Chapter II

AN EXCITED MEETING OF OFFICERS AND SEAMEN.

Scott was one of the most popular students in the squadron. And it is a lamentable fact, that mere "jokers" obtain a power and influence in society which is denied to persons of infinitely greater dignity and higher character. As Laybold declared, Scott had no personal interest in the question under agitation, for, though he was a good seaman, his scholarship was not above mediocrity. He lacked industry and application; and it was not probable that he would ever win even the lowest rank on the quarter-deck. But he had initiated what he regarded as a stupendous joke, and he was determined to carry it through. While the students were gathering at the flat rock, he electioneered against the De Forrest plan, as it soon came to be called. He declared over and over again, to the intense amusement of the seamen, that the plan was a conspiracy against his individual rights, and was intended to prevent him from being captain the next month. Before the meeting at the rock was called to order he had rallied quite a respectable party under his banner.

Every officer and every seaman of the fleet was present at the meeting. The captain and the other officers sitting with the principal had been summoned to the gathering; and those who were most interested in the success of the effort were confident that the measure would be adopted with little if any opposition. The meeting was called to order by Lieutenant Ryder, the oldest officer of the squadron.

"The first business of this meeting is the choice of a chairman," said Ryder, taking position on the flat rock, around which the students had collected. "Please to nominate."

As in assemblages of older people, the arrangements had been "cut and dried" beforehand, and Beckwith had been appointed by the "ring" to nominate De Forrest as chairman; but Scott, more intent upon carrying out his joke than anything else, had stationed himself close to the rock, and disturbed the arrangements of the ring.

"Cantwell!" shouted he, at the top of his lungs, before Beckwith, who certainly was not a dexterous representative of the ring, could open his mouth.

"Cantwell!" repeated Laybold.

"Cantwell!" cried a dozen others, almost choking with laughter.

"I nominate Lieutenant De Forrest as chairman of this meeting," said the tardy Beckwith.

"Lieutenant De Forrest is nominated," continued the chairman, anxious to only carry out the programme which had been arranged by the officers.

"Mr. Chairman, I respectfully suggest that you are a little deaf in one eye. Mr. Cantwell was nominated first."

"Cantwell! Cantwell!" shouted the supporters of Scott.

Ryder was perplexed. Common fairness required him to put the question first upon the name of Cantwell; but he hesitated to do so. It seemed absurd to make the student whom they desired to throw out of the line of promotion the chairman of a meeting called for that purpose. While he was in doubt, the opposition shouted, indulging in hideous yells, cat-calls, and other demonstrations. It was fun to them.

"Lieutenant De Forrest has been nominated for chairman," repeated Ryder, when there was a lull in the confusion.

"Mr. Chairman, we go in for a fair thing," said Scott, in a loud but good-natured tone. "Mr. Cantwell was nominated first."

"Mr. Chairman, I don't know of any rule which requires the presiding officer to put any name first," interposed Beckwith. "If the meeting is not satisfied with the one named by the chairman, it can be voted down."

"But it looks more like a fair thing if the chairman puts the first name mentioned," replied Scott. "If the meeting don't like it, it can be voted down. If this thing is all cut and dried, I don't want anything to do with it; and I invite all the fellows that are not in the ring to step out and hold another meeting, where we can have fair play."

"Another meeting!" shouted at least twenty seamen, who, with many others, seemed to regard the affair as a capital joke because it was under the leadership of Scott, rather than because they could see the point of it.

"No, no!" responded the officers. "Put Cantwell's name, Ryder."

"Mr. Cantwell is nominated," said the chairman; and the jokers were delighted when they found they had carried their point; but Ryder paused, and looked uneasily at the members of the ring.

"Vote for him," said Norwood. "Make him chairman, and that will take the wind out of his sails. In the chair he can't oppose the plan, and we can tell the principal, when we go to him, that Cantwell presided over the meeting."

"Question!" shouted the officers.

"If it is your pleasure that Mr. Cantwell serve you as chairman of this meeting, you will manifest it by saying, 'Ay.'"

"Ay!" yelled nearly the whole crowd.

"Those opposed, 'No,'" continued the chairman.

"No!" replied a few, who did not understand the tactics of the ring.

"It is a vote," said Ryder, "and Mr. Cantwell is elected chairman of this meeting."

"I move you that a committee of two, consisting of Lieutenant De Forrest and Mr. Beckwith, be appointed to conduct him to the chair," shouted Scott.

"You hear the motion of Mr. Scott; those in favor will say, 'Ay;' those opposed, 'No.' It is a vote," said the temporary chairman, disgusted with the proceedings.

De Forrest and Beckwith conducted the obnoxious fourth master to the chair, which was the flat rock. As Cantwell mounted the natural rostrum, the jokers applauded lustily, and the ring felt that the proceedings were already turned into a farce. Of course Cantwell was more astonished than any one else to find his merits so highly appreciated.

"Gentlemen, I thank you most heartily for the honor, unsought and unexpected on my part, which you have conferred upon me," said he, removing his cap. "I shall endeavor to preside impartially over the deliberations of this meeting. The chair awaits any motion."

"Mr. Chairman," said De Forrest, who, after his defeat, had been delegated by the officers to present the business to the meeting.

"Lieutenant De Forrest," replied Cantwell.

The originator of the plan for changing the "tenure of office" made quite a lengthy speech, in which he set forth the advantages to be derived from the adoption of the new method of filling the offices of the highest grade. Of course he carefully abstained from any allusion to the real objection to the present system, and would have done so even if Cantwell had not been chosen chairman. His statement of the plan was certainly a very clear one, and the subject was fully understood by every student.

"And now, Mr. Chairman, having fully explained the plan, which has been approved by a large number of the officers and seamen of the squadron," continued De Forrest, "I move that a committee of three be raised, to wait on the principal, and request him to make this change in the manner of filling the office of commodore of the squadron, and of captain, first, second, third, and fourth lieutenant of each vessel."

"Mr. Chairman," said Beckwith, who had been selected to second the motion, "I rise--"

"No, you don't," interposed Scott; "you haven't got up yet."

"I rise--"

"You were up before," persisted Scott; and a round of applause followed the interruption.

"Mr. Chairman, I second the motion," said Beckwith, who, however, was unable to make the little speech he had arranged in his mind favoring the proposed change, for the laugh and the applause which followed Scott's sally had sadly disconcerted him.

The chairman stated the motion, and the question upon its adoption was fairly before the meeting. Several of the officers spoke in favor of it, and even the commodore, the captain, and the first lieutenant gave it the weight of their powerful influence. Two of the "short jackets" also briefly addressed the meeting in favor of the plan; and thus far the agitators had it all their own way.

"Question!" called some of the ring.

"Mr. Chairman!" shouted Scott, in a tone loud enough to be heard at the farther side of the island, where the adults of the squadron were enjoying the quiet beauty of the scene.

"Mr. Scott," replied the chairman, recognizing and bowing to the joker.

"Question! question!" shouted some of the officers, who were inclined to retaliate upon the joker by using his own tactics.

"Mr. Scott has the floor," interposed the chairman.

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman; but I'm not to be floored so easily. Every fellow that knows me knows that I go in for fair play."

"That's so," cried the crowd of his supporters, with a round of applause.

"And what I give to others I ask for myself," continued Scott. "I'm a modest fellow." (Tumultuous applause.) "I'm a modest fellow, Mr. Chairman, and it gores my soul to feel compelled to speak of my own merit; but this whole thing is a conspiracy against my rights." ("Hear, hear.") "I have belonged to the ship about a year; I haven't the purser's books in my trousers' pocket, and can't say to a day how long, but about a year. I have faithfully discharged every duty, and even done a great many things that were not required of me. I have eaten my grub with untiring fidelity, except when I was seasick at the beginning." (Applause.) "I have slept my eight hours out of the twenty-four with exemplary diligence and punctuality; and even done more than this, when the emergency seemed to require it, without grumbling." (Applause.) "I have kept my watch below without flinching." (Applause.) "I have worn my pea-jacket in cold and heavy weather without deeming it a hardship." (Applause.) "I have never objected to going on shore to see a city, or to take a tramp in the country, or to go 'on a time' of any sort." (Applause.) "Indeed, I have always been willing to make myself as comfortable as the circumstances would permit. And I have tried to use every fellow about right, the officers as well as the seamen. I have helped the fellows spend their money, when they needed my assistance" (applause), "for I don't like to be selfish about these things. When a fellow had any cake, fruit, or other good thing, I have taken hold like a man, and helped him eat it." ("That's so," shouted several.) "I have always been willing to let any fellow get my lessons for me, or do my share in holy-stoning the deck. When any petty officer, having a soft thing in the way of duty, such as coxswain of a boat, on a long pull, was sick, I have always been willing to take his place, and not charge him anything, either." (Applause.) "It's my nature to be unselfish; and I would do as much for the captain, or any other officer, as for a seaman."

"Mr. Chairman, I rise to a point of order," interposed Beckwith.

"Will the gentleman state his point?"

"That the gentleman is not speaking to the question," snapped the first master, who was determined, if possible, to get even with Scott.

"The speaker stated in the beginning that the proposed measure, and the action of this meeting in connection therewith, were a conspiracy against his rights; and the chair decides that he is in order," said the chairman, with dignity.

"But, sir, must we listen to his biography?" demanded Beckwith.

"Mr. Chairman, it is as painful for me to rehearse my own virtues before this large audience as it is for him to hear me; and the sacrifice which I make in doing so ought to be appreciated by the gentleman on the other side." (Applause.)

"I appeal from the decision of the chair," said Beckwith.

"First Master Beckwith appeals from the decision of the chair," continued Cantwell, who proceeded to state the point at issue, and, taking advantage of the privilege of his position, gave his reasons at length for ruling that Scott was in order.

Most of the seamen of the ship and of the consorts enjoyed the fun, and wished Scott to go on. When the question of order was put, a large majority sustained the decision of the chair. Cantwell began to feel that he had a host of friends, and that the plot of the officers would be defeated.

"Mr. Scott has the floor, and may proceed with his remarks," said he, when the vote was declared.

"I trust I have shown conclusively that I am a good fellow," continued Scott. (Hearty applause.) "Now, to apply what I had said when I was so ungenerously interrupted, if I am a good fellow, I deserve to be the captain, or at least one of the lieutenants, of the ship" (rapturous applause), "provided I get a greater number of merit marks than any other fellow; of course I don't expect to wink the marks out of sight. Not long since I made a little excursion through Sweden with some friends of mine, without exactly running away. The fact was, we couldn't find the ship, though we searched diligently for her." (Applause, and cries of "Finkel.") "I hear 'Finkel.' Finkel was there, and had a finger in the pie. Now, no one can tell how many merits I got for that excursion, and for my struggles to find the ship; nor how many I got for the glass of finkel I drank, which, I grant, deranged my ideas. Then I was caught asleep on the anchor watch, and neither you nor I know how many merit marks I had for that. We are not permitted to examine the record books of the instructors, and therefore we cannot know how high we are marked for any recitation or exercise; but, Mr. Chairman, I _got high_ this month" (violent applause), "and therefore I ought to have a high office. At any rate, Mr. Chairman, the highest office lies between you and me; and I think all present, who have considered the matter, will agree that it belongs to one of us" ("Hear, hear"), "and my modesty does not permit me to indicate which one. And now, Mr. Chairman, within three days of the end of the month, when the prize of a noble ambition is almost within my grasp, comes this cruel conspiracy to rob me of reward!"

Scott was trying to imitate Forrest, or some other great tragic actor whom he had seen, in the last clause of his speech, and the students were convulsed with laughter at his deep tones and wild gestures. He continued a few moments longer in the same strain, being frequently interrupted by applause and other demonstrations.

"And now, Mr. Chairman, I have done. If my shipmates will thus sting me to death when I am almost at the pinnacle of a noble ambition, I can only yield, as the noble Caesar did when he declared that Brutus ate two slapjacks for his breakfast. I shall fall, not by my own fault, but, like Caesar, by the madness of ambitious office-seekers. But I shall fall free from the taint of dishonor--scot-free."

The orator wiped his brow with his coat sleeve, having left his handkerchief in the pocket of his pea-jacket, while the applause of the seamen rang through the island groves and over the silent sea.

De Forrest was angry when he saw that the proceedings of the meeting were turned into a farce, and he made haste to reply to Scott's effective speech. The only point he made was, that the last speaker had no expectation of obtaining the lowest cabin office, or even of being the coxswain of the fourth cutter, and therefore his argument was simply ridiculous.

"I should like to ask the third lieutenant if I did not say that the highest office lay between the chairman of the meeting and myself," demanded Scott.

"Yes, yes," shouted a score.

"He did; but he spoke of a conspiracy against his own rights," replied De Forrest.

"What is the right of one student, Mr. Chairman, is the right of every one," said Scott--a sentiment which was warmly applauded.

"Question!" shouted the jokers.

The ring, trusting that the impression produced before the meeting by personal appeal had not been destroyed by the orator of the opposition, permitted the vote to be taken on the main question; and, indeed, Scott's party would not permit anything else to be done. The chairman stated the motion again, which was the appointment of a committee of three to request the principal to adopt the plan of De Forrest.

"Those in favor of the motion will manifest it by saying, 'Ay,'" said Cantwell.

"Ay!" replied the affirmative members of the meeting.

"Those opposed, 'No.'"

"No!" yelled the jokers, with all the power of their lungs.

It was impossible to determine which side had the majority; but as the "noes" made the most noise, the chairman decided that it was not a vote.

"I doubt the vote," shouted De Forrest, much excited.

"The vote is doubted," said the chairman. "Those in favor of the motion will muster on the right of the chair; those opposed, on the left."

Cantwell then appointed four tellers, two from each side. Two of them, one for, and one against, the measure, were then directed to count the number on each side.

"Form a line, and march between the tellers to be counted," added the chairman.

The business was done fairly, for each party was watching the other. The tellers on each side, after comparing their results, and finding that they agreed, were ready to report.

"How many in the affirmative?" asked the chairman.

"Eighty-eight," replied one of the tellers.

"In the negative?"

"Eighty-one," replied one of the tellers for that side.

"Eighty-eight having voted in the affirmative, and eighty-one in the negative, the motion is carried," said the chairman. "The next business in order is the appointment of the committee. How shall they be chosen?"

"By the chair," shouted Scott.

"Second the motion," added a student.

"It is moved and seconded that the committee be nominated by the chair."

"Mr. Chairman, it does not seem to me to be exactly right that the committee should be nominated by the chairman, who is opposed to the plan," suggested Beckwith.

"The chairman has not yet indicated whether he is in favor or opposed to the plan," said Cantwell, with a contemptuous curl of his lips and nose. "He intends to be entirely impartial in the discharge of his duty."

A shout of applause from the opposition followed this remark.

"The student who spoke against the plan mentioned the chairman in the same category with himself."

"The chairman did not authorize him to do so," answered Cantwell.

"Question!" shouted the jokers.

"The question is called for, which is, that the chairman nominate the committee."

The vote was taken and doubted. The count, by tellers, as before, resulted in a tie; for several who had voted for the plan, moved by the apparent impartiality of the chairman, broke loose from party discipline, and voted with the other side.

"The chair votes in the affirmative, and the motion is carried," said Cantwell, as soon as the tellers had reported. "The chair nominates Lieutenants Judson and Norwood, and Mr. Scott. The question is upon the confirming of the nomination of the chair."

"Mr. Chairman, Scott is opposed to the plan which this meeting has voted to recommend," interposed De Forrest.

"The chair is aware of the fact, and for that reason nominated him," replied Cantwell. "The committee stand two in favor to one opposed to the plan."

"How can one opposed to the plan, as Scott is, ask the principal to adopt it?" demanded De Forrest.

"As I understood the matter, this committee is to represent this meeting. Is it right that a committee unanimously in favor of the plan should represent a meeting in which the plan was adopted by a majority of only seven in a vote of one hundred and sixty-nine? Is it intended the committee shall represent to the principal that this meeting is unanimously in favor of the proposed change?"

"Certainly not."

"I have nominated a committee the majority of whom are in favor of the measure. In my view this is all that parliamentary rule requires of me. The question is upon confirming the nomination."

The question was taken, and the vote doubted again; but the nomination was confirmed by a majority of two.

"Is there any further business to come before this meeting?" asked the chairman.

"I move that the meeting be dissolved," said Scott.

The motion was put and carried. The students separated into little squads, and of course nothing else was talked about the rest of the day but the meeting. Scott, from a humble joker, found himself suddenly transformed into a hero, and a person of no little influence among the students. The ring were astonished and disconcerted at the result of the meeting; and the victory they had gained was so nearly a defeat that there were no rejoicings over it. De Forrest could hardly tell whether his party was triumphant or not.

"What do you mean, Scott?" demanded Beckwith, when the commodore had ordered all hands to be piped into the boats, and the students were walking down to the shore.

"I told you I would do the right thing, and I've done it. Wasn't it a fair thing--square and aboveboard?"

"It wasn't a fair thing to nominate Cantwell for chairman."

"If you didn't like him, why didn't you vote him down?" asked Scott. "I think everything has been fairly done."

"Perhaps it was. Allow that it was. Why did you get up an opposition to the plan?" demanded Beckwith, rather warmly.

"What do I care for the plan? You nobs in the cabin got up a ring, and all you wanted of the steerage fellows was to give up their rights. I have just as good a right to be a lieutenant next month as you have, if my marks give me the place. It is only a game of the ring to keep the best places among yourselves; that's all."

"Do you want Cantwell for your captain?" demanded Beckwith.

"I had just as lief have him captain as fourth master. He is over me just the same. But I am not sure he is half so bad a fellow as you make him out to be."

"I don't say he is bad, only that he is a conceited and disagreeable fellow, and no seaman. We don't want a fellow of that sort over us."

"We in the steerage have him over us now, and shall have him, any way you can fix it. He thinks pretty well of No. 1, I know, and so do some of the rest of the cabin nobs. I'm not clear yet that he is no seaman. I go for giving him the same chance that the rest of the fellows have. Then, if he don't do his duty, and behave like a gentleman, it will be time enough to do something."

"Then I'm to understand, Scott, that you have sold out to Cantwell."

"Did any of you cabin swells think you owned me?" laughed Scott.

"I saw you talking with Cantwell."

"Very likely Cantwell saw me talking with you. What does that prove?" retorted Scott.

"But he's a very unpopular fellow. There isn't a fellow in the ship that likes him."

"I don't, for one," added Scott, with refreshing candor.

"And yet you have got up this opposition, and nearly, if not quite, defeated our plan. He ought to be very grateful to you."

"I don't think he ought to be thrown overboard, or deprived of his rights, because he is not popular. When I saw that his brother officers were down upon him, I was rather inclined to stand by him, for, as I told you, I generally go in for the bottom dog. I believe in fair play for every fellow, whether he is popular or not. I wouldn't kick a dog because he didn't belong to anybody."

"You are on the committee, Scott."

"I have the honor; and I shall see that Cantwell has fair play before the principal."

"You have done enough, Scott; why can't you keep still now, and let the thing take its course?" added Beckwith, in an insinuating tone.

"And let Cantwell slip up, you mean?"

"What do you care for Cantwell? You don't like him any better than any other fellow. If you will only keep still, the chairman of the committee will simply represent to the principal that a majority of the students desire the change," persisted Beckwith.

"And the next question he will ask will be, how the vote stood. If he don't ask it, he isn't the fair man I have always taken him to be. Besides, the chairman put me on that committee to represent the opinions of the minority; and I'm going to do it."

"The opinions of the minority!" sneered Beckwith. "That is all bosh. They haven't any opinions about it. You made your ridiculous speech as a joke, and the minority took it up as a joke. They don't want Cantwell to be captain any more than we do."

"That may be; but if they cut his nose off now, they may cut off their own next month, just to make a soft thing for you nobs in the cabin. Now, I want to tell you one thing, Becky--"

"Don't call me Becky; I'm not a girl," interposed the first master.

"I beg your pardon: Mr. Beckwith."

"I don't ask you to call me mister when off duty, either. You wanted to tell me one thing."

"I'm not anxious to tell you anything; but, if I were Cantwell, I should rather hope that the principal would grant the request, and make the change."

"Do you think he could ever be elected to any office?"

"Perhaps not under ordinary circumstances; but if you cabin nobs will only persecute him a little, only try to keep him out of his rights by De Forrest's plan, he can be elected captain the very next month. You see we fellows throw seventy-two votes in the steerage, and forty-five is a majority of the whole ship's company. If any fourth-rate politician on shore can only get himself persecuted, he can be elected to Congress, for sympathy will do more than merit."

"You needn't tell me that the fellows in the steerage are going to elect Cantwell to any office. He couldn't be chosen fourth lieutenant, to say nothing of captain," protested Beckwith. "I believe you have lost your wits, Scott."

"Perhaps I have; but you haven't found them. If you get the plan adopted, we will try it on a little."

"What do you mean by that?"

"If De Forrest's plan is adopted, either Cantwell or I will be elected captain."

"You! You would not even be a candidate under the new rule."

"Say Cantwell, then."

"It is absurd! There is hardly a fellow in the ship that does not hate him, except you."

"I don't hate him, or any other fellow. But go ahead; there will be fun and a lively time," said Scott, as they separated to take their places in the boats.

The students and others embarked, and, as the instructors were now with them, nothing more was said about the proposed changes. The squadron of sixteen boats pulled out from the island, and, forming in order, rowed to the several vessels which were anchored a couple of miles distant. As soon as the boys were on board, the exciting topic was renewed. After supper Scott was notified of a meeting of the committee in the after cabin: but the regulations of the ship did not permit him to go there, being only a seaman. Scott, of course, did not appear, though, attempting to enter the cabin, he was ordered by the principal to go forward. He obeyed, and was satisfied that the rest of the committee intended to ignore him, or they would not appoint a meeting where he could not attend.

In the cabin, at eight bells, the majority of the committee met. Norwood was not in favor of acting without Scott; but De Forrest and Beckwith advised them to do so. It was not proper for officers to meet in the steerage; and they had accommodated the majority. It was decided to wait upon the principal forthwith, and Scott was duly notified of the intention. The joker, when the messenger gave him the second notice, was engaged at an impromptu indignation meeting, in which he was informing his audience that a meeting of the committee had been called in the cabin, where he could not attend. He considered it an indignity to him, and to the cause of which he was the representative and the champion. After consulting Cantwell, he decided not to wait upon the principal with the rest of the committee. After certain explanations which Scott made, and certain schemes of future action which he suggested, the fourth master was entirely satisfied with the proposition.

The majority of the committee waited upon the principal in the main cabin, and fully stated the proposed changes in the "tenure of office," in the ship and in the two consorts.

"You represent a meeting of all the officers and seamen of the squadron--do you?" asked Mr. Lowington.

"Yes, sir; all the officers and all the seamen of each vessel were present," replied Judson, the chairman of the committee.

"Was the vote by which you were appointed unanimous?"

"No, sir; it was not."

"What was the vote?"

"Eighty-eight to eighty-one."

"A majority of only seven."

"But the minority were really in favor of the plan, as we ascertained before the meeting," explained Judson, who then related the particulars of the gathering, giving the details of Scott's speech, at which the principal was much amused.

"The students voted against the plan just to carry out the joke," added Norwood. "Scott was appointed on this committee, and was notified, but he does not appear."

"I think I understand the matter," replied Mr. Lowington. "I will consider the plan on its own merits, though substantially the same system has occupied my attention several times before, and I am not wholly unprepared for it. I will give you my decision on the first day of the month."

The committee retired, satisfied with the result of the interview, and hopeful that the plan would be adopted.