“Well, if you won’t go for Shuffles, you must be content with your place in the steerage,” added Wilton.

“I won’t go for him, any how,” said Kendall, firmly.

“You are making a mistake.”

“I don’t think so.  I’m bound to vote for the best fellow, and I’m sure Shuffles isn’t the right one.”

“See here, Kendall; don’t say a word to the others that I spoke to you of this little matter.  I thought you would go with us, or I shouldn’t have said anything to you.”

“Not say anything?  Why not?”

“Because it will be better to keep still.”

“I shall not do anything of the kind.  You have got up a plan to defeat Carnes, by giving the offices to fellows who will vote against him.  You wish me to keep still, while you carry out your plan.  I can see through a cord of wood, when there’s a hole big enough.”

“I mentioned this thing to you in confidence.”

“You didn’t say a word about confidence; and I didn’t promise to keep still.  I won’t keep still.  I think it is a mean trick to buy up the votes of the fellows, and I’ll blow the whole thing higher than a kite.”

“You’ll catch it if you do,” said Wilton, in a threatening tone.

“Catch what?” demanded Kendall, with a very pretty exhibition of dignity.

“Bob Shuffles will give it to you.”

“Give what to me?”

“Give you the biggest licking you ever had in your life,” answered Wilton, angrily, “You are so stupid, you can’t understand anything.”

“I think I can understand the licking, when if comes.  That’s a game that two can play at.”

“What do you mean, you little bantam?  Do you think you can whip Bob Shuffles?”

“I had no idea of whipping him; and I have no idea of his whipping me, either.”

Kendall was spunky.  Wilton could make nothing of him by threats or persuasion; and he turned away from him to seek a more promising field of labor.  Kendall took off his cap, scratched his head as he reflected upon the event which had just transpired, and made up his mind that it was an insult to an independent elector to attempt to buy his vote with the paltry consideration of an office.  He was sorry that he had been even tempted by the proposition of the wire-pullers, and thankful that his sense of honor and decency had prompted him to decline it when asked to vote for an improper person.  True to his promise, he made all haste to expose the conspiracy, as he regarded it, against Carnes.

When the students turned in that night, the wire-pullers had found a sufficient number of candidates for all the offices on the terms set forth in the compact, each of whom had promised to use his influence for the entire ticket.  Shuffles had made a very pretty calculation, to the effect that each of the fifteen candidates could influence at least two votes besides his own for the ticket, which would inevitably elect it.  But during all this time Paul Kendall had been laboring like a Trojan for Carnes, and had induced his friends to do the same.