It was directly after breakfast and the family were all present. Lucilla and Grace seemed much excited, and little Ned asked anxiously if "Brother Max" was on that ship.
"No, my son," replied his father; "I am very glad to know certainly that he was not. Have you forgotten that he is with Commodore Dewey on the coast of China?"
"Oh, yes, papa! I forgot where Havana was. I remember now that it is not in China, but in Cuba."
"Oh, that is a dreadful piece of news, papa!" said Lucilla, in tones of excitement. "Won't it be likely to bring on a war with Spain—especially as we have been feeling so sorry for the poor Cubans whom she has been abusing so terribly?"
"I am really afraid it can hardly fail to cause war," replied the captain. "But that will depend very much upon the result of the investigation which will no doubt be made by our government."
"Oh, I hope we won't have war!" cried Grace, shuddering at the thought.
"War is a very dreadful thing," sighed her father, "but sometimes the right thing on one side—that of those who undertake it for the downtrodden and oppressed."
"But we are not such folks, are we, papa?" asked Ned.
"No, son; but the poor Cubans are, and the question is whether we should not undertake to win their freedom for them."