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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/37149-h.zip b/37149-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..9048347 --- /dev/null +++ b/37149-h.zip diff --git a/37149-h/37149-h.htm b/37149-h/37149-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..10b08ff --- /dev/null +++ b/37149-h/37149-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4325 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Fritz to the Front, by Edward L. Wheeler</title> + <style type="text/css"> + + body { + margin-left:10%; + margin-right:10%; + } + + #booktitle { + letter-spacing:3px; + } + + .center, + .centered { + text-align:center; + font-weight:bold; + } + + div.centered { + text-align:center; + } + + div.centered table { + margin-left:auto; + margin-right:auto; + text-align:left; + } + + .figcenter { + padding:1em; + text-align:center; + font-size:0.8em; + border:none; + margin:auto; + text-indent:1em; + } + + .h1 { + font-size:2em; + margin:.67em 0; + } + + .h1, + .h2, + .h3, + .h4 { + font-weight:bolder; + text-align:center; + text-indent:0; + } + + h1, + h2, + h3, + h4, + h5, + h6, + hr { + text-align:center; + } + + .h2 { + font-size:1.5em; + margin:.75em 0; + } + + .h3 { + font-size:1.17em; + margin:.83em 0; + } + + .h4 { + margin:1.12em 0 ; + } + + hr.chapter { + margin-top:6em; + margin-bottom:4em; + } + + hr.tb { + margin:2em 25%; + width:50%; + } + + p { + text-align:justify; + margin-top:.3em; + margin-bottom:.3em; + text-indent:0; + } + + p.caption { + text-indent:0; + text-align:center; + font-weight:bold; + margin-bottom:2em; + } + + p.spacer { + margin-top:2em; + margin-bottom:3em; + } + + p.tb { + margin-top:2em; + } + + .pagenum { +/* visibility:hidden; remove comment out to hide page numbers */ + position:absolute; + right:2%; + font-size:75%; + color:gray; + background-color:inherit; + text-align:right; + text-indent:0; + font-style:normal; + font-weight:normal; + font-variant:normal; + } + + .smcap { + font-variant:small-caps; + } + + .tdl { + text-align:left; + } + + hr.full { width: 100%; + margin-top: 3em; + margin-bottom: 0em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + height: 4px; + border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ + border-style: solid; + border-color: #000000; + clear: both; } + pre {font-size: 85%;} +</style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, Fritz to the Front, by Edward L. Wheeler</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: Fritz to the Front</p> +<p> or, The Ventriloquist Scamp-Hunter</p> +<p>Author: Edward L. Wheeler</p> +<p>Release Date: August 21, 2011 [eBook #37149]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRITZ TO THE FRONT***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by Greg Weeks, Matthew Wheaton,<br> + and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br> + (http://www.pgdp.net)</h3> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full"> +<p> </p> + +<div> + +<br> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 428px;"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="428" height="600" alt="Cover" title="Cover"> +</div> + +<p class="caption">Fritz to the Front +<br> +by +<br> +Edward L. Wheeler +<br> +<br> +The Arthur Westbrook Company +<br> +Cleveland USA</p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<h1 id="booktitle">FRITZ TO THE FRONT</h1> + +<p class="h3">OR,<br> +THE VENTRILOQUIST SCAMP-HUNTER.<br> +BY</p> + +<p class="h2">EDWARD L. WHEELER,</p> + +<p class="h3"><span class="smcap">Author of "Fritz, the Bound-Boy Detective," "Deadwood +Dick" Novels, "Rosebud Rob" Novels, etc.</span></p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<p class="h4">Copyright, 1881, by Beadle & Adams.</p> + +<p class="h3">THE<br> +ARTHUR WESTBROOK COMPANY<br> +Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.</p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/i005.jpg" width="600" height="503" alt="FRITZ BEHELD AN OBJECT WHICH CAUSED HIM TO UTTER A +GRUNT OF STARTLED ALARM.—See page 41." title="Frontispiece"> +</div> + +<p class="caption">FRITZ BEHELD AN OBJECT WHICH CAUSED HIM TO UTTER A +GRUNT OF STARTLED ALARM.—See page <a href="#Page_41">41</a>.</p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<h2>Table of Contents</h2> + +<div class="centered"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Table of Contents"> +<tr><td class="tdl">MADGE.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_I"><b>CHAPTER I</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdl">THE STRANGE MARRIAGE.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_II"><b>CHAPTER II.</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdl">THE BLUFF HOUSE.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_III"><b>CHAPTER III.</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdl">THE GHASTLY RELIC.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV"><b>CHAPTER IV.</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdl">BILL BUDGE'S CONVERSATION.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_V"><b>CHAPTER V.</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdl">ON THE SCENT.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI"><b>CHAPTER VI.</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdl">THE STRUGGLE.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII"><b>CHAPTER VII.</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdl">ADRIFT.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII"><b>CHAPTER VIII.</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdl">FRITZ'S DISCOVERY.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX"><b>CHAPTER IX.</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdl">A DIVE FOR LIFE.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_X"><b>CHAPTER X.</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdl">A FATHER'S BRUTALITY.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI"><b>CHAPTER XI.</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdl">A PITIFUL END.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII"><b>CHAPTER XII.</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdl">CONCLUSION.</td><td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII"><b>CHAPTER XIII.</b></a></td></tr> +</table></div> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[5]</span></p> + +<h2>FRITZ TO THE FRONT.</h2> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I</h2> + +<p class="h3">MADGE.</p> + +<p>One bright, hot August morning a cheap excursion was advertised to +leave South Street wharf, Philadelphia, for Atlantic City—that lively +little city by the sea, which is so fast growing in size and +popularity as to rival the more noted of the Atlantic coast summer +resorts. A cheap excursion which is within the means of the working +class is ever a success, and this one was no exception; it gave the +masses a chance to escape from the overheated city for a small sum, +and they grasped at it eagerly.</p> + +<p>Bright and early the ferry-boat was crowded and still there was no +cessation of the stream of humanity that surged toward the river +front. There were representatives of every trade in the city, nearly, +and likewise a mixture of several nationalities; there were young +folks and old folks and little children; then there were<span class="pagenum">[6]</span> roughs, +bruisers, and bummers, an indispensable adjunct to summer excursions; +and, all in all, a heterogeneous collection of humanity.</p> + +<p>Just as the hot August sun peeped up over Jersey's sandy horizon, the +bell of the boat rung, and the huge ferry-boat began to move out +across the Delaware, toward Kaighn's Point, where connection was to be +made with the railway.</p> + +<p>It was a noisy crowd aboard the boat, there being a good many roughs +among the pleasure-seekers, who were more or less under the effect of +Dock Street "soothing syrup," and who were disposed to have something +to say to every one.</p> + +<p>Among the passengers was a young lady of eighteen or nineteen years of +age, who sat in the stern of the boat, seeming to have no friends or +acquaintances.</p> + +<p>She was by no means unprepossessing in face, and was trimly built, and +dressed rather stylishly, compared to the others of her sex aboard the +boat.</p> + +<p>It was not long before several of the roughs noted the fact that she +was unaccompanied, and determined to know the reason why.</p> + +<p>Therefore, one lubberly, raw-boned young<span class="pagenum">[7]</span> bruiser, with a freckled +face, blood-shot eyes, and a large, red nose, approached her and +tipped his hat with tipsy gallantry:</p> + +<p>"'Scuse me, young lady, but (hic) may I ask ef yer got (hic) company?" +he asked.</p> + +<p>"Plenty of it, sir," the young lady replied, her eyes flashing. "I do +not know you; you'd confer a favor by not addressing me."</p> + +<p>"I'll do as I please, my gal; don't ye sass yer cuzzin. Don't ye know +me? I'm a 'full moon' solid Mulligan Muldoon, I am."</p> + +<p>Greatly annoyed, the young woman turned her head away without +answering.</p> + +<p>This, however, did not abash the "full moon," for he advanced closer, +and laid one burly hand upon the railing beside her.</p> + +<p>"Now, (hic) see here, my beloved Miss Moriarty," he began, but before +he could proceed further, a foppishly attired young Jew, with red hair +and a hooked nose, stepped forward and slapped the Fourth Ward man on +the shoulder.</p> + +<p>"Yoost you bounce oud, mine friend," he said. "Der young lady don'd +vas vant some off your attention."</p> + +<p>"Hello! who in blazes are you?" Muldoon demanded, gruffly, not +offering to move. "I<span class="pagenum">[8]</span> are Muldoon, ther solid man, I am, an' I allow I +kin lick any man on (hic) ther boat."</p> + +<p>"That don'd make any difference. Dot young lady don'd vant you near +her, und uff you don'd vas gone away, right off quick, I'll throw you +oud—dot's der style off an excursionist I am!" cried the Jew.</p> + +<p>"Oho! you wull, wull you? You'll throw me out, hey?—me Full-moon +Muldoon, ther solid man? I'll hev a kiss from the girl an' then I'll +heave yer Israelite carcass overboard for the fishes."</p> + +<p>And, making a drunken lunge forward, he threw his arms about the young +lady's neck, amid indignant cries of a crowd of bystanders, and +attempted to kiss her.</p> + +<p>But he failed in his purpose, for she pluckily threw him off, and the +next instant the Jewish-looking young man came to her rescue.</p> + +<p>Seizing the rough by the coat and trousers he jerked him away; then +with the strength of a Hercules, raised him from the floor and hurled +him forward down the cabin stairway to the lower deck.</p> + +<p>A cheer of approval at once went up from the larger share of the +spectators, and the Dutchman became the hero of the hour.<span class="pagenum">[9]</span></p> + +<p>Some of Muldoon's companions rushed to his rescue and found him +doubled up like a jack-knife, and groaning over severe bumps.</p> + +<p>His rough usage, however, had evidently cowed him, for he made no +attempt to show fight or create further disturbance.</p> + +<p>The young lady thanked the Jew, but that was all, until the boat +grated up alongside Kaighn's Point wharf, when she caught his eye and +motioned for him to approach.</p> + +<p>"If you will be so kind as to assist me in finding a seat in the +train," she said, modestly, "I would esteem it a great favor."</p> + +<p>"Vel, you bet I vil! Id is a purdy rough crowd for a young lady +withoud some company. My name ish Fritz Snyder; vot ish yours?"</p> + +<p>"You may call me Madge," was the quiet reply.</p> + +<p>Then Fritz took her little traveling-bag, and they left the boat with +the crowd, and boarded the excursion-train which was close at hand.</p> + +<p>Being among the first to reach it, they had no difficulty in finding a +seat, and made haste to occupy it, as the cars were fast filling.</p> + +<p>"I reckon ash how you vas goin' to der sea-shore?" Fritz asked, having +some curiosity to know.<span class="pagenum">[10]</span></p> + +<p>"I presume so, if the cars take me there," the young lady replied, +with a faint smile. "Is it a nice place?"</p> + +<p>"Vel, I don'd know. I vas neffer there, but I hear id vas a nice +place. You see, I vas goin' there on pizness—I—I—don'd know off I +stay long or not."</p> + +<p>Little more was said during the overland trip to the ocean.</p> + +<p>The young woman did not appear inclined to talk, and Fritz finally +excused himself, and moved to another seat.</p> + +<p>"Der ish somedings vot don'd vas right apoud dot vimmens," he +soliloquized. "She ish not goin' to der sea-shore for vone object +alone, I'll bet a half-dollar."</p> + +<p>Just ahead of him, in the next seat, sat two old ladies, who were +discussing that topic uppermost in their minds—spiritualism. One was +a believer—the other an unbeliever.</p> + +<p>"Pooh! you can't stuff such nonsense into my head, Marier," the +unbeliever declared, taking a pinch of snuff. "Speerits don't trouble +me."</p> + +<p>"But, that is because you have no faith, Mehitable. Now, my Sammy's +speerit converses with me, every day and night, and keeps<span class="pagenum">[11]</span> me posted +about the realms of eternal bliss, and when I ax him to appear, he +comes before me as natural as life."</p> + +<p>"Has he got that wart behind his left ear yet?" apparently asked a man +in front of the ladies, though Ventriloquist Fritz was of course the +author of the question.</p> + +<p>"Sir-r-rh!" the spiritualist cried, indignantly, "I'll have you know +my Samuel had no wart upon his person!"</p> + +<p>"But he had bunions, though!" a portly old gent across the aisle +seemed to declare.</p> + +<p>"It's a lie—a shameful lie! I'd like to know how you dare cast your +insinuations about one you never knew, sir?" and Mrs. Marier arose in +her seat, excitedly. "My husband was a good moral gentleman."</p> + +<p>"For the land's sake, Marier, do set down," the other woman cried, +feeling embarrassed.</p> + +<p>"No I won't set down!" Marier declared. "That old bald-headed, pussy +fabricator said my Sammy had bunions!"</p> + +<p>"My good woman, I never said anything of the kind," the portly party +declared, getting red in the face.</p> + +<p>"The old woman's crazy!" another man seemed to cry.<span class="pagenum">[12]</span></p> + +<p>"Crazy, am I?" Mrs. Marier cried, snatching up a freshly baked pumpkin +pie from the seat beside her, and holding it ready to hurl at the +offenders. "I'll show you if I'm crazy. Jest ye open yer mouths, ary +one of ye, an' I'll show ye how crazy I am! Oh! I'll learn ye to +insult a respectable woman, who minds her own business!"</p> + +<p>And the woman came off victor, for Fritz ventriloquized no further, +and the passengers had nothing to say, having no desire to get +plastered up with freshly prepared pumpkin pie.</p> + +<p>In the course of three hours the train arrived at Atlantic City, and +before the ocean's blue expanse, as it billowed away to meet the +horizon.</p> + +<p>The grand stretch of level beach was thronged with people, despite the +pouring heat of the midday sun, and many queerly costumed +pleasure-seekers were buffeting about in the water for recreation and +health.</p> + +<p>Fritz was among the first to leave the cars, and he stationed himself +where he could watch the movements of the girl, Madge.</p> + +<p>Some subtle instinct prompted him to do this, with the impression that +she was—what?<span class="pagenum">[13]</span></p> + +<p>That was an enigma. He could not, for the life of him, have told why, +but he was impressed with an idea that there was some strange romance +connected with her visit to the sea-shore—that she did not come alone +for pleasure, but for an object that might be worth investigating.</p> + +<p>She left the cars, and at once took a carriage for the principal +hotel.</p> + +<p>Not to be balked, Fritz jumped into another carriage, and directed the +driver to take him to the same hotel.</p> + +<p>His conveyance arrived first, and he was standing on the veranda, when +the carriage drove up with Madge, and she got out.</p> + +<p>She scarcely noticed him as she came up the steps and passed into the +hotel; but, after she had registered, she came out, and touched him on +the arm.</p> + +<p>"You are watching me—what for?" she asked, when he turned around +facing her. "Am I an object of suspicion to you, sir?"</p> + +<p>Fritz flushed uncomfortably, and hardly knew how to answer.</p> + +<p>"Vel, I—I—"</p> + +<p>"There! don't make any apologies or excuses; I know you are, and shall +look out for you. Please understand I am no criminal!"<span class="pagenum">[14]</span></p> + +<p>Then she turned around again, and swept haughtily into the hotel, +while Fritz walked away toward the beach in meditation.</p> + +<p>"She vas sharper ash lightning," he mused, "und dot makes me t'ink +some more dot for some reason or odder she vil bear watching."</p> + +<p>He took a bath in the ocean, and then went back to the hotel. He was +not quite satisfied to drop the matter where it was. Something urged +him to pry further into the affairs of this young lady, whose case had +struck him as being singular.</p> + +<p>On examining the register, he found that she was registered as Miss +Madge Thurston, and assigned room 43.</p> + +<p>As nothing more offered, he sat down on the veranda, and watched the +stream of people that surged in and out of the hotel, and to and from +the beach—men, women, and children by the hundred, and yet there +were scarcely two faces alike.</p> + +<p>During the afternoon an elegant close carriage, drawn by a superbly +harnessed pair of high-stepping bays, which were in turn driven by a +liveried negro, came dashing down the avenue, and drew up before the +Brighton.</p> + +<p>A man of some thirty-five years of age leaped<span class="pagenum">[15]</span> from the carriage, and +entered the hotel—a man with a sinister yet handsome face, ornamented +with a sweeping mustache, and a pair of sharp, black eyes. He was +attired in spotless white duck, with patent-leather boots, and a white +"plug" hat, and was evidently a person of some importance!</p> + +<p>He soon came out of the hotel, accompanied by the young woman Fritz +had defended, and entering the carriage, they were whirled away down +the avenue out of sight.</p> + +<p>"Dot settles dot! My game's gone und I don'd got some professional +detective gase, there," Fritz growled, as he watched the receding +carriage. "I'll bet a half-dollar I neffer see dem again."</p> + +<p>But he was mistaken.</p> + +<p>That evening when the moon was sending a flood of brilliant light down +upon the long level beach, he was one of a thousand who took a stroll +along the water's edge, over the damp sands of the sea.</p> + +<p>He was thus engaged, and watching the great luminous moon which seemed +to have risen out of the distant watery waste, when a man touched him +upon the shoulder.</p> + +<p>"Excuse me," he said, respectfully, "but are<span class="pagenum">[16]</span> you Fritz, the young man +who took a young lady's part, on a ferry-boat near Philadelphia, +to-day?"</p> + +<p>"Vel, I dink I am, uff I recomember right. Vot of it?" Fritz replied.</p> + +<p>"Well, sir, you are wanted to bear witness to a marriage ceremony, +to-night, up the coast, and I was sent for you. Step this way, to the +carriage, sir."</p> + +<p>Scarcely knowing what was best to do, Fritz followed, got into an open +carriage, and was driven rapidly north along the beach, through the +romantic moonshine.</p> + +<p>But, how romantic was his little adventure destined to turn out? That +was what he asked himself, as he gazed doubtfully out upon the +greenish blue of mother ocean.<span class="pagenum">[17]</span></p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2> + +<p class="h3">THE STRANGE MARRIAGE.</p> + +<p>In the course of little over an hour, the carriage stopped at the +inlet, where Fritz was told to get out and take a small boat and row +across the water to the other shore, where he would find another +carriage to complete his journey in.</p> + +<p>He accordingly did as directed, and had soon crossed the inlet, found +the second carriage, and was once more rolling northward, along the +sandy beach.</p> + +<p>It seemed hours to him ere his conductor drew rein in front of a +jutting bluff which interrupted their further progress along the +beach, from the fact that it reached to the water's edge; for another +hour he followed the driver, a grim, uncommunicative fisherman, on +foot up a jagged path, which finally led into a lonely ocean cave +which the high tides of many centuries had washed out to about the +size of an ordinary room. A torch thrust in a crevice in<span class="pagenum">[18]</span> the rocky +wall, lit up the scene in rather a ghostly way.</p> + +<p>About in the center of the cave stood three parties—Madge, a +clerical-looking party, and another well-dressed man, with black hair +and full beard.</p> + +<p>He stepped forward as Fritz and the fisherman entered the cave, and +said:</p> + +<p>"Ah! I am glad you have come. Was fearing that you would not +accommodate us, sir."</p> + +<p>"Vel, I didn't vas know vedder to come or not," Fritz answered, "but +ash I am here, vot you want off me?"</p> + +<p>"I will tell you. The young lady yonder and myself are about to be +married, and, to make things legal, we prefer to have a couple of +witnesses to the ceremony. You will only be required to attach your +signature to the marriage certificate, and will then be taken back to +Atlantic City."</p> + +<p>"Vel, off dot ish all, go ahead mit der pizness," Fritz said, perching +himself on a rock. "I don'd know off id is a legal dransaction or not, +but I'll do vot ish right by der lady."</p> + +<p>"Then let's have the ceremony," the prospective bridegroom said. "Are +you ready, Madge?"<span class="pagenum">[19]</span></p> + +<p>"Quite ready," the young lady replied, smilingly.</p> + +<p>Then they clasped hands, and the aged clerical-looking gentleman read +a marriage-service, asked the usual questions, and pronounced them man +and wife.</p> + +<p>The parties to the consummation were announced as Miss Madge Thurston +and Major Paul Atkins.</p> + +<p>At the conclusion of the ceremony the clergyman filled out a +certificate, signed it himself, and then requested Fritz to come +forward and do likewise, and also the old fisherman.</p> + +<p>His request being obeyed, Major Atkins said:</p> + +<p>"Your favor is duly appreciated, Mr. Snyder, and, if an opportunity +offers, I shall be happy to be of service to you. You may now return +to town in the manner you came."</p> + +<p>Accordingly, Fritz did so, not a little puzzled at his adventure and +the strange wedding in the coast cave.</p> + +<p>Day was just beginning to lighten the eastern horizon when he arrived +back at Atlantic City, and went to his room for a nap.</p> + +<p>But he found that sleep would not come to his relief, and so he was +among the early fashionable bathers at the beach.<span class="pagenum">[20]</span></p> + +<p>After a good, refreshing bath he went back to the Brighton and took a +seat on the veranda.</p> + +<p>He had not been seated long when a rapidly driven carriage whirled up +before the hotel, and an elderly, portly man leaped out and hurried +into the hotel, his face flushed with excitement.</p> + +<p>He was well-dressed, wore a little bunch of gray side-whiskers on +either cheek, and was evidently all of sixty years of age.</p> + +<p>Fritz surveyed him closely with the short glimpse he got of him, and +then scratched his head as if in quest of an idea.</p> + +<p>"I'll bet a half-dollar I see into der whole pizness now," he +muttered, with a chuckle. "Id vas plainer ash mud to me. Dot couple +vot got married vas elopers mit each odder, und dis pe der old man on +der war-path after 'em, madder ash a hornet. Der next t'ing is, who +vas der bully veller, vot ish honest und haff der rocks to support dot +virtue?"</p> + +<p>After a few minutes the old gentleman came out of the hotel, and stood +looking out upon the ocean, with rather a savage expression of +countenance—and his was a face that could be very stern, when +occasion required it.</p> + +<p>"I don'd know vedder I better poke mine<span class="pagenum">[21]</span> nose inder dis pizness, or +not," Fritz muttered, taking a second survey of him. "He looks like +ash if he might swaller a veller off he got mad, und I don'd vas care +apoud imitadin' Jonah."</p> + +<p>As if interpreting his thoughts, the old gent turned rather gruffly, +and took a searching glance at the young man.</p> + +<p>"Well?" he said, "I suppose I look as if I wanted to cut some one's +throat, don't I?"</p> + +<p>Fritz laughed lightly.</p> + +<p>"Vel, I vas t'inking somedings like dot," he admitted.</p> + +<p>"I thought so. I ain't a fool; I know when I am mad, I <i>look</i> mad. Do +you know of any party around here who's particularly anxious to end +his career, and ain't got the grit to do the job?—I would like to +operate on such a chap."</p> + +<p>"You feels like ash off you could pulverize some one, eh?"</p> + +<p>"Humph! I'll contract to lay out the first man that durst look +cross-eyed at me. I'm mad, I am—mad as thunder, and I come from +Leadville, too, where they raise thunder occasionally. Bah! I wish +some one would step up and kick me!"</p> + +<p>"Well, I'm your man, if you really want a<span class="pagenum">[22]</span> <i>bona fide</i> job done!" +Fritz caused a pompous-looking man to say, who stood +near—ventriloquially, of course. "I'm the champion patent kicker from +Kalamazoo!"</p> + +<p>The old gent from Leadville turned and gazed at the pompous-looking +man a moment, his dander rising several degrees.</p> + +<p>"Oh! so you're anxious to kick me, are you, my Christian friend? You +want to kick me, do you?" he ejaculated.</p> + +<p>"Who has said anything about kicking you, sir?" the pompous party +demanded, in haughty surprise. "You'd evidently better go to bed and +sleep off your 'cups,' my friend."</p> + +<p>"I haven't drank a drop, sir, in ten years. And for you to deny +expressing a desire to boot me, sir—why, man, I heard you!"</p> + +<p>"You are a liar, sir; I said nothing of the kind. Besides, I am not in +the habit of picking quarrels with strangers."</p> + +<p>And with a shrug, the pompous man turned on his heel, and walked off, +indignantly.</p> + +<p>Leadville's angered delegate gazed after him a moment, with +unutterable contempt—then turned to Fritz:</p> + +<p>"Poor fool. He's no sand, or he'd not cut and run, after calling a man +a liar. Up in Leadville<span class="pagenum">[23]</span> things are supremely different, but here +alas! is a lack of back-bone. I say, young fellow, have you ever +cherished dreams of becoming rich?—a man of millions, as it were?"</p> + +<p>"Vel, I don'd know but I haff some off dose anxiety to get rich, vonce +in a vile," Fritz admitted.</p> + +<p>"Well, sir, I can tell you just how you can do it the easiest, if you +will stroll upon the beach with me."</p> + +<p>Accordingly Fritz arose, and sauntered down to the beach with this +eccentric Leadvillian, whoever he might prove to be.</p> + +<p>"Now, I suppose you'd like to know what I'm mad at," the old gent +began, pushing his gold-headed cane into the sand, as they strolled +along. "Well, before I tell you, I want to know who you are, and what +your business is?"</p> + +<p>"My name vos Fritz Snyder, und I vas vot you might call a +detective—or, dot is, I vas trying my luck at der pizness."</p> + +<p>"Indeed? Then perhaps it is well I have met you, for I have a case, +and if you can win that case, you can also win five thousand dollars. +How does that strike you?"</p> + +<p>"It hits me right vere I liff, ven I ish at home," Fritz grinned. +"Yoost you give me<span class="pagenum">[24]</span> der p'ints, und I'm your bologna, you can bet a +half-dollar on dot five t'ousand-dollar job. Vot's der lay—suicides, +murder, sdole somedings, or run avay mit anodder vife's veller?"</p> + +<p>"Neither. A girl has run away from her home, and is wanted—five +thousand dollars' worth. She is my daughter, and is a somnambulist, +and consequently of unsound mind, at times. She frequently goes into a +trance, and remains thus for weeks at a time, eating and drinking +naturally enough, but knowing nothing what she has been doing, when +she awakens—though to outward appearance, she is awake, when in this +trance, but not in her right mind. I have consulted eminent +physicians, but they pronounce her case incurable, and say she will +some day die in one of these trances."</p> + +<p>Here the man from Leadville grew pathetic in his story, and wiped a +tear from his eye; but finally went on:</p> + +<p>"Well, as you may imagine, I have had a deal of trouble with her, for +in her state of trance she has often robbed me of sums of money. And +wandered off, too, sometimes; but this last blow has been the most +severe. It came to my knowledge that she had become the prey of an +unprincipled Eastern rascal. He had<span class="pagenum">[25]</span> met her during her somnambulistic +wanderings, and prejudiced her against me, and caused her to rob not +only me but others, and surrender the stolen booty to him. On learning +this, myself and neighbors formed into a vigilance committee to hunt +the rascal down, but he took to his heels, and fled Eastward. A few +days later, my poor child turned up missing, and with her the sum of +twenty thousand dollars, which had been paid me from the sale of a +mine, and which I had lodged in my safe for safe keeping until I could +deposit it, the next day!"</p> + +<p>"Twenty t'ousand—so much ash dot?"</p> + +<p>"Yes—a big sum, and likewise nearly all the money I then possessed. I +immediately took up the trail, but egad! 'twas no use. The girl is +sharper than lightning, and eluded me at every turn. I found that her +destination was Eastward—doubtless to join her evil genius—and so I +telegraphed to Chicago and St. Louis for the detectives to look out, +and intercept her, if possible. But all to no avail. She was seen in +those places, but owing to some irregularity beyond my comprehension, +was not captured. When I arrived in Chicago, I found that she had two +days before left the city, Eastward<span class="pagenum">[26]</span> bound. I trailed her to +Philadelphia, and there lost all track of her. Thinking quite likely +she would come to this summer resort, I came on, to-day, in hopes of +striking the trail, but all to no avail. I have as yet heard of no +clew to her whereabouts."</p> + +<p>"Vel, dot ish purdy bad," Fritz assented. "Vot ish your name?"</p> + +<p>"My name is Thornton—I am a mining speculator from Leadville, +Colorado."</p> + +<p>"Und your daughter's name vos—?"</p> + +<p>"Madge. She is a pretty young maiden, aged eighteen, and left her home +very well dressed."</p> + +<p>"Und der feller vot vas pocketing der money—vot vos his name?"</p> + +<p>"It is hard to guess what his true name was. At Leadville he was +called Pirate Johnson—at Pueblo he was known as Griffith Gregg."</p> + +<p>"Gregg—Gregg?" Fritz said, meditatively. "I am on the look-out for a +man by that name. But my man is a smuggler."</p> + +<p>"This villain may be connected with any nefarious piece of rascality. +If I only had him here one or the other of us would get laid out—that +is as good as sworn to. God only knows what perils my poor child will +pass through before I succeed in finding her, if I ever do."<span class="pagenum">[27]</span></p> + +<p>"Vel, I reckon ve can find her, uff der ish such a t'ing in der +dictionary," Fritz asserted.</p> + +<p>He then went on to relate the particulars of his assisting the lady on +the boat, and of the marriage in the cave, which excited Mr. Thornton +greatly.</p> + +<p>"By Heaven! I see through it all! Madge Thurston is no more or less +than my daughter, and she has wedded this rascal, Atkins, who is one +and the same person who was the Gregg or Johnson out West. God forbid +that my child is married to such a wretch. Describe him."</p> + +<p>Fritz obeyed, giving a description according as he remembered the +bridegroom—also of the man who took Madge Thurston from the hotel.</p> + +<p>"The latter was undoubtedly Gregg," the speculator declared, "and the +other also, was, it is likely, disguised for the occasion, with a +false beard. Now, Fritz, I want you to help me find my child, and +break the neck of this rascal, and you shall have for reward the sum I +promised you. We'll search this world high and dry but what we'll +recover my child. Come, let's seek a conveyance to take us to the +cave."</p> + +<p>They accordingly went back to the Hotel Brighton, ate dinner, and +afterward secured a<span class="pagenum">[28]</span> carriage and set out for the scene of the strange +wedding the night before.</p> + +<p>And thus Fritz entered into a five-thousand-dollar chase, which was +destined to lead him into more adventures than he had yet +experienced.<span class="pagenum">[29]</span></p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2> + +<p class="h3">THE BLUFF HOUSE.</p> + +<p>In due time they arrived at the cave, where the ceremony of the +previous night had taken place, but a thorough search of the cavernous +wash-out failed to yield any tidings of the romantic lovers.</p> + +<p>"Pshaw! there's no use of further search in this direction; they have +long ere this set out for some other portion of the country, and we +are wasting time in tarrying here."</p> + +<p>"Mebbe dot ish so, but I dink dey vas go on up der coast, instead off +cum pack by Atlantic City."</p> + +<p>"Not impossible. In that case, it will be our best lead to go back to +Atlantic, take the cars to Philadelphia, and strike for some sea-coast +point ahead of them."</p> + +<p>"Dot vould pe a purty good idea vor you, but I t'ink better I remain +on der coast stardting vrom here, und follow der trail in der rear. +I'll bet a half-dollar I find 'em first, afore you do."<span class="pagenum">[30]</span></p> + +<p>"Very well. It shall be as you deem best. I will leave you here and +join you, or rather be there to meet you, when you reach Long Branch. +If nothing results in our favor by that time I'll decide what is the +next best course to pursue. Here is a hundred dollars, toward +defraying your expenses. If you need more, telegraph to Jim Thornton +at the Chalfonte, Long Branch, and I'll remit."</p> + +<p>And placing the sum of money in Fritz's possession, he soon after took +his departure.</p> + +<p>After he had gone, Fritz sat down on a rock in the mouth of the cave, +which overlooked the ocean, and gazed thoughtfully out upon the sunlit +waters.</p> + +<p>"Vel, here I vas—but der next question ish, vere vas I?" he +soliloquized. "I haff undertaken a job mitout any bases vor a +start-off. I kinder vish Rebecca vas here, too—but ash vishin' don'd +vas do some good, pizness is der next consideration."</p> + +<p>Night was not far distant, but he resolved to continue on up the coast +in hopes of finding a fisherman's house, where he could obtain food +and lodging.</p> + +<p>He accordingly left the cave and continued his journey. He soon came +to a level stretch<span class="pagenum">[31]</span> of beach again, and followed its northward course +for a number of miles—until sunset, when he found himself as far from +any human habitation as he had in the start.</p> + +<p>He accordingly sought a grassy spot, back from the beach, and lay down +to rest.</p> + +<p>Arising early the next morning, he struck out once more on his +journey, feeling decidedly anxious to find some kind of a human +habitation, as he was very hungry.</p> + +<p>He soon spied a farm-house, inland from the beach, and made for it in +double-quick time.</p> + +<p>A gruff-looking man sat upon the front veranda, as he entered the +well-kept yard, and eyed him with an expression of suspicion.</p> + +<p>"Well, what d'ye want, young man?" he demanded, sourly.</p> + +<p>"Grub—somedings to eat," Fritz replied, spiritedly. "I vas hungry +like ash a sucker after a hard winter."</p> + +<p>"Get out! I don't want no tramps about here. Clear, I say, or I'll set +the dog on you," the farmer growled, stamping on the veranda with his +cane.</p> + +<p>"But, I don'd vas no tramp, nor I don'd vas skeardt at der dogs!" +Fritz replied. "I vants some preakfast, und ish able to pay vor id +like a shendleman."<span class="pagenum">[32]</span></p> + +<p>"Go to a tavern, then. I don't keep no puttin'-up place."</p> + +<p>"But I don'd find some tavern, und I ain'd going no furder ondil I get +somedings to eat. So trot oud der best vot you haff, und I pay for +'em."</p> + +<p>"Didn't I tell you, you couldn't get something to eat here?" the man +cried, getting exasperated. Then he began whistling for the dog. "I'll +show you who runs this place."</p> + +<p>"All right! Fetch oud der canine," Fritz grinned, perching himself on +the fence, and taking a pistol from his pocket. "I yoost ash leave +haff dog steak ash peef stew. Anydings to fill up ven a veller vas +hungry."</p> + +<p>"What! how dare you, sir! I'll have you arrested for carrying +concealed weapons, you scamp!"</p> + +<p>"Den I haff you arrested vor causing cannibalism, py not giffin' a +veller somedings to eat. Come, now, mister; yoost set oud der vittles +und der von't pe no droubles; otherwise, der may be an exposure off +somedings!"</p> + +<p>The farmer started at Fritz's unmeaning declaration, and giving him a +swift, startled glance, arose and entered the house.</p> + +<p>Fritz noticed what effect his thoughtless shot<span class="pagenum">[33]</span> had had, and gave vent +to a low, peculiar whistle, denotive of surprise.</p> + +<p>"Hello! vot ish dose I've done?" he mused. "I give der old chap a sour +grape, dot time, all of which proves dot he is 'fraid off der exposure +off somedings, und don'd vas got a clear conscience. Vel, dot ish +purdy goot, too. Von t'ing leads to anodder—mebbe I vil discover +somedings else. Anyhow, I'm going to stay right here undil I gets +somedings to eat, und I reckon der old man vil fetch or send id."</p> + +<p>Nor was he wrong in his reckoning, for shortly afterward a plump and +pretty maid brought him out a tray of victuals that looked most +tempting.</p> + +<p>There was bread and butter, cold meat, cake, pie, apples, and a bowl +of rich milk. No wonder Fritz's eyes sparkled with satisfaction, as he +sat down upon the carriage-block, and received the offering.</p> + +<p>"I thank you more ash a t'ousand times," he said. "Der old man didn't +vas goin' to give me somedings, but I told him I would expose him, und +dot fixed him. Vot's der old crab's name, young lady?"</p> + +<p>The girl stared.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Sample, do you mean?" she asked, in surprise.<span class="pagenum">[34]</span></p> + +<p>"Yes, I reckon dot's der one—der old vinegar-barrel vot yoost sot on +der veranda. So his name vas Sample, eh? If he vas a sample off der +neighbors around here, I dinks I stop no more. He vas got a segret, +don'd he?"</p> + +<p>"How should I know, sir?"</p> + +<p>"Oh! vel, I didn't know but you might haff heard somedings."</p> + +<p>"If I had, I don't believe I should confess it to you," the maid +retorted. "When you get through eating leave the server on the block."</p> + +<p>"But, hold on—you ain'd going?"</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"But vait aw'ile! I say no. I vant to ask you some questions."</p> + +<p>"What?"</p> + +<p>"Vel, one t'ing—ish der a town somevere's near, on der coast?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, several."</p> + +<p>"Vot one is der nearest?"</p> + +<p>"Forsyth Landing."</p> + +<p>"Vot is der population?"</p> + +<p>"Four people."</p> + +<p>"Shimminy dunder! So mooch ash dot? Any old maids among der lot?"</p> + +<p>"Nary a maid!"</p> + +<p>"Vel, dot's all. Much obliged."<span class="pagenum">[35]</span></p> + +<p>After she had departed, Fritz finished his meal, and then resumed his +tramp along the lonely beach.</p> + +<p>Half an hour brought him to the landing, but he did not pause.</p> + +<p>Two rough-looking old sea-dogs were lounging outside a sort of a hut, +but their appearance did not inspire Fritz with any desire to +cultivate their acquaintance.</p> + +<p>About sunset he arrived at a far prettier spot than he had yet +encountered.</p> + +<p>A great bluff of land rolled up to an abrupt and precipitous ending at +the ocean's edge.</p> + +<p>In high tide it would be impossible to walk along the beach at the +base of the bluff, owing to the depth of water, while at low tide the +beach was quite bare.</p> + +<p>The evening tide was rolling in close to the base of the cliff, when +Fritz reached it, and so he paused and took a reconnoissance.</p> + +<p>Far up on the top of the bluff he saw a large, rambling, old house, in +a grove of trees, but whether it was deserted or not, he could not +tell.</p> + +<p>It looked so grim in the weird sunset light, and so isolated in its +lone watch by the sea that one might easily have fancied it an abode +of spooks, and their like.<span class="pagenum">[36]</span></p> + +<p>"I s'pect dot I'll haff to climb up und go around that bluff," Fritz +muttered, not at all liking the idea. "Uff a veller vas to try und +wade along der front, he'd like ash not get drowned, und dot vould pe +a duyfel off a fix. I wonder ef der folks who lif up yonder ar' +samples off dot Sample I met dis morning? Looks like ash uff it might +be a ghost factory."</p> + +<p>He was considering what was best to do, when he felt a tap upon his +shoulder, and wheeled about with a nervous start.</p> + +<p>Before him stood a ragged, frowsy-haired, bare-footed girl, some +sixteen or seventeen years of age—a girl with a well-rounded figure +of but medium stature, and a face at once peculiar and attractive, +from the sparkle of its eyes, the broad grin of its mouth, and the +amount of dirt gathered about it.</p> + +<p>She had evidently but recently emerged from the water, for her long +black hair as well as her wet garments were dripping with drops which +the dying sunlight transformed into diamonds.</p> + +<p>"Ha! ha! ha!" she laughed, putting her pretty arms akimbo, and staring +hard at Fritz. "Don't I look silly, though?"</p> + +<p>"Vel, I don'd know apoud dot. I dink der<span class="pagenum">[37]</span> abblication uff some water +mit your face vould make you look petter ash vot you are now!" Fritz +answered, somewhat puzzled.</p> + +<p>"Water! ha! ha! I just came out of the water. But oh! I'm so +silly—that's what everybody says, and I guess it must be so; anyhow, +they call me Silly Sue. Was you ever silly, boss?"</p> + +<p>"Vel, I don'd vas know so mooch apoud dot, vedder I vas or not," Fritz +replied, with a doubtful grin. "Do I look silly?"</p> + +<p>"Oh! lordy! you are the silliest-looking goose I ever saw. I never saw +a Yankee but what he was silly."</p> + +<p>"But I don'd vas be a Yankee!"</p> + +<p>"Get out! Don't dispute me! I know just who and what you are. You are +Neptune, come up from the bottom of the sea."</p> + +<p>"You lie like dunder!" Fritz retorted, backing up, and beginning to +get considerably alarmed, for he began to suspect that she was crazy. +"I vasn't no Neptune at all—no von but Fritz Snyder. Id's a vonder +you don'd call me Joner, vot swallered de valebone."</p> + +<p>"Nop! you're Neptune. Do you see the house up yonder?"</p> + +<p>"Vel, yes; vot off it?"<span class="pagenum">[38]</span></p> + +<p>"Oh! that's a high old roost. Ghosts and skeletons perch up there +after dark and grin and rattle their bones at you. They don't do it to +me, because I feed 'em snuff. Ha! ha! can you snuff the silly part of +that outrageous gag? Say, boss, where you going, ef it ain't askin' +too much?"</p> + +<p>"Vel, I don'd know dot myself."</p> + +<p>"Don't know where you're going?"</p> + +<p>"No; I vas huntin' vor somebody."</p> + +<p>"Oho! so am I! I was huntin' for some one, when I discovered +something, and they called me silly because I refused to tell what. +Well, good-day; swim over to England when you want to see me again."</p> + +<p>Then, with a peal of elfish laughter, she ran and sprung into the +water, and swam around the base of the cliff out of sight.</p> + +<p>"I'll pet a half-dollar dot gal vas drunk or crazy, von or der odder, +und der pest t'ing vor me to do is shlip avay vile I can!" Fritz +ejaculated.</p> + +<p>To think was to act with him, and he accordingly set out clambering up +the steep side of the bluff.</p> + +<p>In due time he reached the top and found a level spot of a couple of +acres extent, in the<span class="pagenum">[39]</span> center of which the house was situated, +surrounded by sentinel rows of sighing hemlocks. A general aspect of +desolation was perceptible on every hand, showing the premises to be +untenanted.</p> + +<p>The garden was grown up with rank weeds and the house weather-worn and +old, some of the shutters hanging by one hinge.</p> + +<p>It was a large structure of many queer gables, wings and projections, +and fronted upon a road which had been used to communicate with some +thoroughfare further inland.</p> + +<p>"Dot looks like ash uff it vas going to rain," Fritz muttered, gazing +at an ominous bank of clouds that was gathering in the west. "I dink +maybe I petter sday in der old house till morning, uff I und der +ghosts can agree. I don'd vas much affraid off ghosts, anyhow."</p> + +<p>And he evidently was not, for he boldly entered the house by the +creaking front-door and closed the door behind him.</p> + +<p>When the clouds had overspread the sky in an inky mass, and darkness +had set in around the gloomy edifice, two black-whiskered men came +along and stopped at the mansion.<span class="pagenum">[40]</span></p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2> + +<p class="h3">THE GHASTLY RELIC.</p> + +<p>Meantime Fritz had been in the old rookery some time prior to the +arrival of the bearded men.</p> + +<p>No sooner had he entered the large hall, and closed the door behind +him, than he felt a sort of dread of something, he knew not what. +There was a damp, musty, deathly smell about the place that he did not +quite like.</p> + +<p>"I don'd know vedder I vas afraid of ghosts or not," he soliloquized, +pausing and gazing around him. "It looks ash uff dis might be a blace +vere dey manufacture ghost shows; but somebody has liffed here vonce +upon a time."</p> + +<p>The carpet yet remained upon the floor of the long hall, and also upon +the staircase which led to the upper floor. There was also a large +picture hung upon the wall.</p> + +<p>Passing along the hall, Fritz tried each of the doors which opened off +from it, but in each instance he found them locked, and was unable to +effect an entrance.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Vel, dot looks like ash uff nopody vas to home," he muttered. "I'll +try der upstairs part, und if I don'd haff no better success, I vil +stay out mit der hall."</p> + +<p>He accordingly ascended the hall staircase, and proceeded to take a +tour of the upper part of the rambling old structure.</p> + +<p>Here the doors were all locked, with one exception, and this had +evidently been left as locked, the bolt being turned, but the door not +having been tightly closed, the bolt failed to enter the socket.</p> + +<p>Opening this door, Fritz entered, and found himself in a large +furnished apartment, there being a carpet, old and moth-eaten, upon +the floor; several pieces of stuffed furniture, which had also been +victims of moth and worm, and a large round oaken table in the center +of the room.</p> + +<p>And over this, suspended by a cord, which was fastened to the ceiling, +was an object which caused Fritz to utter a grunt of startled alarm.</p> + +<p>It was a man's head, cut from the body at the throat, and held in +suspension by a cord fastened to the long hair.</p> + +<p>The head had probably hung there for a year<span class="pagenum">[42]</span> or so, for the flesh had +dried down upon the bones. The eyes, however, retained their glassy +stare, the teeth showed to ghastly advantage, and the heavy black +mustache and goatee bristled ferociously.</p> + +<p>Fritz gave a startled cry, and his hair fairly raised on end, as he +beheld the strange spectacle, but the longer he stared at it, the less +his alarm, and he finally advanced into the room.</p> + +<p>"By shimminy—I vas skeardt like ash der duyfel at first, put now I +don'd vas a bit afraid. Somepody hang dot up there yoost for a +scare-crow. Uff der ghosts vas to see it, I'll bet a half-dollar dey +vould run."</p> + +<p>Just then there was a flash of lightning and a heavy roll of thunder, +which caused Fritz to start, and give a nervous glance at the swinging +head.</p> + +<p>"I don'd quite vas like id here," he muttered, uneasily. "I'd makes a +veller t'ink he's goin' der get smashed up effery minute. I vonder vot +dey keep up there?" and his eyes rested upon an aperture in the +ceiling, such as is often provided in houses as a means of reaching +the roof. A stout rope hung down through this opening to the floor of +the room, and had evidently been used to climb up into the attic.<span class="pagenum">[43]</span></p> + +<p>Fritz was just contemplating it, when a sound of footsteps in the hall +outside aroused him to quicker thoughts.</p> + +<p>"I'll bet a half-dollar it's a ghost comin'," he gasped, the tendency +of his hair being again decidedly upward. "But, it was a cold day ven +dey scalb me mit der tommyhawk, ash long ash I can climb."</p> + +<p>Accordingly, up the rope he went, hand-over-hand, with the agility of +a monkey, and soon gained the attic immediately above the chamber.</p> + +<p>It was a dark, ill-smelling place, and so far as Fritz could see, used +for no particular purpose whatever.</p> + +<p>Ensconcing himself directly beside the aperture through which he had +come up, Fritz prepared to await developments.</p> + +<p>He was not a little anxious to know who the new-comer was—whether a +human or spiritual being, for if the latter, he had a curiosity to +inspect it.</p> + +<p>In a few moments the door opened and a strapping Irishman stalked into +the chamber, a lank, lean specimen of humanity, with a Killkenny face, +red hair, a fringe of reddish beard under his lower jaw, extending to +his ears, and<span class="pagenum">[44]</span> attired in brogans, short pantaloons, and a blue +soldier coat, with a grimy clay pipe in his mouth, and battered plug +hat on his head. Of the "rale old" race of Irishmen, he was certainly +a good specimen.</p> + +<p>"Arrah! sure it's divil one room but they have locked, an' a sorry +place it is, too, for a dacent Irish gintlemon—an the son of a duke +at that! Bad 'cess to sich a counthry, onny-how. It's wurruk like the +divil for a bit of grub, and when a mon gits out ov wurruk sure +stomick has to pay for it. If yez ax a mon will he be afther givin' +yez a nip off bread, he tell yez, 'Arrah! off wid ye, ye murdtherin' +tromp, or I'll sick tha purrup on yez!' bedad."</p> + +<p>"I'll yoost pet half-dollar der Irishman vas pin stoppin' mit +Samples!" Fritz muttered, with a grin, taking a peep at the son of +Erin. "He vas hungry like as vot I vas. Vonder off he haff discovered +der skelegon, yet avile."</p> + +<p>The Hibernian had not, evidently, for he was perched composedly +beneath the suspended head.</p> + +<p>"Sorry a place this is for the son of a duke," he went on muttering. +"Sure, it looks as if the ould divil himself had been here. Guess this +property would be sellin' moighty cheap,<span class="pagenum">[45]</span> tha while. Ugh!" as a heavy +clap of thunder caused the house to shake from stem to stern, "a sorry +wild night it's a-goin' to be, an' it's meself that's wishin' I was +back forninst the furdther side av the big puddle."</p> + +<p>"Ha! ha!" laughed Fritz, throwing his voice to the farther side of the +room.</p> + +<p>"Yis, ha! ha! bad 'cess to the loikes av yez, whoever ye may be!" the +Irishman cried, fiercely, gazing in vain around the apartment, in +search of the author of the laugh.</p> + +<p>"Ho! ho! itchy, dirdty Irish!" Fritz caused a different voice to say, +in a still opposite part of the room.</p> + +<p>"No, I'm divil a wan av the likes!" the son of Erin cried, getting +angry. "Bad luck to yez! ef I gits me hands on yez, it's a divil's own +trouncin' you'll get, ontirely. I'll have yez know my name is Patrick +Grogan, an' it's the dacent, gintlemonly son av a duke and a duchess I +am, bedad."</p> + +<p>"A son off a gun, more likely. Look out, you bloody Irish, or I vil +spit on you!" Fritz caused the suspended head to say, in a hoarse, +gurgling voice.</p> + +<p>"Aha! it's spittin' on me yez'll be, eh?" the Hibernian cried, leaping +from his seat, his<span class="pagenum">[46]</span> walking-stick in hand—a formidable piece of real +thorn. "Oh! you black-livered omadhaun, if I catch yez, <i>won't</i> I +tache yez to be dacent and civil to a gintlemon!"</p> + +<p>Then, chancing to glance upward, he saw for the first the swinging +head, and in utter horror dropped upon his knees and raised his hands +upward in supplication.</p> + +<p>"Oh, holy Virgin Mary, protect me!" he howled, his terrified gaze +glued upon the unsightly object. "Oh, murdtherin Maria! och, bad luck! +fot have I done, Mr. Divil? shure it's nary a thing wrong I've did, +nor sthalin' I've never been guilty of!"</p> + +<p>"You vas von son-off-a-sea-cook!" came from the head.</p> + +<p>"Yis—och, sure I'se anything yez wants, Mr. Divil! only don't be +afther hurtin' the loikes av me!"</p> + +<p>"Then arise, dirdty Irish, and climb into the attic, before the +spirits come to wrap their icy clutches around you!"</p> + +<p>"Sure, I'll be afther goin'," Pat cried, and he did go—not up the +rope, but out of the room, as fast as he could go.</p> + +<p>Nor did he pause until outside of the house, as Fritz could tell by +the sound of his rapidly retreating footsteps.<span class="pagenum">[47]</span></p> + +<p>"Vel, dot vas purdy goot fun," Fritz muttered with a grin. "I dink I +vil vait dil some vone else comes."</p> + +<p>He had not long to wait before footsteps sounded once more, coming up +the stairs, just as the storm broke loose outside, and torrents of +rain poured down upon the roof, while the thunder rumbled ominously.</p> + +<p>Presently two men entered, one carrying a lantern, for it was now +quite dark.</p> + +<p>Both were roughly dressed and brutal-looking fellows, wearing heavy +black beards.</p> + +<p>"Humph!" was Fritz's mental comment, as he beheld them. "I'll bet a +half-dollar I smells von mice. Uff I haff not made a big mistake, I +dinks I haff stumbled right inder the smugglers' den vot I am looking +for."</p> + +<p>It was only a sudden suspicion, to be sure; nevertheless it struck him +very forcibly.</p> + +<p>One of the men set the lantern upon the table, and then perched +himself beside it, while the other sat down upon a chair and gazed +speculatively at the ghastly object which hung suspended from the +ceiling.</p> + +<p>"I wonder how long afore the rest o' ther boys will be here," he +growled.</p> + +<p>"Dunno," the other fellow replied. "Hope<span class="pagenum">[48]</span> they'll come afore long and +settle the matter, so that we'll know what we've got to do."</p> + +<p>"How d'ye think it's going?"</p> + +<p>"Dunno. Reckon the majority'll be ag'in' the poor cuss."</p> + +<p>"I'm thinkin' that way, too. I kinder hope not, though, for I don't +fancy the job."</p> + +<p>"Pshaw! you're chicken-hearted, without cause. He's never made love to +you."</p> + +<p>"Darn it, no; but he's too fine a specimen of manhood to feed to the +sharks."</p> + +<p>"Pooh! Many's the one better'n he wot's enriched the bottom o' the +sea. I wonder who the Irishman was, we met at the front?"</p> + +<p>"Some tramp, I allow, who'd sought a night's shelter here, and got +skeered at our friend Bill," and he glanced at the swinging head with +a laugh. "Hello! I say, Bill, how are you getting along in your new +place o' residence?"</p> + +<p>"First-rate!" apparently answered the grinning head, followed by a +ghostly sort of a gurgling laugh.</p> + +<p>"Jehosaphat!" cried the questioner, leaping to his feet. "Thunder and +lightning! Did ye hear that, Hand?"</p> + +<p>"Waal, I should murmur," Hank grunted,<span class="pagenum">[49]</span> leaving the table with a +spring, and landing near the door. "What the devil's the matter?"</p> + +<p>"Cussed ef the cadaver o' Bill Budge didn't speak," the first man +cried.</p> + +<p>"Git out! Budge has bin dead over a year; how in thunder could he +speak?"</p> + +<p>"Mebbe his spirit hes come back inter his head."</p> + +<p>"Pooh! impossible! It was our fancy; we didn't hear nothin'," Hank +growled, edging a little nearer to the door.</p> + +<p>"You're a liar!" thundered a voice, seeming to come directly from +between the pearly teeth of the suspended head, and to make matters +worse, the head began to swing slowly to and fro.</p> + +<p>With howls and curses, the two masked men made the hastiest kind of an +exit from the room and down the stairs, while Fritz in the attic was +convulsed with laughter.</p> + +<p>"Dot was better as half-a-dozen suppers, py shimminy!" he snorted, +holding his sides.</p> + +<p>All was now quiet for some time, except for the howling of the storm +without.</p> + +<p>But, finally, footsteps were again heard, and eight men, all masked +but one, filed into the room.<span class="pagenum">[50]</span></p> + +<p>The eighth man was a young man, of prepossessing appearance, unmasked, +and had his hands bound behind his back.</p> + +<p>He was better dressed than his grim captors, and there was a fearless, +cool expression upon his face, that at once won Fritz's admiration.</p> + +<p>"Ha! Hank and Jim have been here already, and gone!" a tall, +broad-shouldered member of the party said. "They'll be back directly, +no doubt. And now, Hal Hartly, we will proceed to review your case, +and dispose of it according to the decision of the majority."</p> + +<p>"Go ahead, captain!" the prisoner replied, calmly. "I am as well +prepared now, as I shall be."<span class="pagenum">[51]</span></p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2> + +<p class="h3">BILL BUDGE'S CONVERSATION.</p> + +<p>To Fritz, the scene below of course began to grow more interesting.</p> + +<p>"Dot veller vas goin' to pe tried for somedings," he muttered, "und +vot ish more, uff der verdict don't vas in his favor, he vas goin' der +git sp'iled."</p> + +<p>Young Hartly if his thoughts were in the same channel as those of the +watcher, didn't appear very much troubled about the matter, for he +perched himself upon the table, while the six jurors sat in a +semicircle facing him, and the captain a little to one side.</p> + +<p>"Well, sir, what have you to say, Hartly, in regard to this suspicion +which has arisen against you—that you are a traitor to our cause?"</p> + +<p>"Nothing, sir, except that whoever started the suspicion, is a liar +and a coward!" was the retort.</p> + +<p>"Then, you deny that you have ever betrayed<span class="pagenum">[52]</span> the existence of this +band, outside of its own membership?"</p> + +<p>"I do most emphatically. What assurance have you, that any one has +betrayed you?"</p> + +<p>"Is it not ample proof, when strange men haunt this vicinity, and +haunt the members to their very doors? These law-sharks, or +detectives, only wait for some disclosure, to spring their traps on me +and my faithful followers."</p> + +<p>"I am not to blame. Though forced into service against my will, and +made to swear the oath of allegiance, rather than lose my life, I have +kept such secrets as came into my possession. I believe I know who has +excited the suspicious feeling against me."</p> + +<p>"Well, sir, who?"</p> + +<p>"Your rascally son, for one—your jealous daughter, for another," +Hartly replied, shrugging his shoulders with a contemptuous laugh.</p> + +<p>"How dare you term my son rascally, sir, and accuse my child of +jealousy?"</p> + +<p>"Because the boy is as unprincipled a villain as yourself, and as for +your daughter, when she found that I did not court her favor, she at +once turned against me. I despise both your son and your daughter, +Captain Gregg, and that is<span class="pagenum">[53]</span> all I have to say, except that I am not +guilty of the charge preferred against me."</p> + +<p>"That remains to be told by the jury. You see the head of Bill Budge, +just above you, Hartly? He was caught in an intended act of treachery, +and you see his end. If Bill could speak, he'd tell you that the fate +of the traitor is hard."</p> + +<p>"You're a cussed liar!" Budge's suspended remnant seemed to say, in a +deep, hoarse voice.</p> + +<p>The captain and the jury uttered each a startled oath, and gazed at +the offending head in astonishment.</p> + +<p>"Who called me a liar?" Gregg demanded, fiercely. "By the gods, I +thought it was Budge's lips that uttered those words."</p> + +<p>"So it was!" the head seemed to say; then there was a gurgling sort of +laugh, and the head shook, perceptibly.</p> + +<p>"Ten thousand furies!" Gregg yelled, and hastily wrenching open the +door, he made a hasty exit from the room, followed by the jurors—nor +did they stop, short of the bottom of the stairs.</p> + +<p>Hartly did not leave the room, but dismounting from his perch upon the +table, walked off a<span class="pagenum">[54]</span> few paces to where he could get a good look at +Budge's unfortunate pate.</p> + +<p>"Something deuced funny, here, I'm blowed if there ain't!" he +soliloquized, apparently quite composed. "It's the first time I have +ever heard dead men talk. I say, Budge, how's the temperature up your +way?"</p> + +<p>"Two t'ousand degrees above blood heat," seemed to issue from between +the gleaming teeth.</p> + +<p>"Humph! pretty warm, that, I must admit," Hartly said, looking still +more puzzled.</p> + +<p>Fritz, while perpetrating the ventriloquism, was also listening and +planning.</p> + +<p>"Dot veller Hartly is der very chap to helb me oud mit my scheme," he +muttered, "und ve must escape from here, pefore der smugglers return."</p> + +<p>Accordingly he slid down the rope into the room below.</p> + +<p>Hartly looked surprised.</p> + +<p>"Who the deuce are you?" he demanded, stepping back a pace.</p> + +<p>"Fritz Snyder, detective," Fritz replied. "I come here on pizness—vot +for, you can easily guess. I vant you to helb me oud mit it, und I vil +see dot you haff your liberty."<span class="pagenum">[55]</span></p> + +<p>"Ha! ha! that's your game, is it? Well, my friend, I'd like to do it, +first-rate, but I can not oblige you."</p> + +<p>"Vy not?"</p> + +<p>"Because I swore allegiance to the cause you would have me betray, and +it never shall be said that Hal Hartly was not a man of his word!"</p> + +<p>"But I heard you say dot you vas forced inder der pizness."</p> + +<p>"So I was, against my will, but that does not lessen the obligations +of my oath. While I live, I shall adhere to my sworn promise."</p> + +<p>"You vas foolish—you don'd vil get any credit for your resolve. Yoost +ash like ash not you will pe killed, on der suspicion dot's already +against you."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps. If so, I shall submit, knowing I have been innocent of +breaking my word."</p> + +<p>"Pshaw! dis vos all nonsense! You don'd vas vant to die no more ash +any odder man. Let me cut der bonds vot fastens your arm, und ve vill +climb up to der attic und escape vrom der roof to some place where we +vil pe safe, undil we can make arrangements to break oop dis +smugglers' league."</p> + +<p>"Nothing would please me more, but owing<span class="pagenum">[56]</span> to my oath, I must +positively refuse to do anything of the kind," Hartly persisted, +firmly. "I admire your proposed attempt, and while I shall do nothing +to interrupt it, I can not conscientiously do anything to help it +along. Can you enlighten me any as to the mystery of this head, which, +though not possessed of life, yet uses its voice so naturally?"</p> + +<p>"I dells you noddings apoud it," Fritz replied, shaking his head. +"Hark!"</p> + +<p>"Yes! I hear it. It is Gregg and the boys coming back. Quick! or you +will be seen!"</p> + +<p>Fritz made haste to shin up the rope to the garret once more, and had +barely succeeded in so doing when the smugglers, headed by Captain +Gregg, once more entered the room.</p> + +<p>They did not come boldly in, but thrust their heads in and took a look +around first.</p> + +<p>Seeing that no harm had come to Hartly, they then ventured in.</p> + +<p>"Ha! ha! you're brave fellows, ain't you?" he laughed. "I didn't cut +tail and run, although I have not even the use of my hands."</p> + +<p>"You're cussed brave, all at once!" Gregg growled, evidently not +liking the taunt. "Did that thing speak again?" with a wry glance at +the guiltless pate of the departed Budge.<span class="pagenum">[57]</span></p> + +<p>"Of course. I've had quite a chat with William," Hartly replied. "He +says he's in a very warm latitude at present, and so he's come back +spiritually for a short cooling off!"</p> + +<p>Gregg uttered an oath.</p> + +<p>"Pooh! I don't believe such bosh."</p> + +<p>"But it's a fact, nevertheless. Budge says they've got a little corner +left up in his country for you, too, when you get ready to emigrate, +which will be mighty soon, judging by the active preparations that are +being made to receive you, such as gathering kindling wood, making +matches, and the like."</p> + +<p>"Curse you, they'll git you first!" the smuggler said, with vicious +emphasis. "Go ahead, boys, an' tell him the decision you've made."</p> + +<p>"Well, we've concluded that Hal Hartly is a traitor to our cause, and +for the sake of protection it will be necessary to feed him to the +fishes!" one of the jurors said. "Eh, ain't that the ticket, boys!"</p> + +<p>A grunt of assent from the others was the answer.</p> + +<p>"Then it shall be so," Captain Gregg ordered. "I am sorry for you, +Hartly, but treachery merits death, as you were informed when you +joined. As an organization which must<span class="pagenum">[58]</span> exist in secrecy, we are forced +to adopt harsh rules. Your companions have carefully weighed all the +evidence, and have decided that the safety of the organization demands +your death. As you have sown, so shall you reap."</p> + +<p>"Do you mean this, Captain Gregg?"</p> + +<p>"I do, sir, emphatically."</p> + +<p>"Then you shall live to repent ever having pronounced my doom. +Henceforth I shall not consider my oath of allegiance obligatory, as I +have hitherto done. I'll show you what harm I can do your vile +organization."</p> + +<p>"But you shall have no chance. Jim Hovel and his brother have already +consented to sink you to the bottom of the Atlantic for a stated sum, +and thus rid us of you effectually. They are waiting below for you, as +it is a safe night for such work. If you have any prayers to make, you +had better make the best use of your time."</p> + +<p>"I'll suit myself about that, you villain!"</p> + +<p>"Numbers two and three, take the prisoner down-stairs!" the captain +ordered.</p> + +<p>Two of the smugglers seized hold of poor Hartly, and led him from the +room.</p> + +<p>Up in the attic. Fritz was in a predicament. The majority of the +smugglers yet remained in<span class="pagenum">[59]</span> the room below, and he could not get out of +the house in that way, as was his desire, to make an attempt if +possible to rescue Hal Hartly.</p> + +<p>The only course left for him was to escape through a trap-door onto +the roof, and trust to luck in getting to the ground from there.</p> + +<p>"Dot veller vas von big fool for not acceptin' my advice," he mused, +as he fumbled cautiously around in the darkness. "Yoost like ash not +dey vil pe gone off mit him, ven I git down dere, und den he vil pe a +goner, sure ash der dickens."</p> + +<p>It required several minutes to find the trap in the roof, and it was +no slight job to displace it.</p> + +<p>When he had accomplished this much, however, it was but a moment's +work to clamber out upon the roof in the pouring rain and replace the +door.</p> + +<p>"Py shimminy, dot vas a hard storm," he soliloquized. "Der ocean +grunts as uff she vas got der dispeppersy. Now der next t'ing ish +somedings else. Der roof vas slippery ash von soap ladle, und first I +know der vil pe a dead Dutchmon spilled someveres over t'e ground."<span class="pagenum">[60]</span></p> + +<p>That portion of the main roof of the building was quite steep, and the +eaves were at least twenty-five feet from the ground.</p> + +<p>Not fancying the idea of a drop of that distance, the young detective +crawled to the ridge, to reconnoiter.</p> + +<p>On the other side of the ridge, the roof sloped down to meet a gable, +from where the gable's roof took another descent, so as to bring the +eaves about seven feet nearer to the ground.</p> + +<p>Aside from this there was no possible way of reaching <i>terra firma</i>.</p> + +<p>"Eighteen feet! I don'd know vedda I can stand dot or no. I must try +it, however, or Hal Hartly vas a dead codfish sure."</p> + +<p>Using extreme caution, he slid from one ridge to the other, and then +from that to the eaves, from where he was to drop.</p> + +<p>"Vel, here's der blace vere I don'd vas so much tickled. But pizness +vas pizness, und a veller don'd vas can rise in der vorld vidout +dropping sometimes; so here goes!" he muttered.</p> + +<p>And clinging to the eaves for a second, he let himself drop.</p> + +<p>Down—down he went, with great velocity,<span class="pagenum">[61]</span> and finally struck upon +something softer than mother earth, from which he tumbled end over end +to the ground.</p> + +<p>The following instant a wild, unearthly howl rent the night.</p> + +<p>"Och! murther—murther!" shrieked a man's voice; "I'm kilt! I'm kilt! +Och! Holy Vargin Mary save me!"</p> + +<p>It was the Irishman's voice. It was upon him that Fritz had first +alighted, and he was probably badly jarred up, for he continued to hop +around and yell at the top of his voice.</p> + +<p>To make matters worse, the door of the house opened, and Gregg and his +followers came pouring out.<span class="pagenum">[62]</span></p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2> + +<p class="h3">ON THE SCENT.</p> + +<p>Fritz had been stunned a little, even after tumbling off from the +yelping Irishman; still, he had sense enough to struggle to his feet +on seeing the smugglers rush from the building.</p> + +<p>"Shut oop!" he cried, addressing Grogan. "The smugglers are upon us! +Draw your wippons, if you have any, and fire!"</p> + +<p>"Dom tha wippons!" Grogan howled, refusing to hear to reason. "Och! +holy Vargin! it's kilt sure I am ontirely!"</p> + +<p>"Helloo! what the devil is the matter here?" the captain shouted, +waving his lantern on high. "Who is it that's making all this noise?"</p> + +<p>"Spies—detectives!" suggested one of his companions. "Shoot 'em +down!"</p> + +<p>"Hurrah! Death to the spy!" cried a third, and then they made a rush +forward and seized upon Pat, despite his lively use of his "bit o' +buckthorn" on the defensive.</p> + +<p>Perceiving that he was not seen, Fritz crawled<span class="pagenum">[63]</span> softly away to a safe +distance, and then paused to gaze back.</p> + +<p>The yelling had ceased in the vicinity of the house, and the lantern +light had disappeared from view, leaving naught but blank darkness and +the pouring rain, which came down monotonously but heavily.</p> + +<p>"I'll bet a half-dollar dot they've choked der life oud off dot duke's +son-off-a-gun," Fritz muttered, creeping under the cover of a dense +tree. "I vonder off I proke any of his pones ven I lit on him. By +shimminy! he must haff a gonstitution like a mule, or I'd 'a' smashed +him all to sausage meat."</p> + +<p>Evidently something was to pay, for, except the sound of the storm and +the dashing of the ocean against the bluff, all was quiet. The +smugglers had either killed Grogan on the spot or taken him back into +the house with them.</p> + +<p>And poor Hartly—what had become of him?</p> + +<p>That was the question which troubled Fritz far more than the fate of +the lean man from Kilkenny.</p> + +<p>"He vas a gone-up goose now anyhow, und I don'd suppose id vil do some +great deal off good to vorry apoud him, only I vish I could haff saved +him," he mused.<span class="pagenum">[64]</span></p> + +<p>It was a wild night at the best, and Fritz heartily wished that he was +back in Philadelphia, sitting in the old pawnbroker-shop, beside his +girl, Rebecca.</p> + +<p>Still, he would not willingly have given up what he had learned in +reference to the smugglers' league for a good deal, and he was +resolved to hang to the matter attentively, until he should be able to +trip and trap the rogues and break up their existence as an +organization.</p> + +<p>Knowing of no other available shelter in the vicinity, he resolved to +linger under the tree until the smugglers should leave the building, +when he would once more take possession.</p> + +<p>The night was well advanced, however, when he heard them leave in a +body, and start off down the lonely road.</p> + +<p>On first thought, he was tempted to follow them, but a cold blast of +wind from off the ocean warned him that he was wet to the skin, and +the best thing he could do would be to get under roof and dry off.</p> + +<p>He accordingly went back into the deserted house, and sat down in the +lower hall. Though not cowardly, he had no desire to keep further +company with the grinning skull of the<span class="pagenum">[65]</span> late lamented Budge, whoever +he may have been.</p> + +<p>Rolling up one end of the old carpet he converted it into a sort of +pillow, and lay down, out of the draft.</p> + +<p>Sleep soon came to his relief, and he slept soundly until morning, +when he was awakened by the sun shining in his face, through a rear +hall window.</p> + +<p>Rising, he went out-of-doors to reconnoiter, and consider what was +best to do next.</p> + +<p>It was a clear, glorious morning after the storm; the sun shone +brightly, and a soft salt breeze blew off from the ocean, which was at +once refreshing and invigorating.</p> + +<p>But it was not this sort of refreshment that Fritz now yearned for. He +had had nothing to eat since the previous morning, and was decidedly +hungry and faint.</p> + +<p>"Dose fellers don'd vas can live a good vays from here, vot I saw, +last night," he mused, "but, ten to one uff I ask 'em for somedings to +eat, dey bounce me oud."</p> + +<p>He advanced to the northern edge of the bluff, and took a look in that +direction.</p> + +<p>To his surprise he saw, not more than a half mile away, a little +village, nestling near the beach.<span class="pagenum">[66]</span></p> + +<p>This village, for charity's sake, we will call Millburg, as that name +will answer quite us well as any other.</p> + +<p>There might have been a hundred buildings, all told, and it was +evidently a fishing hamlet, as a number of small boats, and smacks, +were drawn up along the beach.</p> + +<p>Just outside the breakers, an ocean steamship, of small size and trim +build, was anchored. Upon her sides was painted in large letters the +word, "Countess."</p> + +<p>"I don'd know petter I go down there, or not," Fritz muttered, gazing +down upon the village. "I don'd vas know, neider, vich job I better +look to, first—der smuggler pizness, or der girl pizness. For der +latter I haff der bromise of five t'ousand dollars—for der former, I +like ash not get paid off mit a proken head. Still I don'd vant to +leave dis blace ondil I trip und trap der game, und turn id over to +der law, for dis is der whole game, sure!"</p> + +<p>After some deliberation he decided to go down to the village. The +people would not offer him any molestation, probably, unless he gave +them cause to suspect him, and he resolved to be constantly upon his +guard.<span class="pagenum">[67]</span></p> + +<p>Descending from the bluff, he walked along the beach, and finally +entered the little burg.</p> + +<p>It was rather a rough-looking place, built up of weather-worn wooden +shanties, a few stores, and a sort of tavern.</p> + +<p>There were, however, two imposing residences, on opposite sides of the +only street, which were built of stone, and set down in large shaded +lawns.</p> + +<p>Passing up the street, Fritz was the target for many curious glances +of rough-looking men, who sat in their doorways, but, paying no +attention to them, he entered the tavern and purchased his breakfast, +to which he was able to do full justice.</p> + +<p>Afterward he came out in the bar-room and sat down.</p> + +<p>A half a dozen rough-looking fellows were lounging about, who, to +judge from their looks, were in the habit of ingulfing more grog than +was good for them.</p> + +<p>Then the landlord, who kept a close watch over them, was the fattest +specimen of manhood Fritz had seen; his girth was something enormous. +He was not a villainous-looking man, like the rest, and this fact +impressed Fritz more favorably than anything else he saw about the +premises.<span class="pagenum">[68]</span></p> + +<p>During the forenoon a well-dressed, fine-looking man, with iron-gray +hair and mustache, galloped up to the tavern on horseback. He looked +as if he had been reared in luxury, for there was that haughtiness of +mien that betokened the arrogant aristocrat.</p> + +<p>"Good-morning, John," he said, as the tavern-keeper waddled to the +door. "Will you send up a basket of champagne during the day, and a +barrel of good ale—the champy for her ladyship, the countess, you +know, and the ale for the villagers. Going to have a sort of a +jollification at the lawn to-night, you know, in honor of the arrival +of the countess, and want you all to turn out."</p> + +<p>Then he galloped on, quite as airily as he had come.</p> + +<p>"Who vas dot big-feelin' rooster?" Fritz asked, when John re-entered +the tavern.</p> + +<p>"That? Why, that's Honorable Granby Greyville," the fat man +replied—"the rich haristocrat who owns most of the land hereabouts. A +right big-feeling man, too, as you say."</p> + +<p>"Granby Greyville, eh?" Fritz commented, under his breath. "Vel, dot +ish funny. I thought sure dot was Captain Gregg, der smuggler, und I +don'd vas so much foolished<span class="pagenum">[69]</span> apoud it yet. I'll pet a half-dollar I +find oud somedings pefore I leave der blace."</p> + +<p>Resolved to remain a few days in the village for the purpose of +prospecting, Fritz made himself at home about the hotel.</p> + +<p>One suspicion after another was gradually occurring to him, and he was +not slow to give them a thorough consideration prior to putting them +to test.</p> + +<p>Of all things, he was desirous of attending the "jollification," as +the horseman had termed it, with a view of seeing the countess, who, +he learned, had lately arrived from England, in her own steamship, for +a few weeks' stay upon the Atlantic coast, and a visit to her +prospective husband, Greyville.</p> + +<p>During the afternoon a man entered the tavern, who evidently had +"blood in his eye." His whole appearance seemed to indicate that he +was anxious to have a fight with some one, and was not particular who +it was.</p> + +<p>He was a large, raw-boned fellow, with great muscular development; his +face was large, with a bristling stubble of black beard upon the lower +portion; his eyes were dark and wild, his hair silvered with broad +streaks of white, and worn in a shaggy, unkempt mass.<span class="pagenum">[70]</span></p> + +<p>His mouth was large, and his teeth projected beyond his lips, in a +horrible manner.</p> + +<p>His attire, too, was ragged and greasy, with clumsy, stogy boots upon +his feet, and a dilapidated hat upon his head.</p> + +<p>On entering the room, he paused and glared around him, as if in search +of some one on whom to vent his wrath.</p> + +<p>"Well, Bully Jake, what'll ye have!" the tavern-keeper demanded, with +a frown, for the ruffian was evidently an unwelcome intruder.</p> + +<p>"Waal, I don't keer ef I do take a drap o' likker!" the man growled, +glaring around.</p> + +<p>"You to blazes! I mean, what d'ye want here?" Fat John grunted.</p> + +<p>"A fureigner—a fureigner! Ye know I'm death on 'em, an' thar can't +none o' 'em can stay around hyar, while I hev things <i>my</i> way."</p> + +<p>"What foreigner is there here, now?"</p> + +<p>"A Dutch cuss, blarst his eyes! Thar he sets," and he indicated Fritz +who was tipped back in one corner. "Oh! but I'll go through him, +though! I'll pulverize and sow him to the seven winds of the earth."</p> + +<p>Then, with a tragic stride, he made for Fritz, pausing but a few paces +away from him, and shaking his fist fairly in his face.<span class="pagenum">[71]</span></p> + +<p>"You, look!" the ruffian cried. "D'ye know who I am?"</p> + +<p>"Vel, I dinks I don'd vas haff made your acquaintance!" Fritz replied, +retaining his seat, but on guard for an attack, if one was made.</p> + +<p>"Ho! ho! I reckon not, an' ye'll wish ye never had, afore I git +through with yer!" Bully Jake declared. "Behold in me, my furin +rooster, Jake Jogagog, commonly known as Bully Jake, the Terror o' +ther Coast. I'm a cyclone, I am. Then, I'm prime minister ter his +honor, Granby Greyville, an' from him I hev orders to demolish every +furin craft wot sots anchor in his domains. Therefore, ef ye wanter +escape teetotal annihilation, I'd advise ye ter <i>git</i>! Ef ye ain't +seen goin' in less'n two seconds, I'll stamp ye out o' existence."</p> + +<p>"Vel, when I gits ready to go, den I vil go, und not pefore!" Fritz +retorted. "Uff you makes me any droubles, I plack your eye for you!"</p> + +<p>"Oh! ye wull, hey? Oh! snortin' walrusses an' white-haired whales!" +roared the bully, and sprung savagely upon the young detective, as if +bent on his certain destruction, Fritz clinched with him.</p> + +<p>It was to be a struggle of brute strength now.<span class="pagenum">[72]</span></p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.</h2> + +<p class="h3">THE STRUGGLE.</p> + +<p>Both were strong, active men, Fritz in particular being well supplied +with all the necessary muscle and agility of the prize-fighter, +although he by no means looked as if he was an "ugly customer" to +handle.</p> + +<p>After clinching the two men soon tripped and fell to the floor, where +the struggle literally began in all its meaning.</p> + +<p>"Oh! I'll show ye how ther howlin' porpoise fights!" Bully Jake +roared, endeavoring to get a bite at Fritz's nose. "I'll chaw ye all +up like a dish o' hash!"</p> + +<p>"Vil, you, dough!" Fritz cried, finally getting his hands free, and +clinching them around the bully's throat tightly. "I'll pet yoost a +half-dollar you von't do noddings off der kind," and now getting the +ruffian under him he gradually shut off his wind.</p> + +<p>"Hold on! hold on! no chokin'!—no chokin', I say; it's ag'in' ther +moral rules o' fightin'!"<span class="pagenum">[73]</span></p> + +<p>"I don'd vas see id dot vay," Fritz said. "Eider you vas got to ax my +parding for assaulting me, or I vil choke off your breathe so you vil +haff none to use."</p> + +<p>"No choke, I say! Let me up, an' I'll fight ye accordin' ter book."</p> + +<p>"Not a let oop!" was the young detective's reply. "Ven you come +foolin' around mit der Dutchman you pet your life you get left. +Apologize, I dells you, or I turns de throttle, und shuts der sdeam +off your logermotiff. I mean pizness—no 'pology, no breathe. Vas you +understand?"</p> + +<p>The man began to wince as Fritz closed his terrible gripe.</p> + +<p>"Oh, let me up, an' we'll call et squar'," the man gurgled.</p> + +<p>"Ven you dells me 'I ax your humble parding'—den I let you up!"</p> + +<p>"But I won't!"</p> + +<p>"Den I vil squeeze your windpipe, so!"</p> + +<p>"I ask your pardon. Oh! yes, I do. Thar, now, let me up!"</p> + +<p>Fritz obeyed, and let the ruffian rise from the floor, but just as +soon as he was on his feet Bully Jake drew a long knife.</p> + +<p>"Oho! I didn't say what I'd do next!" he<span class="pagenum">[74]</span> howled, brandishing the +blade, threateningly. "I'll cut your cussed heart out now."</p> + +<p>"Vil you, dough? Vel, I'll pet you yoost apout a half-dollar, on dot, +I vil!" Fritz cried, drawing and cocking his revolver. "Now, you coome +on, uff you vant to get der whole dop off your head plowed off. I can +do der job vid greatest of pleasure."</p> + +<p>The sight of the revolver caused the big loafer to pause.</p> + +<p>"Ye wouldn't shoot, when I'm only in fun, would you?" he asked, +incredulously.</p> + +<p>"Well, just try me and see, dot's all," was the retort. "Your +funniness vas entirely too t'in, mine friendt; I don'd vas like it. So +I'll giff you one minnit der git oud. If you don'd vas gone py dot +time, I vil shoot you so quicker ash I vould von leedle cat. One! Got +ready, all der vile! Swi! High time you vas skinnin' oud! Three! Ven I +hollers dot, if you don'd vas gone I spot you!"</p> + +<p>"Then, tearfully and sadly, I must tear myself away from you," the +ruffian declared, with a grimace, as he stalked toward the door, "I'll +allow ye hold ther grip now, but thet ain't sayin' ye'll allus hold +it."</p> + +<p>Then he took his leave.<span class="pagenum">[75]</span></p> + +<p>Fritz was not sorry. He did not want to hurt any one unless forced to, +and yet was bound to defend himself.</p> + +<p>Toward evening the loungers, one by one, quitted the tavern, until +Fritz and Fat John were the only ones in the bar-room.</p> + +<p>Then it was that the latter spoke.</p> + +<p>"I say, young feller," he said, "you're a hextrordinary chap, and if +it wouldn't be haskin' too much, I'd like to inquire what brings you +here?"</p> + +<p>"Vel, pizness, I dinks," Fritz replied, "und judgin' py der latest +demonstrations, I vil haff lots off id."</p> + +<p>"You had better look out sharp for Number One, I tell you, for though +this ain't counted no hard town, they ginerally pitch onto a stranger +and try to bulldoze him into leavin' by settin' Bully Jake onto him."</p> + +<p>"I vas tumbled to dot already," Fritz replied; "but der virst one vot +attempted it didn't make so much success."</p> + +<p>"No; but that ain't saying you'll have as big luck next time. You see, +his honor, Mr. Greyville, owns most of the property hereabouts, an' +he's as big feeling as a duke, and won't allow no one around 'cept +what bows to his will."<span class="pagenum">[76]</span></p> + +<p>"Vel, ve vil see apoud dot," Fritz muttered. "I dinks dey don'd vas +make mooch bulldozing me. I vant to ask you von question—don'd this +man Greyville be Captain Gregg, der smuggler?"</p> + +<p>The fat host of the Lion's Paw gave a start. The question was +evidently something of a surprise to him.</p> + +<p>"Why, no, of course not! What ever put such an idea into your head, +young man? Gregg the smuggler is said to be one of the worst +characters along the Atlantic coast, and at the same time, the most +successful in his line of business. Greyville is a man who would scorn +to stoop to <i>such</i> work; and, moreover, he is said to be immensely +rich in ready cash, though his landed property is mortgaged for its +full value."</p> + +<p>Fritz accepted this explanation without reply, but his mind was but +little changed in the matter.</p> + +<p>"I dinks Gregg und Greyville vas one und der same parties," he +muttered, "und shall not giff up dot opinion until I can haff furder +proof von vay or der odder."</p> + +<p>As soon as the gloaming of evening began to settle over the quiet +little hamlet, he left the<span class="pagenum">[77]</span> tavern, and sauntered down the street +toward the Honorable Granby Greyville's residence, whither most of the +villagers had already wended their way.</p> + +<p>On arriving at the front of the handsome lawn, with its winding walks, +large shade trees, beds of flowers, and attractive residence, Fritz +paused to survey the scene that was spread out before him.</p> + +<p>Here and there dotted about among the shade trees were tables spread +with tempting viands, to which the villagers were freely helping +themselves, and to the flowing pitchers of ale that were passed around +by several of the village maidens.</p> + +<p>A couple of Italians were making music upon violin and harp, which +sounded weird and enchanting; children were playing and romping about +the grounds; Chinese lanterns were strung about among the lower +branches of the trees, and altogether it was a festive and attractive +scene.</p> + +<p>From his position outside the fence Fritz could see nothing of either +Greyville or the alleged countess, and he resolved to enter the +grounds for that purpose, which he accordingly did, and sauntered +about leisurely, as if he had a perfect right there by invitation.<span class="pagenum">[78]</span></p> + +<p>Although many curious glances were leveled at him, he paid no +attention to them, and after walking around awhile, he leaned up +against a tree and looked on, studying every face within the reach of +his gaze.</p> + +<p>Presently there was a shout among the assembled villagers, and upon +this, the door of the mansion opened, and Mr. Greyville came forth +upon the grounds, with the countess leaning upon his arm.</p> + +<p>His honor, was attired in a suit of immaculate white duck, with a +massive gold chain strung across his vest and a superb diamond pin +upon his shirt front.</p> + +<p>The countess was a Frenchwoman, of some three-and-thirty years, with a +thin, angular face, bead-like black eyes, and hair to match, and a +thin compressed mouth, which when she laughed showed two rows of +pearly teeth. She also wore an abundance of paint and powder upon her +face, and what with her rich attire of silk, lace, and diamonds, was a +striking and peculiar-looking personage—a woman who looked crafty, +and capable of mischief.</p> + +<p>As soon as she and the Honorable Greyville advanced upon the lawn, the +villagers arose from the tables, and the women courtesied low,<span class="pagenum">[79]</span> while +the men swung their hats and sent up a rousing cheer.</p> + +<p>The countess and her escort then moved about here and there, with a +pleasant word for all, and a bidding for them to continue their feast.</p> + +<p>As they passed near where Fritz stood leaning against the tree, +Greyville gave him a sharp, stern glance, and said:</p> + +<p>"Ah! who are you, and what do you want here, sir?"</p> + +<p>"Nothing in particular," Fritz replied, returning his stare, calmly. "I +only see vot you vas haff a pic-nig, und I come in to look on."</p> + +<p>"Then begone, sir, at once! I allow no loafers around here. Go, I +say!" and then they passed on.</p> + +<p>Fritz did not go, however, but retained his position, in defiance.</p> + +<p>"Shorge Vashingdon made dis a free coundry, und I von'd go dil I gits +ready," he muttered.</p> + +<p>It was not long, however, before he was hastily approached by a man, +and that man no less a person than the same flashily attired +individual who had taken the young woman, Madge, away from the hotel, +at Atlantic City!<span class="pagenum">[80]</span></p> + +<p>"Hello! get out of this, you loafer!" he cried seizing Fritz by the +shoulder, roughly. "How many times do you have to be told to go? The +guv'nor said go—now, if you don't light out, I'll make your heels +break your neck."</p> + +<p>"<i>Vil</i> you, dough!" Fritz grinned, wrenching loose, and standing on +the defensive. "Yoost you keep your hands off vrom me, Griffith Gregg, +or I vil knock der whole top off your nose off."</p> + +<p>"What! you vagabond! you compare me with the smuggler's son? I'll +thump your skull for that piece of impudence."</p> + +<p>And he was as good as his word, for, raising a stout cane he carried, +he brought it heavily down upon the young detective's head.</p> + +<p>For a moment Fritz was nearly stunned, but he quickly recovered, and +sprung at his assailant, pluckily.</p> + +<p>"Oh! you snoozer!" he cried, "I vil plack your eye mit plue, for dot."</p> + +<p>And he did deal the honorable's son two severe whacks between the +eyes, in rapid succession, which had the effect to land him on his +back on the ground.</p> + +<p>"Thump me on der head, vil you?" Fritz cried, standing over him, ready +to give him another<span class="pagenum">[81]</span> rap, if he attempted to rise. "I'll pet you a +half-dollar you vil got left, on dot."</p> + +<p>"Let me up, you dastardly loafer!" young Greyville raved, not daring +to rise under the existing circumstances. "I'll murder you, for this, +I—I'll—"</p> + +<p>"Got your head proke, off you come mit your foolishness around me!" +Fritz cried. "I'll let you oop, dough, ash I must go!"</p> + +<p>He saw a half a dozen of the village roughs coming toward the spot, +and knew he was ill-prepared to battle with all of them. So with a few +dextrous bounds he leaped away out of the yard, and ran swiftly down +to the beach.</p> + +<p>Finding that they did not follow him, he soon after made his way up +the street again, to the tavern, and went to the room which had been +assigned him.</p> + +<p>"I'll pet der vil pe some droubles before I got t'rough mit dis +pizness," he muttered, "but I vas der man who vil come oud der +winner."</p> + +<p>He was soon off in a sound sleep, from which he, hours later, +awakened, with a violent start.</p> + +<p>The scene was changed.</p> + +<p>He was not in the tavern, on the bed, but instead, was bound hand and +foot, and lying in the bottom of a boat!<span class="pagenum">[82]</span></p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> + +<p class="h3">ADRIFT.</p> + +<p>At first Fritz had no idea of what could have happened, but it did not +take him long to come to one conclusion on the matter, that he had +been captured at night, thrust into the frail boat, and sent adrift on +the ocean. Who had been the authors of the job? There could be no +doubt in his mind about that.</p> + +<p>The Greyvilles—or the Greggs, as he believed they were—were anxious +to have him leave the neighborhood, and had probably, through their +agents, caused his removal in this very promiscuous manner.</p> + +<p>By an effort he sat up in the little boat and gazed around him. He was +now some distance from the beach, beyond the white-capped breakers, +and, as the tide was receding, the frail craft was of course drifting +farther and farther from land each moment, a reflection that might +have caused any one a start, while to Fritz, bound and helpless, it +was the next thing to being alarming.<span class="pagenum">[83]</span></p> + +<p>"Vel, py shimminy dunder!" was his exclamation, as he gazed dolefully +around him. "Off I don'd vas in a duyfel off a fix, den I don'd vant a +cent. They've come von cute game ofer me, und I'll bet a half-dollar I +go down der same throat vot Jonah did—der w'ale's. Vonder vich von +off dem vellers put up der shob on me? I'd like to punch his nose. +Reckon id vas dot veller whose eyes I placked mit Jersey plue up at +der pig-nic. I vonder vot der plazes a veller can do, anyhow?"</p> + +<p>There was a sorry prospect for his being able to do anything much +toward helping himself from the unenviable situation in which he had +been placed. He was unable to use his hands or feet, and was, +therefore, helpless and at the mercy of the wild waters over which he +was drifting.</p> + +<p>Did he have the use of hands and feet he was not yet out of danger, +for the boat was without oars and the distance to the land was so +great as to make it a daring attempt to breast the outgoing tide in a +struggle to reach the shore by swimming.</p> + +<p>Still, it seemed the only hope for him, if by any way he could free +himself of the straps which bound him, and he was not the one to +despair<span class="pagenum">[84]</span> without first proving to his satisfaction that it was the +only thing left for him to do.</p> + +<p>Therefore he set to work industriously in an attempt to loosen the +bonds from his hands. Luckily they were not bound behind his back, +which was one advantage, as he could use his teeth upon them.</p> + +<p>But, being leather straps, he made slow headway, nibbling at the strap +around his hand; but little by little it yielded, so that after awhile +a violent wrench broke it asunder, and his hands were free.</p> + +<p>"Py shimminy, dot ish goot, anyhow," he muttered, making haste to +unloosen his feet. "Now, der next t'ings is somedings else. How ish I +going to got pack mit der shore?"</p> + +<p>It was an all-important question.</p> + +<p>The boat was perhaps a mile farther from shore than when he first had +estimated the distance.</p> + +<p>"I don'd know vedder I can swum dot furder or not," he muttered, +doubtfully. "But subbosin' der whale, or der duyfel-fish, catch 'old +mit mine pootleg, und suck me in under der vater. Vot a duyfel o' a +fix I'd be in den. Off I only had some paddles, I vould haff no +droubles getting to shore vid der poat."<span class="pagenum">[85]</span></p> + +<p>He was in the midst of these reflections when he heard a shout farther +out at sea, and for the first time beheld dimly a dusky object +floating in the water not far ahead of him.</p> + +<p>"Hello! who you vas, und vot you vant?" Fritz shouted, in answer.</p> + +<p>"I am a poor devil more or less drowned, and can't hang on to this +barrel much longer. Be you man or devil, for Heaven's sake hurry along +with your boat."</p> + +<p>"All righd. I vil pe dere in der sweedness py-und-py. Keep a stiff +upper lip, und I'll got you soon," the young detective replied, +heartily. "Dere's nodding like hang-on at der critical minute."</p> + +<p>Kneeling, and leaning over the front part of the boat, he used his +hands as propellers, and in this way was able to improve the slow +progress of his light craft to some extent, and in a few moments was +alongside the barrel, on top of which a drenched human was balancing +himself.</p> + +<p>At a glance Fritz perceived who it was.</p> + +<p>"Hartly!" he exclaimed, in surprise.</p> + +<p>"Yes, what's left of me," the sentenced smuggler replied, clambering +into the boat. "Thank Heaven you came along just as you<span class="pagenum">[86]</span> did, for my +gripe wouldn't hold out much longer."</p> + +<p>"Vel, I should dink not. I'd giffen you up ash dead. How ish it dot +you don'd vas kilt by der smugglers?"</p> + +<p>"It is no fault of theirs," Hartly replied, grimly. "They chucked me +under night afore last, miles out at sea, supposing my hands and feet +were bound, and a heavy stone tied to my head. But while they were +rowing me out, I contrived to loosen up matters, so that I was really +free the minute I struck water. But I went under all the same to +deceive them. When they headed for shore I arose to the surface, and +after swimming about until nearly exhausted, I caught onto this empty +cask, which has in one sense been my salvation. By the tides I have +been carried quite near to the shore, but my lower limbs being numb by +remaining so long in the water, I dared not attempt to swim ashore, +and the outgoing tide has carried me out again—not so far as it +would, however, if I had not struggled shoreward constantly. But how +come you out here, in this frail shell, without even oars?"</p> + +<p>Fritz explained as far as he had known, and Hartly scowled.<span class="pagenum">[87]</span></p> + +<p>"There'll be a reckoning for some one," he said, "if I ever succeed in +getting ashore. But there's not much prospect of that, unless we can +get some oars, or something to pull ashore with. The tide will begin +to ebb in before a great while, too."</p> + +<p>"I haff von idea," Fritz said. "Uff ve can got der parrel apart, we +might do somedings vid der staves—vot you t'ink apoud <i>dot</i>?"</p> + +<p>"Good idea. We can easily get the staves."</p> + +<p>Hartly drew the barrel up alongside the boat, and soon had it knocked +to pieces, and four of the staves secured.</p> + +<p>"Now, then, for shore," he cried. "When we get there, I will leave +you, on business, for a few hours, after which I will join you, and we +will work together against the Gregg gang. We will paddle to land on +the lower side of the bluff, as it wouldn't be particularly healthy +for me to land in front of the village. You can, and in fact, had +better keep shady, in the vicinity of the old rookery on the bluff, +and I will join you, as soon as possible."</p> + +<p>Accordingly they paddled as rapidly toward the beach as their strength +would permit. By the time it was daybreak they had landed below the +bluff.<span class="pagenum">[88]</span></p> + +<p>Here they drew the light boat up on the beach, and Hartly said:</p> + +<p>"I'll leave you now, but will return, in the course of a few hours."</p> + +<p>"All righd. I vil remain in der neighborhood," Fritz replied, and then +the young smuggler clambered up the side of the bluff, and was soon +gone from view.</p> + +<p>"I vonder vot dot veller ish oop to, now," Fritz muttered, after he +had gone. "Der is somet'ing he vas goin' to do, vot he ain'd +purticular apoud my knowing somedings apoud. I have haff a notion dot +he ain'd vos so nice a veller vot I firsd t'ought, und I vouldn't pe +much surprised if he vould give me avay off he got a chance. But, oh! +I'll keep watch of him! I've got der smugglers und der kidnapper +spotted, und I'll bet a half-dollar id don'd vas be some centuries +till I get 'em trapped. In der meantime, der is somet'ing I vant to +investigate."</p> + +<p>This was something he had noticed as he and Hartly had paddled in to +the shore from the ocean.</p> + +<p>In about the center of the bluff, at the water's edge, as it faced the +open Atlantic, was a dark hole of considerable size, which looked as +if it might lead to a cavern in the hill.<span class="pagenum">[89]</span></p> + +<p>If Hartly knew of its existence, he had kept it a secret, but our +German detective had noticed it, and resolved to see where the +aperture led to.</p> + +<p>Under any other circumstances he would not have given it a second +thought, but the fact that the smugglers held out in this vicinity—of +which he now had no doubt—gave that hole in the bluff more than +ordinary significance.</p> + +<p>Jumping into the boat he paddled off once more into the water, and +headed toward the front of the bluff.</p> + +<p>Not knowing what danger he might unexpectedly run into, he had drawn +his revolver, which, strangely enough his captors had not taken from +him, and placed it on the stern seat beside him.</p> + +<p>Working silently but steadily along the face of the bluff, which was +quite perpendicular, he soon came before the aperture, and headed his +boat into it.</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>Mr.—or, as he styled himself, Honorable—Granby Greyville sat in his +private study this same morning, engaged in smoking a cigar, as he +rocked in an easy-chair and gazed out<span class="pagenum">[90]</span> through an open glass door upon +the pretty lawn.</p> + +<p>That his thoughts were of an unpleasant nature was evident by a frown +which disfigured his florid countenance.</p> + +<p>And this frown did not lessen, but rather increased as there suddenly +appeared in the doorway no less a wild-looking personage than Silly +Sue, whom Fritz had encountered upon the beach.</p> + +<p>She made a grimace and sort of a jerky bow as she saw his honor, and +then stood staring at him in a strange manner.</p> + +<p>"Well!" he growled, angrily, "what brings you here?"</p> + +<p>"What allus brings me?" she replied, with a chuckle. "I want to come +back and play up high-cockolorum, like my big-feelin' sister. S'pose +that's silly, too, ain't it, daddy?"</p> + +<p>"No more so than your accursed obstinacy, you fool!" was the severe +reply. "You well know the only terms that can ever restore you as a +member of my family."</p> + +<p>"But I won't accept 'em!"</p> + +<p>"Then clear out. You shall never be anything to me till you surrender +the stolen money."<span class="pagenum">[91]</span></p> + +<p>"Bah! it ain't yours! You're a bad, wicked man, and you got it +wickedly, and get all your wealth wickedly, and the more you get the +wickeder you get. Get out! I'd cut my head off, silly's I am, before +I'd give you up the money."</p> + +<p>"Curses on your mulishness!"</p> + +<p>"Ha! ha! I know you cherish the most fatherly regard for me. If it +wasn't for the hope that I will some day restore you your lost ten +thousand you'd had me drowned months ago. By the way, old man, what +have you done with my feller?"</p> + +<p>"Your fellow?"</p> + +<p>"Yes—Hal Hartly."</p> + +<p>"How should I know anything about him?"</p> + +<p>"Who should know better? Oh! you wicked monster!"</p> + +<p>"Take care, girl!"</p> + +<p>"No, I won't take care!" and her eyes flashed in defiance of his +anger. "I ain't a bit afraid of you, because I can outrun any dog in +the town. I know what's become of Hal. Your tools took him out and +chucked him under. But, ha! ha! he's all right!"</p> + +<p>Greyville started a little.</p> + +<p>"What foolishness is this of yours?"<span class="pagenum">[92]</span></p> + +<p>"Oh! only silliness, of course," and she laughed loudly. "But Hal's +all right, and, now that his scruples have had a pickle, I allow he'll +come around to my cherished plan, and we'll make it warm for you!"</p> + +<p>"What! you dare to threaten <i>me</i>?"</p> + +<p>"Didn't I tell you I'd go for you if you didn't reform? Well, I must +be off. How's my stately sister? How's the countess? Ha! ha! ha! shoot +her. She's an old hag, with a glass eye and false teeth. The future +Mrs. G! Bah! and such a model private excursion steamer, too! Still, +it serves its purpose. I'm off now—just come up to spice your +breakfast. Better mend your ways. The way of the transgressor is hard. +By-by! Yours, truly, Silly Sue!"</p> + +<p>And then, with a wild laugh, she vanished.<span class="pagenum">[93]</span></p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX.</h2> + +<p class="h3">FRITZ'S DISCOVERY.</p> + +<p>Let us return to our ventriloquist detective and his venturesome +expedition.</p> + +<p>In heading the boat into the opening in the bluff, he had no idea how +his venture would terminate, but was urged on by a great curiosity to +explore the spot, feeling sure that it had some connection with the +smugglers' league.</p> + +<p>The height of the aperture was insufficient to admit the passage of +the boat with him sitting up; so putting the boat under headway he lay +down and thus glided in.</p> + +<p>In high tide, this opening, he concluded, was covered by water, while +in extreme low water the beach must be bare in front of the bluff, as +the water at this juncture now was quite shallow.</p> + +<p>He almost immediately emerged into a cave in the heart of the bluff.</p> + +<p>It was as large as a couple of good-sized rooms, and looked as if the +waters of many years had eaten it out.<span class="pagenum">[94]</span></p> + +<p>The work of man, however, was seen in the planks overhead, which, +resting on wooden supports, held the roof in place.</p> + +<p>The water reached about midway into the chamber, and from its edge the +pebbly ground ascended to the farther side of the cave, where a narrow +aperture branched off—evidently cut as a passageway by the hand of +man.</p> + +<p>Grounding his boat, Fritz stepped out and took a survey of his +surroundings.</p> + +<p>"Dis don'd look ash if id vas a healthy blace at high tide, but I +reckon dot id vas der blace vere dey run in smuggled goods," he mused. +"Dot passage probably leads to a higher und dryer place."</p> + +<p>Holding his revolver ready for use in case of emergency, he stole +softly toward the subterranean passage, with a view to exploring it.</p> + +<p>It was a dark, uninviting tunnel, of just sufficient width and height +to admit of a person's passage, and looked as if it might have no +connection with any other chamber, as he could see no light to +indicate its terminus.</p> + +<p>Nothing daunted, however, he entered it and walked along softly, ready +for any surprise.</p> + +<p>A score of steps he went, and then emerged<span class="pagenum">[95]</span> into what he concluded was +another large subterranean chamber, but where all was of Stygian +darkness.</p> + +<p>Luckily he had a close metal pocket-box of matches with him, and +lighting one after another he discovered a half dozen lamps in +brackets around the chamber side.</p> + +<p>One of them he soon lit, when he proceeded to inspect his situation.</p> + +<p>As before stated, the sides of the cavern were walled up like a +cellar; and in size it was a hundred and fifty feet square, by ten or +twelve in height.</p> + +<p>The ceiling overhead was planked, and these supported by rude pillars +resting upon the ground floor, as in the outer cave.</p> + +<p>Here and there, scattered about, were heaps of straw, pieces of wooden +boxes and canvas, and occasionally a bottle, or a piece of damaged +silk or lace.</p> + +<p>At the opposite side of this chamber was a round hole in the ceiling, +similar to a well, down through which hung a rope ladder to the floor.</p> + +<p>This seemed to indicate that either there was another chamber, +overhead, or else this was a means of access to the open air.<span class="pagenum">[96]</span></p> + +<p>In the stone wall, at either side of the room, were doorways supplied +with strong, grated iron doors, which were fastened with padlocks and +chains.</p> + +<p>"Vel, I be jiggered off dis don'd vas yoost like a regular brizon," +Fritz ejaculated; "und dis pe der blace vere der smugglers unpack deir +goods. I t'ought I vould discoffer somet'ings, off I come here. Vonder +uff dey haff got somepody shut up mit dem cells? Dot vouldn't pe so +much off a 'sell,' neider, off I am any shudge."</p> + +<p>Taking down the lamp, he proceeded to inspect the matter. Approaching +the right-hand dungeon, he peered in.</p> + +<p>The place, evidently, was empty.</p> + +<p>Crossing the cavern to the door of the other, to his surprise he saw +that this dungeon was occupied.</p> + +<p>Upon a rude cot bed, a woman was stretched, apparently fast asleep.</p> + +<p>As her face was turned from his view, he could not tell whether she +was young or old, pretty or ugly, but he was strangely impressed. Her +size—form—clothing, all aroused his suspicions that it really was +the Leadville man's runaway daughter—Madge Thornton, or Thurston,<span class="pagenum">[97]</span> as +she had called herself. He was staggered a moment by the very thought.</p> + +<p>"Hello! vake oop—who you vas?" he shouted, rattling the door.</p> + +<p>The woman gave a violent start, and sat up on her cot, with a gasp: it +was indeed the speculator's lost daughter!</p> + +<p>"Goot! dot vas a nest egg for me!" was the thought that flashed +through his mind, as he remembered the offered reward.</p> + +<p>"Who are you?—what do you want?" the bride of Major Atkins demanded, +eagerly, as she arose from her bed, and stepped falteringly toward the +door.</p> + +<p>"Vel, I am Fritz! You remember der chap Fritz, don'd you?"</p> + +<p>"Oh! yes! yes! You are a friend to me—oh! say that you are, and that +you have come to rescue me and take me back to papa!"</p> + +<p>"Vel, I should snicker dot dot vas apoud der size off der +circumstance," the young detective grinned. "You don'd vas like dis +hotel, den?"</p> + +<p>"Oh! no! no! I shall die if I remain here. Open the door—take me from +this terrible place! Oh! please do this, sir, and I will always love +you."<span class="pagenum">[98]</span></p> + +<p>"Nixy! You mustn't do dot," Fritz replied, with a serious expression, +"or you vil haff mine gal, Rebecca, in your vool. She's shealous, is +Rebecca, und id makes her madder ash a hornet bee, uff I even looks +sweed at a potato pug—dot ish a fact. But I vil get you oud all der +same, if I can, vich I don'd know so much apoud, ash der door vas +fastened tighter ash a brick. You see, your old dad he vas send me +down dis vay to look vor you, und I dells him I find you, yoost like a +pook. I vas a reg'lar snoozer at findin' dings vot don'd pelong to +me."</p> + +<p>"My father sent you? Oh! joyful news! Tell me—tell me, where is my +father?" and she clasped her hands, her face and eyes aglow with +eagerness.</p> + +<p>There was evidently nothing dazed or somnambulistic about her now.</p> + +<p>"Vel, der last I see'd your old man, he vas at der blace vere you got +married. But he left for Long Branch to rustygate und keep a vedder +eye out for you, vile I took der rear trail, und skeer'd up der game. +You see der old man dells me off I vind you und der money vot you +stole vrom him, he vould giff me five t'ousand dollars. How vas dot? +He vas yoost der<span class="pagenum">[99]</span> man I haff pen vantin' to meed, vor a long vile. +But, how apoud der money?"</p> + +<p>"It is where no earthly hands but mine can find it, except I give the +directions!" the girl replied, with evident enthusiasm over the fact. +"When I left home, to come East and marry Major Atkins, I was in a +state of half insanity, or somnambulism, they called it, and took the +money, and when I came to my senses found it in my possession. It +seems, as I have learned since, that before his leaving for the East, +and at the same time when I was in my dazed state Atkins said that he +had a large roll of money in my father's safe, and that when I came, I +should bring it. And to my surprise, I have also since learned that it +was not the first somnambulistic theft I have been guilty of. Upon +discovering the large sum upon my person, I put it in a place where it +would be safe, and came on to marry Major Atkins, whom I imagined +myself to be in love with. We met—it was he who took me away from the +hotel—and we were married, as I supposed, at the time, but it has +since been proved a base deception. Almost immediately after your +departure he demanded the money of me."</p> + +<p>"Vel, you guff it oop to him, I subbose?"<span class="pagenum">[100]</span></p> + +<p>"No, I did not," she replied, with an exhibition of spirit. "I told +him I didn't have it—which was true—but he wouldn't believe that, +saying that he had learned I had the money in my possession on leaving +home. Then I got angry and told him I wouldn't give it to him, if I +did have it. This in turn enraged him, and he declared the marriage to +be a sham, and that if I didn't surrender the money he would kill me. +I defied him, and dared him to do it, whereupon he and the bogus +minister seized upon me, and searched me, but failed to find the +money. The monster, Atkins, then knocked me down, and I became +insensible. When I awoke, it was in this terrible underground place. +He has been here several times, and threatened me, and alternated the +matter by promising to make me his wife in reality, and the mistress +of a princely home if I would give up the money. But, having found out +what a villain he is, I have firmly refused."</p> + +<p>"Dot vas right! Ve will giff him der duyfel von off dese days—or, at +least, I vil, for smuggling. I don'd know vedder I can got you oud off +here or not! I ought der haff some tools, as id don'd vas some leedle +shob preakin' iron mit a veller's hands."<span class="pagenum">[101]</span></p> + +<p>"Oh! do try and release me, in some way—I do so want to get free!"</p> + +<p>"Und I know dot. But, you see, id vas harder ash breakin' der +consditution to preak dis chain."</p> + +<p>It was no easy job, indeed.</p> + +<p>The chain was several feet in length, and made of short, stout welded +links. The padlock, too, was a formidable affair, such as could not +easily be broken, and Fritz did not have any keys with him.</p> + +<p>He was stuck for once, in not knowing how to proceed, and was just +cogitating over what was best to do, when he noticed something that +caused him to start.</p> + +<p>On glancing toward the rope-ladder, he perceived that it was moving!</p> + +<p>Some one was descending it!</p> + +<p>Did he remain here, discovery was inevitable, and discovery would +probably destroy all possibility of rescuing Madge.</p> + +<p>These thoughts occurred to him like a flash.</p> + +<p>"'Sh! some one is coming, and I must hide!" he said to Madge, in a +whisper; then he hurried softly across the chamber, into the dark +passage, where he paused at a point where he could see without being +seen.<span class="pagenum">[102]</span></p> + +<p>"I'll bet dot id vas der veller whose eye I blacked," he muttered.</p> + +<p>And, sure enough, he was right.</p> + +<p>A moment later, Major Atkins, <i>alias</i> young Greyville, <i>alias</i> +Griffith Gregg, came down the ladder into the cavern, his eyes yet +showing unmistakable evidence of the power of Fritz's shoulder-hits.</p> + +<p>"What the devil's all the noise down here?" he demanded, approaching +the door of Madge's dungeon. "I thought I heard voices conversing."</p> + +<p>"You probably heard me singing, Sir Monster!" Madge retorted, +sarcastically. "You know I am in good humor for vocalism."</p> + +<p>"The devil take you! It wasn't singing—it was talking I heard."</p> + +<p>"Ah! perhaps you heard me saying over threats of what I'll do, when I +get free!"</p> + +<p>"Now, what will you do?"</p> + +<p>"I'll claw your eyes out—then I'll tie you and give you a thrashing +with a bull-whip."</p> + +<p>"Bah! threaten what you like. I'll guarantee you'll remain here until +I get your amiable dad's swag."</p> + +<p>"But you will never get it!"</p> + +<p>"Won't I? When you begin to rot in your<span class="pagenum">[103]</span> dungeon, and your tongue +hangs out of your mouth for want of food and water, I fancy you'll +come to terms."</p> + +<p>"But I won't, though!"</p> + +<p>"Oh! we shall see. I won't argue with you. At the present moment I +want to find out who it was I heard you conversing with!"</p> + +<p>And to her horror he made for the dark passage.</p> + +<p>Fritz, too, was considerably concerned, and began to make a rapid and +stealthy retreat to the other chamber.</p> + +<p>On arriving there, another thing startled him.</p> + +<p>The tide had set in, and the hole in the face of the bluff was so +nearly filled as to make escape with the boat impossible.<span class="pagenum">[104]</span></p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X.</h2> + +<p class="h3">A DIVE FOR LIFE.</p> + +<p>There was but one choice left for Fritz—that of standing his ground +and meeting young Greyville boldly; for there was apparently no avenue +of escape for him now.</p> + +<p>Consequently, with his revolver drawn, ready for use, he positioned +himself at the water's edge, facing the aperture, and waited.</p> + +<p>He had not long to wait.</p> + +<p>In a few seconds Griffith Gregg—as we shall henceforth call him—came +striding into the chamber, and uttered a violent oath at sight of +Fritz.</p> + +<p>"Hello! by the Satanic I thought I was not mistaken. The Dutchman we +left adrift, for sure!"</p> + +<p>Fritz did not speak, or allow himself to move a particle, but stood +glaring at his enemy like one turned to stone.</p> + +<p>"Hello! why the devil don't you answer?" Gregg demanded; apparently +not feeling positive<span class="pagenum">[105]</span> that Fritz was in the flesh. "If you don't +answer, I'm hanged if I don't drown ye."</p> + +<p>No answer from Fritz.</p> + +<p>But from directly over the villain's head seemed to come the words, in +a hoarse voice:</p> + +<p>"Villain, behold the reflection of your crime!"</p> + +<p>"Bah!" Gregg cried, with a start, glaring about him. "You can't play +any tricks on me, you Dutch blunderbuss! In some way you've escaped +the trap, and now I'll pay you a grudge I've got against you."</p> + +<p>And with a long knife in hand which he had drawn from his belt, he +dashed fiercely at Fritz, regardless of the drawn revolver.</p> + +<p>Leveling his pistol at his opponent's breast, the young detective +pulled the trigger.</p> + +<p>The weapon missed fire.</p> + +<p>Gregg was almost upon him now.</p> + +<p>There was but a moment to act, and yet, in that time, Fritz hurled the +weapon with great velocity at the villain's head, and somersaulted +backward into the water, the toe of one of his boots catching Gregg in +under the lower jaw.</p> + +<p>This, with the stinging blow of the pistol, dropped him like a log to +the ground, where he lay for an instant, howling with pain and rage.<span class="pagenum">[106]</span></p> + +<p>Fritz, landing in the water, swam through the almost submerged +entrance, and soon was outside the cavern, at the edge of the bluff.</p> + +<p>To swim around to the southern side was the work of but a few moments, +and he was once more on <i>terra firma</i>, at his starting-point.</p> + +<p>Here he sat down upon the beach to collect his thoughts.</p> + +<p>So strange had been his experience within the last few hours that he +was really more confused than he had yet been since entering upon his +profession as a detective.</p> + +<p>"Now den, let me see apoud somet'ings," he muttered. "In der virst +blace, dis be a reg'lar ruffian seddlement, vere id don'd vas healthy +vor such ash I, und id would puzzle me to do der shob all alone. I +must haff some help. Off der ish a delegraph office near here, den I +must find id, und delegraph to Philadelf vor assistance. Der ish no +doubt but I haff discovered der smugglers, und der next t'ing is to +cabture dem. Und I don'd dink id vas healthy for me to go down mit der +cave again, undil dis matter keeps shady. I vonder vot haff pecome off +der gal vot called herself Silly Sue?"</p> + +<p>"Here she is—what do you want of her?" a merry voice cried, and the +elfin danced, laughing,<span class="pagenum">[107]</span> out from behind a huge bowlder at Fritz's +rear, where she had been concealed, evidently playing the spy. "What +do you want of Silly Sue, Irishman?"</p> + +<p>"I vas no Irishman!" Fritz retorted. "I am a Dutchman."</p> + +<p>"Get out! You're pure Irish. But that ain't the point. What do you +want of me?"</p> + +<p>"I vanted to inquire how far it ish to der nearest delegraph station?"</p> + +<p>"Oh! a good ways inland. The road you see in front of the old house on +the bluff leads direct to it. If you want to send a message, I'll send +it for you."</p> + +<p>"You vil?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. I'll hook one o' dad's horses from the pasture, and ride to +town. Guess I know what ye propose doing."</p> + +<p>"Vot?"</p> + +<p>"You are a detective, and you have discovered that my dad and his +smugglers live around here, and you want to send for help to arrest +them!"</p> + +<p>"How vos you know all dot?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, I'm silly enough to guess it, and I hope you'll do it. They're a +hard gang, and a wicked gang, and they hate me worse than<span class="pagenum">[108]</span> poison, +because I'm honest, unlike the rest of them."</p> + +<p>"Captain Gregg und Honorable Granby Greyville are der same persons, +not?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. You're mighty cute to find that out, when some o' the villagers +don't even suspect it. I'm <i>his</i> gal."</p> + +<p>"Ish <i>dot</i> a fact?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, but he don't own me, because I denounce his dishonesty. Ha! ha! +an old man was found dead on the beach once. The next day my papa had +a big sum of money in his possession. I smelled foul play. I stole the +money from him and burned it up. Ha! ha! Then he whipped me +unmercifully, and turned me adrift. But, pooh! I don't care! I get +along famous, and I'll make fun for the smugglers yet. So if you want +me to go to the telegraph station for you, and will give me a few +shillings, I'm ready."</p> + +<p>"I'll giff you five dollars!" Fritz assured.</p> + +<p>"Bully!" the girl assented. "Now, just tell me what you want, and I'm +yours."</p> + +<p>"Vel, I vant you to go to der delegraph office und send a message to +Tony Fox, care of Police Headquarters, Philadelphia, telling him to +fetch a half-dozen men der dis village at once. Can you remember +dot?"<span class="pagenum">[109]</span></p> + +<p>"Well, you bet I can! I don't forget things easily. Give us your +money, and I'm off for a wild horseback ride."</p> + +<p>Fritz accordingly gave her a V-note, and then, after again instructing +her what to do, she took her departure by clambering up the bluff.</p> + +<p>Fritz then lay down upon the sand in the warm sunlight, little +dreaming that his plans had been overheard.</p> + +<p>The Irishman, Pat Grogan, had been concealed behind another bowlder, +and had over heard every word of Fritz's conversation with Silly Sue.</p> + +<p>Shortly after her departure, and when sure Fritz was not watching, he +stole softly from his place of concealment and up the side of the +bluff.</p> + +<p>Once on top of the bluff, he quickened his pace, descended the +opposite side, and hurried toward the village. At the residence of +Granville Greyville he paused, and entered the spacious lawn.</p> + +<p>His honor and the countess were seated upon the lawn in front of the +house, enjoying the shade of a great tree, and Grogan tipped his hat +as he approached them.<span class="pagenum">[110]</span></p> + +<p>"Sure, sur, it's mesilf as has made a discovery, sur," he said, with a +huge grin of satisfaction.</p> + +<p>"Ah! indeed! I thought you might be of some use!" his honor replied, +complacently. "What is the nature of your discovery, Grogan?"</p> + +<p>"Sure, sur, it's consarnin' the girl you set me to watchin'."</p> + +<p>"As I expected—curse her! What new devilment has she been up to?"</p> + +<p>"Sure I did kape a civil eye on her, as yez told me to, and a bit ago +she met a Dutchman on the beach, an' it's a grand plot tha be afther +organizin'. The loikes av the Dutchman he ha wanted to ba sindin' a +tiligraph missage to Philadelphia for tha detectives, an tha gal she +did till him for a V she would stale a horse forninst your pasture an' +be carryin' the missage for him hersilf, whereat he forked over the +cash, and she skipped, bedad!"</p> + +<p>His honor listened, his face growing purple with passion.</p> + +<p>"May all the furies seize that obstinate and meddlesome little +wretch!" he hissed. "She seems determined to ruin me. No amount of +whippings have ever served to make her like other girls. Why didn't +you stop her, Pat?"<span class="pagenum">[111]</span></p> + +<p>"Sure, it was yersilf as told me to be doin' naught else but watchin' +her."</p> + +<p>"True, I had forgotten. She has probably gone so far that it would be +next to useless to attempt to overhaul her now. Do you think you could +mount a horse and overtake her, Pat?"</p> + +<p>"Bedad, no. It's sorry a horse I can ride, yer honor."</p> + +<p>"Then ascertain from the ostler the location of the pasture, and when +she returns capture her. I'll give you ten dollars for the job."</p> + +<p>"Bad 'cess to me if I don't do it. An' what shall I be doin' to her +after I cotch 'er?"</p> + +<p>"Then take her to the old mansion on the bluff and wait until I come."</p> + +<p>"Och! howly murther, I'll not go in where the skelegon is—nary a +time!"</p> + +<p>"Nor need you. What time intervenes between your arrival and mine you +can spend outside. But look sharp she don't escape you."</p> + +<p>"Sure, it's mesilf as will ba doin' that same!"</p> + +<p>Then Grogan executed a grotesque bow and took his departure toward the +stable, while Greyville turned toward the countess.</p> + +<p>"The devil will be to pay now. As I suspected, that Dutchman is a spy, +and having<span class="pagenum">[112]</span> suspicioned or ferreted out some knowledge concerning the +league, has sent for his fellow watch-dogs. In less than two days we +shall be in the clutches of the law, unless we make a break for +liberty at once."</p> + +<p>"Oh! there is no particular reason for hurry. When we find there is +danger, we can easily escape," the countess said, calmly.</p> + +<p>"How? If we wait until their arrival, it will be too late."</p> + +<p>"By no means. My steamboat lies out but a short distance, and we can +board it and sail for <i>la belle</i> France, in defiance."</p> + +<p>"What! without unloading?"</p> + +<p>"Bah! what are a few thousand dollars to life? Besides, the goods will +sell again, for full value, at Havre."<span class="pagenum">[113]</span></p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI.</h2> + +<p class="h3">A FATHER'S BRUTALITY.</p> + +<p>After the departure of Silly Sue, Fritz sunned himself until his +garments were dried; then rising, he began to cast about him for +something to eat.</p> + +<p>"I don'd know better I go back mit der tavern, or not!" he mused. "I +dinks dot vas an onhealthy blace, und yet I vould like somedings to +ead, very bad."</p> + +<p>Climbing to the top of the bluff, he passed the old mansion, and +followed the country road for some distance, in hopes of finding an +orchard or watermelon patch. And he was successful.</p> + +<p>About a mile distant he came to a good-sized orchard, near no human +habitation, and hastily made a raid on it, with the result of +discovering all the luscious eating harvest apples he could carry.</p> + +<p>Filling his pockets he made his way back to the old rookery, and sat +down upon the front step to finish his meal.<span class="pagenum">[114]</span></p> + +<p>"I vonder vot's pecome of der villain I kicked mit der under jaw?" he +muttered.</p> + +<p>"I t'ink I must haff dislocated 'im or I should 'a' seed him. I vonder +vere der mouth off der well is, anyhow, vot dey come up t'rough. Id +must pe somevere's vere der house stands, und probably hidden."</p> + +<p>After he finished his meal on apples, he entered the old dwelling, +with a view to giving it another exploration.</p> + +<p>Passing through the lower hall, he tried each door opening off from +it, but found them all locked, as before.</p> + +<p>What they contained he could therefore not learn, except by bursting +them open or unlocking them, which he had no way of doing.</p> + +<p>Finding no success, down-stairs, he went upstairs, remembering that he +had only tried the doors of part of the upper rooms, on his previous +visit, the second one being the assembly chamber containing the +swinging head of ill-fated Bill Budge.</p> + +<p>He shunned this apartment now, and passed on along the corridor.</p> + +<p>The first and second doors he tried were locked, like those below. The +third door, however, was unfastened, and opening it he entered<span class="pagenum">[115]</span> a +large unfurnished apartment, containing but one window, which looked +out upon the ocean.</p> + +<p>Noticing a card tacked upon the wall, opposite the door, Fritz +advanced to read what was written upon it.</p> + +<p>But, that, he was destined never to do. Halfway across the room he +got—then the floor sunk quickly beneath him, and he went down! down! +down!</p> + +<p>He had stepped upon a trap, which had evidently been prepared for +occasional stragglers, and he was the unsuspecting victim, until too +late to save himself.</p> + +<p>Down! down! he went into empty space, until he struck heavily upon a +hard floor, and lay for a moment in a heap, his senses partly leaving +him. When he recovered consciousness, he arose to his feet. He was in +utter darkness, and in a place where the air was close and stifling. +What kind of a den he had fallen into he could not ascertain by +looking, at least.</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>Later that day Mr. Granby Greyville left his handsome residence, and +made his way to<span class="pagenum">[116]</span> the bluff, accompanied by her ladyship, the countess.</p> + +<p>There was a terrible expression of stern resolve upon his countenance, +and in his grasp he carried an ugly-looking cart-whip, which looked as +if it were capable of inflicting dire pain in the hands of a human +brute.</p> + +<p>Arriving at the top of the bluff, they found Grogan, the Irish +delegate, seated upon the doorstep of the old house, while, lying upon +the ground, in front of him, was the girl, Sue, bound, hand and foot, +but none the less defiant for that fact, as was evident by the +contemptuous curl of her lip, and the indignant, wicked flash of her +eyes.</p> + +<p>A little shiver went over her, though, when she saw the countess, the +man she knew as her father, and the whip he carried.</p> + +<p>"Sure, it's mesilf as cotched her," Grogan cried, as Greyville +approached. "But it's the devil's own time I had at it, bedad, an' if +yez don't b'lave it ye kin look at me face. Begorra! she scratched an' +bit an' fit loike tha very devil's imp she is!" and the Hibernian +rubbed his torn and bruised visage dolefully.</p> + +<p>"So you're caged, are you, my young tigress?" the smuggler captain +demanded, gazing down<span class="pagenum">[117]</span> at the girl, wrathfully. "I'll see that you +never break loose hereafter!"</p> + +<p>"Ba-aa!" the girl retorted, in contempt. "I'm not afraid of you, you +ruffianly wretch, if you do carry a whip. You can whip me, pound me, +stamp me into the earth, but you can't intimidate me. I'll despise and +defy you to the longest day I live!"</p> + +<p>"We shall see. I've made up my mind to cease dealing mildly with you, +and instead, treat you to the harshness your foolishness demands. It's +time you were broken in, and I'm going to compel you to submission to +my will, and to obedience, or I'm going to kill you."</p> + +<p>"Kill, if you like—I'll still defy you. You can not make me obey a +monster like you, even though you are my father! I despise you, hate +you, you inhuman wretch!"</p> + +<p>"A good flogging will bring back your affection. By the way, I +understand that by way of amusing yourself you have become the consort +of a Dutch detective, and by way of furthering his game, have just +been to telegraph for an additional force of the devils. Now do you +know what I am going to do?"</p> + +<p>"Any one might guess; brutal cowards always carry whips!"<span class="pagenum">[118]</span></p> + +<p>"Yes, I'm going to whip you within an inch of your life. Then, if you +promise me to ever after obey me, and tell me where to find the money +you stole from me, I will let you go. If you refuse I'll kill you, and +end the trouble! Grogan, lash her securely to yonder post!"</p> + +<p>The Irishman obeyed by raising her and roping her to a post which had +been used for a hitching-post, at some remote period.</p> + +<p>Sue's face was very pale now, and she trembled in dread of the cruel +lash.</p> + +<p>It was not the first time she had been whipped by him, and she well +knew what a merciless wretch he was.</p> + +<p>Greyville threw off his coat now, and seized the heavy whip firmly, +not a tithe of pity expressed in his stern, cruel face.</p> + +<p>"Beg, now!" he cried. "Tell me where the money is, and promise future +obedience and proper conduct, or I'll give it to you!"</p> + +<p>"Never! I'll die first!" Sue gasped.</p> + +<p>The next instant the wretch struck her with all his might, following +one blow with another, until he had struck her twenty, the last one +being upon the top of the head, with the butt of the whip.<span class="pagenum">[119]</span></p> + +<p>White as death was Sue, but her eyes flashed bravely, her face was +defiant—but she never uttered a moan or cry of pain.</p> + +<p>"Now—<i>now</i> maybe you'll come to time!" the smuggler roared, more like +some enraged wild beast than a human being, in his demoniac fury. +"Now, will you tell and promise?"</p> + +<p>"Never, monster!" was the low, piteous gasp, then the eyes of the poor +outcast closed; she had fainted, unable longer to endure the agony.<span class="pagenum">[120]</span></p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII.</h2> + +<p class="h3">A PITIFUL END.</p> + +<p>The situation of Fritz was to him a decidedly gloomy one, as, owing to +the impenetrable darkness his eyesight was of no use whatever. He did +not know either, if it was safe to stir, as there might be another +trap which he would fall into, and go headlong down into some other +pit.</p> + +<p>But he resolved to test the matter, and feel out the boundaries of his +new prison at once.</p> + +<p>Groping about, inch by inch, and trying the floor in front of him +before trusting the weight of his body upon it, he soon came to a +plastered wall, and concluded by that, that he still remained in the +building, having probably only fallen to the first floor.</p> + +<p>"Vel, dot don'd vas so pad ash I first expected," he muttered, feeling +a little more assured. "I t'ought I vas goin' vay down to der blace +vere dey manufacture fire-crackers. Der next question, ish der any +outlet to dis brison, I vonder?"<span class="pagenum">[121]</span></p> + +<p>Keeping his hands upon the wall, he walked several times around the +dark apartment without pausing.</p> + +<p>"Der ish not von door or vinder, nor hole of any kind!" he finally +muttered. "I would not haff such a house for a gift."</p> + +<p>The room indeed appeared to be barren of those accessories, as far as +he was able to learn by the sense of feeling, and it would seem that +it was thus purposely prepared for a prison.</p> + +<p>"Vel, I guess I might as vel prepare to imitate der example off Doctor +Tanner, und go vidout somedings to eat for forty years or so!" Fritz +muttered, feeling of his stomach dolefully, for the apples had far +from satisfied his appetite. "But, if possible, I must get oud off +here, somehow, before Fox und der boys get here."</p> + +<p>Just how he was to do it furnished him a serious subject to ponder on.</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>"Curse the girl! she's fainted!" the smuggler chief cried, pausing in +his horrible work.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps she is playing off, to escape punishment," the countess +suggested, with a malicious smile. "The American mademoiselle is very +deceitful!"<span class="pagenum">[122]</span></p> + +<p>"Faint or no faint, she shall get all that her stubborn resistance +demands!" Greyville growled, mercilessly, and he raised the whip and +struck her another stinging blow.</p> + +<p>"Stop! Strike that girl again and I'll kill you!" a voice cried, not +far in their rear, and turning, they beheld a stranger rushing up, a +pair of cocked revolvers in hand.</p> + +<p>"Furies!" Greyville gasped, turning pale.</p> + +<p>"<i>Mon Dieu!</i> what's to pay? Let's fly!" from the countess.</p> + +<p>"No! we will stand our ground!" the smuggler hissed.</p> + +<p>The new-comer soon stood before them, with stern, accusing gaze, and a +face flushed from his run.</p> + +<p>"Devils!" he cried, "what is the meaning of this brutal scene? Explain +instantly."</p> + +<p>It was the Leadville speculator, Thornton, who spoke, and there was +grim business expressed in his tone.</p> + +<p>"What right have you to intrude in what is none of your business?" +Greyville demanded, sourly.</p> + +<p>"Eh! I'll show you, you brutal puppy! Don't give me any of your lip, +or I'll blow your brains out. Why, cuss my boots, you're as bad as the +Dog Injuns on the frontier!"<span class="pagenum">[123]</span></p> + +<p>"I presume I've a right to chastise my own child, sir, when her +conduct deserves it!"</p> + +<p>"That's not your child, Garry Gregg! I know you. You are the wretch I +have been longing to meet these ten years!"</p> + +<p>"You know me?" the smuggler cried, in amazement.</p> + +<p>"Ay! I know you!" the Westerner cried. "You are the worthless devil +who trapped Minnie Gray into a secret marriage years ago, and after +living with her a couple of years, and abusing her, left her in +poverty, to live with a woman you had previously married."</p> + +<p>"And incurred your enmity by winning your sweetheart away from you!" +Gregg sneered, mockingly.</p> + +<p>"Be that as it may, you are responsible for a good woman's death, and +you shall answer for it. Tell me, sir—is this poor child you have +been beating, the daughter of Minnie Gray?"</p> + +<p>"If you like, yes."</p> + +<p>"Then, curse you, leave this spot at once, if you don't want me to +shoot you down. I'll take care you never strike her again! Go! I say, +or I'll kill you without hesitation!"</p> + +<p>There was a stern glare in the speculator's<span class="pagenum">[124]</span> eyes that betokened +danger, and, accompanied by the countess and Grogan, the smuggler +chief hurried away.</p> + +<p>As soon as they had gone, Mr. Thornton cut the bonds that held Silly +Sue to the post, and laid her tenderly down upon the soft grass.</p> + +<p>Hurrying down to the beach, he procured some water in his hat, and +returning, dashed it in her face.</p> + +<p>But although he did this, and chafed her hands and wrists, she did not +open her eyes. Her breath came in stifled gasps, and her heart beat +slowly.</p> + +<p>"By Heaven! I believe they have killed her!" Mr. Thornton muttered, +feelings of terrible rage swelling within him. "The equal of this +brutality is seldom, even among the red devils on the frontier. Ah! +Garry Gregg, if this poor child dies, you shall pay bitterly for her +life, or my name is not Thornton!"</p> + +<p>He continued faithfully in his endeavors to bring her back to +consciousness, but all to no avail.</p> + +<p>While he was thus engaged there came sounds of rapid footsteps, and +Hal Hartly dashed up, flushed and excited.</p> + +<p>"Great Heaven! what is the matter with Susie?"<span class="pagenum">[125]</span> he demanded, on seeing +her lying on the ground, so cold and white.</p> + +<p>"I fear she is dying, young man," Mr. Thornton replied, solemnly. "I +can not restore her to consciousness. Was she anything to you, sir?"</p> + +<p>"Indeed, yes; she was all the world to me, poor child, and we were to +be married, one of these days!" Hartly replied, kneeling beside her, +with tears in his eyes. "Susie! oh! Susie, my little waif, can't you +look up and speak to me?"</p> + +<p>The girl slowly opened her eyes, and gazed up at him, with a loving +smile.</p> + +<p>"Yes, Hal, I know. I am dying, Hal. Where is Fritz?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know, darling. I have not seen him since morning."</p> + +<p>"Well, when you see him, tell him I sent the message, and got an +answer that the detectives would come."</p> + +<p>"The detectives?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. I went for him, to telegraph for them, and he gave me five +dollars. It is in my pocket, Hal—you can have it, to get me a little, +plain stone for my grave."</p> + +<p>"But, Susie, you can't be dying—tell me what is the matter?"<span class="pagenum">[126]</span></p> + +<p>"She has been cruelly beaten. I came here a few moments ago and drove +off the devils, but I fear I came too late!" Mr. Thornton explained, +sadly.</p> + +<p>"It was papa, you know!" Sue added, as Hartly uttered a cry of +astonishment. "He discovered the errand I had done, and had a big +Irishman capture me and bring me here. Then he and the countess came, +and I was tied to a stake and whipped till I fainted. They have killed +me, I guess. I feel as if I am filling up inside, and something tells +me I shall soon die. I hate to leave you, Hal, but I am not afraid to +die. I have always said my prayers, loved the Lord, and been honest, +and I know He will receive me."</p> + +<p>The girl's childish faith and simplicity touched Mr. Thornton as well +as young Hartly, and tears flowed freely.</p> + +<p>The little outcast soon closed her eyes again, her arms about Hartly's +neck, as she rested in his embrace, and a peaceful expression of +contentment upon her face.</p> + +<p>About sunset she spoke, without opening her eyes.</p> + +<p>"Hal!" she said, softly.</p> + +<p>"Yes, Susie," he replied; "what do you wish?"<span class="pagenum">[127]</span></p> + +<p>"Not much. After I am gone burn the old house yonder, and break up the +smugglers."</p> + +<p>"Yes, Susie."</p> + +<p>"And you'll be a good man, Hal, all your life, so you will join me in +heaven?"</p> + +<p>"I will try, dearest."</p> + +<p>"Then kiss me good-by."</p> + +<p>Convulsed with sobs, the grief-stricken lover obeyed, and, just as the +last rays of sunset began to fade, Susie breathed her last, expiring +without the least appearance of pain, and a faint, peaceful smile upon +her lips.</p> + +<p>For some moments after her death neither Hartly nor Mr. Thornton +spoke, but finally the latter said:</p> + +<p>"She has gone where she will know no more suffering or sorrow and it +is perhaps better so. Is your home near by?"</p> + +<p>"I live in a sort of hut back in the woods, and if you will lend a +hand we will take her there."</p> + +<p>The speculator assented, and Hartly procured a wide board, and laid +the limp form upon it. Then raising the primitive litter between them, +they left the bluff and took to the lonely country road, which they +followed until they came to a rude shanty, standing in the<span class="pagenum">[128]</span> edge of +the woods. They bore their burden into the only room and deposited it +upon a couple of stools.</p> + +<p>Hartly then turned to Mr. Thornton.</p> + +<p>"You are a stranger to us, sir," he said, "but would you kindly remain +here until I can go to a neighboring town and make arrangements for +her burial?"</p> + +<p>"Certainly, my boy."</p> + +<p>"Then I will go and send the undertakers at once to take charge of the +remains. If I do not return with the undertakers, let them remove the +body, and I will see you later, perhaps."</p> + +<p>He then kissed the lips and forehead of the dead girl, and took his +departure.</p> + +<p>Once outside, his whole demeanor underwent a change.</p> + +<p>His face became stern and hard in its expression, and his eyes gleamed +with a wild light that could hardly have been pronounced sane.</p> + +<p>"First the house!" he muttered, between his clinched teeth; "then I +will see to the burial. After that revenge!"—words uttered with a +power of feeling, which bespoke grim resolution.<span class="pagenum">[129]</span></p> + +<p>Hurrying back to the bluff he entered the building, and from the +pantry brought an oil-can and poured oil about in a number of +different places, applying a lighted match to each.</p> + +<p>As a result, bright sheets of flame sprung up, and, in less time +almost than it takes to tell it, the interior of the old rookery was +on fire in several places.</p> + +<p>Then, with a wild laugh, he turned and fled from the building, and +disappeared from the vicinity of the bluff.</p> + +<p>The old house was doomed.</p> + +<p>And in the doorless, windowless trap-room, where he had so +unexpectedly become imprisoned, was Fritz, in the most unenviable +situation one could well conceive.</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>Captain Gregg, as we shall henceforth call him, learned of Silly Sue's +death shortly after it occurred through the Irishman, who, while +pretending to leave the spot, had scouted around, and lurked in the +vicinity until Hartly and Mr. Thornton had departed with the body.</p> + +<p>Gregg was both alarmed and surprised when he heard the news, and +immediately sought the countess for consultation.</p> + +<p>He had no idea he had done the girl any<span class="pagenum">[130]</span> fatal bodily injury. If she +was dead, and the cause of her death came to be known, he well knew +that he would be called upon to answer to the law.</p> + +<p>The countess listened to his recital of Grogan's report, the lines in +her thin face growing even harder than were their wont.</p> + +<p>"I feared zis," she said. "You were ver' mooch savage!"</p> + +<p>"What do you advise?"</p> + +<p>"Zat we remain where we be for ze present. You say zis stranger be an +old enemy of yours?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. Doubly so now, from a fact that he is the father of Grif's +prisoner, that's locked up in the dungeon."</p> + +<p>"Humph! zis is bad! Vare be ze Dutchman?"</p> + +<p>"There is no telling. Perhaps Griffith will know when he comes."</p> + +<p>But Griffith did not come.</p> + +<p>It was nearly dark in the outer world when he recovered from the +terrible blow he had got from Fritz's pistol in the cave, and +staggered to the inner cavern.</p> + +<p>The moment he entered it a smell of burning timbers greeted his +nostrils.<span class="pagenum">[131]</span></p> + +<p>"By Heaven! the house above is burning up, I believe!" he cried, +rushing to the rope ladder and beginning to climb it rapidly.</p> + +<p>But he had only got a few feet up when it gave way, and he fell to the +ground, considerably bruised.</p> + +<p>"The devil's to pay now!" he muttered, angrily. "A fellow will smother +down here."</p> + +<p>For a moment the young villain stood irresolute—then he approached +the door of Madge Thornton's cell.</p> + +<p>"Madge!" he called.</p> + +<p>There was no answer.</p> + +<p>"Madge!" he shouted, in a louder tone, at the same time rattling the +door, savagely.</p> + +<p>"Well, what do you want?" she demanded, rising from her cot.</p> + +<p>"I want to know if you want to escape from this place alive?"</p> + +<p>"Why, what is the matter?"</p> + +<p>"Matter enough! The old house above is burning down, and if you don't +want to suffocate you must leave this place at once, with me."</p> + +<p>"Well, why don't you open the door, then?"</p> + +<p>He was unlocking the great padlock even as he spoke.<span class="pagenum">[132]</span></p> + +<p>"I am perfectly willing to do so, and when you reveal to me the +hiding-place of your father's money, which you had, when you left +Leadville, you are free to go," he said, standing the doorway.</p> + +<p>"Are you foolish enough to suppose for one moment, that I will reveal +that?"</p> + +<p>"If you don't do it, curse you, I will leave you here to suffocate!"</p> + +<p>"Do so! I would cheerfully pay that penalty of my folly in ever having +anything to do with you, a hundred times, rather than submit to your +demands."</p> + +<p>"Then—but no! I'll release you if you'll give me half of the sum."</p> + +<p>"Not a cent, you detestable wretch."</p> + +<p>"Curses on your obstinacy! You have refused to do what is right, and +you shall take the the consequences."</p> + +<p>Stepping back he reclosed the door angrily, and hastily relocked the +padlock; then he left the main chamber, for the outer one, and jumped +into the boat.</p> + +<p>The tide was now on the ebb, and the water was now down so that he +could row out of the hole into the ocean.</p> + +<p>As soon as he got out a grand sight met his gaze.<span class="pagenum">[133]</span></p> + +<p>The old house on top of the bluff was in a sheet of lurid flame, +lighting up the early evening, which otherwise was quite dark.</p> + +<p>Showers of sparks ascended toward the heavens, and the crackling of +the dancing blaze made weird music.</p> + +<p>Pulling in to shore, Griffith Gregg leaped from the boat, and +clambered up the side of the bluff.</p> + +<p>The first man he met was Thornton of Leadville, who had fastened up +the hut, and hurried to the scene of the conflagration, as soon as he +had discovered the light.</p> + +<p>The recognition was mutual, and each uttered a cry.</p> + +<p>"At last!" the speculator cried, and he bounded forward, and seized +his enemy by the throat. Gregg clinched with him, and the two men +rolled to the ground, in a fierce struggle, the lurid light of the +burning building lighting up the scene like unto the colored fire to +some wild exciting drama.<span class="pagenum">[134]</span></p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> + +<p class="h3">CONCLUSION.</p> + +<p>The struggle was short and decisive.</p> + +<p>Supple though the younger Gregg was, he was no match for the man from +Leadville, and it was not long ere Mr. Thornton had his man pinned +firmly beneath him, so that he could not move.</p> + +<p>By this time the villagers had arrived upon the scene, in numbers, and +stood contemplating the scene, in wonder.</p> + +<p>"What is the matter here?" one of them demanded, stepping forward. +"Who set fire to this building?"</p> + +<p>"That I am not prepared to say, as I just came," Mr. Thornton replied, +"but I know that I have captured one of the worst villains living. Is +there an officer of the law among you? If so, I want him to take this +devil into immediate custody, and watch well that he don't escape."</p> + +<p>"I am a constable, but I must first know what charge you have against +this young man<span class="pagenum">[135]</span> of highly respected family," another villager said.</p> + +<p>"Charges enough to hang him higher than Haman, if you like," the +speculator cried. "He has my daughter imprisoned somewhere, in hopes +of extorting money from me; he is wanted in Leadville, Colorado, for +no less than three cold-blooded murders, and also for horse-theft, and +I've got papers to show for it!"</p> + +<p>"It's a lie! It's a mistake! This man is crazy!" young Gregg shouted. +"I appeal to you for protection, gentlemen!"</p> + +<p>"Protection you shall have, sir, by law, if you deserve it!" the +constable replied, slipping a pair of hand-cuffs upon the young man's +wrists.</p> + +<p>"Now, sir"—to Mr. Thornton—"permit me to examine your papers."</p> + +<p>The speculator drew a package of documents from an inside coat-pocket, +and the officer gave them a critical examination.</p> + +<p>"They are all right," he said, returning them.</p> + +<p>"For the present, I will leave the scoundrel in your charge—until I +recover my lost daughter!" Mr. Thornton said.</p> + +<p>"That you will never do, curse you!" Griffith<span class="pagenum">[136]</span> Gregg hissed, savagely. +"You've sealed her doom, in tackling me, and you may as well put a +mourning band around your hat."</p> + +<p>"What! do you dare to tell me my daughter is in peril, sir?"</p> + +<p>"Well, that remains to be told. It is according to whether I am +released or not. If not, most assuredly you will never see her or the +money she stole, for if I am to answer for all the charges you have +preferred against me, I can just as well add a few more, without any +inconvenience."</p> + +<p>"We shall see about that. I think a rigid search will find her. +Officer, remove him to a place of safety, until I determine upon a +future course of action."</p> + +<p>The constable accordingly took his departure, marching the younger +Gregg with him.</p> + +<p>The fire had by this time gained great headway.</p> + +<p>It leaped in great crackling volumes from the roof, and burst through +the sides in fiery forks. The whole interior was a seething furnace of +lurid flame, and timbers were already beginning to fall in.</p> + +<p>"Where is Silly Sue?" some one cried, and the question went from mouth +to mouth. "She sometimes sleeps in the old house."<span class="pagenum">[137]</span></p> + +<p>"Silly Sue, as you call her, is dead," Mr. Thornton announced.</p> + +<p>"Dead!" the villagers exclaimed, gathering around him—"Silly Sue +dead?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, dead, and lies in the shanty down the road, belonging to Hal +Hartly, who has gone to some neighboring town to arrange for her +burial!" the speculator said. Then he related what he knew concerning +the brutal whipping she had had, at the hands of Gregg senior.</p> + +<p>A murmur of indignation ran through the crowd as he spoke, and though +some of the men did not cry out against the guilty man, the majority +were greatly excited.</p> + +<p>"Do you swear this is true?" one of the villagers cried, angrily.</p> + +<p>"Ay—swear it a hundred times, if you like. If you have any doubts on +the matter, it will take but a few moments to examine the poor child's +form, upon which welts and bloody cuts yet remain to be seen."</p> + +<p>"Then, I for one propose we give Greyville as good as he meted out!" +the man cried, whose name was Tompkins. "I always had a private idea +that he was a villain, and now I need no further proof to confirm it. +All in favor of hauling him out and lynching him, make manifest by +saying 'I.'"<span class="pagenum">[138]</span></p> + +<p>There was a decisive shout among all but about ten of the men, who +maintained a grim silence.</p> + +<p>"Lynching is a crime, gentlemen," Mr. Thornton said, "in the East, +which would render you liable. It can do no harm to give the human +monster a taste of the whip, however, and then turn him over to the +rigor of the law."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps you are right," Tompkins agreed. "Come along, boys! We'll +teach the wretch that he must be civilized, if he will live in a +civilized country!"</p> + +<p>And the sturdy villager led off, the whole crowd following in his rear +with indignant faces.</p> + +<p>There was indeed a dark look-out for Captain Gregg.</p> + +<p>From his library window in the village mansion he was watching the +fire, and saw the crowd march in a funeral-like procession down from +the bluff along the beach toward the village.</p> + +<p>The countess saw, too, and compressed her lips tightly.</p> + +<p>"Ze crisis is coming!" she hissed, sharply—so sharply that he started +violently. "Ze crowd<span class="pagenum">[139]</span> has heard of ze girl's death, and are coming for +you."</p> + +<p>He turned deathly pale; they would show him no mercy, as he had shown +none to Susie, he well knew.</p> + +<p>"We must escape from here, somehow!" he cried. "To submit to arrest +means death—for you as well as myself."</p> + +<p>"How so?"</p> + +<p>"Did you not witness the whipping without attempting to interfere?" he +sneered. "They'd string you up as quick as I—especially when +investigation came to prove you to be Madame Lisset, the notorious +French smuggler."</p> + +<p>The woman's turn it was to whiten now, and a suppressed curse escaped +from between her clinched teeth.</p> + +<p>"I vas one big fool for evaire anchoring here, or having you for me +agent," she replied. "Somesing must be done, and zat vera quick. What +s'all it be?"</p> + +<p>"There is but one course—flight. Go to my room and get all the money +and jewels there. When you come back, I will be ready."</p> + +<p>She obeyed, and in a very short space of time returned, dressed ready +for escape.</p> + +<p>Leaving the house by the rear door, they skulked hurriedly along a +narrow lane.<span class="pagenum">[140]</span></p> + +<p>This soon brought them out into the country, and into an orchard.</p> + +<p>Without pausing, the chief of smugglers made a wide <i>detour</i>, which +finally brought them out upon the beach, half a mile north of the +village, and directly opposite the steamer "Countess," which lay a +good two miles out at sea, at anchor.</p> + +<p>A light row-boat was drawn upon the beach. This Gregg pushed off into +the water, and sprung in, the countess following him. Then, seizing +the oars, he pulled with all his skill and strength toward the +steamer.</p> + +<p>At the same time, a boat manned by half a dozen men, pulled out from +the beach in front of the village, and this, too, was headed toward +the steamer.</p> + +<p>"Ha! they've suspected our dodge!" Gregg growled, on discovering the +pursuit. "Curse them! I did not think discovery of our flight would be +made so quickly."</p> + +<p>"Will zey reach ze boat first?"</p> + +<p>"By no means. I've got the start, and the steamer is a good half a +mile farther from them than us, if not more!"</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>Let us look after Fritz.<span class="pagenum">[141]</span></p> + +<p>The roof of the old rookery on the bluff has just fallen in, and +millions of sparks go up toward the cloudy sky.</p> + +<p>Is the young detective still within that old building?</p> + +<p>He had heard Hartly, when he ran through the house, setting fire to +it, and had yelled at the top of his voice for assistance.</p> + +<p>But, either Hartly had not heard or did not heed his cries, for no +assistance came.</p> + +<p>Out in the hall, which adjoined the doorless room, the flames soon +began to crackle ominously, and the pungent smell of smoke crept +through the wall to his nostrils.</p> + +<p>For a few moments Fritz stood transfixed with horror, as the peril of +his situation began to dawn upon him.</p> + +<p>He knew by the smell that the house was on fire; he knew that if he +did not make a hasty escape he would be consumed in the merciless +flames.</p> + +<p>What was he to do?</p> + +<p>Really, what was there he <i>could</i> do?</p> + +<p>He rushed about, scarcely aware what he was doing.</p> + +<p>Suddenly his foot caught upon something, and he fell violently to the +floor.<span class="pagenum">[142]</span></p> + +<p>In all his after life he could look back with gladness upon that +mishap, as it was the means of saving him from an awful death.</p> + +<p>Quickly scrambling to his feet, he searched the floor; a moment later +his hand came in contact with an iron ring. Pulling upon it, he raised +a trap in the floor, disclosing a large aperture leading down into +another pit below, which he concluded was a cellar.</p> + +<p>Without pausing to consider what he was doing, he dropped down through +the hole.</p> + +<p>Anything was preferable to the horrible danger above.</p> + +<p>He landed upon his feet upon a hard bottom of the cellar into which he +had leaped.</p> + +<p>In a moment thereafter there was a crash, and a portion of the rear +roof over the cellar fell in.</p> + +<p>The light of the burning timbers now gave him a view of his situation.</p> + +<p>The cellar ran in under the whole of the house, and was nearly filled +with boxes. The only stairway had been covered by the caving in of the +floor, thus closing this avenue of escape.</p> + +<p>The caving in, in turn, had been mainly caused by the falling of a +heavy girder, from the second floor.<span class="pagenum">[143]</span></p> + +<p>Directly in front of where Fritz had landed was a large well-like hole +in the ground, that looked as if it might be very deep, and his only +wonder was that he had not stepped off into it, in the darkness that +had prevailed immediately after he had struck into the cellar.</p> + +<p>"I vonder off dot vas a well, or ish der hole vot leads down into der +cavern," he muttered, peering over the edge. "If der latter vos der +case, I'm all righd, providin' I can git down. But off id vos a well, +den I vos a gone sucker sure. I don'd see anydings off der +rope-ladder."</p> + +<p>Looking above his head, he however, discovered where a staple had been +recently drawn out of a joist, and this satisfied him that it had been +where the ladder had been fastened to, and that the hole was the same +that penetrated into the cavern in the bluff.</p> + +<p>"Der next t'ing vas to get down dere," he muttered. "If I jump, like +ash not I preak mine neck, und den I pe ash pad off ash before, of not +vorse."</p> + +<p>There seemed no other way of getting down, however, and he resolved to +take his chances, rather than remain in the cellar and become a target +for the fallen fiery timbers.<span class="pagenum">[144]</span></p> + +<p>With a prayer for safety he made the uncertain leap.</p> + +<p>Down—down—down he went with a velocity that took his breath, and he +knew no more, except being conscious of striking the earth with a +heavy jar.</p> + +<p>When he recovered his senses he was in the outer cave, and Madge +Thornton was kneeling over him, chafing his hands.</p> + +<p>The cavern was dense with smoke, and breathing was difficult.</p> + +<p>Fritz comprehended the situation at once and sat up.</p> + +<p>"I vas come down like a t'ousand of bricks, eh?" he smiled, feeling of +his limbs to learn if any of them were seriously damaged. "I forgot +all apoud vere I vas going all at vonce. How you got oud off der +dungeon?"</p> + +<p>"Good luck would have it that Griffith, in his passion should have +thrown the bolt of the padlock when the catch was not in, so I easily +reached out my hand, drew the padlock off, and got out into the +chamber," Madge replied. "What is the matter? Is the old house +burning?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. We must get oud off here or ve shoke to death. Off it gets too +deep, I vil swim mit you t'rough dot hole."<span class="pagenum">[145]</span></p> + +<p>He accordingly arose to his feet, and raising her in his arms, he +waded toward the aperture, and outside of the cavern, around to the +southern beach, the water in the deepest place but reaching to his +throat.</p> + +<p>"By shimminy dunder, I feel yoost like ash if I vas tickled to death, +t'ings haff turned oud so vell," Fritz cried, as he placed Madge on +her feet. "A vile ago I vas ash goot ash guff up for a roasted +Dutchman; now I vas oud, und so vas you, und I feel better ash a +spring lamb."</p> + +<p>"Are you sure we are out of danger?"</p> + +<p>"Vel, no, not eggsactly sure, but I t'ink ve pe all righd now. Yoost +you sday here in der shadow off yer pluff, vile I skirmish aroundt und +see vot's to pay."</p> + +<p>She accordingly did as directed, while he clambered up the side of the +bluff, bent on reconnoisance.</p> + +<p>The first man and only man he met was Mr. Thornton, who had hurried +back from the village to the bluff as soon as Captain Gregg was +discovered missing, to keep watch in the vicinity.</p> + +<p>He uttered a cry of joy as he saw Fritz.</p> + +<p>"Why, bless you, boy, I never expected to see you again!" he cried, +shaking the young detective by the hand.<span class="pagenum">[146]</span></p> + +<p>"Und you come purdy near id, too, you can bet a half-dollar, Mr. +Thornton, for I yoost got oud off der building here in time to save +mine vool. But I haff got your daughter, und der monish vas safe!"</p> + +<p>"What! you do not tell me this for a fact, Fritz?"</p> + +<p>"Vel, off I don'd misdake, it vas. Yoost vait here, und I pring you +der girl. Ash to der money, she vas no fool, und put it avay vere she +can get it again."</p> + +<p>He vanished, only to reappear a few minutes later, accompanied by +Madge.</p> + +<p>Then followed a touching scene. The speculator received his lost +daughter with open arms; there were explanations, and kisses, and +tears, and laughs, and the reunion was now complete.</p> + +<p>Leaving them to their joy, let us take a concluding glance at the +ocean race, which was in the meantime transpiring.</p> + +<p>The pursuers saw Gregg pull out from the shore as soon as he saw them; +and they tugged at their oars with a will.</p> + +<p>"Pull, boys!" Tompkins cried, from his position at the steering-oar. +"See! the woman is waving her handkerchief! That is a signal to the +crew on board to fire up, ready to be off.<span class="pagenum">[147]</span> Pull—pull for your worth! +We must intercept them, if possible, before they board!"</p> + +<p>The villagers did pull, with a will, and their boat fairly leaped over +the water.</p> + +<p>Tompkins had guessed the truth. The countess's signal did result in +the crew's raising anchor, and in unbanking the slumbering fires, for +huge volumes of smoke almost immediately began to roll from the +smokestacks.</p> + +<p>But, pull though they did, with almost super-human efforts, the +pursuers were destined not to win.</p> + +<p>Gregg's boat reached the steamer while the villagers were yet eight +minutes distant, and he and the countess clambered aboard. Then the +steamer's whistle gave a defiant shriek, and the craft began to move +away.</p> + +<p>As she did so, the pursuers saw a man suddenly leap overboard into the +water.</p> + +<p>Pulling on, they came to him, just as he was sinking for the last +time.</p> + +<p>It was Hal Hartly, and he was mortally wounded.</p> + +<p>He only spoke once after they pulled him aboard; it was to gasp out +faintly:</p> + +<p>"She's doomed! I've scuttled her!"</p> + +<p>Then the blood spurted from his mouth, and<span class="pagenum">[148]</span> he expired, while the +"Countess" steamed away to sea, and was lost from view, and Captain +Gregg the smuggler was lost from the clutches of the law.</p> + +<p>What was the fate of the "Countess" is not definitely known, but she +never again entered the port of Havre, nor was a soul on board of her +ever afterward seen.</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>The Philadelphia detectives who arrived the next day found no one to +arrest, as those on whom suspicion could justly rest, had fled, during +the night.</p> + +<p>Susie and Hal Hartly received a respectable burial, at the expense of +Mr. Thornton; then, after paying Fritz as promised, the sum of five +thousand dollars, the speculator set out for his Western home, +accompanied by his daughter, and by Griffith Gregg, who was to go back +to the scene of his crimes, for trial.</p> + +<p>With his reward money, Fritz immediately returned to Philadelphia, and +soon after purchased an interest in a paying established business, +where he may be seen 'most any day, when not on detective duty, or if +he is out, his pretty wife Rebecca will represent him.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full"> +</div> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRITZ TO THE FRONT***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 37149-h.txt or 37149-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/7/1/4/37149">http://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/1/4/37149</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Wheeler + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Fritz to the Front + or, The Ventriloquist Scamp-Hunter + + +Author: Edward L. Wheeler + + + +Release Date: August 21, 2011 [eBook #37149] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRITZ TO THE FRONT*** + + +E-text prepared by Greg Weeks, Matthew Wheaton, and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustration. + See 37149-h.htm or 37149-h.zip: + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/37149/37149-h/37149-h.htm) + or + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/37149/37149-h.zip) + + + + + +FRITZ TO THE FRONT; + +Or, The Ventriloquist Scamp-Hunter. + +by + +EDWARD L. WHEELER, + +Author of "Fritz, the Bound-Boy Detective," "Deadwood +Dick" Novels, "Rosebud Rob" Novels, etc. + + + + + + + +Copyright, 1881, by Beadle & Adams. + +The Arthur Westbrook Company +Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. + + +[Illustration: FRITZ BEHELD AN OBJECT WHICH CAUSED HIM TO UTTER A +GRUNT OF STARTLED ALARM] + + + + +Table of Contents + + MADGE. CHAPTER I + THE STRANGE MARRIAGE. CHAPTER II. + THE BLUFF HOUSE. CHAPTER III. + THE GHASTLY RELIC. CHAPTER IV. + BILL BUDGE'S CONVERSATION. CHAPTER V. + ON THE SCENT. CHAPTER VI. + THE STRUGGLE. CHAPTER VII. + ADRIFT. CHAPTER VIII. + FRITZ'S DISCOVERY. CHAPTER IX. + A DIVE FOR LIFE. CHAPTER X. + A FATHER'S BRUTALITY. CHAPTER XI. + A PITIFUL END. CHAPTER XII. + CONCLUSION. CHAPTER XIII. + + + + +FRITZ TO THE FRONT. + + + + +CHAPTER I + +MADGE. + + +One bright, hot August morning a cheap excursion was advertised to +leave South Street wharf, Philadelphia, for Atlantic City--that lively +little city by the sea, which is so fast growing in size and +popularity as to rival the more noted of the Atlantic coast summer +resorts. A cheap excursion which is within the means of the working +class is ever a success, and this one was no exception; it gave the +masses a chance to escape from the overheated city for a small sum, +and they grasped at it eagerly. + +Bright and early the ferry-boat was crowded and still there was no +cessation of the stream of humanity that surged toward the river +front. There were representatives of every trade in the city, nearly, +and likewise a mixture of several nationalities; there were young +folks and old folks and little children; then there were roughs, +bruisers, and bummers, an indispensable adjunct to summer excursions; +and, all in all, a heterogeneous collection of humanity. + +Just as the hot August sun peeped up over Jersey's sandy horizon, the +bell of the boat rung, and the huge ferry-boat began to move out +across the Delaware, toward Kaighn's Point, where connection was to be +made with the railway. + +It was a noisy crowd aboard the boat, there being a good many roughs +among the pleasure-seekers, who were more or less under the effect of +Dock Street "soothing syrup," and who were disposed to have something +to say to every one. + +Among the passengers was a young lady of eighteen or nineteen years of +age, who sat in the stern of the boat, seeming to have no friends or +acquaintances. + +She was by no means unprepossessing in face, and was trimly built, and +dressed rather stylishly, compared to the others of her sex aboard the +boat. + +It was not long before several of the roughs noted the fact that she +was unaccompanied, and determined to know the reason why. + +Therefore, one lubberly, raw-boned young bruiser, with a freckled +face, blood-shot eyes, and a large, red nose, approached her and +tipped his hat with tipsy gallantry: + +"'Scuse me, young lady, but (hic) may I ask ef yer got (hic) company?" +he asked. + +"Plenty of it, sir," the young lady replied, her eyes flashing. "I do +not know you; you'd confer a favor by not addressing me." + +"I'll do as I please, my gal; don't ye sass yer cuzzin. Don't ye know +me? I'm a 'full moon' solid Mulligan Muldoon, I am." + +Greatly annoyed, the young woman turned her head away without +answering. + +This, however, did not abash the "full moon," for he advanced closer, +and laid one burly hand upon the railing beside her. + +"Now, (hic) see here, my beloved Miss Moriarty," he began, but before +he could proceed further, a foppishly attired young Jew, with red hair +and a hooked nose, stepped forward and slapped the Fourth Ward man on +the shoulder. + +"Yoost you bounce oud, mine friend," he said. "Der young lady don'd +vas vant some off your attention." + +"Hello! who in blazes are you?" Muldoon demanded, gruffly, not +offering to move. "I are Muldoon, ther solid man, I am, an' I allow I +kin lick any man on (hic) ther boat." + +"That don'd make any difference. Dot young lady don'd vant you near +her, und uff you don'd vas gone away, right off quick, I'll throw you +oud--dot's der style off an excursionist I am!" cried the Jew. + +"Oho! you wull, wull you? You'll throw me out, hey?--me Full-moon +Muldoon, ther solid man? I'll hev a kiss from the girl an' then I'll +heave yer Israelite carcass overboard for the fishes." + +And, making a drunken lunge forward, he threw his arms about the young +lady's neck, amid indignant cries of a crowd of bystanders, and +attempted to kiss her. + +But he failed in his purpose, for she pluckily threw him off, and the +next instant the Jewish-looking young man came to her rescue. + +Seizing the rough by the coat and trousers he jerked him away; then +with the strength of a Hercules, raised him from the floor and hurled +him forward down the cabin stairway to the lower deck. + +A cheer of approval at once went up from the larger share of the +spectators, and the Dutchman became the hero of the hour. + +Some of Muldoon's companions rushed to his rescue and found him +doubled up like a jack-knife, and groaning over severe bumps. + +His rough usage, however, had evidently cowed him, for he made no +attempt to show fight or create further disturbance. + +The young lady thanked the Jew, but that was all, until the boat +grated up alongside Kaighn's Point wharf, when she caught his eye and +motioned for him to approach. + +"If you will be so kind as to assist me in finding a seat in the +train," she said, modestly, "I would esteem it a great favor." + +"Vel, you bet I vil! Id is a purdy rough crowd for a young lady +withoud some company. My name ish Fritz Snyder; vot ish yours?" + +"You may call me Madge," was the quiet reply. + +Then Fritz took her little traveling-bag, and they left the boat with +the crowd, and boarded the excursion-train which was close at hand. + +Being among the first to reach it, they had no difficulty in finding a +seat, and made haste to occupy it, as the cars were fast filling. + +"I reckon ash how you vas goin' to der sea-shore?" Fritz asked, having +some curiosity to know. + +"I presume so, if the cars take me there," the young lady replied, +with a faint smile. "Is it a nice place?" + +"Vel, I don'd know. I vas neffer there, but I hear id vas a nice +place. You see, I vas goin' there on pizness--I--I--don'd know off I +stay long or not." + +Little more was said during the overland trip to the ocean. + +The young woman did not appear inclined to talk, and Fritz finally +excused himself, and moved to another seat. + +"Der ish somedings vot don'd vas right apoud dot vimmens," he +soliloquized. "She ish not goin' to der sea-shore for vone object +alone, I'll bet a half-dollar." + +Just ahead of him, in the next seat, sat two old ladies, who were +discussing that topic uppermost in their minds--spiritualism. One was +a believer--the other an unbeliever. + +"Pooh! you can't stuff such nonsense into my head, Marier," the +unbeliever declared, taking a pinch of snuff. "Speerits don't trouble +me." + +"But, that is because you have no faith, Mehitable. Now, my Sammy's +speerit converses with me, every day and night, and keeps me posted +about the realms of eternal bliss, and when I ax him to appear, he +comes before me as natural as life." + +"Has he got that wart behind his left ear yet?" apparently asked a man +in front of the ladies, though Ventriloquist Fritz was of course the +author of the question. + +"Sir-r-rh!" the spiritualist cried, indignantly, "I'll have you know +my Samuel had no wart upon his person!" + +"But he had bunions, though!" a portly old gent across the aisle +seemed to declare. + +"It's a lie--a shameful lie! I'd like to know how you dare cast your +insinuations about one you never knew, sir?" and Mrs. Marier arose in +her seat, excitedly. "My husband was a good moral gentleman." + +"For the land's sake, Marier, do set down," the other woman cried, +feeling embarrassed. + +"No I won't set down!" Marier declared. "That old bald-headed, pussy +fabricator said my Sammy had bunions!" + +"My good woman, I never said anything of the kind," the portly party +declared, getting red in the face. + +"The old woman's crazy!" another man seemed to cry. + +"Crazy, am I?" Mrs. Marier cried, snatching up a freshly baked pumpkin +pie from the seat beside her, and holding it ready to hurl at the +offenders. "I'll show you if I'm crazy. Jest ye open yer mouths, ary +one of ye, an' I'll show ye how crazy I am! Oh! I'll learn ye to +insult a respectable woman, who minds her own business!" + +And the woman came off victor, for Fritz ventriloquized no further, +and the passengers had nothing to say, having no desire to get +plastered up with freshly prepared pumpkin pie. + +In the course of three hours the train arrived at Atlantic City, and +before the ocean's blue expanse, as it billowed away to meet the +horizon. + +The grand stretch of level beach was thronged with people, despite the +pouring heat of the midday sun, and many queerly costumed +pleasure-seekers were buffeting about in the water for recreation and +health. + +Fritz was among the first to leave the cars, and he stationed himself +where he could watch the movements of the girl, Madge. + +Some subtle instinct prompted him to do this, with the impression that +she was--what? + +That was an enigma. He could not, for the life of him, have told why, +but he was impressed with an idea that there was some strange romance +connected with her visit to the sea-shore--that she did not come alone +for pleasure, but for an object that might be worth investigating. + +She left the cars, and at once took a carriage for the principal +hotel. + +Not to be balked, Fritz jumped into another carriage, and directed the +driver to take him to the same hotel. + +His conveyance arrived first, and he was standing on the veranda, when +the carriage drove up with Madge, and she got out. + +She scarcely noticed him as she came up the steps and passed into the +hotel; but, after she had registered, she came out, and touched him on +the arm. + +"You are watching me--what for?" she asked, when he turned around +facing her. "Am I an object of suspicion to you, sir?" + +Fritz flushed uncomfortably, and hardly knew how to answer. + +"Vel, I--I--" + +"There! don't make any apologies or excuses; I know you are, and shall +look out for you. Please understand I am no criminal!" + +Then she turned around again, and swept haughtily into the hotel, +while Fritz walked away toward the beach in meditation. + +"She vas sharper ash lightning," he mused, "und dot makes me t'ink +some more dot for some reason or odder she vil bear watching." + +He took a bath in the ocean, and then went back to the hotel. He was +not quite satisfied to drop the matter where it was. Something urged +him to pry further into the affairs of this young lady, whose case had +struck him as being singular. + +On examining the register, he found that she was registered as Miss +Madge Thurston, and assigned room 43. + +As nothing more offered, he sat down on the veranda, and watched the +stream of people that surged in and out of the hotel, and to and from +the beach--men, women, and children by the hundred, and yet there +were scarcely two faces alike. + +During the afternoon an elegant close carriage, drawn by a superbly +harnessed pair of high-stepping bays, which were in turn driven by a +liveried negro, came dashing down the avenue, and drew up before the +Brighton. + +A man of some thirty-five years of age leaped from the carriage, and +entered the hotel--a man with a sinister yet handsome face, ornamented +with a sweeping mustache, and a pair of sharp, black eyes. He was +attired in spotless white duck, with patent-leather boots, and a white +"plug" hat, and was evidently a person of some importance! + +He soon came out of the hotel, accompanied by the young woman Fritz +had defended, and entering the carriage, they were whirled away down +the avenue out of sight. + +"Dot settles dot! My game's gone und I don'd got some professional +detective gase, there," Fritz growled, as he watched the receding +carriage. "I'll bet a half-dollar I neffer see dem again." + +But he was mistaken. + +That evening when the moon was sending a flood of brilliant light down +upon the long level beach, he was one of a thousand who took a stroll +along the water's edge, over the damp sands of the sea. + +He was thus engaged, and watching the great luminous moon which seemed +to have risen out of the distant watery waste, when a man touched him +upon the shoulder. + +"Excuse me," he said, respectfully, "but are you Fritz, the young man +who took a young lady's part, on a ferry-boat near Philadelphia, +to-day?" + +"Vel, I dink I am, uff I recomember right. Vot of it?" Fritz replied. + +"Well, sir, you are wanted to bear witness to a marriage ceremony, +to-night, up the coast, and I was sent for you. Step this way, to the +carriage, sir." + +Scarcely knowing what was best to do, Fritz followed, got into an open +carriage, and was driven rapidly north along the beach, through the +romantic moonshine. + +But, how romantic was his little adventure destined to turn out? That +was what he asked himself, as he gazed doubtfully out upon the +greenish blue of mother ocean. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE STRANGE MARRIAGE. + + +In the course of little over an hour, the carriage stopped at the +inlet, where Fritz was told to get out and take a small boat and row +across the water to the other shore, where he would find another +carriage to complete his journey in. + +He accordingly did as directed, and had soon crossed the inlet, found +the second carriage, and was once more rolling northward, along the +sandy beach. + +It seemed hours to him ere his conductor drew rein in front of a +jutting bluff which interrupted their further progress along the +beach, from the fact that it reached to the water's edge; for another +hour he followed the driver, a grim, uncommunicative fisherman, on +foot up a jagged path, which finally led into a lonely ocean cave +which the high tides of many centuries had washed out to about the +size of an ordinary room. A torch thrust in a crevice in the rocky +wall, lit up the scene in rather a ghostly way. + +About in the center of the cave stood three parties--Madge, a +clerical-looking party, and another well-dressed man, with black hair +and full beard. + +He stepped forward as Fritz and the fisherman entered the cave, and +said: + +"Ah! I am glad you have come. Was fearing that you would not +accommodate us, sir." + +"Vel, I didn't vas know vedder to come or not," Fritz answered, "but +ash I am here, vot you want off me?" + +"I will tell you. The young lady yonder and myself are about to be +married, and, to make things legal, we prefer to have a couple of +witnesses to the ceremony. You will only be required to attach your +signature to the marriage certificate, and will then be taken back to +Atlantic City." + +"Vel, off dot ish all, go ahead mit der pizness," Fritz said, perching +himself on a rock. "I don'd know off id is a legal dransaction or not, +but I'll do vot ish right by der lady." + +"Then let's have the ceremony," the prospective bridegroom said. "Are +you ready, Madge?" + +"Quite ready," the young lady replied, smilingly. + +Then they clasped hands, and the aged clerical-looking gentleman read +a marriage-service, asked the usual questions, and pronounced them man +and wife. + +The parties to the consummation were announced as Miss Madge Thurston +and Major Paul Atkins. + +At the conclusion of the ceremony the clergyman filled out a +certificate, signed it himself, and then requested Fritz to come +forward and do likewise, and also the old fisherman. + +His request being obeyed, Major Atkins said: + +"Your favor is duly appreciated, Mr. Snyder, and, if an opportunity +offers, I shall be happy to be of service to you. You may now return +to town in the manner you came." + +Accordingly, Fritz did so, not a little puzzled at his adventure and +the strange wedding in the coast cave. + +Day was just beginning to lighten the eastern horizon when he arrived +back at Atlantic City, and went to his room for a nap. + +But he found that sleep would not come to his relief, and so he was +among the early fashionable bathers at the beach. + +After a good, refreshing bath he went back to the Brighton and took a +seat on the veranda. + +He had not been seated long when a rapidly driven carriage whirled up +before the hotel, and an elderly, portly man leaped out and hurried +into the hotel, his face flushed with excitement. + +He was well-dressed, wore a little bunch of gray side-whiskers on +either cheek, and was evidently all of sixty years of age. + +Fritz surveyed him closely with the short glimpse he got of him, and +then scratched his head as if in quest of an idea. + +"I'll bet a half-dollar I see into der whole pizness now," he +muttered, with a chuckle. "Id vas plainer ash mud to me. Dot couple +vot got married vas elopers mit each odder, und dis pe der old man on +der war-path after 'em, madder ash a hornet. Der next t'ing is, who +vas der bully veller, vot ish honest und haff der rocks to support dot +virtue?" + +After a few minutes the old gentleman came out of the hotel, and stood +looking out upon the ocean, with rather a savage expression of +countenance--and his was a face that could be very stern, when +occasion required it. + +"I don'd know vedder I better poke mine nose inder dis pizness, or +not," Fritz muttered, taking a second survey of him. "He looks like +ash if he might swaller a veller off he got mad, und I don'd vas care +apoud imitadin' Jonah." + +As if interpreting his thoughts, the old gent turned rather gruffly, +and took a searching glance at the young man. + +"Well?" he said, "I suppose I look as if I wanted to cut some one's +throat, don't I?" + +Fritz laughed lightly. + +"Vel, I vas t'inking somedings like dot," he admitted. + +"I thought so. I ain't a fool; I know when I am mad, I _look_ mad. Do +you know of any party around here who's particularly anxious to end +his career, and ain't got the grit to do the job?--I would like to +operate on such a chap." + +"You feels like ash off you could pulverize some one, eh?" + +"Humph! I'll contract to lay out the first man that durst look +cross-eyed at me. I'm mad, I am--mad as thunder, and I come from +Leadville, too, where they raise thunder occasionally. Bah! I wish +some one would step up and kick me!" + +"Well, I'm your man, if you really want a _bona fide_ job +done!" Fritz caused a pompous-looking man to say, who stood +near--ventriloquially, of course. "I'm the champion patent kicker from +Kalamazoo!" + +The old gent from Leadville turned and gazed at the pompous-looking +man a moment, his dander rising several degrees. + +"Oh! so you're anxious to kick me, are you, my Christian friend? You +want to kick me, do you?" he ejaculated. + +"Who has said anything about kicking you, sir?" the pompous party +demanded, in haughty surprise. "You'd evidently better go to bed and +sleep off your 'cups,' my friend." + +"I haven't drank a drop, sir, in ten years. And for you to deny +expressing a desire to boot me, sir--why, man, I heard you!" + +"You are a liar, sir; I said nothing of the kind. Besides, I am not in +the habit of picking quarrels with strangers." + +And with a shrug, the pompous man turned on his heel, and walked off, +indignantly. + +Leadville's angered delegate gazed after him a moment, with +unutterable contempt--then turned to Fritz: + +"Poor fool. He's no sand, or he'd not cut and run, after calling a man +a liar. Up in Leadville things are supremely different, but here +alas! is a lack of back-bone. I say, young fellow, have you ever +cherished dreams of becoming rich?--a man of millions, as it were?" + +"Vel, I don'd know but I haff some off dose anxiety to get rich, vonce +in a vile," Fritz admitted. + +"Well, sir, I can tell you just how you can do it the easiest, if you +will stroll upon the beach with me." + +Accordingly Fritz arose, and sauntered down to the beach with this +eccentric Leadvillian, whoever he might prove to be. + +"Now, I suppose you'd like to know what I'm mad at," the old gent +began, pushing his gold-headed cane into the sand, as they strolled +along. "Well, before I tell you, I want to know who you are, and what +your business is?" + +"My name vos Fritz Snyder, und I vas vot you might call a +detective--or, dot is, I vas trying my luck at der pizness." + +"Indeed? Then perhaps it is well I have met you, for I have a case, +and if you can win that case, you can also win five thousand dollars. +How does that strike you?" + +"It hits me right vere I liff, ven I ish at home," Fritz grinned. +"Yoost you give me der p'ints, und I'm your bologna, you can bet a +half-dollar on dot five t'ousand-dollar job. Vot's der lay--suicides, +murder, sdole somedings, or run avay mit anodder vife's veller?" + +"Neither. A girl has run away from her home, and is wanted--five +thousand dollars' worth. She is my daughter, and is a somnambulist, +and consequently of unsound mind, at times. She frequently goes into a +trance, and remains thus for weeks at a time, eating and drinking +naturally enough, but knowing nothing what she has been doing, when +she awakens--though to outward appearance, she is awake, when in this +trance, but not in her right mind. I have consulted eminent +physicians, but they pronounce her case incurable, and say she will +some day die in one of these trances." + +Here the man from Leadville grew pathetic in his story, and wiped a +tear from his eye; but finally went on: + +"Well, as you may imagine, I have had a deal of trouble with her, for +in her state of trance she has often robbed me of sums of money. And +wandered off, too, sometimes; but this last blow has been the most +severe. It came to my knowledge that she had become the prey of an +unprincipled Eastern rascal. He had met her during her somnambulistic +wanderings, and prejudiced her against me, and caused her to rob not +only me but others, and surrender the stolen booty to him. On learning +this, myself and neighbors formed into a vigilance committee to hunt +the rascal down, but he took to his heels, and fled Eastward. A few +days later, my poor child turned up missing, and with her the sum of +twenty thousand dollars, which had been paid me from the sale of a +mine, and which I had lodged in my safe for safe keeping until I could +deposit it, the next day!" + +"Twenty t'ousand--so much ash dot?" + +"Yes--a big sum, and likewise nearly all the money I then possessed. I +immediately took up the trail, but egad! 'twas no use. The girl is +sharper than lightning, and eluded me at every turn. I found that her +destination was Eastward--doubtless to join her evil genius--and so I +telegraphed to Chicago and St. Louis for the detectives to look out, +and intercept her, if possible. But all to no avail. She was seen in +those places, but owing to some irregularity beyond my comprehension, +was not captured. When I arrived in Chicago, I found that she had two +days before left the city, Eastward bound. I trailed her to +Philadelphia, and there lost all track of her. Thinking quite likely +she would come to this summer resort, I came on, to-day, in hopes of +striking the trail, but all to no avail. I have as yet heard of no +clew to her whereabouts." + +"Vel, dot ish purdy bad," Fritz assented. "Vot ish your name?" + +"My name is Thornton--I am a mining speculator from Leadville, +Colorado." + +"Und your daughter's name vos--?" + +"Madge. She is a pretty young maiden, aged eighteen, and left her home +very well dressed." + +"Und der feller vot vas pocketing der money--vot vos his name?" + +"It is hard to guess what his true name was. At Leadville he was +called Pirate Johnson--at Pueblo he was known as Griffith Gregg." + +"Gregg--Gregg?" Fritz said, meditatively. "I am on the look-out for a +man by that name. But my man is a smuggler." + +"This villain may be connected with any nefarious piece of rascality. +If I only had him here one or the other of us would get laid out--that +is as good as sworn to. God only knows what perils my poor child will +pass through before I succeed in finding her, if I ever do." + +"Vel, I reckon ve can find her, uff der ish such a t'ing in der +dictionary," Fritz asserted. + +He then went on to relate the particulars of his assisting the lady on +the boat, and of the marriage in the cave, which excited Mr. Thornton +greatly. + +"By Heaven! I see through it all! Madge Thurston is no more or less +than my daughter, and she has wedded this rascal, Atkins, who is one +and the same person who was the Gregg or Johnson out West. God forbid +that my child is married to such a wretch. Describe him." + +Fritz obeyed, giving a description according as he remembered the +bridegroom--also of the man who took Madge Thurston from the hotel. + +"The latter was undoubtedly Gregg," the speculator declared, "and the +other also, was, it is likely, disguised for the occasion, with a +false beard. Now, Fritz, I want you to help me find my child, and +break the neck of this rascal, and you shall have for reward the sum I +promised you. We'll search this world high and dry but what we'll +recover my child. Come, let's seek a conveyance to take us to the +cave." + +They accordingly went back to the Hotel Brighton, ate dinner, and +afterward secured a carriage and set out for the scene of the strange +wedding the night before. + +And thus Fritz entered into a five-thousand-dollar chase, which was +destined to lead him into more adventures than he had yet +experienced. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +THE BLUFF HOUSE. + + +In due time they arrived at the cave, where the ceremony of the +previous night had taken place, but a thorough search of the cavernous +wash-out failed to yield any tidings of the romantic lovers. + +"Pshaw! there's no use of further search in this direction; they have +long ere this set out for some other portion of the country, and we +are wasting time in tarrying here." + +"Mebbe dot ish so, but I dink dey vas go on up der coast, instead off +cum pack by Atlantic City." + +"Not impossible. In that case, it will be our best lead to go back to +Atlantic, take the cars to Philadelphia, and strike for some sea-coast +point ahead of them." + +"Dot vould pe a purty good idea vor you, but I t'ink better I remain +on der coast stardting vrom here, und follow der trail in der rear. +I'll bet a half-dollar I find 'em first, afore you do." + +"Very well. It shall be as you deem best. I will leave you here and +join you, or rather be there to meet you, when you reach Long Branch. +If nothing results in our favor by that time I'll decide what is the +next best course to pursue. Here is a hundred dollars, toward +defraying your expenses. If you need more, telegraph to Jim Thornton +at the Chalfonte, Long Branch, and I'll remit." + +And placing the sum of money in Fritz's possession, he soon after took +his departure. + +After he had gone, Fritz sat down on a rock in the mouth of the cave, +which overlooked the ocean, and gazed thoughtfully out upon the sunlit +waters. + +"Vel, here I vas--but der next question ish, vere vas I?" he +soliloquized. "I haff undertaken a job mitout any bases vor a +start-off. I kinder vish Rebecca vas here, too--but ash vishin' don'd +vas do some good, pizness is der next consideration." + +Night was not far distant, but he resolved to continue on up the coast +in hopes of finding a fisherman's house, where he could obtain food +and lodging. + +He accordingly left the cave and continued his journey. He soon came +to a level stretch of beach again, and followed its northward course +for a number of miles--until sunset, when he found himself as far from +any human habitation as he had in the start. + +He accordingly sought a grassy spot, back from the beach, and lay down +to rest. + +Arising early the next morning, he struck out once more on his +journey, feeling decidedly anxious to find some kind of a human +habitation, as he was very hungry. + +He soon spied a farm-house, inland from the beach, and made for it in +double-quick time. + +A gruff-looking man sat upon the front veranda, as he entered the +well-kept yard, and eyed him with an expression of suspicion. + +"Well, what d'ye want, young man?" he demanded, sourly. + +"Grub--somedings to eat," Fritz replied, spiritedly. "I vas hungry +like ash a sucker after a hard winter." + +"Get out! I don't want no tramps about here. Clear, I say, or I'll set +the dog on you," the farmer growled, stamping on the veranda with his +cane. + +"But, I don'd vas no tramp, nor I don'd vas skeardt at der dogs!" +Fritz replied. "I vants some preakfast, und ish able to pay vor id +like a shendleman." + +"Go to a tavern, then. I don't keep no puttin'-up place." + +"But I don'd find some tavern, und I ain'd going no furder ondil I get +somedings to eat. So trot oud der best vot you haff, und I pay for +'em." + +"Didn't I tell you, you couldn't get something to eat here?" the man +cried, getting exasperated. Then he began whistling for the dog. "I'll +show you who runs this place." + +"All right! Fetch oud der canine," Fritz grinned, perching himself on +the fence, and taking a pistol from his pocket. "I yoost ash leave +haff dog steak ash peef stew. Anydings to fill up ven a veller vas +hungry." + +"What! how dare you, sir! I'll have you arrested for carrying +concealed weapons, you scamp!" + +"Den I haff you arrested vor causing cannibalism, py not giffin' a +veller somedings to eat. Come, now, mister; yoost set oud der vittles +und der von't pe no droubles; otherwise, der may be an exposure off +somedings!" + +The farmer started at Fritz's unmeaning declaration, and giving him a +swift, startled glance, arose and entered the house. + +Fritz noticed what effect his thoughtless shot had had, and gave vent +to a low, peculiar whistle, denotive of surprise. + +"Hello! vot ish dose I've done?" he mused. "I give der old chap a sour +grape, dot time, all of which proves dot he is 'fraid off der exposure +off somedings, und don'd vas got a clear conscience. Vel, dot ish +purdy goot, too. Von t'ing leads to anodder--mebbe I vil discover +somedings else. Anyhow, I'm going to stay right here undil I gets +somedings to eat, und I reckon der old man vil fetch or send id." + +Nor was he wrong in his reckoning, for shortly afterward a plump and +pretty maid brought him out a tray of victuals that looked most +tempting. + +There was bread and butter, cold meat, cake, pie, apples, and a bowl +of rich milk. No wonder Fritz's eyes sparkled with satisfaction, as he +sat down upon the carriage-block, and received the offering. + +"I thank you more ash a t'ousand times," he said. "Der old man didn't +vas goin' to give me somedings, but I told him I would expose him, und +dot fixed him. Vot's der old crab's name, young lady?" + +The girl stared. + +"Mr. Sample, do you mean?" she asked, in surprise. + +"Yes, I reckon dot's der one--der old vinegar-barrel vot yoost sot on +der veranda. So his name vas Sample, eh? If he vas a sample off der +neighbors around here, I dinks I stop no more. He vas got a segret, +don'd he?" + +"How should I know, sir?" + +"Oh! vel, I didn't know but you might haff heard somedings." + +"If I had, I don't believe I should confess it to you," the maid +retorted. "When you get through eating leave the server on the block." + +"But, hold on--you ain'd going?" + +"Yes." + +"But vait aw'ile! I say no. I vant to ask you some questions." + +"What?" + +"Vel, one t'ing--ish der a town somevere's near, on der coast?" + +"Yes, several." + +"Vot one is der nearest?" + +"Forsyth Landing." + +"Vot is der population?" + +"Four people." + +"Shimminy dunder! So mooch ash dot? Any old maids among der lot?" + +"Nary a maid!" + +"Vel, dot's all. Much obliged." + +After she had departed, Fritz finished his meal, and then resumed his +tramp along the lonely beach. + +Half an hour brought him to the landing, but he did not pause. + +Two rough-looking old sea-dogs were lounging outside a sort of a hut, +but their appearance did not inspire Fritz with any desire to +cultivate their acquaintance. + +About sunset he arrived at a far prettier spot than he had yet +encountered. + +A great bluff of land rolled up to an abrupt and precipitous ending at +the ocean's edge. + +In high tide it would be impossible to walk along the beach at the +base of the bluff, owing to the depth of water, while at low tide the +beach was quite bare. + +The evening tide was rolling in close to the base of the cliff, when +Fritz reached it, and so he paused and took a reconnoissance. + +Far up on the top of the bluff he saw a large, rambling, old house, in +a grove of trees, but whether it was deserted or not, he could not +tell. + +It looked so grim in the weird sunset light, and so isolated in its +lone watch by the sea that one might easily have fancied it an abode +of spooks, and their like. + +"I s'pect dot I'll haff to climb up und go around that bluff," Fritz +muttered, not at all liking the idea. "Uff a veller vas to try und +wade along der front, he'd like ash not get drowned, und dot vould pe +a duyfel off a fix. I wonder ef der folks who lif up yonder ar' +samples off dot Sample I met dis morning? Looks like ash uff it might +be a ghost factory." + +He was considering what was best to do, when he felt a tap upon his +shoulder, and wheeled about with a nervous start. + +Before him stood a ragged, frowsy-haired, bare-footed girl, some +sixteen or seventeen years of age--a girl with a well-rounded figure +of but medium stature, and a face at once peculiar and attractive, +from the sparkle of its eyes, the broad grin of its mouth, and the +amount of dirt gathered about it. + +She had evidently but recently emerged from the water, for her long +black hair as well as her wet garments were dripping with drops which +the dying sunlight transformed into diamonds. + +"Ha! ha! ha!" she laughed, putting her pretty arms akimbo, and staring +hard at Fritz. "Don't I look silly, though?" + +"Vel, I don'd know apoud dot. I dink der abblication uff some water +mit your face vould make you look petter ash vot you are now!" Fritz +answered, somewhat puzzled. + +"Water! ha! ha! I just came out of the water. But oh! I'm so +silly--that's what everybody says, and I guess it must be so; anyhow, +they call me Silly Sue. Was you ever silly, boss?" + +"Vel, I don'd vas know so mooch apoud dot, vedder I vas or not," Fritz +replied, with a doubtful grin. "Do I look silly?" + +"Oh! lordy! you are the silliest-looking goose I ever saw. I never saw +a Yankee but what he was silly." + +"But I don'd vas be a Yankee!" + +"Get out! Don't dispute me! I know just who and what you are. You are +Neptune, come up from the bottom of the sea." + +"You lie like dunder!" Fritz retorted, backing up, and beginning to +get considerably alarmed, for he began to suspect that she was crazy. +"I vasn't no Neptune at all--no von but Fritz Snyder. Id's a vonder +you don'd call me Joner, vot swallered de valebone." + +"Nop! you're Neptune. Do you see the house up yonder?" + +"Vel, yes; vot off it?" + +"Oh! that's a high old roost. Ghosts and skeletons perch up there +after dark and grin and rattle their bones at you. They don't do it to +me, because I feed 'em snuff. Ha! ha! can you snuff the silly part of +that outrageous gag? Say, boss, where you going, ef it ain't askin' +too much?" + +"Vel, I don'd know dot myself." + +"Don't know where you're going?" + +"No; I vas huntin' vor somebody." + +"Oho! so am I! I was huntin' for some one, when I discovered +something, and they called me silly because I refused to tell what. +Well, good-day; swim over to England when you want to see me again." + +Then, with a peal of elfish laughter, she ran and sprung into the +water, and swam around the base of the cliff out of sight. + +"I'll pet a half-dollar dot gal vas drunk or crazy, von or der odder, +und der pest t'ing vor me to do is shlip avay vile I can!" Fritz +ejaculated. + +To think was to act with him, and he accordingly set out clambering up +the steep side of the bluff. + +In due time he reached the top and found a level spot of a couple of +acres extent, in the center of which the house was situated, +surrounded by sentinel rows of sighing hemlocks. A general aspect of +desolation was perceptible on every hand, showing the premises to be +untenanted. + +The garden was grown up with rank weeds and the house weather-worn and +old, some of the shutters hanging by one hinge. + +It was a large structure of many queer gables, wings and projections, +and fronted upon a road which had been used to communicate with some +thoroughfare further inland. + +"Dot looks like ash uff it vas going to rain," Fritz muttered, gazing +at an ominous bank of clouds that was gathering in the west. "I dink +maybe I petter sday in der old house till morning, uff I und der +ghosts can agree. I don'd vas much affraid off ghosts, anyhow." + +And he evidently was not, for he boldly entered the house by the +creaking front-door and closed the door behind him. + +When the clouds had overspread the sky in an inky mass, and darkness +had set in around the gloomy edifice, two black-whiskered men came +along and stopped at the mansion. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +THE GHASTLY RELIC. + + +Meantime Fritz had been in the old rookery some time prior to the +arrival of the bearded men. + +No sooner had he entered the large hall, and closed the door behind +him, than he felt a sort of dread of something, he knew not what. +There was a damp, musty, deathly smell about the place that he did not +quite like. + +"I don'd know vedder I vas afraid of ghosts or not," he soliloquized, +pausing and gazing around him. "It looks ash uff dis might be a blace +vere dey manufacture ghost shows; but somebody has liffed here vonce +upon a time." + +The carpet yet remained upon the floor of the long hall, and also upon +the staircase which led to the upper floor. There was also a large +picture hung upon the wall. + +Passing along the hall, Fritz tried each of the doors which opened off +from it, but in each instance he found them locked, and was unable to +effect an entrance. + +"Vel, dot looks like ash uff nopody vas to home," he muttered. "I'll +try der upstairs part, und if I don'd haff no better success, I vil +stay out mit der hall." + +He accordingly ascended the hall staircase, and proceeded to take a +tour of the upper part of the rambling old structure. + +Here the doors were all locked, with one exception, and this had +evidently been left as locked, the bolt being turned, but the door not +having been tightly closed, the bolt failed to enter the socket. + +Opening this door, Fritz entered, and found himself in a large +furnished apartment, there being a carpet, old and moth-eaten, upon +the floor; several pieces of stuffed furniture, which had also been +victims of moth and worm, and a large round oaken table in the center +of the room. + +And over this, suspended by a cord, which was fastened to the ceiling, +was an object which caused Fritz to utter a grunt of startled alarm. + +It was a man's head, cut from the body at the throat, and held in +suspension by a cord fastened to the long hair. + +The head had probably hung there for a year or so, for the flesh had +dried down upon the bones. The eyes, however, retained their glassy +stare, the teeth showed to ghastly advantage, and the heavy black +mustache and goatee bristled ferociously. + +Fritz gave a startled cry, and his hair fairly raised on end, as he +beheld the strange spectacle, but the longer he stared at it, the less +his alarm, and he finally advanced into the room. + +"By shimminy--I vas skeardt like ash der duyfel at first, put now I +don'd vas a bit afraid. Somepody hang dot up there yoost for a +scare-crow. Uff der ghosts vas to see it, I'll bet a half-dollar dey +vould run." + +Just then there was a flash of lightning and a heavy roll of thunder, +which caused Fritz to start, and give a nervous glance at the swinging +head. + +"I don'd quite vas like id here," he muttered, uneasily. "I'd makes a +veller t'ink he's goin' der get smashed up effery minute. I vonder vot +dey keep up there?" and his eyes rested upon an aperture in the +ceiling, such as is often provided in houses as a means of reaching +the roof. A stout rope hung down through this opening to the floor of +the room, and had evidently been used to climb up into the attic. + +Fritz was just contemplating it, when a sound of footsteps in the hall +outside aroused him to quicker thoughts. + +"I'll bet a half-dollar it's a ghost comin'," he gasped, the tendency +of his hair being again decidedly upward. "But, it was a cold day ven +dey scalb me mit der tommyhawk, ash long ash I can climb." + +Accordingly, up the rope he went, hand-over-hand, with the agility of +a monkey, and soon gained the attic immediately above the chamber. + +It was a dark, ill-smelling place, and so far as Fritz could see, used +for no particular purpose whatever. + +Ensconcing himself directly beside the aperture through which he had +come up, Fritz prepared to await developments. + +He was not a little anxious to know who the new-comer was--whether a +human or spiritual being, for if the latter, he had a curiosity to +inspect it. + +In a few moments the door opened and a strapping Irishman stalked into +the chamber, a lank, lean specimen of humanity, with a Killkenny face, +red hair, a fringe of reddish beard under his lower jaw, extending to +his ears, and attired in brogans, short pantaloons, and a blue +soldier coat, with a grimy clay pipe in his mouth, and battered plug +hat on his head. Of the "rale old" race of Irishmen, he was certainly +a good specimen. + +"Arrah! sure it's divil one room but they have locked, an' a sorry +place it is, too, for a dacent Irish gintlemon--an the son of a duke +at that! Bad 'cess to sich a counthry, onny-how. It's wurruk like the +divil for a bit of grub, and when a mon gits out ov wurruk sure +stomick has to pay for it. If yez ax a mon will he be afther givin' +yez a nip off bread, he tell yez, 'Arrah! off wid ye, ye murdtherin' +tromp, or I'll sick tha purrup on yez!' bedad." + +"I'll yoost pet half-dollar der Irishman vas pin stoppin' mit +Samples!" Fritz muttered, with a grin, taking a peep at the son of +Erin. "He vas hungry like as vot I vas. Vonder off he haff discovered +der skelegon, yet avile." + +The Hibernian had not, evidently, for he was perched composedly +beneath the suspended head. + +"Sorry a place this is for the son of a duke," he went on muttering. +"Sure, it looks as if the ould divil himself had been here. Guess this +property would be sellin' moighty cheap, tha while. Ugh!" as a heavy +clap of thunder caused the house to shake from stem to stern, "a sorry +wild night it's a-goin' to be, an' it's meself that's wishin' I was +back forninst the furdther side av the big puddle." + +"Ha! ha!" laughed Fritz, throwing his voice to the farther side of the +room. + +"Yis, ha! ha! bad 'cess to the loikes av yez, whoever ye may be!" the +Irishman cried, fiercely, gazing in vain around the apartment, in +search of the author of the laugh. + +"Ho! ho! itchy, dirdty Irish!" Fritz caused a different voice to say, +in a still opposite part of the room. + +"No, I'm divil a wan av the likes!" the son of Erin cried, getting +angry. "Bad luck to yez! ef I gits me hands on yez, it's a divil's own +trouncin' you'll get, ontirely. I'll have yez know my name is Patrick +Grogan, an' it's the dacent, gintlemonly son av a duke and a duchess I +am, bedad." + +"A son off a gun, more likely. Look out, you bloody Irish, or I vil +spit on you!" Fritz caused the suspended head to say, in a hoarse, +gurgling voice. + +"Aha! it's spittin' on me yez'll be, eh?" the Hibernian cried, leaping +from his seat, his walking-stick in hand--a formidable piece of real +thorn. "Oh! you black-livered omadhaun, if I catch yez, _won't_ I +tache yez to be dacent and civil to a gintlemon!" + +Then, chancing to glance upward, he saw for the first the swinging +head, and in utter horror dropped upon his knees and raised his hands +upward in supplication. + +"Oh, holy Virgin Mary, protect me!" he howled, his terrified gaze +glued upon the unsightly object. "Oh, murdtherin Maria! och, bad luck! +fot have I done, Mr. Divil? shure it's nary a thing wrong I've did, +nor sthalin' I've never been guilty of!" + +"You vas von son-off-a-sea-cook!" came from the head. + +"Yis--och, sure I'se anything yez wants, Mr. Divil! only don't be +afther hurtin' the loikes av me!" + +"Then arise, dirdty Irish, and climb into the attic, before the +spirits come to wrap their icy clutches around you!" + +"Sure, I'll be afther goin'," Pat cried, and he did go--not up the +rope, but out of the room, as fast as he could go. + +Nor did he pause until outside of the house, as Fritz could tell by +the sound of his rapidly retreating footsteps. + +"Vel, dot vas purdy goot fun," Fritz muttered with a grin. "I dink I +vil vait dil some vone else comes." + +He had not long to wait before footsteps sounded once more, coming up +the stairs, just as the storm broke loose outside, and torrents of +rain poured down upon the roof, while the thunder rumbled ominously. + +Presently two men entered, one carrying a lantern, for it was now +quite dark. + +Both were roughly dressed and brutal-looking fellows, wearing heavy +black beards. + +"Humph!" was Fritz's mental comment, as he beheld them. "I'll bet a +half-dollar I smells von mice. Uff I haff not made a big mistake, I +dinks I haff stumbled right inder the smugglers' den vot I am looking +for." + +It was only a sudden suspicion, to be sure; nevertheless it struck him +very forcibly. + +One of the men set the lantern upon the table, and then perched +himself beside it, while the other sat down upon a chair and gazed +speculatively at the ghastly object which hung suspended from the +ceiling. + +"I wonder how long afore the rest o' ther boys will be here," he +growled. + +"Dunno," the other fellow replied. "Hope they'll come afore long and +settle the matter, so that we'll know what we've got to do." + +"How d'ye think it's going?" + +"Dunno. Reckon the majority'll be ag'in' the poor cuss." + +"I'm thinkin' that way, too. I kinder hope not, though, for I don't +fancy the job." + +"Pshaw! you're chicken-hearted, without cause. He's never made love to +you." + +"Darn it, no; but he's too fine a specimen of manhood to feed to the +sharks." + +"Pooh! Many's the one better'n he wot's enriched the bottom o' the +sea. I wonder who the Irishman was, we met at the front?" + +"Some tramp, I allow, who'd sought a night's shelter here, and got +skeered at our friend Bill," and he glanced at the swinging head with +a laugh. "Hello! I say, Bill, how are you getting along in your new +place o' residence?" + +"First-rate!" apparently answered the grinning head, followed by a +ghostly sort of a gurgling laugh. + +"Jehosaphat!" cried the questioner, leaping to his feet. "Thunder and +lightning! Did ye hear that, Hand?" + +"Waal, I should murmur," Hank grunted, leaving the table with a +spring, and landing near the door. "What the devil's the matter?" + +"Cussed ef the cadaver o' Bill Budge didn't speak," the first man +cried. + +"Git out! Budge has bin dead over a year; how in thunder could he +speak?" + +"Mebbe his spirit hes come back inter his head." + +"Pooh! impossible! It was our fancy; we didn't hear nothin'," Hank +growled, edging a little nearer to the door. + +"You're a liar!" thundered a voice, seeming to come directly from +between the pearly teeth of the suspended head, and to make matters +worse, the head began to swing slowly to and fro. + +With howls and curses, the two masked men made the hastiest kind of an +exit from the room and down the stairs, while Fritz in the attic was +convulsed with laughter. + +"Dot was better as half-a-dozen suppers, py shimminy!" he snorted, +holding his sides. + +All was now quiet for some time, except for the howling of the storm +without. + +But, finally, footsteps were again heard, and eight men, all masked +but one, filed into the room. + +The eighth man was a young man, of prepossessing appearance, unmasked, +and had his hands bound behind his back. + +He was better dressed than his grim captors, and there was a fearless, +cool expression upon his face, that at once won Fritz's admiration. + +"Ha! Hank and Jim have been here already, and gone!" a tall, +broad-shouldered member of the party said. "They'll be back directly, +no doubt. And now, Hal Hartly, we will proceed to review your case, +and dispose of it according to the decision of the majority." + +"Go ahead, captain!" the prisoner replied, calmly. "I am as well +prepared now, as I shall be." + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +BILL BUDGE'S CONVERSATION. + + +To Fritz, the scene below of course began to grow more interesting. + +"Dot veller vas goin' to pe tried for somedings," he muttered, "und +vot ish more, uff der verdict don't vas in his favor, he vas goin' der +git sp'iled." + +Young Hartly if his thoughts were in the same channel as those of the +watcher, didn't appear very much troubled about the matter, for he +perched himself upon the table, while the six jurors sat in a +semicircle facing him, and the captain a little to one side. + +"Well, sir, what have you to say, Hartly, in regard to this suspicion +which has arisen against you--that you are a traitor to our cause?" + +"Nothing, sir, except that whoever started the suspicion, is a liar +and a coward!" was the retort. + +"Then, you deny that you have ever betrayed the existence of this +band, outside of its own membership?" + +"I do most emphatically. What assurance have you, that any one has +betrayed you?" + +"Is it not ample proof, when strange men haunt this vicinity, and +haunt the members to their very doors? These law-sharks, or +detectives, only wait for some disclosure, to spring their traps on me +and my faithful followers." + +"I am not to blame. Though forced into service against my will, and +made to swear the oath of allegiance, rather than lose my life, I have +kept such secrets as came into my possession. I believe I know who has +excited the suspicious feeling against me." + +"Well, sir, who?" + +"Your rascally son, for one--your jealous daughter, for another," +Hartly replied, shrugging his shoulders with a contemptuous laugh. + +"How dare you term my son rascally, sir, and accuse my child of +jealousy?" + +"Because the boy is as unprincipled a villain as yourself, and as for +your daughter, when she found that I did not court her favor, she at +once turned against me. I despise both your son and your daughter, +Captain Gregg, and that is all I have to say, except that I am not +guilty of the charge preferred against me." + +"That remains to be told by the jury. You see the head of Bill Budge, +just above you, Hartly? He was caught in an intended act of treachery, +and you see his end. If Bill could speak, he'd tell you that the fate +of the traitor is hard." + +"You're a cussed liar!" Budge's suspended remnant seemed to say, in a +deep, hoarse voice. + +The captain and the jury uttered each a startled oath, and gazed at +the offending head in astonishment. + +"Who called me a liar?" Gregg demanded, fiercely. "By the gods, I +thought it was Budge's lips that uttered those words." + +"So it was!" the head seemed to say; then there was a gurgling sort of +laugh, and the head shook, perceptibly. + +"Ten thousand furies!" Gregg yelled, and hastily wrenching open the +door, he made a hasty exit from the room, followed by the jurors--nor +did they stop, short of the bottom of the stairs. + +Hartly did not leave the room, but dismounting from his perch upon the +table, walked off a few paces to where he could get a good look at +Budge's unfortunate pate. + +"Something deuced funny, here, I'm blowed if there ain't!" he +soliloquized, apparently quite composed. "It's the first time I have +ever heard dead men talk. I say, Budge, how's the temperature up your +way?" + +"Two t'ousand degrees above blood heat," seemed to issue from between +the gleaming teeth. + +"Humph! pretty warm, that, I must admit," Hartly said, looking still +more puzzled. + +Fritz, while perpetrating the ventriloquism, was also listening and +planning. + +"Dot veller Hartly is der very chap to helb me oud mit my scheme," he +muttered, "und ve must escape from here, pefore der smugglers return." + +Accordingly he slid down the rope into the room below. + +Hartly looked surprised. + +"Who the deuce are you?" he demanded, stepping back a pace. + +"Fritz Snyder, detective," Fritz replied. "I come here on pizness--vot +for, you can easily guess. I vant you to helb me oud mit it, und I vil +see dot you haff your liberty." + +"Ha! ha! that's your game, is it? Well, my friend, I'd like to do it, +first-rate, but I can not oblige you." + +"Vy not?" + +"Because I swore allegiance to the cause you would have me betray, and +it never shall be said that Hal Hartly was not a man of his word!" + +"But I heard you say dot you vas forced inder der pizness." + +"So I was, against my will, but that does not lessen the obligations +of my oath. While I live, I shall adhere to my sworn promise." + +"You vas foolish--you don'd vil get any credit for your resolve. Yoost +ash like ash not you will pe killed, on der suspicion dot's already +against you." + +"Perhaps. If so, I shall submit, knowing I have been innocent of +breaking my word." + +"Pshaw! dis vos all nonsense! You don'd vas vant to die no more ash +any odder man. Let me cut der bonds vot fastens your arm, und ve vill +climb up to der attic und escape vrom der roof to some place where we +vil pe safe, undil we can make arrangements to break oop dis +smugglers' league." + +"Nothing would please me more, but owing to my oath, I must +positively refuse to do anything of the kind," Hartly persisted, +firmly. "I admire your proposed attempt, and while I shall do nothing +to interrupt it, I can not conscientiously do anything to help it +along. Can you enlighten me any as to the mystery of this head, which, +though not possessed of life, yet uses its voice so naturally?" + +"I dells you noddings apoud it," Fritz replied, shaking his head. +"Hark!" + +"Yes! I hear it. It is Gregg and the boys coming back. Quick! or you +will be seen!" + +Fritz made haste to shin up the rope to the garret once more, and had +barely succeeded in so doing when the smugglers, headed by Captain +Gregg, once more entered the room. + +They did not come boldly in, but thrust their heads in and took a look +around first. + +Seeing that no harm had come to Hartly, they then ventured in. + +"Ha! ha! you're brave fellows, ain't you?" he laughed. "I didn't cut +tail and run, although I have not even the use of my hands." + +"You're cussed brave, all at once!" Gregg growled, evidently not +liking the taunt. "Did that thing speak again?" with a wry glance at +the guiltless pate of the departed Budge. + +"Of course. I've had quite a chat with William," Hartly replied. "He +says he's in a very warm latitude at present, and so he's come back +spiritually for a short cooling off!" + +Gregg uttered an oath. + +"Pooh! I don't believe such bosh." + +"But it's a fact, nevertheless. Budge says they've got a little corner +left up in his country for you, too, when you get ready to emigrate, +which will be mighty soon, judging by the active preparations that are +being made to receive you, such as gathering kindling wood, making +matches, and the like." + +"Curse you, they'll git you first!" the smuggler said, with vicious +emphasis. "Go ahead, boys, an' tell him the decision you've made." + +"Well, we've concluded that Hal Hartly is a traitor to our cause, and +for the sake of protection it will be necessary to feed him to the +fishes!" one of the jurors said. "Eh, ain't that the ticket, boys!" + +A grunt of assent from the others was the answer. + +"Then it shall be so," Captain Gregg ordered. "I am sorry for you, +Hartly, but treachery merits death, as you were informed when you +joined. As an organization which must exist in secrecy, we are forced +to adopt harsh rules. Your companions have carefully weighed all the +evidence, and have decided that the safety of the organization demands +your death. As you have sown, so shall you reap." + +"Do you mean this, Captain Gregg?" + +"I do, sir, emphatically." + +"Then you shall live to repent ever having pronounced my doom. +Henceforth I shall not consider my oath of allegiance obligatory, as I +have hitherto done. I'll show you what harm I can do your vile +organization." + +"But you shall have no chance. Jim Hovel and his brother have already +consented to sink you to the bottom of the Atlantic for a stated sum, +and thus rid us of you effectually. They are waiting below for you, as +it is a safe night for such work. If you have any prayers to make, you +had better make the best use of your time." + +"I'll suit myself about that, you villain!" + +"Numbers two and three, take the prisoner down-stairs!" the captain +ordered. + +Two of the smugglers seized hold of poor Hartly, and led him from the +room. + +Up in the attic. Fritz was in a predicament. The majority of the +smugglers yet remained in the room below, and he could not get out of +the house in that way, as was his desire, to make an attempt if +possible to rescue Hal Hartly. + +The only course left for him was to escape through a trap-door onto +the roof, and trust to luck in getting to the ground from there. + +"Dot veller vas von big fool for not acceptin' my advice," he mused, +as he fumbled cautiously around in the darkness. "Yoost like ash not +dey vil pe gone off mit him, ven I git down dere, und den he vil pe a +goner, sure ash der dickens." + +It required several minutes to find the trap in the roof, and it was +no slight job to displace it. + +When he had accomplished this much, however, it was but a moment's +work to clamber out upon the roof in the pouring rain and replace the +door. + +"Py shimminy, dot vas a hard storm," he soliloquized. "Der ocean +grunts as uff she vas got der dispeppersy. Now der next t'ing ish +somedings else. Der roof vas slippery ash von soap ladle, und first I +know der vil pe a dead Dutchmon spilled someveres over t'e ground." + +That portion of the main roof of the building was quite steep, and the +eaves were at least twenty-five feet from the ground. + +Not fancying the idea of a drop of that distance, the young detective +crawled to the ridge, to reconnoiter. + +On the other side of the ridge, the roof sloped down to meet a gable, +from where the gable's roof took another descent, so as to bring the +eaves about seven feet nearer to the ground. + +Aside from this there was no possible way of reaching _terra firma_. + +"Eighteen feet! I don'd know vedda I can stand dot or no. I must try +it, however, or Hal Hartly vas a dead codfish sure." + +Using extreme caution, he slid from one ridge to the other, and then +from that to the eaves, from where he was to drop. + +"Vel, here's der blace vere I don'd vas so much tickled. But pizness +vas pizness, und a veller don'd vas can rise in der vorld vidout +dropping sometimes; so here goes!" he muttered. + +And clinging to the eaves for a second, he let himself drop. + +Down--down he went, with great velocity, and finally struck upon +something softer than mother earth, from which he tumbled end over end +to the ground. + +The following instant a wild, unearthly howl rent the night. + +"Och! murther--murther!" shrieked a man's voice; "I'm kilt! I'm kilt! +Och! Holy Vargin Mary save me!" + +It was the Irishman's voice. It was upon him that Fritz had first +alighted, and he was probably badly jarred up, for he continued to hop +around and yell at the top of his voice. + +To make matters worse, the door of the house opened, and Gregg and his +followers came pouring out. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +ON THE SCENT. + + +Fritz had been stunned a little, even after tumbling off from the +yelping Irishman; still, he had sense enough to struggle to his feet +on seeing the smugglers rush from the building. + +"Shut oop!" he cried, addressing Grogan. "The smugglers are upon us! +Draw your wippons, if you have any, and fire!" + +"Dom tha wippons!" Grogan howled, refusing to hear to reason. "Och! +holy Vargin! it's kilt sure I am ontirely!" + +"Helloo! what the devil is the matter here?" the captain shouted, +waving his lantern on high. "Who is it that's making all this noise?" + +"Spies--detectives!" suggested one of his companions. "Shoot 'em +down!" + +"Hurrah! Death to the spy!" cried a third, and then they made a rush +forward and seized upon Pat, despite his lively use of his "bit o' +buckthorn" on the defensive. + +Perceiving that he was not seen, Fritz crawled softly away to a safe +distance, and then paused to gaze back. + +The yelling had ceased in the vicinity of the house, and the lantern +light had disappeared from view, leaving naught but blank darkness and +the pouring rain, which came down monotonously but heavily. + +"I'll bet a half-dollar dot they've choked der life oud off dot duke's +son-off-a-gun," Fritz muttered, creeping under the cover of a dense +tree. "I vonder off I proke any of his pones ven I lit on him. By +shimminy! he must haff a gonstitution like a mule, or I'd 'a' smashed +him all to sausage meat." + +Evidently something was to pay, for, except the sound of the storm and +the dashing of the ocean against the bluff, all was quiet. The +smugglers had either killed Grogan on the spot or taken him back into +the house with them. + +And poor Hartly--what had become of him? + +That was the question which troubled Fritz far more than the fate of +the lean man from Kilkenny. + +"He vas a gone-up goose now anyhow, und I don'd suppose id vil do some +great deal off good to vorry apoud him, only I vish I could haff saved +him," he mused. + +It was a wild night at the best, and Fritz heartily wished that he was +back in Philadelphia, sitting in the old pawnbroker-shop, beside his +girl, Rebecca. + +Still, he would not willingly have given up what he had learned in +reference to the smugglers' league for a good deal, and he was +resolved to hang to the matter attentively, until he should be able to +trip and trap the rogues and break up their existence as an +organization. + +Knowing of no other available shelter in the vicinity, he resolved to +linger under the tree until the smugglers should leave the building, +when he would once more take possession. + +The night was well advanced, however, when he heard them leave in a +body, and start off down the lonely road. + +On first thought, he was tempted to follow them, but a cold blast of +wind from off the ocean warned him that he was wet to the skin, and +the best thing he could do would be to get under roof and dry off. + +He accordingly went back into the deserted house, and sat down in the +lower hall. Though not cowardly, he had no desire to keep further +company with the grinning skull of the late lamented Budge, whoever +he may have been. + +Rolling up one end of the old carpet he converted it into a sort of +pillow, and lay down, out of the draft. + +Sleep soon came to his relief, and he slept soundly until morning, +when he was awakened by the sun shining in his face, through a rear +hall window. + +Rising, he went out-of-doors to reconnoiter, and consider what was +best to do next. + +It was a clear, glorious morning after the storm; the sun shone +brightly, and a soft salt breeze blew off from the ocean, which was at +once refreshing and invigorating. + +But it was not this sort of refreshment that Fritz now yearned for. He +had had nothing to eat since the previous morning, and was decidedly +hungry and faint. + +"Dose fellers don'd vas can live a good vays from here, vot I saw, +last night," he mused, "but, ten to one uff I ask 'em for somedings to +eat, dey bounce me oud." + +He advanced to the northern edge of the bluff, and took a look in that +direction. + +To his surprise he saw, not more than a half mile away, a little +village, nestling near the beach. + +This village, for charity's sake, we will call Millburg, as that name +will answer quite us well as any other. + +There might have been a hundred buildings, all told, and it was +evidently a fishing hamlet, as a number of small boats, and smacks, +were drawn up along the beach. + +Just outside the breakers, an ocean steamship, of small size and trim +build, was anchored. Upon her sides was painted in large letters the +word, "Countess." + +"I don'd know petter I go down there, or not," Fritz muttered, gazing +down upon the village. "I don'd vas know, neider, vich job I better +look to, first--der smuggler pizness, or der girl pizness. For der +latter I haff der bromise of five t'ousand dollars--for der former, I +like ash not get paid off mit a proken head. Still I don'd vant to +leave dis blace ondil I trip und trap der game, und turn id over to +der law, for dis is der whole game, sure!" + +After some deliberation he decided to go down to the village. The +people would not offer him any molestation, probably, unless he gave +them cause to suspect him, and he resolved to be constantly upon his +guard. + +Descending from the bluff, he walked along the beach, and finally +entered the little burg. + +It was rather a rough-looking place, built up of weather-worn wooden +shanties, a few stores, and a sort of tavern. + +There were, however, two imposing residences, on opposite sides of the +only street, which were built of stone, and set down in large shaded +lawns. + +Passing up the street, Fritz was the target for many curious glances +of rough-looking men, who sat in their doorways, but, paying no +attention to them, he entered the tavern and purchased his breakfast, +to which he was able to do full justice. + +Afterward he came out in the bar-room and sat down. + +A half a dozen rough-looking fellows were lounging about, who, to +judge from their looks, were in the habit of ingulfing more grog than +was good for them. + +Then the landlord, who kept a close watch over them, was the fattest +specimen of manhood Fritz had seen; his girth was something enormous. +He was not a villainous-looking man, like the rest, and this fact +impressed Fritz more favorably than anything else he saw about the +premises. + +During the forenoon a well-dressed, fine-looking man, with iron-gray +hair and mustache, galloped up to the tavern on horseback. He looked +as if he had been reared in luxury, for there was that haughtiness of +mien that betokened the arrogant aristocrat. + +"Good-morning, John," he said, as the tavern-keeper waddled to the +door. "Will you send up a basket of champagne during the day, and a +barrel of good ale--the champy for her ladyship, the countess, you +know, and the ale for the villagers. Going to have a sort of a +jollification at the lawn to-night, you know, in honor of the arrival +of the countess, and want you all to turn out." + +Then he galloped on, quite as airily as he had come. + +"Who vas dot big-feelin' rooster?" Fritz asked, when John re-entered +the tavern. + +"That? Why, that's Honorable Granby Greyville," the fat man +replied--"the rich haristocrat who owns most of the land hereabouts. A +right big-feeling man, too, as you say." + +"Granby Greyville, eh?" Fritz commented, under his breath. "Vel, dot +ish funny. I thought sure dot was Captain Gregg, der smuggler, und I +don'd vas so much foolished apoud it yet. I'll pet a half-dollar I +find oud somedings pefore I leave der blace." + +Resolved to remain a few days in the village for the purpose of +prospecting, Fritz made himself at home about the hotel. + +One suspicion after another was gradually occurring to him, and he was +not slow to give them a thorough consideration prior to putting them +to test. + +Of all things, he was desirous of attending the "jollification," as +the horseman had termed it, with a view of seeing the countess, who, +he learned, had lately arrived from England, in her own steamship, for +a few weeks' stay upon the Atlantic coast, and a visit to her +prospective husband, Greyville. + +During the afternoon a man entered the tavern, who evidently had +"blood in his eye." His whole appearance seemed to indicate that he +was anxious to have a fight with some one, and was not particular who +it was. + +He was a large, raw-boned fellow, with great muscular development; his +face was large, with a bristling stubble of black beard upon the lower +portion; his eyes were dark and wild, his hair silvered with broad +streaks of white, and worn in a shaggy, unkempt mass. + +His mouth was large, and his teeth projected beyond his lips, in a +horrible manner. + +His attire, too, was ragged and greasy, with clumsy, stogy boots upon +his feet, and a dilapidated hat upon his head. + +On entering the room, he paused and glared around him, as if in search +of some one on whom to vent his wrath. + +"Well, Bully Jake, what'll ye have!" the tavern-keeper demanded, with +a frown, for the ruffian was evidently an unwelcome intruder. + +"Waal, I don't keer ef I do take a drap o' likker!" the man growled, +glaring around. + +"You to blazes! I mean, what d'ye want here?" Fat John grunted. + +"A fureigner--a fureigner! Ye know I'm death on 'em, an' thar can't +none o' 'em can stay around hyar, while I hev things _my_ way." + +"What foreigner is there here, now?" + +"A Dutch cuss, blarst his eyes! Thar he sets," and he indicated Fritz +who was tipped back in one corner. "Oh! but I'll go through him, +though! I'll pulverize and sow him to the seven winds of the earth." + +Then, with a tragic stride, he made for Fritz, pausing but a few paces +away from him, and shaking his fist fairly in his face. + +"You, look!" the ruffian cried. "D'ye know who I am?" + +"Vel, I dinks I don'd vas haff made your acquaintance!" Fritz replied, +retaining his seat, but on guard for an attack, if one was made. + +"Ho! ho! I reckon not, an' ye'll wish ye never had, afore I git +through with yer!" Bully Jake declared. "Behold in me, my furin +rooster, Jake Jogagog, commonly known as Bully Jake, the Terror o' +ther Coast. I'm a cyclone, I am. Then, I'm prime minister ter his +honor, Granby Greyville, an' from him I hev orders to demolish every +furin craft wot sots anchor in his domains. Therefore, ef ye wanter +escape teetotal annihilation, I'd advise ye ter _git_! Ef ye ain't +seen goin' in less'n two seconds, I'll stamp ye out o' existence." + +"Vel, when I gits ready to go, den I vil go, und not pefore!" Fritz +retorted. "Uff you makes me any droubles, I plack your eye for you!" + +"Oh! ye wull, hey? Oh! snortin' walrusses an' white-haired whales!" +roared the bully, and sprung savagely upon the young detective, as if +bent on his certain destruction, Fritz clinched with him. + +It was to be a struggle of brute strength now. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +THE STRUGGLE. + + +Both were strong, active men, Fritz in particular being well supplied +with all the necessary muscle and agility of the prize-fighter, +although he by no means looked as if he was an "ugly customer" to +handle. + +After clinching the two men soon tripped and fell to the floor, where +the struggle literally began in all its meaning. + +"Oh! I'll show ye how ther howlin' porpoise fights!" Bully Jake +roared, endeavoring to get a bite at Fritz's nose. "I'll chaw ye all +up like a dish o' hash!" + +"Vil, you, dough!" Fritz cried, finally getting his hands free, and +clinching them around the bully's throat tightly. "I'll pet yoost a +half-dollar you von't do noddings off der kind," and now getting the +ruffian under him he gradually shut off his wind. + +"Hold on! hold on! no chokin'!--no chokin', I say; it's ag'in' ther +moral rules o' fightin'!" + +"I don'd vas see id dot vay," Fritz said. "Eider you vas got to ax my +parding for assaulting me, or I vil choke off your breathe so you vil +haff none to use." + +"No choke, I say! Let me up, an' I'll fight ye accordin' ter book." + +"Not a let oop!" was the young detective's reply. "Ven you come +foolin' around mit der Dutchman you pet your life you get left. +Apologize, I dells you, or I turns de throttle, und shuts der sdeam +off your logermotiff. I mean pizness--no 'pology, no breathe. Vas you +understand?" + +The man began to wince as Fritz closed his terrible gripe. + +"Oh, let me up, an' we'll call et squar'," the man gurgled. + +"Ven you dells me 'I ax your humble parding'--den I let you up!" + +"But I won't!" + +"Den I vil squeeze your windpipe, so!" + +"I ask your pardon. Oh! yes, I do. Thar, now, let me up!" + +Fritz obeyed, and let the ruffian rise from the floor, but just as +soon as he was on his feet Bully Jake drew a long knife. + +"Oho! I didn't say what I'd do next!" he howled, brandishing the +blade, threateningly. "I'll cut your cussed heart out now." + +"Vil you, dough? Vel, I'll pet you yoost apout a half-dollar, on dot, +I vil!" Fritz cried, drawing and cocking his revolver. "Now, you coome +on, uff you vant to get der whole dop off your head plowed off. I can +do der job vid greatest of pleasure." + +The sight of the revolver caused the big loafer to pause. + +"Ye wouldn't shoot, when I'm only in fun, would you?" he asked, +incredulously. + +"Well, just try me and see, dot's all," was the retort. "Your +funniness vas entirely too t'in, mine friendt; I don'd vas like it. So +I'll giff you one minnit der git oud. If you don'd vas gone py dot +time, I vil shoot you so quicker ash I vould von leedle cat. One! Got +ready, all der vile! Swi! High time you vas skinnin' oud! Three! Ven I +hollers dot, if you don'd vas gone I spot you!" + +"Then, tearfully and sadly, I must tear myself away from you," the +ruffian declared, with a grimace, as he stalked toward the door, "I'll +allow ye hold ther grip now, but thet ain't sayin' ye'll allus hold +it." + +Then he took his leave. + +Fritz was not sorry. He did not want to hurt any one unless forced to, +and yet was bound to defend himself. + +Toward evening the loungers, one by one, quitted the tavern, until +Fritz and Fat John were the only ones in the bar-room. + +Then it was that the latter spoke. + +"I say, young feller," he said, "you're a hextrordinary chap, and if +it wouldn't be haskin' too much, I'd like to inquire what brings you +here?" + +"Vel, pizness, I dinks," Fritz replied, "und judgin' py der latest +demonstrations, I vil haff lots off id." + +"You had better look out sharp for Number One, I tell you, for though +this ain't counted no hard town, they ginerally pitch onto a stranger +and try to bulldoze him into leavin' by settin' Bully Jake onto him." + +"I vas tumbled to dot already," Fritz replied; "but der virst one vot +attempted it didn't make so much success." + +"No; but that ain't saying you'll have as big luck next time. You see, +his honor, Mr. Greyville, owns most of the property hereabouts, an' +he's as big feeling as a duke, and won't allow no one around 'cept +what bows to his will." + +"Vel, ve vil see apoud dot," Fritz muttered. "I dinks dey don'd vas +make mooch bulldozing me. I vant to ask you von question--don'd this +man Greyville be Captain Gregg, der smuggler?" + +The fat host of the Lion's Paw gave a start. The question was +evidently something of a surprise to him. + +"Why, no, of course not! What ever put such an idea into your head, +young man? Gregg the smuggler is said to be one of the worst +characters along the Atlantic coast, and at the same time, the most +successful in his line of business. Greyville is a man who would scorn +to stoop to _such_ work; and, moreover, he is said to be immensely +rich in ready cash, though his landed property is mortgaged for its +full value." + +Fritz accepted this explanation without reply, but his mind was but +little changed in the matter. + +"I dinks Gregg und Greyville vas one und der same parties," he +muttered, "und shall not giff up dot opinion until I can haff furder +proof von vay or der odder." + +As soon as the gloaming of evening began to settle over the quiet +little hamlet, he left the tavern, and sauntered down the street +toward the Honorable Granby Greyville's residence, whither most of the +villagers had already wended their way. + +On arriving at the front of the handsome lawn, with its winding walks, +large shade trees, beds of flowers, and attractive residence, Fritz +paused to survey the scene that was spread out before him. + +Here and there dotted about among the shade trees were tables spread +with tempting viands, to which the villagers were freely helping +themselves, and to the flowing pitchers of ale that were passed around +by several of the village maidens. + +A couple of Italians were making music upon violin and harp, which +sounded weird and enchanting; children were playing and romping about +the grounds; Chinese lanterns were strung about among the lower +branches of the trees, and altogether it was a festive and attractive +scene. + +From his position outside the fence Fritz could see nothing of either +Greyville or the alleged countess, and he resolved to enter the +grounds for that purpose, which he accordingly did, and sauntered +about leisurely, as if he had a perfect right there by invitation. + +Although many curious glances were leveled at him, he paid no +attention to them, and after walking around awhile, he leaned up +against a tree and looked on, studying every face within the reach of +his gaze. + +Presently there was a shout among the assembled villagers, and upon +this, the door of the mansion opened, and Mr. Greyville came forth +upon the grounds, with the countess leaning upon his arm. + +His honor, was attired in a suit of immaculate white duck, with a +massive gold chain strung across his vest and a superb diamond pin +upon his shirt front. + +The countess was a Frenchwoman, of some three-and-thirty years, with a +thin, angular face, bead-like black eyes, and hair to match, and a +thin compressed mouth, which when she laughed showed two rows of +pearly teeth. She also wore an abundance of paint and powder upon her +face, and what with her rich attire of silk, lace, and diamonds, was a +striking and peculiar-looking personage--a woman who looked crafty, +and capable of mischief. + +As soon as she and the Honorable Greyville advanced upon the lawn, the +villagers arose from the tables, and the women courtesied low, while +the men swung their hats and sent up a rousing cheer. + +The countess and her escort then moved about here and there, with a +pleasant word for all, and a bidding for them to continue their feast. + +As they passed near where Fritz stood leaning against the tree, +Greyville gave him a sharp, stern glance, and said: + +"Ah! who are you, and what do you want here, sir?" + +"Nothing in particular," Fritz replied, returning his stare, calmly. "I +only see vot you vas haff a pic-nig, und I come in to look on." + +"Then begone, sir, at once! I allow no loafers around here. Go, I +say!" and then they passed on. + +Fritz did not go, however, but retained his position, in defiance. + +"Shorge Vashingdon made dis a free coundry, und I von'd go dil I gits +ready," he muttered. + +It was not long, however, before he was hastily approached by a man, +and that man no less a person than the same flashily attired +individual who had taken the young woman, Madge, away from the hotel, +at Atlantic City! + +"Hello! get out of this, you loafer!" he cried seizing Fritz by the +shoulder, roughly. "How many times do you have to be told to go? The +guv'nor said go--now, if you don't light out, I'll make your heels +break your neck." + +"_Vil_ you, dough!" Fritz grinned, wrenching loose, and standing on +the defensive. "Yoost you keep your hands off vrom me, Griffith Gregg, +or I vil knock der whole top off your nose off." + +"What! you vagabond! you compare me with the smuggler's son? I'll +thump your skull for that piece of impudence." + +And he was as good as his word, for, raising a stout cane he carried, +he brought it heavily down upon the young detective's head. + +For a moment Fritz was nearly stunned, but he quickly recovered, and +sprung at his assailant, pluckily. + +"Oh! you snoozer!" he cried, "I vil plack your eye mit plue, for dot." + +And he did deal the honorable's son two severe whacks between the +eyes, in rapid succession, which had the effect to land him on his +back on the ground. + +"Thump me on der head, vil you?" Fritz cried, standing over him, ready +to give him another rap, if he attempted to rise. "I'll pet you a +half-dollar you vil got left, on dot." + +"Let me up, you dastardly loafer!" young Greyville raved, not daring +to rise under the existing circumstances. "I'll murder you, for this, +I--I'll--" + +"Got your head proke, off you come mit your foolishness around me!" +Fritz cried. "I'll let you oop, dough, ash I must go!" + +He saw a half a dozen of the village roughs coming toward the spot, +and knew he was ill-prepared to battle with all of them. So with a few +dextrous bounds he leaped away out of the yard, and ran swiftly down +to the beach. + +Finding that they did not follow him, he soon after made his way up +the street again, to the tavern, and went to the room which had been +assigned him. + +"I'll pet der vil pe some droubles before I got t'rough mit dis +pizness," he muttered, "but I vas der man who vil come oud der +winner." + +He was soon off in a sound sleep, from which he, hours later, +awakened, with a violent start. + +The scene was changed. + +He was not in the tavern, on the bed, but instead, was bound hand and +foot, and lying in the bottom of a boat! + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +ADRIFT. + + +At first Fritz had no idea of what could have happened, but it did not +take him long to come to one conclusion on the matter, that he had +been captured at night, thrust into the frail boat, and sent adrift on +the ocean. Who had been the authors of the job? There could be no +doubt in his mind about that. + +The Greyvilles--or the Greggs, as he believed they were--were anxious +to have him leave the neighborhood, and had probably, through their +agents, caused his removal in this very promiscuous manner. + +By an effort he sat up in the little boat and gazed around him. He was +now some distance from the beach, beyond the white-capped breakers, +and, as the tide was receding, the frail craft was of course drifting +farther and farther from land each moment, a reflection that might +have caused any one a start, while to Fritz, bound and helpless, it +was the next thing to being alarming. + +"Vel, py shimminy dunder!" was his exclamation, as he gazed dolefully +around him. "Off I don'd vas in a duyfel off a fix, den I don'd vant a +cent. They've come von cute game ofer me, und I'll bet a half-dollar I +go down der same throat vot Jonah did--der w'ale's. Vonder vich von +off dem vellers put up der shob on me? I'd like to punch his nose. +Reckon id vas dot veller whose eyes I placked mit Jersey plue up at +der pig-nic. I vonder vot der plazes a veller can do, anyhow?" + +There was a sorry prospect for his being able to do anything much +toward helping himself from the unenviable situation in which he had +been placed. He was unable to use his hands or feet, and was, +therefore, helpless and at the mercy of the wild waters over which he +was drifting. + +Did he have the use of hands and feet he was not yet out of danger, +for the boat was without oars and the distance to the land was so +great as to make it a daring attempt to breast the outgoing tide in a +struggle to reach the shore by swimming. + +Still, it seemed the only hope for him, if by any way he could free +himself of the straps which bound him, and he was not the one to +despair without first proving to his satisfaction that it was the +only thing left for him to do. + +Therefore he set to work industriously in an attempt to loosen the +bonds from his hands. Luckily they were not bound behind his back, +which was one advantage, as he could use his teeth upon them. + +But, being leather straps, he made slow headway, nibbling at the strap +around his hand; but little by little it yielded, so that after awhile +a violent wrench broke it asunder, and his hands were free. + +"Py shimminy, dot ish goot, anyhow," he muttered, making haste to +unloosen his feet. "Now, der next t'ings is somedings else. How ish I +going to got pack mit der shore?" + +It was an all-important question. + +The boat was perhaps a mile farther from shore than when he first had +estimated the distance. + +"I don'd know vedder I can swum dot furder or not," he muttered, +doubtfully. "But subbosin' der whale, or der duyfel-fish, catch 'old +mit mine pootleg, und suck me in under der vater. Vot a duyfel o' a +fix I'd be in den. Off I only had some paddles, I vould haff no +droubles getting to shore vid der poat." + +He was in the midst of these reflections when he heard a shout farther +out at sea, and for the first time beheld dimly a dusky object +floating in the water not far ahead of him. + +"Hello! who you vas, und vot you vant?" Fritz shouted, in answer. + +"I am a poor devil more or less drowned, and can't hang on to this +barrel much longer. Be you man or devil, for Heaven's sake hurry along +with your boat." + +"All righd. I vil pe dere in der sweedness py-und-py. Keep a stiff +upper lip, und I'll got you soon," the young detective replied, +heartily. "Dere's nodding like hang-on at der critical minute." + +Kneeling, and leaning over the front part of the boat, he used his +hands as propellers, and in this way was able to improve the slow +progress of his light craft to some extent, and in a few moments was +alongside the barrel, on top of which a drenched human was balancing +himself. + +At a glance Fritz perceived who it was. + +"Hartly!" he exclaimed, in surprise. + +"Yes, what's left of me," the sentenced smuggler replied, clambering +into the boat. "Thank Heaven you came along just as you did, for my +gripe wouldn't hold out much longer." + +"Vel, I should dink not. I'd giffen you up ash dead. How ish it dot +you don'd vas kilt by der smugglers?" + +"It is no fault of theirs," Hartly replied, grimly. "They chucked me +under night afore last, miles out at sea, supposing my hands and feet +were bound, and a heavy stone tied to my head. But while they were +rowing me out, I contrived to loosen up matters, so that I was really +free the minute I struck water. But I went under all the same to +deceive them. When they headed for shore I arose to the surface, and +after swimming about until nearly exhausted, I caught onto this empty +cask, which has in one sense been my salvation. By the tides I have +been carried quite near to the shore, but my lower limbs being numb by +remaining so long in the water, I dared not attempt to swim ashore, +and the outgoing tide has carried me out again--not so far as it +would, however, if I had not struggled shoreward constantly. But how +come you out here, in this frail shell, without even oars?" + +Fritz explained as far as he had known, and Hartly scowled. + +"There'll be a reckoning for some one," he said, "if I ever succeed in +getting ashore. But there's not much prospect of that, unless we can +get some oars, or something to pull ashore with. The tide will begin +to ebb in before a great while, too." + +"I haff von idea," Fritz said. "Uff ve can got der parrel apart, we +might do somedings vid der staves--vot you t'ink apoud _dot_?" + +"Good idea. We can easily get the staves." + +Hartly drew the barrel up alongside the boat, and soon had it knocked +to pieces, and four of the staves secured. + +"Now, then, for shore," he cried. "When we get there, I will leave +you, on business, for a few hours, after which I will join you, and we +will work together against the Gregg gang. We will paddle to land on +the lower side of the bluff, as it wouldn't be particularly healthy +for me to land in front of the village. You can, and in fact, had +better keep shady, in the vicinity of the old rookery on the bluff, +and I will join you, as soon as possible." + +Accordingly they paddled as rapidly toward the beach as their strength +would permit. By the time it was daybreak they had landed below the +bluff. + +Here they drew the light boat up on the beach, and Hartly said: + +"I'll leave you now, but will return, in the course of a few hours." + +"All righd. I vil remain in der neighborhood," Fritz replied, and then +the young smuggler clambered up the side of the bluff, and was soon +gone from view. + +"I vonder vot dot veller ish oop to, now," Fritz muttered, after he +had gone. "Der is somet'ing he vas goin' to do, vot he ain'd +purticular apoud my knowing somedings apoud. I have haff a notion dot +he ain'd vos so nice a veller vot I firsd t'ought, und I vouldn't pe +much surprised if he vould give me avay off he got a chance. But, oh! +I'll keep watch of him! I've got der smugglers und der kidnapper +spotted, und I'll bet a half-dollar id don'd vas be some centuries +till I get 'em trapped. In der meantime, der is somet'ing I vant to +investigate." + +This was something he had noticed as he and Hartly had paddled in to +the shore from the ocean. + +In about the center of the bluff, at the water's edge, as it faced the +open Atlantic, was a dark hole of considerable size, which looked as +if it might lead to a cavern in the hill. + +If Hartly knew of its existence, he had kept it a secret, but our +German detective had noticed it, and resolved to see where the +aperture led to. + +Under any other circumstances he would not have given it a second +thought, but the fact that the smugglers held out in this vicinity--of +which he now had no doubt--gave that hole in the bluff more than +ordinary significance. + +Jumping into the boat he paddled off once more into the water, and +headed toward the front of the bluff. + +Not knowing what danger he might unexpectedly run into, he had drawn +his revolver, which, strangely enough his captors had not taken from +him, and placed it on the stern seat beside him. + +Working silently but steadily along the face of the bluff, which was +quite perpendicular, he soon came before the aperture, and headed his +boat into it. + + * * * * * + +Mr.--or, as he styled himself, Honorable--Granby Greyville sat in his +private study this same morning, engaged in smoking a cigar, as he +rocked in an easy-chair and gazed out through an open glass door upon +the pretty lawn. + +That his thoughts were of an unpleasant nature was evident by a frown +which disfigured his florid countenance. + +And this frown did not lessen, but rather increased as there suddenly +appeared in the doorway no less a wild-looking personage than Silly +Sue, whom Fritz had encountered upon the beach. + +She made a grimace and sort of a jerky bow as she saw his honor, and +then stood staring at him in a strange manner. + +"Well!" he growled, angrily, "what brings you here?" + +"What allus brings me?" she replied, with a chuckle. "I want to come +back and play up high-cockolorum, like my big-feelin' sister. S'pose +that's silly, too, ain't it, daddy?" + +"No more so than your accursed obstinacy, you fool!" was the severe +reply. "You well know the only terms that can ever restore you as a +member of my family." + +"But I won't accept 'em!" + +"Then clear out. You shall never be anything to me till you surrender +the stolen money." + +"Bah! it ain't yours! You're a bad, wicked man, and you got it +wickedly, and get all your wealth wickedly, and the more you get the +wickeder you get. Get out! I'd cut my head off, silly's I am, before +I'd give you up the money." + +"Curses on your mulishness!" + +"Ha! ha! I know you cherish the most fatherly regard for me. If it +wasn't for the hope that I will some day restore you your lost ten +thousand you'd had me drowned months ago. By the way, old man, what +have you done with my feller?" + +"Your fellow?" + +"Yes--Hal Hartly." + +"How should I know anything about him?" + +"Who should know better? Oh! you wicked monster!" + +"Take care, girl!" + +"No, I won't take care!" and her eyes flashed in defiance of his +anger. "I ain't a bit afraid of you, because I can outrun any dog in +the town. I know what's become of Hal. Your tools took him out and +chucked him under. But, ha! ha! he's all right!" + +Greyville started a little. + +"What foolishness is this of yours?" + +"Oh! only silliness, of course," and she laughed loudly. "But Hal's +all right, and, now that his scruples have had a pickle, I allow he'll +come around to my cherished plan, and we'll make it warm for you!" + +"What! you dare to threaten _me_?" + +"Didn't I tell you I'd go for you if you didn't reform? Well, I must +be off. How's my stately sister? How's the countess? Ha! ha! ha! shoot +her. She's an old hag, with a glass eye and false teeth. The future +Mrs. G! Bah! and such a model private excursion steamer, too! Still, +it serves its purpose. I'm off now--just come up to spice your +breakfast. Better mend your ways. The way of the transgressor is hard. +By-by! Yours, truly, Silly Sue!" + +And then, with a wild laugh, she vanished. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +FRITZ'S DISCOVERY. + + +Let us return to our ventriloquist detective and his venturesome +expedition. + +In heading the boat into the opening in the bluff, he had no idea how +his venture would terminate, but was urged on by a great curiosity to +explore the spot, feeling sure that it had some connection with the +smugglers' league. + +The height of the aperture was insufficient to admit the passage of +the boat with him sitting up; so putting the boat under headway he lay +down and thus glided in. + +In high tide, this opening, he concluded, was covered by water, while +in extreme low water the beach must be bare in front of the bluff, as +the water at this juncture now was quite shallow. + +He almost immediately emerged into a cave in the heart of the bluff. + +It was as large as a couple of good-sized rooms, and looked as if the +waters of many years had eaten it out. + +The work of man, however, was seen in the planks overhead, which, +resting on wooden supports, held the roof in place. + +The water reached about midway into the chamber, and from its edge the +pebbly ground ascended to the farther side of the cave, where a narrow +aperture branched off--evidently cut as a passageway by the hand of +man. + +Grounding his boat, Fritz stepped out and took a survey of his +surroundings. + +"Dis don'd look ash if id vas a healthy blace at high tide, but I +reckon dot id vas der blace vere dey run in smuggled goods," he mused. +"Dot passage probably leads to a higher und dryer place." + +Holding his revolver ready for use in case of emergency, he stole +softly toward the subterranean passage, with a view to exploring it. + +It was a dark, uninviting tunnel, of just sufficient width and height +to admit of a person's passage, and looked as if it might have no +connection with any other chamber, as he could see no light to +indicate its terminus. + +Nothing daunted, however, he entered it and walked along softly, ready +for any surprise. + +A score of steps he went, and then emerged into what he concluded was +another large subterranean chamber, but where all was of Stygian +darkness. + +Luckily he had a close metal pocket-box of matches with him, and +lighting one after another he discovered a half dozen lamps in +brackets around the chamber side. + +One of them he soon lit, when he proceeded to inspect his situation. + +As before stated, the sides of the cavern were walled up like a +cellar; and in size it was a hundred and fifty feet square, by ten or +twelve in height. + +The ceiling overhead was planked, and these supported by rude pillars +resting upon the ground floor, as in the outer cave. + +Here and there, scattered about, were heaps of straw, pieces of wooden +boxes and canvas, and occasionally a bottle, or a piece of damaged +silk or lace. + +At the opposite side of this chamber was a round hole in the ceiling, +similar to a well, down through which hung a rope ladder to the floor. + +This seemed to indicate that either there was another chamber, +overhead, or else this was a means of access to the open air. + +In the stone wall, at either side of the room, were doorways supplied +with strong, grated iron doors, which were fastened with padlocks and +chains. + +"Vel, I be jiggered off dis don'd vas yoost like a regular brizon," +Fritz ejaculated; "und dis pe der blace vere der smugglers unpack deir +goods. I t'ought I vould discoffer somet'ings, off I come here. Vonder +uff dey haff got somepody shut up mit dem cells? Dot vouldn't pe so +much off a 'sell,' neider, off I am any shudge." + +Taking down the lamp, he proceeded to inspect the matter. Approaching +the right-hand dungeon, he peered in. + +The place, evidently, was empty. + +Crossing the cavern to the door of the other, to his surprise he saw +that this dungeon was occupied. + +Upon a rude cot bed, a woman was stretched, apparently fast asleep. + +As her face was turned from his view, he could not tell whether she +was young or old, pretty or ugly, but he was strangely impressed. Her +size--form--clothing, all aroused his suspicions that it really was +the Leadville man's runaway daughter--Madge Thornton, or Thurston, as +she had called herself. He was staggered a moment by the very thought. + +"Hello! vake oop--who you vas?" he shouted, rattling the door. + +The woman gave a violent start, and sat up on her cot, with a gasp: it +was indeed the speculator's lost daughter! + +"Goot! dot vas a nest egg for me!" was the thought that flashed +through his mind, as he remembered the offered reward. + +"Who are you?--what do you want?" the bride of Major Atkins demanded, +eagerly, as she arose from her bed, and stepped falteringly toward the +door. + +"Vel, I am Fritz! You remember der chap Fritz, don'd you?" + +"Oh! yes! yes! You are a friend to me--oh! say that you are, and that +you have come to rescue me and take me back to papa!" + +"Vel, I should snicker dot dot vas apoud der size off der +circumstance," the young detective grinned. "You don'd vas like dis +hotel, den?" + +"Oh! no! no! I shall die if I remain here. Open the door--take me from +this terrible place! Oh! please do this, sir, and I will always love +you." + +"Nixy! You mustn't do dot," Fritz replied, with a serious expression, +"or you vil haff mine gal, Rebecca, in your vool. She's shealous, is +Rebecca, und id makes her madder ash a hornet bee, uff I even looks +sweed at a potato pug--dot ish a fact. But I vil get you oud all der +same, if I can, vich I don'd know so much apoud, ash der door vas +fastened tighter ash a brick. You see, your old dad he vas send me +down dis vay to look vor you, und I dells him I find you, yoost like a +pook. I vas a reg'lar snoozer at findin' dings vot don'd pelong to +me." + +"My father sent you? Oh! joyful news! Tell me--tell me, where is my +father?" and she clasped her hands, her face and eyes aglow with +eagerness. + +There was evidently nothing dazed or somnambulistic about her now. + +"Vel, der last I see'd your old man, he vas at der blace vere you got +married. But he left for Long Branch to rustygate und keep a vedder +eye out for you, vile I took der rear trail, und skeer'd up der game. +You see der old man dells me off I vind you und der money vot you +stole vrom him, he vould giff me five t'ousand dollars. How vas dot? +He vas yoost der man I haff pen vantin' to meed, vor a long vile. +But, how apoud der money?" + +"It is where no earthly hands but mine can find it, except I give the +directions!" the girl replied, with evident enthusiasm over the fact. +"When I left home, to come East and marry Major Atkins, I was in a +state of half insanity, or somnambulism, they called it, and took the +money, and when I came to my senses found it in my possession. It +seems, as I have learned since, that before his leaving for the East, +and at the same time when I was in my dazed state Atkins said that he +had a large roll of money in my father's safe, and that when I came, I +should bring it. And to my surprise, I have also since learned that it +was not the first somnambulistic theft I have been guilty of. Upon +discovering the large sum upon my person, I put it in a place where it +would be safe, and came on to marry Major Atkins, whom I imagined +myself to be in love with. We met--it was he who took me away from the +hotel--and we were married, as I supposed, at the time, but it has +since been proved a base deception. Almost immediately after your +departure he demanded the money of me." + +"Vel, you guff it oop to him, I subbose?" + +"No, I did not," she replied, with an exhibition of spirit. "I told +him I didn't have it--which was true--but he wouldn't believe that, +saying that he had learned I had the money in my possession on leaving +home. Then I got angry and told him I wouldn't give it to him, if I +did have it. This in turn enraged him, and he declared the marriage to +be a sham, and that if I didn't surrender the money he would kill me. +I defied him, and dared him to do it, whereupon he and the bogus +minister seized upon me, and searched me, but failed to find the +money. The monster, Atkins, then knocked me down, and I became +insensible. When I awoke, it was in this terrible underground place. +He has been here several times, and threatened me, and alternated the +matter by promising to make me his wife in reality, and the mistress +of a princely home if I would give up the money. But, having found out +what a villain he is, I have firmly refused." + +"Dot vas right! Ve will giff him der duyfel von off dese days--or, at +least, I vil, for smuggling. I don'd know vedder I can got you oud off +here or not! I ought der haff some tools, as id don'd vas some leedle +shob preakin' iron mit a veller's hands." + +"Oh! do try and release me, in some way--I do so want to get free!" + +"Und I know dot. But, you see, id vas harder ash breakin' der +consditution to preak dis chain." + +It was no easy job, indeed. + +The chain was several feet in length, and made of short, stout welded +links. The padlock, too, was a formidable affair, such as could not +easily be broken, and Fritz did not have any keys with him. + +He was stuck for once, in not knowing how to proceed, and was just +cogitating over what was best to do, when he noticed something that +caused him to start. + +On glancing toward the rope-ladder, he perceived that it was moving! + +Some one was descending it! + +Did he remain here, discovery was inevitable, and discovery would +probably destroy all possibility of rescuing Madge. + +These thoughts occurred to him like a flash. + +"'Sh! some one is coming, and I must hide!" he said to Madge, in a +whisper; then he hurried softly across the chamber, into the dark +passage, where he paused at a point where he could see without being +seen. + +"I'll bet dot id vas der veller whose eye I blacked," he muttered. + +And, sure enough, he was right. + +A moment later, Major Atkins, _alias_ young Greyville, _alias_ +Griffith Gregg, came down the ladder into the cavern, his eyes yet +showing unmistakable evidence of the power of Fritz's shoulder-hits. + +"What the devil's all the noise down here?" he demanded, approaching +the door of Madge's dungeon. "I thought I heard voices conversing." + +"You probably heard me singing, Sir Monster!" Madge retorted, +sarcastically. "You know I am in good humor for vocalism." + +"The devil take you! It wasn't singing--it was talking I heard." + +"Ah! perhaps you heard me saying over threats of what I'll do, when I +get free!" + +"Now, what will you do?" + +"I'll claw your eyes out--then I'll tie you and give you a thrashing +with a bull-whip." + +"Bah! threaten what you like. I'll guarantee you'll remain here until +I get your amiable dad's swag." + +"But you will never get it!" + +"Won't I? When you begin to rot in your dungeon, and your tongue +hangs out of your mouth for want of food and water, I fancy you'll +come to terms." + +"But I won't, though!" + +"Oh! we shall see. I won't argue with you. At the present moment I +want to find out who it was I heard you conversing with!" + +And to her horror he made for the dark passage. + +Fritz, too, was considerably concerned, and began to make a rapid and +stealthy retreat to the other chamber. + +On arriving there, another thing startled him. + +The tide had set in, and the hole in the face of the bluff was so +nearly filled as to make escape with the boat impossible. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +A DIVE FOR LIFE. + + +There was but one choice left for Fritz--that of standing his ground +and meeting young Greyville boldly; for there was apparently no avenue +of escape for him now. + +Consequently, with his revolver drawn, ready for use, he positioned +himself at the water's edge, facing the aperture, and waited. + +He had not long to wait. + +In a few seconds Griffith Gregg--as we shall henceforth call him--came +striding into the chamber, and uttered a violent oath at sight of +Fritz. + +"Hello! by the Satanic I thought I was not mistaken. The Dutchman we +left adrift, for sure!" + +Fritz did not speak, or allow himself to move a particle, but stood +glaring at his enemy like one turned to stone. + +"Hello! why the devil don't you answer?" Gregg demanded; apparently +not feeling positive that Fritz was in the flesh. "If you don't +answer, I'm hanged if I don't drown ye." + +No answer from Fritz. + +But from directly over the villain's head seemed to come the words, in +a hoarse voice: + +"Villain, behold the reflection of your crime!" + +"Bah!" Gregg cried, with a start, glaring about him. "You can't play +any tricks on me, you Dutch blunderbuss! In some way you've escaped +the trap, and now I'll pay you a grudge I've got against you." + +And with a long knife in hand which he had drawn from his belt, he +dashed fiercely at Fritz, regardless of the drawn revolver. + +Leveling his pistol at his opponent's breast, the young detective +pulled the trigger. + +The weapon missed fire. + +Gregg was almost upon him now. + +There was but a moment to act, and yet, in that time, Fritz hurled the +weapon with great velocity at the villain's head, and somersaulted +backward into the water, the toe of one of his boots catching Gregg in +under the lower jaw. + +This, with the stinging blow of the pistol, dropped him like a log to +the ground, where he lay for an instant, howling with pain and rage. + +Fritz, landing in the water, swam through the almost submerged +entrance, and soon was outside the cavern, at the edge of the bluff. + +To swim around to the southern side was the work of but a few moments, +and he was once more on _terra firma_, at his starting-point. + +Here he sat down upon the beach to collect his thoughts. + +So strange had been his experience within the last few hours that he +was really more confused than he had yet been since entering upon his +profession as a detective. + +"Now den, let me see apoud somet'ings," he muttered. "In der virst +blace, dis be a reg'lar ruffian seddlement, vere id don'd vas healthy +vor such ash I, und id would puzzle me to do der shob all alone. I +must haff some help. Off der ish a delegraph office near here, den I +must find id, und delegraph to Philadelf vor assistance. Der ish no +doubt but I haff discovered der smugglers, und der next t'ing is to +cabture dem. Und I don'd dink id vas healthy for me to go down mit der +cave again, undil dis matter keeps shady. I vonder vot haff pecome off +der gal vot called herself Silly Sue?" + +"Here she is--what do you want of her?" a merry voice cried, and the +elfin danced, laughing, out from behind a huge bowlder at Fritz's +rear, where she had been concealed, evidently playing the spy. "What +do you want of Silly Sue, Irishman?" + +"I vas no Irishman!" Fritz retorted. "I am a Dutchman." + +"Get out! You're pure Irish. But that ain't the point. What do you +want of me?" + +"I vanted to inquire how far it ish to der nearest delegraph station?" + +"Oh! a good ways inland. The road you see in front of the old house on +the bluff leads direct to it. If you want to send a message, I'll send +it for you." + +"You vil?" + +"Yes. I'll hook one o' dad's horses from the pasture, and ride to +town. Guess I know what ye propose doing." + +"Vot?" + +"You are a detective, and you have discovered that my dad and his +smugglers live around here, and you want to send for help to arrest +them!" + +"How vos you know all dot?" + +"Oh, I'm silly enough to guess it, and I hope you'll do it. They're a +hard gang, and a wicked gang, and they hate me worse than poison, +because I'm honest, unlike the rest of them." + +"Captain Gregg und Honorable Granby Greyville are der same persons, +not?" + +"Yes. You're mighty cute to find that out, when some o' the villagers +don't even suspect it. I'm _his_ gal." + +"Ish _dot_ a fact?" + +"Yes, but he don't own me, because I denounce his dishonesty. Ha! ha! +an old man was found dead on the beach once. The next day my papa had +a big sum of money in his possession. I smelled foul play. I stole the +money from him and burned it up. Ha! ha! Then he whipped me +unmercifully, and turned me adrift. But, pooh! I don't care! I get +along famous, and I'll make fun for the smugglers yet. So if you want +me to go to the telegraph station for you, and will give me a few +shillings, I'm ready." + +"I'll giff you five dollars!" Fritz assured. + +"Bully!" the girl assented. "Now, just tell me what you want, and I'm +yours." + +"Vel, I vant you to go to der delegraph office und send a message to +Tony Fox, care of Police Headquarters, Philadelphia, telling him to +fetch a half-dozen men der dis village at once. Can you remember +dot?" + +"Well, you bet I can! I don't forget things easily. Give us your +money, and I'm off for a wild horseback ride." + +Fritz accordingly gave her a V-note, and then, after again instructing +her what to do, she took her departure by clambering up the bluff. + +Fritz then lay down upon the sand in the warm sunlight, little +dreaming that his plans had been overheard. + +The Irishman, Pat Grogan, had been concealed behind another bowlder, +and had over heard every word of Fritz's conversation with Silly Sue. + +Shortly after her departure, and when sure Fritz was not watching, he +stole softly from his place of concealment and up the side of the +bluff. + +Once on top of the bluff, he quickened his pace, descended the +opposite side, and hurried toward the village. At the residence of +Granville Greyville he paused, and entered the spacious lawn. + +His honor and the countess were seated upon the lawn in front of the +house, enjoying the shade of a great tree, and Grogan tipped his hat +as he approached them. + +"Sure, sur, it's mesilf as has made a discovery, sur," he said, with a +huge grin of satisfaction. + +"Ah! indeed! I thought you might be of some use!" his honor replied, +complacently. "What is the nature of your discovery, Grogan?" + +"Sure, sur, it's consarnin' the girl you set me to watchin'." + +"As I expected--curse her! What new devilment has she been up to?" + +"Sure I did kape a civil eye on her, as yez told me to, and a bit ago +she met a Dutchman on the beach, an' it's a grand plot tha be afther +organizin'. The loikes av the Dutchman he ha wanted to ba sindin' a +tiligraph missage to Philadelphia for tha detectives, an tha gal she +did till him for a V she would stale a horse forninst your pasture an' +be carryin' the missage for him hersilf, whereat he forked over the +cash, and she skipped, bedad!" + +His honor listened, his face growing purple with passion. + +"May all the furies seize that obstinate and meddlesome little +wretch!" he hissed. "She seems determined to ruin me. No amount of +whippings have ever served to make her like other girls. Why didn't +you stop her, Pat?" + +"Sure, it was yersilf as told me to be doin' naught else but watchin' +her." + +"True, I had forgotten. She has probably gone so far that it would be +next to useless to attempt to overhaul her now. Do you think you could +mount a horse and overtake her, Pat?" + +"Bedad, no. It's sorry a horse I can ride, yer honor." + +"Then ascertain from the ostler the location of the pasture, and when +she returns capture her. I'll give you ten dollars for the job." + +"Bad 'cess to me if I don't do it. An' what shall I be doin' to her +after I cotch 'er?" + +"Then take her to the old mansion on the bluff and wait until I come." + +"Och! howly murther, I'll not go in where the skelegon is--nary a +time!" + +"Nor need you. What time intervenes between your arrival and mine you +can spend outside. But look sharp she don't escape you." + +"Sure, it's mesilf as will ba doin' that same!" + +Then Grogan executed a grotesque bow and took his departure toward the +stable, while Greyville turned toward the countess. + +"The devil will be to pay now. As I suspected, that Dutchman is a spy, +and having suspicioned or ferreted out some knowledge concerning the +league, has sent for his fellow watch-dogs. In less than two days we +shall be in the clutches of the law, unless we make a break for +liberty at once." + +"Oh! there is no particular reason for hurry. When we find there is +danger, we can easily escape," the countess said, calmly. + +"How? If we wait until their arrival, it will be too late." + +"By no means. My steamboat lies out but a short distance, and we can +board it and sail for _la belle_ France, in defiance." + +"What! without unloading?" + +"Bah! what are a few thousand dollars to life? Besides, the goods will +sell again, for full value, at Havre." + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +A FATHER'S BRUTALITY. + + +After the departure of Silly Sue, Fritz sunned himself until his +garments were dried; then rising, he began to cast about him for +something to eat. + +"I don'd know better I go back mit der tavern, or not!" he mused. "I +dinks dot vas an onhealthy blace, und yet I vould like somedings to +ead, very bad." + +Climbing to the top of the bluff, he passed the old mansion, and +followed the country road for some distance, in hopes of finding an +orchard or watermelon patch. And he was successful. + +About a mile distant he came to a good-sized orchard, near no human +habitation, and hastily made a raid on it, with the result of +discovering all the luscious eating harvest apples he could carry. + +Filling his pockets he made his way back to the old rookery, and sat +down upon the front step to finish his meal. + +"I vonder vot's pecome of der villain I kicked mit der under jaw?" he +muttered. + +"I t'ink I must haff dislocated 'im or I should 'a' seed him. I vonder +vere der mouth off der well is, anyhow, vot dey come up t'rough. Id +must pe somevere's vere der house stands, und probably hidden." + +After he finished his meal on apples, he entered the old dwelling, +with a view to giving it another exploration. + +Passing through the lower hall, he tried each door opening off from +it, but found them all locked, as before. + +What they contained he could therefore not learn, except by bursting +them open or unlocking them, which he had no way of doing. + +Finding no success, down-stairs, he went upstairs, remembering that he +had only tried the doors of part of the upper rooms, on his previous +visit, the second one being the assembly chamber containing the +swinging head of ill-fated Bill Budge. + +He shunned this apartment now, and passed on along the corridor. + +The first and second doors he tried were locked, like those below. The +third door, however, was unfastened, and opening it he entered a +large unfurnished apartment, containing but one window, which looked +out upon the ocean. + +Noticing a card tacked upon the wall, opposite the door, Fritz +advanced to read what was written upon it. + +But, that, he was destined never to do. Halfway across the room he +got--then the floor sunk quickly beneath him, and he went down! down! +down! + +He had stepped upon a trap, which had evidently been prepared for +occasional stragglers, and he was the unsuspecting victim, until too +late to save himself. + +Down! down! he went into empty space, until he struck heavily upon a +hard floor, and lay for a moment in a heap, his senses partly leaving +him. When he recovered consciousness, he arose to his feet. He was in +utter darkness, and in a place where the air was close and stifling. +What kind of a den he had fallen into he could not ascertain by +looking, at least. + + * * * * * + +Later that day Mr. Granby Greyville left his handsome residence, and +made his way to the bluff, accompanied by her ladyship, the countess. + +There was a terrible expression of stern resolve upon his countenance, +and in his grasp he carried an ugly-looking cart-whip, which looked as +if it were capable of inflicting dire pain in the hands of a human +brute. + +Arriving at the top of the bluff, they found Grogan, the Irish +delegate, seated upon the doorstep of the old house, while, lying upon +the ground, in front of him, was the girl, Sue, bound, hand and foot, +but none the less defiant for that fact, as was evident by the +contemptuous curl of her lip, and the indignant, wicked flash of her +eyes. + +A little shiver went over her, though, when she saw the countess, the +man she knew as her father, and the whip he carried. + +"Sure, it's mesilf as cotched her," Grogan cried, as Greyville +approached. "But it's the devil's own time I had at it, bedad, an' if +yez don't b'lave it ye kin look at me face. Begorra! she scratched an' +bit an' fit loike tha very devil's imp she is!" and the Hibernian +rubbed his torn and bruised visage dolefully. + +"So you're caged, are you, my young tigress?" the smuggler captain +demanded, gazing down at the girl, wrathfully. "I'll see that you +never break loose hereafter!" + +"Ba-aa!" the girl retorted, in contempt. "I'm not afraid of you, you +ruffianly wretch, if you do carry a whip. You can whip me, pound me, +stamp me into the earth, but you can't intimidate me. I'll despise and +defy you to the longest day I live!" + +"We shall see. I've made up my mind to cease dealing mildly with you, +and instead, treat you to the harshness your foolishness demands. It's +time you were broken in, and I'm going to compel you to submission to +my will, and to obedience, or I'm going to kill you." + +"Kill, if you like--I'll still defy you. You can not make me obey a +monster like you, even though you are my father! I despise you, hate +you, you inhuman wretch!" + +"A good flogging will bring back your affection. By the way, I +understand that by way of amusing yourself you have become the consort +of a Dutch detective, and by way of furthering his game, have just +been to telegraph for an additional force of the devils. Now do you +know what I am going to do?" + +"Any one might guess; brutal cowards always carry whips!" + +"Yes, I'm going to whip you within an inch of your life. Then, if you +promise me to ever after obey me, and tell me where to find the money +you stole from me, I will let you go. If you refuse I'll kill you, and +end the trouble! Grogan, lash her securely to yonder post!" + +The Irishman obeyed by raising her and roping her to a post which had +been used for a hitching-post, at some remote period. + +Sue's face was very pale now, and she trembled in dread of the cruel +lash. + +It was not the first time she had been whipped by him, and she well +knew what a merciless wretch he was. + +Greyville threw off his coat now, and seized the heavy whip firmly, +not a tithe of pity expressed in his stern, cruel face. + +"Beg, now!" he cried. "Tell me where the money is, and promise future +obedience and proper conduct, or I'll give it to you!" + +"Never! I'll die first!" Sue gasped. + +The next instant the wretch struck her with all his might, following +one blow with another, until he had struck her twenty, the last one +being upon the top of the head, with the butt of the whip. + +White as death was Sue, but her eyes flashed bravely, her face was +defiant--but she never uttered a moan or cry of pain. + +"Now--_now_ maybe you'll come to time!" the smuggler roared, more like +some enraged wild beast than a human being, in his demoniac fury. +"Now, will you tell and promise?" + +"Never, monster!" was the low, piteous gasp, then the eyes of the poor +outcast closed; she had fainted, unable longer to endure the agony. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +A PITIFUL END. + + +The situation of Fritz was to him a decidedly gloomy one, as, owing to +the impenetrable darkness his eyesight was of no use whatever. He did +not know either, if it was safe to stir, as there might be another +trap which he would fall into, and go headlong down into some other +pit. + +But he resolved to test the matter, and feel out the boundaries of his +new prison at once. + +Groping about, inch by inch, and trying the floor in front of him +before trusting the weight of his body upon it, he soon came to a +plastered wall, and concluded by that, that he still remained in the +building, having probably only fallen to the first floor. + +"Vel, dot don'd vas so pad ash I first expected," he muttered, feeling +a little more assured. "I t'ought I vas goin' vay down to der blace +vere dey manufacture fire-crackers. Der next question, ish der any +outlet to dis brison, I vonder?" + +Keeping his hands upon the wall, he walked several times around the +dark apartment without pausing. + +"Der ish not von door or vinder, nor hole of any kind!" he finally +muttered. "I would not haff such a house for a gift." + +The room indeed appeared to be barren of those accessories, as far as +he was able to learn by the sense of feeling, and it would seem that +it was thus purposely prepared for a prison. + +"Vel, I guess I might as vel prepare to imitate der example off Doctor +Tanner, und go vidout somedings to eat for forty years or so!" Fritz +muttered, feeling of his stomach dolefully, for the apples had far +from satisfied his appetite. "But, if possible, I must get oud off +here, somehow, before Fox und der boys get here." + +Just how he was to do it furnished him a serious subject to ponder on. + + * * * * * + +"Curse the girl! she's fainted!" the smuggler chief cried, pausing in +his horrible work. + +"Perhaps she is playing off, to escape punishment," the countess +suggested, with a malicious smile. "The American mademoiselle is very +deceitful!" + +"Faint or no faint, she shall get all that her stubborn resistance +demands!" Greyville growled, mercilessly, and he raised the whip and +struck her another stinging blow. + +"Stop! Strike that girl again and I'll kill you!" a voice cried, not +far in their rear, and turning, they beheld a stranger rushing up, a +pair of cocked revolvers in hand. + +"Furies!" Greyville gasped, turning pale. + +"_Mon Dieu!_ what's to pay? Let's fly!" from the countess. + +"No! we will stand our ground!" the smuggler hissed. + +The new-comer soon stood before them, with stern, accusing gaze, and a +face flushed from his run. + +"Devils!" he cried, "what is the meaning of this brutal scene? Explain +instantly." + +It was the Leadville speculator, Thornton, who spoke, and there was +grim business expressed in his tone. + +"What right have you to intrude in what is none of your business?" +Greyville demanded, sourly. + +"Eh! I'll show you, you brutal puppy! Don't give me any of your lip, +or I'll blow your brains out. Why, cuss my boots, you're as bad as the +Dog Injuns on the frontier!" + +"I presume I've a right to chastise my own child, sir, when her +conduct deserves it!" + +"That's not your child, Garry Gregg! I know you. You are the wretch I +have been longing to meet these ten years!" + +"You know me?" the smuggler cried, in amazement. + +"Ay! I know you!" the Westerner cried. "You are the worthless devil +who trapped Minnie Gray into a secret marriage years ago, and after +living with her a couple of years, and abusing her, left her in +poverty, to live with a woman you had previously married." + +"And incurred your enmity by winning your sweetheart away from you!" +Gregg sneered, mockingly. + +"Be that as it may, you are responsible for a good woman's death, and +you shall answer for it. Tell me, sir--is this poor child you have +been beating, the daughter of Minnie Gray?" + +"If you like, yes." + +"Then, curse you, leave this spot at once, if you don't want me to +shoot you down. I'll take care you never strike her again! Go! I say, +or I'll kill you without hesitation!" + +There was a stern glare in the speculator's eyes that betokened +danger, and, accompanied by the countess and Grogan, the smuggler +chief hurried away. + +As soon as they had gone, Mr. Thornton cut the bonds that held Silly +Sue to the post, and laid her tenderly down upon the soft grass. + +Hurrying down to the beach, he procured some water in his hat, and +returning, dashed it in her face. + +But although he did this, and chafed her hands and wrists, she did not +open her eyes. Her breath came in stifled gasps, and her heart beat +slowly. + +"By Heaven! I believe they have killed her!" Mr. Thornton muttered, +feelings of terrible rage swelling within him. "The equal of this +brutality is seldom, even among the red devils on the frontier. Ah! +Garry Gregg, if this poor child dies, you shall pay bitterly for her +life, or my name is not Thornton!" + +He continued faithfully in his endeavors to bring her back to +consciousness, but all to no avail. + +While he was thus engaged there came sounds of rapid footsteps, and +Hal Hartly dashed up, flushed and excited. + +"Great Heaven! what is the matter with Susie?" he demanded, on seeing +her lying on the ground, so cold and white. + +"I fear she is dying, young man," Mr. Thornton replied, solemnly. "I +can not restore her to consciousness. Was she anything to you, sir?" + +"Indeed, yes; she was all the world to me, poor child, and we were to +be married, one of these days!" Hartly replied, kneeling beside her, +with tears in his eyes. "Susie! oh! Susie, my little waif, can't you +look up and speak to me?" + +The girl slowly opened her eyes, and gazed up at him, with a loving +smile. + +"Yes, Hal, I know. I am dying, Hal. Where is Fritz?" + +"I don't know, darling. I have not seen him since morning." + +"Well, when you see him, tell him I sent the message, and got an +answer that the detectives would come." + +"The detectives?" + +"Yes. I went for him, to telegraph for them, and he gave me five +dollars. It is in my pocket, Hal--you can have it, to get me a little, +plain stone for my grave." + +"But, Susie, you can't be dying--tell me what is the matter?" + +"She has been cruelly beaten. I came here a few moments ago and drove +off the devils, but I fear I came too late!" Mr. Thornton explained, +sadly. + +"It was papa, you know!" Sue added, as Hartly uttered a cry of +astonishment. "He discovered the errand I had done, and had a big +Irishman capture me and bring me here. Then he and the countess came, +and I was tied to a stake and whipped till I fainted. They have killed +me, I guess. I feel as if I am filling up inside, and something tells +me I shall soon die. I hate to leave you, Hal, but I am not afraid to +die. I have always said my prayers, loved the Lord, and been honest, +and I know He will receive me." + +The girl's childish faith and simplicity touched Mr. Thornton as well +as young Hartly, and tears flowed freely. + +The little outcast soon closed her eyes again, her arms about Hartly's +neck, as she rested in his embrace, and a peaceful expression of +contentment upon her face. + +About sunset she spoke, without opening her eyes. + +"Hal!" she said, softly. + +"Yes, Susie," he replied; "what do you wish?" + +"Not much. After I am gone burn the old house yonder, and break up the +smugglers." + +"Yes, Susie." + +"And you'll be a good man, Hal, all your life, so you will join me in +heaven?" + +"I will try, dearest." + +"Then kiss me good-by." + +Convulsed with sobs, the grief-stricken lover obeyed, and, just as the +last rays of sunset began to fade, Susie breathed her last, expiring +without the least appearance of pain, and a faint, peaceful smile upon +her lips. + +For some moments after her death neither Hartly nor Mr. Thornton +spoke, but finally the latter said: + +"She has gone where she will know no more suffering or sorrow and it +is perhaps better so. Is your home near by?" + +"I live in a sort of hut back in the woods, and if you will lend a +hand we will take her there." + +The speculator assented, and Hartly procured a wide board, and laid +the limp form upon it. Then raising the primitive litter between them, +they left the bluff and took to the lonely country road, which they +followed until they came to a rude shanty, standing in the edge of +the woods. They bore their burden into the only room and deposited it +upon a couple of stools. + +Hartly then turned to Mr. Thornton. + +"You are a stranger to us, sir," he said, "but would you kindly remain +here until I can go to a neighboring town and make arrangements for +her burial?" + +"Certainly, my boy." + +"Then I will go and send the undertakers at once to take charge of the +remains. If I do not return with the undertakers, let them remove the +body, and I will see you later, perhaps." + +He then kissed the lips and forehead of the dead girl, and took his +departure. + +Once outside, his whole demeanor underwent a change. + +His face became stern and hard in its expression, and his eyes gleamed +with a wild light that could hardly have been pronounced sane. + +"First the house!" he muttered, between his clinched teeth; "then I +will see to the burial. After that revenge!"--words uttered with a +power of feeling, which bespoke grim resolution. + +Hurrying back to the bluff he entered the building, and from the +pantry brought an oil-can and poured oil about in a number of +different places, applying a lighted match to each. + +As a result, bright sheets of flame sprung up, and, in less time +almost than it takes to tell it, the interior of the old rookery was +on fire in several places. + +Then, with a wild laugh, he turned and fled from the building, and +disappeared from the vicinity of the bluff. + +The old house was doomed. + +And in the doorless, windowless trap-room, where he had so +unexpectedly become imprisoned, was Fritz, in the most unenviable +situation one could well conceive. + + * * * * * + +Captain Gregg, as we shall henceforth call him, learned of Silly Sue's +death shortly after it occurred through the Irishman, who, while +pretending to leave the spot, had scouted around, and lurked in the +vicinity until Hartly and Mr. Thornton had departed with the body. + +Gregg was both alarmed and surprised when he heard the news, and +immediately sought the countess for consultation. + +He had no idea he had done the girl any fatal bodily injury. If she +was dead, and the cause of her death came to be known, he well knew +that he would be called upon to answer to the law. + +The countess listened to his recital of Grogan's report, the lines in +her thin face growing even harder than were their wont. + +"I feared zis," she said. "You were ver' mooch savage!" + +"What do you advise?" + +"Zat we remain where we be for ze present. You say zis stranger be an +old enemy of yours?" + +"Yes. Doubly so now, from a fact that he is the father of Grif's +prisoner, that's locked up in the dungeon." + +"Humph! zis is bad! Vare be ze Dutchman?" + +"There is no telling. Perhaps Griffith will know when he comes." + +But Griffith did not come. + +It was nearly dark in the outer world when he recovered from the +terrible blow he had got from Fritz's pistol in the cave, and +staggered to the inner cavern. + +The moment he entered it a smell of burning timbers greeted his +nostrils. + +"By Heaven! the house above is burning up, I believe!" he cried, +rushing to the rope ladder and beginning to climb it rapidly. + +But he had only got a few feet up when it gave way, and he fell to the +ground, considerably bruised. + +"The devil's to pay now!" he muttered, angrily. "A fellow will smother +down here." + +For a moment the young villain stood irresolute--then he approached +the door of Madge Thornton's cell. + +"Madge!" he called. + +There was no answer. + +"Madge!" he shouted, in a louder tone, at the same time rattling the +door, savagely. + +"Well, what do you want?" she demanded, rising from her cot. + +"I want to know if you want to escape from this place alive?" + +"Why, what is the matter?" + +"Matter enough! The old house above is burning down, and if you don't +want to suffocate you must leave this place at once, with me." + +"Well, why don't you open the door, then?" + +He was unlocking the great padlock even as he spoke. + +"I am perfectly willing to do so, and when you reveal to me the +hiding-place of your father's money, which you had, when you left +Leadville, you are free to go," he said, standing the doorway. + +"Are you foolish enough to suppose for one moment, that I will reveal +that?" + +"If you don't do it, curse you, I will leave you here to suffocate!" + +"Do so! I would cheerfully pay that penalty of my folly in ever having +anything to do with you, a hundred times, rather than submit to your +demands." + +"Then--but no! I'll release you if you'll give me half of the sum." + +"Not a cent, you detestable wretch." + +"Curses on your obstinacy! You have refused to do what is right, and +you shall take the the consequences." + +Stepping back he reclosed the door angrily, and hastily relocked the +padlock; then he left the main chamber, for the outer one, and jumped +into the boat. + +The tide was now on the ebb, and the water was now down so that he +could row out of the hole into the ocean. + +As soon as he got out a grand sight met his gaze. + +The old house on top of the bluff was in a sheet of lurid flame, +lighting up the early evening, which otherwise was quite dark. + +Showers of sparks ascended toward the heavens, and the crackling of +the dancing blaze made weird music. + +Pulling in to shore, Griffith Gregg leaped from the boat, and +clambered up the side of the bluff. + +The first man he met was Thornton of Leadville, who had fastened up +the hut, and hurried to the scene of the conflagration, as soon as he +had discovered the light. + +The recognition was mutual, and each uttered a cry. + +"At last!" the speculator cried, and he bounded forward, and seized +his enemy by the throat. Gregg clinched with him, and the two men +rolled to the ground, in a fierce struggle, the lurid light of the +burning building lighting up the scene like unto the colored fire to +some wild exciting drama. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +CONCLUSION. + + +The struggle was short and decisive. + +Supple though the younger Gregg was, he was no match for the man from +Leadville, and it was not long ere Mr. Thornton had his man pinned +firmly beneath him, so that he could not move. + +By this time the villagers had arrived upon the scene, in numbers, and +stood contemplating the scene, in wonder. + +"What is the matter here?" one of them demanded, stepping forward. +"Who set fire to this building?" + +"That I am not prepared to say, as I just came," Mr. Thornton replied, +"but I know that I have captured one of the worst villains living. Is +there an officer of the law among you? If so, I want him to take this +devil into immediate custody, and watch well that he don't escape." + +"I am a constable, but I must first know what charge you have against +this young man of highly respected family," another villager said. + +"Charges enough to hang him higher than Haman, if you like," the +speculator cried. "He has my daughter imprisoned somewhere, in hopes +of extorting money from me; he is wanted in Leadville, Colorado, for +no less than three cold-blooded murders, and also for horse-theft, and +I've got papers to show for it!" + +"It's a lie! It's a mistake! This man is crazy!" young Gregg shouted. +"I appeal to you for protection, gentlemen!" + +"Protection you shall have, sir, by law, if you deserve it!" the +constable replied, slipping a pair of hand-cuffs upon the young man's +wrists. + +"Now, sir"--to Mr. Thornton--"permit me to examine your papers." + +The speculator drew a package of documents from an inside coat-pocket, +and the officer gave them a critical examination. + +"They are all right," he said, returning them. + +"For the present, I will leave the scoundrel in your charge--until I +recover my lost daughter!" Mr. Thornton said. + +"That you will never do, curse you!" Griffith Gregg hissed, savagely. +"You've sealed her doom, in tackling me, and you may as well put a +mourning band around your hat." + +"What! do you dare to tell me my daughter is in peril, sir?" + +"Well, that remains to be told. It is according to whether I am +released or not. If not, most assuredly you will never see her or the +money she stole, for if I am to answer for all the charges you have +preferred against me, I can just as well add a few more, without any +inconvenience." + +"We shall see about that. I think a rigid search will find her. +Officer, remove him to a place of safety, until I determine upon a +future course of action." + +The constable accordingly took his departure, marching the younger +Gregg with him. + +The fire had by this time gained great headway. + +It leaped in great crackling volumes from the roof, and burst through +the sides in fiery forks. The whole interior was a seething furnace of +lurid flame, and timbers were already beginning to fall in. + +"Where is Silly Sue?" some one cried, and the question went from mouth +to mouth. "She sometimes sleeps in the old house." + +"Silly Sue, as you call her, is dead," Mr. Thornton announced. + +"Dead!" the villagers exclaimed, gathering around him--"Silly Sue +dead?" + +"Yes, dead, and lies in the shanty down the road, belonging to Hal +Hartly, who has gone to some neighboring town to arrange for her +burial!" the speculator said. Then he related what he knew concerning +the brutal whipping she had had, at the hands of Gregg senior. + +A murmur of indignation ran through the crowd as he spoke, and though +some of the men did not cry out against the guilty man, the majority +were greatly excited. + +"Do you swear this is true?" one of the villagers cried, angrily. + +"Ay--swear it a hundred times, if you like. If you have any doubts on +the matter, it will take but a few moments to examine the poor child's +form, upon which welts and bloody cuts yet remain to be seen." + +"Then, I for one propose we give Greyville as good as he meted out!" +the man cried, whose name was Tompkins. "I always had a private idea +that he was a villain, and now I need no further proof to confirm it. +All in favor of hauling him out and lynching him, make manifest by +saying 'I.'" + +There was a decisive shout among all but about ten of the men, who +maintained a grim silence. + +"Lynching is a crime, gentlemen," Mr. Thornton said, "in the East, +which would render you liable. It can do no harm to give the human +monster a taste of the whip, however, and then turn him over to the +rigor of the law." + +"Perhaps you are right," Tompkins agreed. "Come along, boys! We'll +teach the wretch that he must be civilized, if he will live in a +civilized country!" + +And the sturdy villager led off, the whole crowd following in his rear +with indignant faces. + +There was indeed a dark look-out for Captain Gregg. + +From his library window in the village mansion he was watching the +fire, and saw the crowd march in a funeral-like procession down from +the bluff along the beach toward the village. + +The countess saw, too, and compressed her lips tightly. + +"Ze crisis is coming!" she hissed, sharply--so sharply that he started +violently. "Ze crowd has heard of ze girl's death, and are coming for +you." + +He turned deathly pale; they would show him no mercy, as he had shown +none to Susie, he well knew. + +"We must escape from here, somehow!" he cried. "To submit to arrest +means death--for you as well as myself." + +"How so?" + +"Did you not witness the whipping without attempting to interfere?" he +sneered. "They'd string you up as quick as I--especially when +investigation came to prove you to be Madame Lisset, the notorious +French smuggler." + +The woman's turn it was to whiten now, and a suppressed curse escaped +from between her clinched teeth. + +"I vas one big fool for evaire anchoring here, or having you for me +agent," she replied. "Somesing must be done, and zat vera quick. What +s'all it be?" + +"There is but one course--flight. Go to my room and get all the money +and jewels there. When you come back, I will be ready." + +She obeyed, and in a very short space of time returned, dressed ready +for escape. + +Leaving the house by the rear door, they skulked hurriedly along a +narrow lane. + +This soon brought them out into the country, and into an orchard. + +Without pausing, the chief of smugglers made a wide _detour_, which +finally brought them out upon the beach, half a mile north of the +village, and directly opposite the steamer "Countess," which lay a +good two miles out at sea, at anchor. + +A light row-boat was drawn upon the beach. This Gregg pushed off into +the water, and sprung in, the countess following him. Then, seizing +the oars, he pulled with all his skill and strength toward the +steamer. + +At the same time, a boat manned by half a dozen men, pulled out from +the beach in front of the village, and this, too, was headed toward +the steamer. + +"Ha! they've suspected our dodge!" Gregg growled, on discovering the +pursuit. "Curse them! I did not think discovery of our flight would be +made so quickly." + +"Will zey reach ze boat first?" + +"By no means. I've got the start, and the steamer is a good half a +mile farther from them than us, if not more!" + + * * * * * + +Let us look after Fritz. + +The roof of the old rookery on the bluff has just fallen in, and +millions of sparks go up toward the cloudy sky. + +Is the young detective still within that old building? + +He had heard Hartly, when he ran through the house, setting fire to +it, and had yelled at the top of his voice for assistance. + +But, either Hartly had not heard or did not heed his cries, for no +assistance came. + +Out in the hall, which adjoined the doorless room, the flames soon +began to crackle ominously, and the pungent smell of smoke crept +through the wall to his nostrils. + +For a few moments Fritz stood transfixed with horror, as the peril of +his situation began to dawn upon him. + +He knew by the smell that the house was on fire; he knew that if he +did not make a hasty escape he would be consumed in the merciless +flames. + +What was he to do? + +Really, what was there he _could_ do? + +He rushed about, scarcely aware what he was doing. + +Suddenly his foot caught upon something, and he fell violently to the +floor. + +In all his after life he could look back with gladness upon that +mishap, as it was the means of saving him from an awful death. + +Quickly scrambling to his feet, he searched the floor; a moment later +his hand came in contact with an iron ring. Pulling upon it, he raised +a trap in the floor, disclosing a large aperture leading down into +another pit below, which he concluded was a cellar. + +Without pausing to consider what he was doing, he dropped down through +the hole. + +Anything was preferable to the horrible danger above. + +He landed upon his feet upon a hard bottom of the cellar into which he +had leaped. + +In a moment thereafter there was a crash, and a portion of the rear +roof over the cellar fell in. + +The light of the burning timbers now gave him a view of his situation. + +The cellar ran in under the whole of the house, and was nearly filled +with boxes. The only stairway had been covered by the caving in of the +floor, thus closing this avenue of escape. + +The caving in, in turn, had been mainly caused by the falling of a +heavy girder, from the second floor. + +Directly in front of where Fritz had landed was a large well-like hole +in the ground, that looked as if it might be very deep, and his only +wonder was that he had not stepped off into it, in the darkness that +had prevailed immediately after he had struck into the cellar. + +"I vonder off dot vas a well, or ish der hole vot leads down into der +cavern," he muttered, peering over the edge. "If der latter vos der +case, I'm all righd, providin' I can git down. But off id vos a well, +den I vos a gone sucker sure. I don'd see anydings off der +rope-ladder." + +Looking above his head, he however, discovered where a staple had been +recently drawn out of a joist, and this satisfied him that it had been +where the ladder had been fastened to, and that the hole was the same +that penetrated into the cavern in the bluff. + +"Der next t'ing vas to get down dere," he muttered. "If I jump, like +ash not I preak mine neck, und den I pe ash pad off ash before, of not +vorse." + +There seemed no other way of getting down, however, and he resolved to +take his chances, rather than remain in the cellar and become a target +for the fallen fiery timbers. + +With a prayer for safety he made the uncertain leap. + +Down--down--down he went with a velocity that took his breath, and he +knew no more, except being conscious of striking the earth with a +heavy jar. + +When he recovered his senses he was in the outer cave, and Madge +Thornton was kneeling over him, chafing his hands. + +The cavern was dense with smoke, and breathing was difficult. + +Fritz comprehended the situation at once and sat up. + +"I vas come down like a t'ousand of bricks, eh?" he smiled, feeling of +his limbs to learn if any of them were seriously damaged. "I forgot +all apoud vere I vas going all at vonce. How you got oud off der +dungeon?" + +"Good luck would have it that Griffith, in his passion should have +thrown the bolt of the padlock when the catch was not in, so I easily +reached out my hand, drew the padlock off, and got out into the +chamber," Madge replied. "What is the matter? Is the old house +burning?" + +"Yes. We must get oud off here or ve shoke to death. Off it gets too +deep, I vil swim mit you t'rough dot hole." + +He accordingly arose to his feet, and raising her in his arms, he +waded toward the aperture, and outside of the cavern, around to the +southern beach, the water in the deepest place but reaching to his +throat. + +"By shimminy dunder, I feel yoost like ash if I vas tickled to death, +t'ings haff turned oud so vell," Fritz cried, as he placed Madge on +her feet. "A vile ago I vas ash goot ash guff up for a roasted +Dutchman; now I vas oud, und so vas you, und I feel better ash a +spring lamb." + +"Are you sure we are out of danger?" + +"Vel, no, not eggsactly sure, but I t'ink ve pe all righd now. Yoost +you sday here in der shadow off yer pluff, vile I skirmish aroundt und +see vot's to pay." + +She accordingly did as directed, while he clambered up the side of the +bluff, bent on reconnoisance. + +The first man and only man he met was Mr. Thornton, who had hurried +back from the village to the bluff as soon as Captain Gregg was +discovered missing, to keep watch in the vicinity. + +He uttered a cry of joy as he saw Fritz. + +"Why, bless you, boy, I never expected to see you again!" he cried, +shaking the young detective by the hand. + +"Und you come purdy near id, too, you can bet a half-dollar, Mr. +Thornton, for I yoost got oud off der building here in time to save +mine vool. But I haff got your daughter, und der monish vas safe!" + +"What! you do not tell me this for a fact, Fritz?" + +"Vel, off I don'd misdake, it vas. Yoost vait here, und I pring you +der girl. Ash to der money, she vas no fool, und put it avay vere she +can get it again." + +He vanished, only to reappear a few minutes later, accompanied by +Madge. + +Then followed a touching scene. The speculator received his lost +daughter with open arms; there were explanations, and kisses, and +tears, and laughs, and the reunion was now complete. + +Leaving them to their joy, let us take a concluding glance at the +ocean race, which was in the meantime transpiring. + +The pursuers saw Gregg pull out from the shore as soon as he saw them; +and they tugged at their oars with a will. + +"Pull, boys!" Tompkins cried, from his position at the steering-oar. +"See! the woman is waving her handkerchief! That is a signal to the +crew on board to fire up, ready to be off. Pull--pull for your worth! +We must intercept them, if possible, before they board!" + +The villagers did pull, with a will, and their boat fairly leaped over +the water. + +Tompkins had guessed the truth. The countess's signal did result in +the crew's raising anchor, and in unbanking the slumbering fires, for +huge volumes of smoke almost immediately began to roll from the +smokestacks. + +But, pull though they did, with almost super-human efforts, the +pursuers were destined not to win. + +Gregg's boat reached the steamer while the villagers were yet eight +minutes distant, and he and the countess clambered aboard. Then the +steamer's whistle gave a defiant shriek, and the craft began to move +away. + +As she did so, the pursuers saw a man suddenly leap overboard into the +water. + +Pulling on, they came to him, just as he was sinking for the last +time. + +It was Hal Hartly, and he was mortally wounded. + +He only spoke once after they pulled him aboard; it was to gasp out +faintly: + +"She's doomed! I've scuttled her!" + +Then the blood spurted from his mouth, and he expired, while the +"Countess" steamed away to sea, and was lost from view, and Captain +Gregg the smuggler was lost from the clutches of the law. + +What was the fate of the "Countess" is not definitely known, but she +never again entered the port of Havre, nor was a soul on board of her +ever afterward seen. + + * * * * * + +The Philadelphia detectives who arrived the next day found no one to +arrest, as those on whom suspicion could justly rest, had fled, during +the night. + +Susie and Hal Hartly received a respectable burial, at the expense of +Mr. Thornton; then, after paying Fritz as promised, the sum of five +thousand dollars, the speculator set out for his Western home, +accompanied by his daughter, and by Griffith Gregg, who was to go back +to the scene of his crimes, for trial. + +With his reward money, Fritz immediately returned to Philadelphia, and +soon after purchased an interest in a paying established business, +where he may be seen 'most any day, when not on detective duty, or if +he is out, his pretty wife Rebecca will represent him. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRITZ TO THE FRONT*** + + +******* This file should be named 37149.txt or 37149.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/7/1/4/37149 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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