Back Aa

Fritz to the Front

Close

<h2>CHAPTER X.</h2> 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[105] 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.[106] 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,[107] 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[108] 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?"[109] "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.[110] "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?"[111] "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[112] 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."[113] <hr class="chapter"> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

1 of 2

2 of 2