Fritz to the Front, or, the Ventriloquist Scamp-Hunter

  CHAPTER III.

  THE BLUFF HOUSE.

  In due time they arrived at the cave, where the ceremony of theprevious night had taken place, but a thorough search of the cavernouswash-out failed to yield any tidings of the romantic lovers.

  "Pshaw! there's no use of further search in this direction; they havelong ere this set out for some other portion of the country, and weare wasting time in tarrying here."

  "Mebbe dot ish so, but I dink dey vas go on up der coast, instead offcum pack by Atlantic City."

  "Not impossible. In that case, it will be our best lead to go back toAtlantic, take the cars to Philadelphia, and strike for some sea-coastpoint ahead of them."

  "Dot vould pe a purty good idea vor you, but I t'ink better I remainon 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 andjoin 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 thenext best course to pursue. Here is a hundred dollars, towarddefraying your expenses. If you need more, telegraph to Jim Thorntonat the Chalfonte, Long Branch, and I'll remit."

  And placing the sum of money in Fritz's possession, he soon after tookhis 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 sunlitwaters.

  "Vel, here I vas--but der next question ish, vere vas I?" hesoliloquized. "I haff undertaken a job mitout any bases vor astart-off. I kinder vish Rebecca vas here, too--but ash vishin' don'dvas do some good, pizness is der next consideration."

  Night was not far distant, but he resolved to continue on up the coastin hopes of finding a fisherman's house, where he could obtain foodand lodging.

  He accordingly left the cave and continued his journey. He soon cameto a level stretch of beach again, and followed its northward coursefor a number of miles--until sunset, when he found himself as far fromany human habitation as he had in the start.

  He accordingly sought a grassy spot, back from the beach, and lay downto rest.

  Arising early the next morning, he struck out once more on hisjourney, feeling decidedly anxious to find some kind of a humanhabitation, as he was very hungry.

  He soon spied a farm-house, inland from the beach, and made for it indouble-quick time.

  A gruff-looking man sat upon the front veranda, as he entered thewell-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 hungrylike ash a sucker after a hard winter."

  "Get out! I don't want no tramps about here. Clear, I say, or I'll setthe dog on you," the farmer growled, stamping on the veranda with hiscane.

  "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 idlike 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 getsomedings 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 mancried, getting exasperated. Then he began whistling for the dog. "I'llshow you who runs this place."

  "All right! Fetch oud der canine," Fritz grinned, perching himself onthe fence, and taking a pistol from his pocket. "I yoost ash leavehaff dog steak ash peef stew. Anydings to fill up ven a veller vashungry."

  "What! how dare you, sir! I'll have you arrested for carryingconcealed weapons, you scamp!"

  "Den I haff you arrested vor causing cannibalism, py not giffin' aveller somedings to eat. Come, now, mister; yoost set oud der vittlesund der von't pe no droubles; otherwise, der may be an exposure offsomedings!"

  The farmer started at Fritz's unmeaning declaration, and giving him aswift, startled glance, arose and entered the house.

  Fritz noticed what effect his thoughtless shot had had, and gave ventto a low, peculiar whistle, denotive of surprise.

  "Hello! vot ish dose I've done?" he mused. "I give der old chap a sourgrape, dot time, all of which proves dot he is 'fraid off der exposureoff somedings, und don'd vas got a clear conscience. Vel, dot ishpurdy goot, too. Von t'ing leads to anodder--mebbe I vil discoversomedings else. Anyhow, I'm going to stay right here undil I getssomedings 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 andpretty maid brought him out a tray of victuals that looked mosttempting.

  There was bread and butter, cold meat, cake, pie, apples, and a bowlof rich milk. No wonder Fritz's eyes sparkled with satisfaction, as hesat down upon the carriage-block, and received the offering.

  "I thank you more ash a t'ousand times," he said. "Der old man didn'tvas goin' to give me somedings, but I told him I would expose him, unddot 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 onder veranda. So his name vas Sample, eh? If he vas a sample off derneighbors 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 maidretorted. "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 histramp 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 tocultivate their acquaintance.

  About sunset he arrived at a far prettier spot than he had yetencountered.

  A great bluff of land rolled up to an abrupt and precipitous ending atthe ocean's edge.

  In high tide it would be impossible to walk along the beach at thebase of the bluff, owing to the depth of water, while at low tide thebeach was quite bare.

  The evening tide was rolling in close to the base of the cliff, whenFritz 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, ina grove of trees, but whether it was deserted or not, he could nottell.

  It looked so grim in the weird sunset light, and so isolated in itslone watch by the sea that one might easily have fancied it an abodeof spooks, and their like.

  "I s'pect dot I'll haff to climb up und go around that bluff," Fritzmuttered, not at all liking the idea. "Uff a veller vas to try undwade along der front, he'd like ash not get drowned, und dot vould pea 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 mightbe a ghost factory."

  He was considering what was best to do, when he felt a tap upon hisshoulder, and wheeled about with a nervous start.

  Before him stood a ragged, frowsy-haired, bare-footed girl, somesixteen or seventeen years of age--a girl with a well-rounded figureof but medium stature, and a face at once peculiar and attractive,from the sparkle of its eyes, the broad grin of its mouth, and thea
mount of dirt gathered about it.

  She had evidently but recently emerged from the water, for her longblack hair as well as her wet garments were dripping with drops whichthe dying sunlight transformed into diamonds.

  "Ha! ha! ha!" she laughed, putting her pretty arms akimbo, and staringhard at Fritz. "Don't I look silly, though?"

  "Vel, I don'd know apoud dot. I dink der abblication uff some watermit your face vould make you look petter ash vot you are now!" Fritzanswered, somewhat puzzled.

  "Water! ha! ha! I just came out of the water. But oh! I'm sosilly--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," Fritzreplied, with a doubtful grin. "Do I look silly?"

  "Oh! lordy! you are the silliest-looking goose I ever saw. I never sawa 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 areNeptune, come up from the bottom of the sea."

  "You lie like dunder!" Fritz retorted, backing up, and beginning toget 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 vonderyou 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 thereafter dark and grin and rattle their bones at you. They don't do it tome, because I feed 'em snuff. Ha! ha! can you snuff the silly part ofthat 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 discoveredsomething, 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 thewater, 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!" Fritzejaculated.

  To think was to act with him, and he accordingly set out clambering upthe steep side of the bluff.

  In due time he reached the top and found a level spot of a couple ofacres extent, in the center of which the house was situated,surrounded by sentinel rows of sighing hemlocks. A general aspect ofdesolation was perceptible on every hand, showing the premises to beuntenanted.

  The garden was grown up with rank weeds and the house weather-worn andold, 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 somethoroughfare further inland.

  "Dot looks like ash uff it vas going to rain," Fritz muttered, gazingat an ominous bank of clouds that was gathering in the west. "I dinkmaybe I petter sday in der old house till morning, uff I und derghosts can agree. I don'd vas much affraid off ghosts, anyhow."

  And he evidently was not, for he boldly entered the house by thecreaking front-door and closed the door behind him.

  When the clouds had overspread the sky in an inky mass, and darknesshad set in around the gloomy edifice, two black-whiskered men camealong and stopped at the mansion.