Now Art -

At first glance I was about to question your bit about "three hours later he came down."

On closer examination of the test conditions, however, it's quite obvious that the store of benzine in the innards of the the outhouse would have ejected a substantial exhaust plume, and uncle probably just sat up there on top of the plume 'till he finished the ladies garment section of the catalog, and then he hopped down all on his own.

(His comment about "somethin' I et" might have been a reference to a "bit of a burn" on the nether regions, from sittin' on that hot gas.)

The only remaining question is how much further into the ground did it drive the outhouse.

John