When one bell struck, the officer left his post, and the conspirators walked up to the binnacle in the waist.  By raising one of the slides in the side of the machine, the lamp which threw its light on the face of the compass would enable them to examine the papers.

“Hold your paper by the side of mine,” said Pelham as he placed the important document in a position to receive the light from the binnacle when the slide should be moved.

“Open it,” replied Shuffles, nervously, as he complied with the direction of his rival.

Pelham raised the slide, and the contents of the papers were read by both.

Peas,........19

Beans,........22

The results given in by the two receivers were the same, and by the terms of the bond, it was an election.

“Shut the slide,” said Shuffles.

“Who opened that binnacle?” demanded the first master, walking aft from his station on the forecastle.

“I did, sir,” replied Shuffles, unwilling to permit the fourth lieutenant to answer the question.  “We were looking at some figures I had made.”

The master, finding that the fourth lieutenant was one of the party gathered around the binnacle, said no more, and returned to his place.

“Are you satisfied, Pelham?” asked Shuffles, in the softest of tones.

“I don’t understand it,” answered the disappointed candidate.

“Don’t you?  Well, you will remember that neither of us was to raise any question about the fairness of the ballot.”

“I don’t say a word about its fairness; I only said I did not understand it,” answered Pelham, in surly tones.

“I don’t understand it any better than you do; but the point just now is, whether you acknowledge me as captain, or not.”

“Of course I do.  When I pledge myself to do a thing, I always do it, I hail you as captain.”

“All right,” added Shuffles.  “Then nothing more need be said.  You have kept your bond like a gentleman and I now appoint you my first officer, as I promised to do.”

“Thank you,” replied Pelham, in a sneering tone.

“What’s the matter, my dear fellow?  Are you not satisfied?” demanded Shuffles.

“Entirely satisfied with the result;” but he talked like one who was anything but satisfied.

“It was a fair thing—­wasn’t it?”

“I suppose it was; I don’t know.”

“You speak as though you were not satisfied, Pelham.”

“I am not disposed to grumble.  I only say that I don’t understand it.”

“What don’t you understand?” asked Shuffles, sharply.  “The election was conducted on a plan furnished by yourself; the receivers were of your own choice; the results agree; and I can’t see, for the life of me, that there is any chance to find fault.”

“I don’t find fault.  The result perplexes me, because I can’t see through it.”

“What do you mean by that?”