"Easy now," cautioned Sam, roughly. "Stay where you are. Maybe we did make a mistake," he went on, turning to Mr. Larabee, "but it may be all right, after all. We'll keep this young fellow aboard. I think Ike and I can fix up a scheme that will change matters a bit," and with that he thrust the young Spaniard into a small room off the cabin, and locked the door. Meanwhile the yacht was increasing her speed, and moving out of the harbor. CHAPTER XXIII DICK ON THE TRAIL The Santiago papers, the next day, contained a full account of the bold kidnapping, and, with fervid language, described how the scoundrels had spirited the Cuban youth away from under the very noses of the police. Strong and vigorous action was called for, and it was suggested that a reward be offered. There had been too many cases of late, the gazettes stated, where youths had been taken away, and held for ransom. In this case the object of the kidnappers was likely to fail, the papers stated, as the victim was the son of a poor man--Senor Alantrez--who would be unable to pay any money. Senor Alantrez was a clerk in the government employ, and he and his son were worthy persons, it was said. "Well, I call that a shame!" exclaimed Dick to his chums, as, seated on the deck of his handsome yacht, he was reading aloud to them the account of the outrage. "The police here ought to get busy, for a fact." "Is that all there is to it?" asked Beeby. "No," answered the young millionaire. "There's more. It goes on to say that it is believed that the boy was taken off in the yacht--hello! what's this? Why, fellows, it says that he was taken off in the yacht _Princess_, which recently came here from New York. There was something mysterious about the craft, it states. Mysterious! I should say so. Why, I'll wager a good bit that this is the same yacht they tried to get me aboard of, to rob me!" "You're right," exclaimed Widdy, who was stumping about the deck, near the boys. "That's her name, Mr. Dick." "But it might not be the same one," suggested Paul. "Wait until I read a bit further," said Dick. "Yes," he went on, "it says that men from the yacht were seen in several places about town yesterday and last night. And the description of them tallies with those two men who followed me about in New York." "You don't think they tried to kidnap you, do you?" asked Henry Darby. "Not a bit of it," answered the young millionaire. "I think they were just ordinary thieves, but I also think that they might attempt a more desperate game down here. Probably they are the same fellows, who took a trip in their yacht to see what luck they would have in Cuba. Then they decided to try kidnapping, as the paper states there have been several cases of it lately. Only they happened to get the wrong lad--one with no money--instead of a rich chap."