route, the movements of the craft depending entirely upon the freight to be picked up.
"She sees the signal!" exclaimed Dick, after an anxious wait of several minutes.
Slowly the steamer came up to them, and then her ponderous engines ceased to work.
"What is wanted?" came in Spanish, from a dark-looking man on the forward deck.
"Can't you talk English?" cried Dick.
"A leetle."
"We are after that other sail-boat. The men on her are thieves and have abducted a girl, too. Will you help us catch them?"
At this the man on the steamer drew down his face and held a consultation with several behind him.
"You are sure they are thieves?" he asked presently.
"Yes."
"Have they with them the money that was stolen?"
"We are pretty certain they have."
"And the girl?"
"Yes."
"And what is the reward for the girl, señor?"
"Well, I declare!" burst out Tom. "They are after a reward the first thing."
