At nine-o’clock in the morning, the polls were opened for the election of officers.  A box was placed on the fife-rail, at the mainmast, in which the ballots were deposited, under the inspection of Professor Mapps.

“Have all the students voted?” called the professor, when the voting was suspended.  “If so, I declare the poll closed.”

It was a moment of intense excitement on the spar deck of the Young America when Mr. Lowington stood up on the hatch to announce the vote.  There was a pleasant smile upon his face, which indicated that it would not be his painful duty to veto the choice of the independent electors.

“Young gentlemen, your balloting appears to have been conducted with entire fairness,” said he, “and I will proceed to declare the result.  Whole number of votes, eighty-seven; necessary to a choice, forty-four.  Paul Kendall has five; Charles Gordon has seven; Robert Shuffles has twenty-two; Richard Carnes has fifty-three, and is elected captain of the Young America for the succeeding three months.”

The party who had worked and voted for Carnes applauded the result most lustily, and gave three cheers for the new captain, which, on this exciting occasion, were not objected to by the principal.  Shuffles’s jaw dropped down, and his lip quivered with angry emotion.

“That little whipper-snapper of a Kendall did that,” said Wilton, in a low tone, to the disappointed candidate.  “I was afraid of this when I saw him blowing about the deck.”

“I’ll settle it with him when I get a good chance,” growled Shuffles, as he went to the rail and looked over into the water, in order to conceal his disappointment and chagrin.

“Young gentlemen will bring in their votes for first lieutenant,” said Professor Mapps, as he placed the box on the fife-rail again.

The boys marched around the mainmast, and deposited their ballots for the second officer, as they had done before.  The friends of Shuffles rallied again, hoping that something might yet come of the compact they had made with him, and gave him their votes for first lieutenant, though, in his chagrin, he declared that he would not accept the position.  Fortunately for him, he was not called upon to do so; for Charles Gordon was elected by a very large majority.  As the election proceeded, it became evident that there was no office for Shuffles.  Paul Kendall was elected fourth lieutenant and the announcement of the vote was greeted by even more hearty applause than had been bestowed upon the captain.

At the conclusion of the balloting, Shuffles found that not a single one of the wire-pullers, or of the candidates nominated by them, had been elected.  The attempt to bribe the independent voters, by giving them office, had been a signal failure; and it is to be hoped that Young America, when fully developed, will stick to his principles.

“Captain Richard Carnes,” said Mr. Lowington, as he stepped upon the hatch, after the voting had been concluded.