gent person in Havana that night who did not
feel convinced that unless the lamentable occurrence which had just
happened should prove capable of an absolutely satisfactory explanation,
there would certainly be very serious trouble in the immediate future.
As for Jack and Milsom, they were both thinking hard, and it was well on
toward daybreak ere either of them slept. The result of Milsom's
meditations became apparent when, as was the custom, he joined the
saloon party at breakfast next morning. After exchanging with them the
usual salutations he said, as he drew his chair up to the table:

"Well, Don Hermoso, after last night's happening I suppose you will be
disposed to defer your departure until it can be seen what is to come of
it, will you not?"

"Upon my word, Captain, I don't know," answered the Don. "In what way
do you think it likely to exercise an influence upon our projected
errand?"

"Through American intervention--to put the whole thing in a nutshell,"
answered Milsom. "Of course it is altogether too early yet to express
an opinion in public upon the occurrence; but, strictly between
ourselves, and in the privacy of this saloon, I don't mind saying that I
believe the _Maine_ was deliberately destroyed, and that the submarine
which was stolen from this ship was the instrument by which that was
done!"

"That is also my idea, Skipper," answered Jack. "And," he continued,
"if our suspicion as to the guilt of the Spaniards should prove correct,
there will be war between America and Spain; America will without doubt
be the conqueror, and Spain will be forced to relinquish her hold on
Cuba, without the need for further effort on the part of the
revolutionaries. So far, therefore, as the purchase of additional
munitions of war is concerned, I believe, Don Hermoso, that you may save
your money."

"Indeed!" said Don Hermoso. "Then in that case, gentlemen, we may as
well defer our departure until we see what is about to happen."

And they did.

The rest of the story is a matter of well-known history. A few days
later a court of enquiry into the _Maine_ disaster was opened on board
the U.S. steamer _Mangrove_, then lying in Havana harbour, and sat
continuously until March 21st; while the wreck of the warship was most
carefully examined by divers, who laid the result of their observations
before the court. The finding of the court was: "That the loss of the
_Maine_ was not in any respect due to fault