“How are you, Peas?” said Shuffles, laughing at the idea.

“How are you, Beans?” added Pelham.

“Go on with your soup.”

“We will give to every fellow belonging to the Chain one pea and one bean.”

“I understand the plan now; but where are the fellows to deposit their vegetable ballots?”

“We can have a receiver; appoint some good fellow for the purpose—­say, Greenway, the captain of the forecastle; or Tom Ellis, the third master.”

“Tom Ellis!  Does he belong?”

“Of course he does,” laughed Pelham, who realized that he had been a little too fast in betraying the strength of his faction.

“I wouldn’t appoint an officer.”

“Well, you mention some fellow,” said the politic Pelham.

“Say Wilton.”

“Mention another.”

“Lynch.”

“No; try again.”

“Grossbeck.”

“Very well; I will agree to him.”

“But he might make some mistake.”

“If he does, it will be in your favor, I suppose; for you nominated him, and, of course, he will give you the benefit of any doubt,” replied Pelham.

“I want a fellow who will do it fairly.  I don’t wish to get in by any mistake,” said Shuffles, magnanimously.

“Neither do I? and I don’t think there will be any mistakes.”

“There is a chance for a great many.  The fellows may get mixed between beans and peas.  When they come to vote, there will be some who don’t know beans,” laughed Shuffles.

“Well, if they don’t, they will know peas, which will do just as well,” replied Pelham.

“It would not be pleasant for me to have them know peas, when they ought to know beans.”

“We will give them P.P. as a clew to the whole thing.”

“P.P.?  That means P’s, I suppose.”

“It means that, and more.  P. for Pelham, and P. for peas.  If they get one right, they can’t very well get the other wrong.”

“That’s true,” answered Shuffles, silenced, rather than convinced, by the tactics of his fellow-conspirator.

It was settled that he who knew peas must certainly “know beans.”

“When shall the fellows vote?” asked Shuffles.

“After dinner to-morrow afternoon.  Every fellow will be off duty an hour in the first or second dog watch,” replied Pelham, who seemed to have an answer ready for every question.  “The polls shall be kept open till eight o’clock.  The peas and beans shall be distributed before eight bells in the forenoon watch, so that every fellow will be ready to vote.”

“Where will Grossbeck stand when he receives the ballots?”

“He won’t stand anywhere in particular.  We will see him together, and give him his instructions.  I think it will be better for him to walk about the ship, and let the fellows hand him the votes on the sly, which he must put in his pocket.  He shall count them in the presence of both of us.”