"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.