He accordingly arose to his feet, and raising her in his arms, he waded toward the aperture, and outside of the cavern, around to the southern beach, the water in the deepest place but reaching to his throat. "By shimminy dunder, I feel yoost like ash if I vas tickled to death, t'ings haff turned oud so vell," Fritz cried, as he placed Madge on her feet. "A vile ago I vas ash goot ash guff up for a roasted Dutchman; now I vas oud, und so vas you, und I feel better ash a spring lamb." "Are you sure we are out of danger?" "Vel, no, not eggsactly sure, but I t'ink ve pe all righd now. Yoost you sday here in der shadow off yer pluff, vile I skirmish aroundt und see vot's to pay." She accordingly did as directed, while he clambered up the side of the bluff, bent on reconnoisance. The first man and only man he met was Mr. Thornton, who had hurried back from the village to the bluff as soon as Captain Gregg was discovered missing, to keep watch in the vicinity. He uttered a cry of joy as he saw Fritz. "Why, bless you, boy, I never expected to see you again!" he cried, shaking the young detective by the hand. "Und you come purdy near id, too, you can bet a half-dollar, Mr. Thornton, for I yoost got oud off der building here in time to save mine vool. But I haff got your daughter, und der monish vas safe!" "What! you do not tell me this for a fact, Fritz?" "Vel, off I don'd misdake, it vas. Yoost vait here, und I pring you der girl. Ash to der money, she vas no fool, und put it avay vere she can get it again." He vanished, only to reappear a few minutes later, accompanied by Madge. Then followed a touching scene. The speculator received his lost daughter with open arms; there were explanations, and kisses, and tears, and laughs, and the reunion was now complete. Leaving them to their joy, let us take a concluding glance at the ocean race, which was in the meantime transpiring. The pursuers saw Gregg pull out from the shore as soon as he saw them; and they tugged at their oars with a will. "Pull, boys!" Tompkins cried, from his position at the steering-oar. "See! the woman is waving her handkerchief! That is a signal to the crew on board to fire up, ready to be off. Pull--pull for your worth! We must intercept them, if possible, before they board!" The villagers did pull, with a will, and their boat fairly leaped over the water. Tompkins had guessed the truth. The countess's signal did result in the crew's raising anchor, and in unbanking the slumbering fires, for huge volumes of smoke almost immediately began to roll from the smokestacks. But, pull though they did, with almost super-human efforts, the pursuers were destined not to win. Gregg's boat reached the steamer while the villagers were yet eight minutes distant, and he and the countess clambered aboard. Then the steamer's whistle gave a defiant shriek, and the craft began to move away. As she did so, the pursuers saw a man suddenly leap overboard into the water.