The motion was put and carried. The students separated into little squads, and of course nothing else was talked about the rest of the day but the meeting. Scott, from a humble joker, found himself suddenly transformed into a hero, and a person of no little influence among the students. The ring were astonished and disconcerted at the result of the meeting; and the victory they had gained was so nearly a defeat that there were no rejoicings over it. De Forrest could hardly tell whether his party was triumphant or not. "What do you mean, Scott?" demanded Beckwith, when the commodore had ordered all hands to be piped into the boats, and the students were walking down to the shore. "I told you I would do the right thing, and I've done it. Wasn't it a fair thing--square and aboveboard?" "It wasn't a fair thing to nominate Cantwell for chairman." "If you didn't like him, why didn't you vote him down?" asked Scott. "I think everything has been fairly done." "Perhaps it was. Allow that it was. Why did you get up an opposition to the plan?" demanded Beckwith, rather warmly. "What do I care for the plan? You nobs in the cabin got up a ring, and all you wanted of the steerage fellows was to give up their rights. I have just as good a right to be a lieutenant next month as you have, if my marks give me the place. It is only a game of the ring to keep the best places among yourselves; that's all." "Do you want Cantwell for your captain?" demanded Beckwith. "I had just as lief have him captain as fourth master. He is over me just the same. But I am not sure he is half so bad a fellow as you make him out to be." "I don't say he is bad, only that he is a conceited and disagreeable fellow, and no seaman. We don't want a fellow of that sort over us." "We in the steerage have him over us now, and shall have him, any way you can fix it. He thinks pretty well of No. 1, I know, and so do some of the rest of the cabin nobs. I'm not clear yet that he is no seaman. I go for giving him the same chance that the rest of the fellows have. Then, if he don't do his duty, and behave like a gentleman, it will be time enough to do something." "Then I'm to understand, Scott, that you have sold out to Cantwell." "Did any of you cabin swells think you owned me?" laughed Scott. "I saw you talking with Cantwell." "Very likely Cantwell saw me talking with you. What does that prove?" retorted Scott. "But he's a very unpopular fellow. There isn't a fellow in the ship that likes him." "I don't, for one," added Scott, with refreshing candor. "And yet you have got up this opposition, and nearly, if not quite, defeated our plan. He ought to be very grateful to you."