"I thought you were going to get up a petition to the principal to have the old method of giving out the offices restored, and have this voting business done with."
"I talked with some of the fellows about it, but most of them said they wouldn't sign."
"Why not?"
"Some of them said they rather liked the fun and excitement of the election; others said they had gone in for the thing, and didn't like to take the back track. I shouldn't wonder if they had joined the Bangwhangers. Between you and me, Beckwith, I am getting a little tired of the ship."
"Tired of it? I thought you considered it the biggest thing in the world."
"Well, I did; but it is about played out. I worked hard to be captain, but never got higher than third lieutenant; now I'm only a purser."
"You didn't work very hard last month," suggested Beckwith.
"I didn't think it was any use when I saw such fellows as Cantwell, Sheridan, and Murray getting in ahead of me, in spite of all I could do. No matter for that; Russia is a big country."
"That's so."
"A fellow could easily get lost in it, for none of us speak a word of Russian, and most of us not much French or German," added De Forrest, dropping his voice down to a whisper.