choice sixteen little has two thomas has eleven robert has seventeen and is elected what exclaimed aghast at the result of the palace and cottage robert seventeen shouted that s what s the matter i protest against this election said fiercely no you don t roared brown the didn t you say just now that the fellows must stand by the vote but is not even a knight of the golden replied he isn t one of our fellows no matter for that growled brown three cheers for captain brown and three or four others gave the cheers i will not submit to this election it is an insult to me if the fellows don t like me let them say so continued who was actually beginning to realize in his vanity that the way of the is hard they have said so replied the can t you understand the vote the fellows like you well enough interposed little but they prefer to have for captain they mean to elect you first officer i decline to serve as first officer and i decline to have him serve as first officer said stepping forward and shaking his head like a defeated bully the fellows promised to choose captain and me first lieutenant i haven t anything more to say fellows you can run the vessel to suit yourselves added walking away utterly disgusted with the proceedings captain has been fairly elected persisted little lifting his body upon the companion way in an attitude which threatened a speech stick young america in france and to the vote fellows the majority must rule if won t be first officer let him go into the and do his duty before the mast i will not do duty any way if i am to be insulted in this manner said walking up to the speaker just now you talked the other side of your mouth you believed in good order and doing things up believe in it now so do added who had for and if a fellow won t do his duty i go for making him do it bully for you shouted brown where is asked little in the cabin shall go below and inform him of his election if you agree say so continued little briskly ay ay replied those who had for went down into the cabin was lying in his berth reading a good book and of the honor which had been conferred upon him bob called what is wanted inquired the reader i have the honor to inform you that you have been elected captain of the and that the ship s company wish to see you on deck what do you mean by that demanded the astonished explained and exhibited the paper on which the vote was recorded do you regard me as belonging to your party asked quietly palace and cottage or we have not so regarded you but we hope you will join us now come on deck and speak for yourself the unfortunate of the greatness thrust upon him consented to go on deck where he was formally introduced to the ship s company as tain i will accept on one condition said the captain elect what is it demanded half a dozen of the that the come about and return to where i will do my best to induce mr to forgive you for what you have done no no shouted a score at once i believe mr would think of my request if i inform him of the circumstances added no no shouted the we are in for a good time and we are going to have it will you join the knights of the golden or not demanded one of the party i do not know what you mean answered i will explain it volunteered little taking the commander elect aside for the purpose � as briefly as possible the little scoundrel related the history of the order and its object the organization was the of the chain league which had invented and he felt that his past sins were rising up in judgment against him as he listened to the story but his former only made him the more to be now young america in france and i will not join it replied the student don t be in a hurry to decide now think of it pleaded little all the fellows wanted you and that is the reason i got you to come you deceived me little you told me the party was going up the in the that was a of course laughed little all i wanted was to make you come where is the bag of gold i have it all safe all i wanted was to know what had become of it and explained his own position so that even the little rogue could not him � i will have nothing to do with this scrape the fellows will ship you in one of the boats if you don t let them do so i will not join o come be a good fellow you are ruined already on board of the ship and you might as well have a good time no told the plainly that he would take no part with them that s enough snapped little we may as well vote again this time i shall go in for i decline said the captain fro sullenly for he was still under the insult bring in your fellows called little regardless of the words of this time the vote was unanimous and palace and cottage or after some yielded and was restored to his position and his temper at the same time after two was elected first officer after a great deal of and many fruitless the remaining were filled by of one or two and little and were elected second third and fourth officers there was a great deal of grumbling at the choice 