Page:Lynch Williams--The stolen story and other newspaper stories.djvu/233

 The ponderous jaws of international conversation had begun to work. They worked all that day and most of the night.

The next day in the Cortes Señor Somebody-or-Other made that now historic speech, the one ending: "And if it is thus the youth in their universities of learning are taught, the time has now come when it is necessary for us as a nation of honor to teach yonder insolent nation of pigs what Spanish honor means, and what it means to insult it! … Our forefathers …! Honor to the death! … B-r-r-r," etc.; and they all screamed, gnashed their teeth, and shook themselves to pieces in their interesting Southern way. Then came the long-delayed action in regard to the demands of the United States. The vote was taken; the measure was defeated. The rest is history, as well known as the cub reporter's part in it is little known.

At 9.40 on February I5th, the Maine was blown up. On April 20th came our ultimatum. On April 2ist the managing editor said, "Mr. Knox, you are to join the despatch-boat at Tampa in forty-eight hours;