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Page 116
"When you gave those fellows the beans that day, you were voting!"
"Voting! Voting for what, or whom?" exclaimed the second lieutenant.
"For Shuffles."
"Did my vote count?"
"To be sure it did; and he was elected to a certain position by your
vote and those of seven or eight others who did not understand the
trick," replied Pelham laughing all the time.
"What was the position? I don't understand what you are talking about,
and therefore I can't appreciate the joke."
"I'll tell you, Kendall; but you must keep still about it for the
present."
"It looks to me, on the face of it, like a dishonest trick. It seems
that Shuffles lied to us when he made us believe that we were playing a
game. I like a joke well enough, but I don't believe in a fellow's lying
for the sake of any fun."
"You are right, Kendall. It was not only a dishonest trick, but it was a
mean one."
"What was the position?" repeated Paul.
"Some of the fellows are going to make Mr. Lowington a present of a
silver pitcher as soon as we get to some port where we can obtain one."
"Why didn't you tell of it?" demanded Paul. "I should like to join in
the presentation, for I don't think there is a fellow on board who likes
Mr. Lowington better than I do."
"Yes; but, you see, there's something peculiar about this thing. The
contribution is to be confined to those fellows who have been
disciplined in one way or another. A good many of us, you know, were mad
when Mr. Lowington took our money away; we are satisfied now that he was
right. We made him feel rather uncomfortable by our looks and actions,
and some of us were positively impudent to him. We purpose to show that
our feelings are all right."
"Precisely so!" replied Paul, with enthusiasm. "That's splendid! Mr.
Lowington will appreciate the gift when he sees the names of the
subscribers."
"Certainly he will."
"But you have no money," laughed the second lieutenant.
"We have put our names down for ten shillings apiece--about thirty of
us. When we get into port, we shall tell Mr. Lowington that we wish to
present a silver pitcher to a gentleman on board, in token of our
appreciation of his kindness, &c., and ask him for half a sovereign each
from our funds."
"He will wish to know who the gentleman is."
"We can ask to be excused from telling him."
"I can manage that part of the business for you. Each of the fellows
shall give me an order on the principal for ten shillings, to be paid to
Dr. Winstock, who will buy the pitcher for you, if you like. He is
acquainted in Cork. I will give all the orders to the doctor, and he
will get the present without saying a word to Mr. Lowington until after
the presentation. Then he will have no chance to object, on the
suspicion that the gift is intended for him--don't you see?"
Paul Kendall entered into the project with a degree of enthusiasm which
was rather embarrassing to the conspirator.
"The fellows have been very secret about the thing," added Pelham.
"They must have been, or I should have heard something about it,"
replied Paul, innocently.
"No one but ourselves has known a thing about it till now. They have
formed a kind of secret society, and know each other by certain signs."
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