Edward L. Wheeler

“ 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!" [123]
"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!" ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Bah! I wish some one would step up and kick me!"
"Well, I'm your man, if you really want a [22] 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 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." ”

“ 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." ”

“ 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." ”

“ 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. [141]
The roof of the old rookery on the bluff has just fallen in, and millions of sparks go up toward the cloudy sky. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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!" ”

“ 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. ”

“ A man of some thirty-five years of age leaped [15] 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! ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 [86] 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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." ”

“ 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?" ”

“ 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!" ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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." ”

“ God only knows what perils my poor child will pass through before I succeed in finding her, if I ever do." [27]
"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. ”

“ Fritz explained as far as he had known, and Hartly scowled. [87]
"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." ”

“ I dink der [37] 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." ”