"Mr. Chairman, I respectfully suggest that you are a little deaf in one eye. Mr. Cantwell was nominated first." "Cantwell! Cantwell!" shouted the supporters of Scott. Ryder was perplexed. Common fairness required him to put the question first upon the name of Cantwell; but he hesitated to do so. It seemed absurd to make the student whom they desired to throw out of the line of promotion the chairman of a meeting called for that purpose. While he was in doubt, the opposition shouted, indulging in hideous yells, cat-calls, and other demonstrations. It was fun to them. "Lieutenant De Forrest has been nominated for chairman," repeated Ryder, when there was a lull in the confusion. "Mr. Chairman, we go in for a fair thing," said Scott, in a loud but good-natured tone. "Mr. Cantwell was nominated first." "Mr. Chairman, I don't know of any rule which requires the presiding officer to put any name first," interposed Beckwith. "If the meeting is not satisfied with the one named by the chairman, it can be voted down." "But it looks more like a fair thing if the chairman puts the first name mentioned," replied Scott. "If the meeting don't like it, it can be voted down. If this thing is all cut and dried, I don't want anything to do with it; and I invite all the fellows that are not in the ring to step out and hold another meeting, where we can have fair play." "Another meeting!" shouted at least twenty seamen, who, with many others, seemed to regard the affair as a capital joke because it was under the leadership of Scott, rather than because they could see the point of it. "No, no!" responded the officers. "Put Cantwell's name, Ryder." "Mr. Cantwell is nominated," said the chairman; and the jokers were delighted when they found they had carried their point; but Ryder paused, and looked uneasily at the members of the ring. "Vote for him," said Norwood. "Make him chairman, and that will take the wind out of his sails. In the chair he can't oppose the plan, and we can tell the principal, when we go to him, that Cantwell presided over the meeting." "Question!" shouted the officers. "If it is your pleasure that Mr. Cantwell serve you as chairman of this meeting, you will manifest it by saying, 'Ay.'" "Ay!" yelled nearly the whole crowd. "Those opposed, 'No,'" continued the chairman. "No!" replied a few, who did not understand the tactics of the ring. "It is a vote," said Ryder, "and Mr. Cantwell is elected chairman of this meeting." "I move you that a committee of two, consisting of Lieutenant De Forrest and Mr. Beckwith, be appointed to conduct him to the chair," shouted Scott. "You hear the motion of Mr. Scott; those in favor will say, 'Ay;' those opposed, 'No.' It is a vote," said the temporary chairman, disgusted with the proceedings.