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.