“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pretty well, I believe, and I’m not sure that I’d make a good captain; and anyhow, I’ve made up my mind to have my name withdrawn, and I do hope that those of you who would have voted for me, will vote for Graham as I’m going to do.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 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.”