“I’m not,” said Coote. “You can stick me down if you like, Rag.”
Raggles, finding not much assistance forthcoming to help him in his difficulty, retired to a quiet corner, and privately tossed up for each name in succession. As his penny came down “tails” persistently both for himself and everybody else, except Gosse, he resorted to the less risky method of shutting his eyes, and dropping six blots on his paper. This happy expedient was only partially successful, as none of the blots fell anywhere near any of the names. Finally, as time was growing short, he put down his own name on the paper, and resolved to sacrifice his other votes. And when he had done it, he rather wondered the idea had never struck him before.
Our heroes meanwhile were busy with their own lists, which, under Dick’s guiding influence, rapidly filled up with a set of good names. When it came to their own Form they agreed that, being a “Firm” and all “in it,” they were entitled each of them to vote for the “Firm” as a body; which they did amid much mutual rejoicing.
At a quarter to four the big Hall began to fill. Everybody was there. Fellows who were on the list, sanguine, anxious, touchy; fellows who were not on the list, cross, sarcastic, righteous. Nearly every one had his paper in his hand, which he furtively glanced through for the last time before the summons to deposit it in the basket on the platform.
As before, the Sixth took rank as ordinary Templetonians, and no distinction was made between monitor and junior, eligible and non-eligible.
When the clock struck there were loud cries for Freckleton, who accordingly ascended the dais, and, after waiting patiently for order, proceeded to explain the order of election.
“I suppose,” said he, “all of us who mean to vote have by this time filled up our papers with the names of the fellows we think most worthy to be elected on the new Club. You’d better have a last look to see you haven’t put down more than thirty names altogether, and that there are not more than six in any one Form. Also make sure you have none of you signed your names to the papers, as this is secret voting, and it’s not supposed to be known how any one has voted. Now, will fellows come up by benches and drop their papers into the basket?”
The front bench, consisting chiefly of Sixth-form fellows, obeyed the invitation, and deposited their papers in the receptacle. The rest of the meeting could not forbear the luxury of a few cheers as popular and unpopular seniors presented themselves; but, on the whole, the ceremony was gone through rapidly and in an orderly fashion.
Among the juniors, the Firm walked solemnly up the room amid cheers and cries of “Well run, puppies!” and gave in their votes. They glanced nervously round at Pledge, where he sat with a sneer on his face, and did not like the looks of him. The sneer they would have thought nothing of, but there was a serious, half-determined look about him which was ominous.
“The beast!” whispered Dick. “He’s going to do something.”