human
Bart Conners is at the head, said Andy.
gpt
Harry Blossom comes next, Jack is third, Henry Lee fourth, myself fifth, Dave Kearney sixth, Stuffer Singleton next, and Dan Baxter next.
human
And those are the ones who may be made major,
gpt
You are up next, Dale, returned Jack.
human
That means you may become a captain.
gpt
I'd rather be captain of the football team,
human
I think Henry Lee ought to be major, said Jack.
gpt
He is one of our best soldiers.
human
He is no better soldier than you are, Jack,
gpt
Just what I say, came from Pepper.
human
Jack ought to be major, and Henry one of the captains.
gpt
Dan Baxter is working hard to become major, came from a cadet who had just strolled in.
human
Somebody told me he was actually trying to buy votes!
gpt
Buy them? Do you mean with money?
human
So somebody told me.
gpt
Oh, that can't be true, Jerry. Why, who in this school would be mean enough to sell his vote?
human
Well, Baxter has got a wad of rocks all right enough. I saw the money myself.
gpt
I'm going to watch him,
human
What will you do, if you learn he is really offering money for votes?
gpt
I don't know yet, Andy. But it would be a mean piece of business. Why, in politics that is bribery, and they can arrest a man for it.
human
I know that--but it's seldom a briber is caught.
gpt
Well, that is the chance of your life, if you only know it, reached their ears, in the voice of Dan Baxter.
human
Besides, you know well enough that I would make as good a major as anybody in the school.
gpt
That's a fine way to blow one's own horn,
human
And what will you give me, Baxter, if I work for you?
gpt
I'll give you five dollars, Gus.
human
Will you give it to me now?
gpt
Yes, if you'll promise to do all you can to elect me major.
human
All right, then, hand over the money, answered Gus Coulter.
gpt
I'd just as soon work for you as anybody.
human
Why can't I have a fiver, too? put in Mumps, who was present.
gpt
I'll work as hard as Gus.
human
I'll give you two dollars, Mumps, said the bully.
gpt
I can't afford any more.
human
Where do I come in on this?
gpt
I'll give you two dollars, too, Nick, if you'll vote for me and try to get others to do so, too.
human
Humph! Aren't my services worth as much as Gus Coulter's?
gpt
Well, if I'm elected I'll give you two dollars more.
human
Very well, hand over the dough, Dan. As Gus says, I'd just as soon work for you as for anybody.
gpt
What a barefaced thing to do! whispered Andy Snow.
human
Baxter can't have a bit of honor about him!
gpt
The others are just as bad--to take his money, whispered Pepper in return.
human
If they--who's this?
gpt
Hullo, what are you doing here?
human
Who is there? cried Dan Baxter, and rushed from the bath-house.
gpt
Humph! Pepper Ditmore and Andy Snow! So you've been spying on us, eh? That's a nice business to be into, I must say!
human
Have they been spying on us?
gpt
Yes, they have been spying--I caught them at it, came from Billy Sabine.
human
What have you fellows been up to here?
gpt
Never mind just now, answered Dan Baxter. He looked much disconcerted.
human
Just step in here a minute, will you?
gpt
What do you want of us?
human
Have you been listening to our talk?
gpt
Yes.
human
It was a mean piece of business, Pepper Ditmore!
gpt
Not half as mean as what you were up to, Dan Baxter!
human
What was I up to?
gpt
You were bribing these fellows to vote for you.
human
No, I wasn't. I--er--that is--we were talking about something else. It's a--er--a secret society,
gpt
Bosh! came from Andy.
human
You were bribing them to vote for you for major,--paying them from two to five dollars apiece.
gpt
You shut up! roared Baxter, rushing up to Andy and catching him by the arm.
human
I know what I'm doing. I don't want any talk from you!