"I can"t see that there is any more danger of his losing them than there is of his losing his head. I see you are not entirely satisfied with the plan."
"To tell you the truth, Pelham, I am not. There is, at least, a chance for mistakes."
"I"m willing to do anything you like, that will make the election a fairer one."
"I have it!" exclaimed Shuffles. "We can give each fellow two peas and two beans, and let him vote twice."
"What good will that do?"
"I"ll tell you. We want another receiver; then let each fellow vote twice, giving a pea or a bean to both of the receivers. If the two results don"t agree, it shall not be an election."
"That"s a first-rate idea, Shuffles, and I go in for it with all my might," replied Pelham, with so much warmth that his companion was put in the best of humor. "Who shall be the other receiver?"
"Name some one," said Shuffles, generously conceding the nomination to his confederate.
"Perth."
"No."
Shuffles objected because Pelham had done so when he had mentioned two names.
"Richton."
"Once more."
"McKeon."
"Right. McKeon is an honest, careful fellow," added Shuffles. "Now I think there can be no mistake."
The minor details of the election were carefully arranged, and the boys went below again. They gave satisfactory replies to the first lieutenant, who questioned them in regard to the steamer they had gone aloft to examine. Pelham thought she was a "Cunarder," but Shuffles was confident she belonged to the Inman line; and it is quite certain neither of them had any opinion whatever in regard to her, except that she was going west; for the red light on her port side was visible.
On the following day, Grossbeck and McKeon, the receivers who had been appointed, were waited upon, separately, by the two "Shackles." They accepted the important trust which was confided to them, and each was duly and solemnly admonished of the necessity of entire fairness. They were informed that any discrepancy in the number of ballots in the hands of the two receivers would cause the vote to be rejected; and they individually promised to be both faithful and careful.
The beans and the peas were readily obtained, and were distributed among the members of the League, with the necessary secrecy. Some of the independent voters needed a little persuasion to induce them to vote, when informed that the choice was between the "Shackles" only; but they yielded the point, and entered heartily into the excitement of the event; for, secret as were the proceedings, they were attended with no little exhilaration of feeling.
The voting commenced in the afternoon watch. The second part of the starboard watch, being off duty, gave in their peas and beans first. The receivers, without even knowing all the members of the League, took whatever was handed to them "on the sly," and looked as careless and indifferent as though nothing was going on. The only responsibility that rested upon them, besides the general duty of carefulness and fidelity, was to see that no one voted twice. "Vote early and vote often" was not countenanced; and one receiver acted as a check upon the other.
The election progressed so secretly that no occasion for suspicion was given; and though the ballots were deposited under the eyes of the princ.i.p.al and the professors they saw nothing, and had not the remotest idea that anything wrong was in progress.
In the last half of the first dog watch, Shuffles began to be excited.
He was too much of a politician to be idle while any voting was going on? and so far as his duty would permit, he had watched the receivers since the balloting commenced. He had seen seven or eight vote of whose membership in the Chain he had no previous knowledge. He saw that Pelham had made more initiates than he had been willing to acknowledge, apparently concealing the facts for the purpose of favoring his own election. He observed that all the officers of his rival"s quarter watch voted, and he was almost certain that he had been defeated.
Shuffles was angry and indignant when he discovered the treacherous shrewdness of his fellow-conspirator; but he had solemnly promised to abide the result of the election, and he could not recede from his position without a violation of the "honor among thieves" which is said to exist. The poll would not be closed for half an hour; and as he had been cheated he deemed it quite right to restore the equilibrium by a resort to the same policy.
"Wilton, I have been cheated," said he, angrily, as he met his old crony in the waist.
"How do you know you have?"
"I know it. I will explain by and by. Something must be done. I am beaten as sure as you live."
"Well, I can"t help it if you are. You and Pelham have fixed things to suit yourselves, and now you must fight it out between you," replied Wilton, as he turned on his heel, and left the mighty mischief-maker alone and disconcerted.
"Where do all these beans come from?" said Paul Kendall, as he noticed the rejected ballots of the Pelhamites, which they had not even taken the trouble to throw over the rail.
"It"s a new game the fellows are playing," replied Shuffles, with apparent indifference, as he walked aft with the second lieutenant.
"What"s that?" asked Paul, curiously.
"It"s called "Don"t know Beans,"" answered Shuffles in deep thought.
"The fellows have a good deal of sport out of it in the off-time."
""Don"t know Beans!" I never heard of such a game before. Tell me about it."
"You see Grossbeck and McKeon?"
"Yes."
"Well, they are the _b.u.t.ts,_ as we call them. All the fellows in our watch have some beans," added Shuffles, taking a handful of them from his pocket.
"What do they do with them?"
"You try it yourself. Take two of these beans."
Paul took them.
"Now you must give one to Grossbeck, and the other to McKeon, without letting any fellow see you do it. If any fellow does see you give it to either of them, he will say, in a low tone, "Don"t know Beans," and then the b.u.t.t must drop it on deck. When the even bell strikes, Grossbeck and McKeon must count their beans. The one who has the most must appoint the next two bean-pots, or b.u.t.ts; and the one who has the smaller number must pick up all the beans that have been dropped on the deck. There is fun in it; though, perhaps, you wouldn"t think so."
"I will try it, at any rate."
Paul did try it, and succeeded, as all others did, in giving the beans to the receivers without any one uttering the warning words. He was rather pleased with the game, so suddenly invented, and the two officers of his watch were induced to try the experiment. Then Blackburn, Endicott, and Bennington were supplied with beans by Shuffles, who instructed his auditors that not a word must be said about the matter to the "b.u.t.ts," or to any one in the waist. The last three were as successful as the first three. Then Thompson and Cartwright were equally fortunate. Finally, Captain Gordon"s attention was attracted, and he descended so far from his dignity as to deposit the beans.
Shuffles was satisfied. He had procured nine votes, and he was confident that he had thus defeated his rival. As a matter of precaution, he directed McKeon to pick up the beans scattered in the waist; and the "outsiders" who had cast the nine votes believed that he was the unlucky b.u.t.t, who had been beaten in the game.
"The captain and half the officers voted," whispered Grossbeck at four bells.
"Certainly; that"s all right. You and McKeon will meet Pelham and me in the waist at eight bells," replied Shuffles, as he went below.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE RESULT OF THE BALLOT.
The first part of the port watch went on duty at eight o"clock, when the secret poll for the choice of a captain, under the new order of events, was closed. Shuffles was in this watch, but as neither his "trick at the wheel" nor his turn on the lookout came within the first hour, he had an opportunity to attend to the important business of the League. Pelham and the two receivers of votes belonged in the second part of the port watch, and there was nothing to prevent them from attending the conference which Shuffles had appointed.
While Shuffles had been teaching the "outsiders" the game of "Don"t know Beans," Pelham, as officer of the deck, remained abaft the mizzenmast, and had failed to notice what was taking place in the waist. The officers who were off duty, and who had unconsciously voted for Shuffles, said nothing to those in charge of the ship. In accordance with the requirements of man-of-war discipline, the weather side of the deck was given up to the captain and the officers on duty, while all the idlers were required to keep on the lee side. Captain Gordon was a privileged person. On the weather side, even the denizens of the after cabin did not presume to address him on any question not connected with the discipline of the ship. When he went over to the lee side, it was understood that he was simply a student, and even an ordinary seaman might speak to him when he walked forward.