“Question! I call for the question,” demanded the person with insistent voice. “Shall Bob Bannister be allowed to be a member of this company?”
The judge-advocate general pulled himself together and slowly repeated the question:—
“Shall Bob Bannister be allowed to be a member of this company? All you that want him say Yes.”
Three feeble and uncertain voices responded in the affirmative.
“And all you that don’t want him say No.”
The chorus of noes was triumphantly loud.
“The noes win,” declared the judge-advocate general; and the captain added, “The court’s adjourned sign dee.”
“Aw, shucks!” exclaimed Bill Hinkle, now in disgrace himself and therefore more in sympathy with Bob. “You fellows know a lot, don’t you! You’re smart, ain’t you! W’y, Bob Bannister’s the best man you got. I’ll back him to lick any three of you, with one hand tied behind ’is back, by jimminy! You’ve made regular nincompoops o’ yourselves, you have. Aw, shucks!”
And the deeply and doubly disgusted one walked away.