THE KIDNAPPERS
Dick and his chums spent the better part of a week making the voyage
around to the chief city near the southeastern end of Cuba. The weather
was fine, and there were many novel sights to attract their attention.
They passed several other vessels, and with some Dick and Paul exchanged
wireless greetings. Dick sent several messages home, as did also his
chums, and there were some aerograms in reply. Mr. Hamilton communicated
with his son, and commended his plan of making a further effort to
locate Mrs. Hamilton's relatives.
"But if you don't find them in Santiago, what will you do?" asked Beeby,
when the boys and their host had talked over their plans.
"Go off on a little trip, come back, and try the next likely place,"
answered the young millionaire, grimly. "I'm going to find them."
As the _Albatross_ swung into Santiago Bay, past the lighthouse at the
entrance of the harbor, those on board of the trim yacht would have been
interested if they had known how closely they were observed from the
deck of another vessel, hidden from view around the point. And the name
painted on the bows of the hidden craft was _Princess_, though stress of
weather had almost obliterated it.
Narrowly did an old man on the deck of the _Princess_ watch Dick's yacht
glide up the harbor. He was a man with a little bunch of white whiskers
on his chin, and they moved up and down when he talked.
"Well," he remarked slowly, as he laid aside a glass through which he
had been peering, "them fellers in Havana told us true. My nephew did
sail for Santiago, and here he is."
"And I said we'd beat him here," remarked a man standing on deck.
"So you did, Sam Newton, so you did," assented Ezra Larabee, "an',
because we got here first, I'll pay you the ten dollars extra, as I
promised."
"When?" demanded Ike Murdock.
"Jest as soon as----"
"As soon as the kidnappin' is done?" asked Simon Scardale.
"Hush! Don't use that word!" exclaimed Mr. Larabee. "Ain't I told you
this ain't a regular kidnappin'; not in the eyes of the law. It's for my
nephew's good."
"Well, we'll soon have him, if things go right," muttered Ike. "Now,
what's the program, Mr. Larabee? Shall we follow that yacht up the bay
or stay back? We've laid here long enough."
"I should say we had," admitted the crabbed old man, with a look of
anguish, as his hand felt of a wallet in his coat. "And expenses going
on something frightful all the while. Never mind, I'll take it out of my
Nephew Richard's money, that's what I'll do. I hoped we could catch him
in Havana. Why didn't you?" and the old man looked reproachfully at
those whom he had hired to do the risky work.
"Didn't have no chance," murmured Guy Fletcher. "But we'll get him now."
"I hope so, and end this terrible expense I'm under," went on Mr.
Larabee. "Better start the ship, Ike. No use burning coal, and standing
still."
With ill-concealed contempt for their employer, the two men went to give
the necessary orders, and soon the _Princess_ was following Dick's yacht
up the harbor. There were so many vessels moving to and fro that there
was little danger of detection.
All unconscious of the nearness of his uncle, and the unscrupulous men
and youths whom Mr. Larabee had engaged, Dick and his chums went ashore
as soon as the _Albatross_ was docked.
"Well, it certainly feels good to be on dry land again," remarked Beeby,
as he got his camera ready for some snapshots. "I hope I get some good
pictures."
"And I hope I find those people I'm searching for," said Dick. "Say, if
you fellows will amuse yourselves a bit, I'll look up this other
lawyer," he went on. "I guess it will take him about a week to get
started, and the sooner I begin the quicker I'll be through."
"I guess we'll have some cocoanut milk for a change," suggested Paul
Drew, when Dick had ridden away in a dilapidated carriage, toward the
lawyer's office, and the cadet led the others into a place where a
specialty was made of cocoanut milk, drawn directly from the fruit, the
top of which the clerk sliced off with a big knife, not unlike a
_machete_ in shape.
"Fine!" gurgled Henry Darby, as the delicious beverage trickled down his
throat.
"Dandy!" was the opinion of the others.
They strolled about the city, and after an hour of sightseeing, Beeby
proposed that they go down to the dock, where Dick had agreed to meet
them on his return from the lawyer's office.
As the lads approached the pier, Henry, who was in the lead, called out:
"Why, there's Dick now, waiting for us."
The others looked, and saw a lad of exactly Dick's build and height
gazing at them. And, what is more, his features bore a strong
resemblance to those of the young millionaire. But a glance at his
clothes showed that they were not such as were worn by our hero.
"That isn't Dick," said Beeby.
"That's so, but it looked an awful sight like him," agreed the young
iron merchant, with a laugh. "I beg your pardon," he added, for the
youth had seen the attention paid to him.
"Granted, senor," was the reply, and the boys started, for his voice had
tones in it resembling Dick's. A nearer view made his features seem even
more like those of the young millionaire, but he was darker in
complexion. Still, had he worn better clothes, and had he and Dick stood
side by side, more than a casual glance would have been needed to
distinguish the difference between them, for Dick was almost as dark as
a Spaniard or Cuban.
"Dick's double," as the chums dubbed him, moved away, and, soon
afterward, our hero appeared. He was amused at the account of some one
who looked like him, and said he hoped the unknown would not run up any
accounts in the name of Hamilton.
"Well, how did you make out with the lawyer?" asked Paul.
"About the same as with Don Ferdinand Hondora. He says it will take two
weeks to make inquiries, and when I tried to cut him down to one he
nearly fainted on my hands. But, come on, let's go aboard, and report to
Captain Barton."
Dick and his friends spent that evening wandering about the city. They
had engaged some carriages to drive them to various points of interest,
but, at the last moment, Dick changed the program, and proposed a visit
to the opera house, where a musical comedy was being presented. The boys
thoroughly enjoyed the play, and, as they came out with the crowd of
pleasure-seekers, they were aware that something unusual was taking
place in the street.
There were a number of police officers and soldiers hurrying to and fro,
and many commands in excited Spanish were being given, while, in the
distance, shots were heard.
"What's it all about? Is there a fire?" asked Henry.
"Maybe it's an extra edition out," suggested Tim Muldoon, hopefully.
"No, somebody walked along in a hurry, and the people can't get over
it," declared Beeby.
"What's the matter?" asked Dick of one of the drivers of the carriages
he had hired for himself and his chums.
"Kidnapping!" exclaimed the man, who spoke fairly good English.
"Kidnapping!" repeated Dick. "Who was taken?"
"I don't know. Some young fellow, I heard the police say. It seems that
some men off a yacht came ashore, and followed him. He ran, and tried to
get away, but they took after him, and, just as he got in front of this
theatre, they grabbed him, put him in a carriage and drove off. The
police rushed up, but----"
"They were too slow," finished Paul, with a laugh.
"But why did they kidnap him?" persisted Dick.
"I do not know. For ransom, perhaps. It is sometimes done. He was a
young fellow, and, maybe wealthy, though his dress did not show it. But
will the senors be pleased to ride farther with me?"
"Guess we might as well," assented Dick. "A kidnapping, eh? I'd like to
hear more about it, and know who the fellow was."
"It will be in the gazette to-morrow--or the next day," said the driver,
calmly.
"Yes--always _manana_," murmured Dick.
"If it was in New York, there'd be an extra out about it by this time,"
declared Tim, in disgust. "This is a great country--not!"
And Dick and his chums drove back to the yacht, little dreaming what an
effect on all of them the kidnapping was to have, and that very soon.