We could hear the imprecations of the crooks as it struck the cellar floor, near them. They had evidently been still cramming jewelry into the capacious maw of the bag. One of them, discovering the bomb, must have advanced toward it, then retreated when he saw how imminent was the explosion.