One of the officials stood on a barrel holding the box, while a clerk with a list of names sat below.
“As I call the names, will each gentleman step forward and draw his slip?” announced the official.
We were all watching with our mouths open intensely interested.
“Did you ever hear of such a damfool way of doing the thing?” said Talbot. “Here, give me a boost up!”
Johnny and I raised him on our shoulders.
“Gentlemen! gentlemen!” he cried a number of times before he could be heard above the row. Finally they gave him attention.
“I’m a ticket holder in this thing; and I want to see it done right. I want to ask that gentleman there what is to prevent the wrong man from answering to a name, from drawing a slip without having any right to?”
“The right man will prevent him,” answered a voice. The crowd laughed.
“Well, who’s to decide, in case of dispute, which is the 70 right man and which the wrong man? And what’s to prevent any man, after the drawing, from marking a blank slip–or making a new slip entirely?”
“That’s right!” “Correct!” shouted several voices.