in october, there came a sudden stir of interest and excitement of a different sort, namely, the appointment of henderson’s successor in the battalion.

gordon was now major, and hamlin had taken his place as captain of company c.

the appointments had heretofore been made by prof. keene, and the liveliest interest was awakened when he announced that, this time, the captain was to be elected by vote of the officers of the battalion and all the members of company c.

no one was eligible for the captaincy except those members of the senior class whose average during the previous years had been ninety or more, and of these there were but eight, and of these, two—one of whom was clark—had not been in the battalion at all, and so of course could not be candidates. the names of the remaining six were put on the bulletin board, and prof. keene announced that the vote would be taken after school on friday of that week.

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graham and raleigh stood highest on the list, each having averaged ninety-four for the previous years. then came griffin, the first lieutenant of company c, with an average of ninety-two; then fry, cole and edson, with averages of ninety-one and ninety. the last three belonged to another section.

prof. keene had supposed that the choice would lie between graham and raleigh, and as he was perfectly willing that either should hold the position, he had decided that the one that the boys preferred should be captain. he had not imagined that any one of the other four would be considered at all, and was wholly unprepared for the strong feeling and sharp rivalry that was soon developed. neither was he fully aware of the character of some of the boys in company c. there were a few fine fellows in the company, but there were more who were idle and indifferent to everything but “fun,” and a few who were really bad, and who would not hesitate to sacrifice the best interests of the school to carry out their own schemes. some of these last had been friends of henderson, and these had by no means forgotten the occurrences at the competitive drill. they resented henderson’s enforced departure, and the disgrace that had fallen upon the company rankled in their minds. to these, the idea of having graham or raleigh for a captain was most distasteful.

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coyle was second lieutenant of company c, and he and barber, who belonged to another company, quickly made up their minds that, if possible, these two should be defeated on friday.

monday was “drill day,” and when the drill was over, coyle privately asked all of company c except the first lieutenant, who was a particular friend of graham’s, to stop and talk the matter over. the discussion was held with closed doors, and a lively one it was.

coyle was the first speaker.

“i say, fellows,” he began, eagerly, “we’ve got a chance now to choose our captain, and i move that we boom griffin. i, for one, don’t want any such prig as graham or raleigh put over us. griffin here is worth a dozen such chaps.”

all eyes were turned on griffin as coyle sat down, and somebody called, “speech, speech.”

“i’m not much of a speechifier,” said griffin, rising, “but i appreciate the honor you have done me, and if i’m elected, i’ll do my best to help you win the red ribbons next june.”

then barber sprang up.

“griffin hasn’t got quite such high marks as those other fellows,” he said, “but he’s no end better up in tactics, and i’d rather have him for captain if he wasn’t.”

coyle started vigorous applause at this, but now another spoke up.

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“i haven’t a thing to say against griffin,” he began. “he’s well up in the drill, and understands the duties of a captain; but the same is true of graham, and i’m sure that most of the officers will vote for him. i don’t believe we could elect griffin.”

“oh, shucks! we can elect him if we all hang together,” cried coyle, springing to his feet again. “now see here—there are twenty-two officers, and in company c there are forty men. now if the company will go solid for griffin, even without a vote from a single officer, we shall elect him by a big majority.”

carr, a boy with a quiet, resolute face, now rose and said quietly, “i shall vote for graham, because i believe that he can do more for company c than any other on the list.”

barber hissed then; whereupon another boy sprang up and cried, “i move that any fellow that hisses be put out. if we can’t discuss this matter like gentlemen, we’d better adjourn right now. every fellow here has a right to his own opinion, i take it—and i’ve just as much right to vote for graham as barber has to vote for griffin, and i intend to do it.”

barber, seeing that the tide of feeling was with the last speaker, jumped up, and, with a good-natured laugh, exclaimed, “don’t lay that little hiss up against me, boys. it was only a whistle that slipped up on my front teeth.”

[160]

the laugh that followed scored one for barber and the candidate that he favored.

but coyle’s quick eyes had been watching the faces of the boys, and now he sprang up again.

“it’s getting late,” he said, “and i move that we adjourn, and meet again wednesday after drill. that will give us all time to think the matter over, and make up our minds whom we’ll vote for. but see here,” as a general movement expressed the approval of the motion to adjourn, “don’t forget that griffin stands a no. 1 in tactics, and we all want to win the gold medal and red ribbons next june.”

“three cheers for coyle and griffin,” shouted somebody, and in two minutes the room was empty; but as the boys hurried homeward, the talk was all about the election.

coyle and barber were the last to leave the room.

“i’d like to punch the heads of some of those fellows,” growled coyle. “if the company would only go solid for griffin, it wouldn’t matter how the officers voted.”

“no, we’d have nearly two-thirds majority,” answered barber, “and i’d give something to see graham and raleigh defeated. i believe i care more for that than to put griffin in. they’re all so mighty high and tony in section d this year, a fellow can’t have a bit of fun. might as well be in a reform school, and done with it.”

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“right you are,” responded coyle. “gordon and hamlin have managed somehow to get hold of about all the section except you and me, and they’ve set ’em all to digging. not much like last year, is it? who’d ever have believed that crawford would go over to the l. a. o.! he’s as meek as moses now-a-days.”

“so he is,” echoed barber, “an’ if we have graham or raleigh for captain, the drill will be as bad as the school-room. they’ll make the fellows toe the mark and be down on ’em like sixty for the least thing wrong.”

“we just won’t have graham or raleigh,” cried coyle, positively. “you and i must see the fellows we’re sure of before to-morrow night, and find some way of putting griffin in.”

“i don’t see how we’re going to do it, if some of the company vote for graham, and you see they will, from what they said to-day,” replied barber.

“i see that they mean to now,” said coyle, “but it does not follow that they will be of the same mind next friday. it’s our business to make ’em change their minds. now go home and think hard, barber, and i’ll set my wits to work, and see if we can’t fix up some plan that will win the day for ‘we, us and company’ c,” said coyle, as he stopped at his own home.

usually coyle was asleep two minutes after his[162] head touched his pillow, but that night he lay awake more than an hour or two, his thoughts busy with plots and plans to accomplish his purpose.

he was at barber’s door soon after eight o’clock next morning, and that young gentleman, swallowing the last of his breakfast with most unhealthy rapidity, joined him in response to his impatient whistle.

“i’ve thought of a way to spike graham’s guns,” coyle began, and while his companion listened with eager interest, he proceeded to unfold his scheme.

“that’s fine,” barber exclaimed, slapping coyle on the shoulder, as the latter ceased speaking. “i’m sure our crowd will catch on to that little game, and i believe we can rope in most of the grahamites without much trouble.”

coyle looked pleased at the other’s hearty approval.

“you and i must let the fellows we’re sure of into our scheme, and then we’ll tell the doubtful ones enough to secure their votes, and no more,” he said.

before school, at recess, and after school that day, coyle and barber were busy boys. barber gathered in a corner of the playground, at recess, all the members of company c whom he knew to be strongly in favor of griffin, and to them unfolded coyle’s plan.

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meantime, coyle joined another group of the members of company c. after listening for a few minutes, to what one and another had to say, he remarked casually, “i’ve been thinking it over, and i’d about made up my mind to let griffin go, and vote for graham. he’s a prime fellow if he is a little too stiff—but something i heard this morning made me rather inclined to stick to griffin.”

“what was it you heard?” questioned several of the group.

“why, that gordon and hamlin are working for all they are worth, to get self-government into the battalion.”

“self-government? what do you mean by that?” queried one, while all listened for the reply.

“don’t you know how they manage in some of the military schools? the boys elect a judge and jury from their own number, and if any boy does anything contrary to rules, they try him and pronounce sentence themselves, subject of course to the principal’s approval.”

“well, what’s the matter with that? we’d have it all in our own hands, and we could make our punishments as light as we pleased,” laughed one.

“not much—if graham or raleigh was captain, and gordon judge, as he would be. those fellows are both right under gordon’s thumb, and he thinks it’s a sin to smile in school hours. he’s crazy on[164] the subject of the reputation of the central, and he’s got every fellow in our section, except barber and me—and his royal highness, st. john—to work for honors. you can see how it will be if his candidate, graham, is elected—no more jolly times for company c. all but three or four of the officers are ready to back gordon and hamlin, whatever they propose, and if they put their self-government scheme through, we fellows in company c, that like a bit of fun now and then, won’t have any show at all. cigarette smoking will be a capital crime, and if a fellow happens to say ‘by ginger’ he’ll be in disgrace for a month. we’ll get no favors—you’ll see. it will be the fellows that dig into latin and geometry day and night, that will be favored, and those of us that like to see a little of life and have a good time now and then, will get sat upon every time.”

“but are you sure that graham favors this self-government scheme, coyle?” questioned one.

“heard graham himself say to hamlin that if he was elected, that’s the thing he’d work for—another form of the l. a. o. they’re so proud of in our section,” replied coyle.

“if that’s so, i’m inclined not to vote for graham. how about raleigh? is he of the same mind?” questioned another.

“like as two peas in a pod,” replied coyle, promptly.

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“well, then, i’ll vote for griffin. he’s as good in the drill as either of the others, and who cares for two or three credits less in his average?” said a third.

“that for his average,” cried another, snapping his fingers. “this is our last year in the old battalion, and i’d rather company c would carry off the prizes in the next annual drill than to come out number one in the school myself.”

“well,” said coyle, “you know griffin can’t be beat as a drill-master, and he’s a jolly good fellow besides, and not the one to be always snooping around to see if a man happens to have a cigarette or a pack of cards in his pocket. we don’t want a straight-laced parson like graham put over company c. why not all vote for griffin and done with it? i think it would be fine, anyhow, to carry the election against gordon’s candidate. gordon thinks he’s a bigger man than professor keene himself, and it would take him down a peg or two to see griffin put in place of his shadow, alec graham.”

“’twould be a good joke on gordon, wouldn’t it!” remarked one.

“make him open his eyes a little.”

“and show him that somebody else in the school besides himself has a little influence,” added coyle, cunningly fanning the flame that he saw he had kindled.

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before the bell rang, all in the group had agreed to vote for griffin. this made thirty so pledged, besides griffin himself, coyle and barber, and one of the other captains, thirty-four in all, which would give griffin the majority. coyle and barber were outwardly quiet, but inwardly jubilant.

the next morning, coyle went to school with a new suggestion, over which he and barber chuckled delightedly before they talked it over with the griffin faction.

after drill that day, a meeting was held to talk over the election, the officers being anxious to get an idea of what the boys of company c meant to do. their surprise was unbounded when coyle announced that he could speak for thirty-three who would vote for graham.

“for graham,” repeated hamlin, incredulously, “why, that’s fine. looks as if graham would have a unanimous vote.”

“no, sir, i’m going to vote for raleigh,” cried one, and three or four others shouted, “so am i.”

but at this raleigh, who was the only one of the candidates present, sprang to his feet.

“i’m awfully obliged to you,” he cried, “but i came in just on purpose to say that i’d rather remain lieutenant of company d; honest, i would. i fit in there pretty well, i believe, and i’m not sure that i’d make a good captain; and anyhow, i’ve made[167] up my mind to have my name withdrawn, and i do hope that those of you who would have voted for me, will vote for graham as i’m going to do. i’d be just pleased to have a unanimous vote for him.”

“three cheers for lieutenant raleigh,” shouted one of his friends, as raleigh, very red in the face, dropped into his seat.

then gordon arose. “you see how it is,” he said; “raleigh absolutely refuses to be a candidate for promotion, and the matter seems to rest between graham and griffin; or at least, i supposed it did, until coyle made his statement just now. i think with raleigh, that it would be fine to have a unanimous vote for graham. he would be sure then that he would have the support of company c, and i know how much it means to a captain to feel that his men are all friendly, and ready to back him up in whatever he plans for the good of his company.”

here coyle winked at barber, and scowls and grins were noticeable among griffin’s friends. hamlin’s quick eyes noted this little by-play, and a vague feeling of distrust and uncertainty began to trouble him. he sprang up and said, “you all know, i am sure, that it is because the school has taken a higher stand this year, that professor keene decided to let us choose the captain of company c, and he’s sure to be satisfied if we elect graham, for you all know that we haven’t a finer all-around[168] fellow in the school. for myself, i’ve only one objection to him as captain of company c, and that is, that i’m awfully afraid that, under his training, you will be so perfect in drill that you’ll get the red ribbons away from company d next june.”

“you bet we mean to,” shouted a coarse voice from company c, as hamlin sat down, and there was something in the rude tone that stirred the anger of more than one of graham’s friends.

when the meeting was over, hamlin said to gordon, “do you suppose coyle meant what he said, or is there some trick under it?”

“why, how could there be any trick? he said positively that thirty-three of them were pledged to vote for graham, and none of the rest denied it.”

“i know he did,” said hamlin doubtfully, “but i was watching the faces of those fellows while you were speaking, and i believe there’s something underhanded going on. i don’t trust coyle. he’s tricky.”

“i know he is,” responded gordon, “and he’d as soon lie as tell the truth any time; but if he’d been lying to-day, some of those fellows would have contradicted him, i’m sure.”

“well, i hope it’s all right, but somehow i don’t feel sure of it,” was hamlin’s response.