first lieutenant," said Dick as he shook hands with Powell. "That suits me first-rate.
"And I am to be second lieutenant," said Tom, coming up. "With Sam in the company as private this begins to look like a family affair."
"Oh, I'm going to make you fellows toe the mark now," laughed Dick. "No more skylarking, if you please, Lieutenant Rover."
"All right, Captain Rover," replied Tom, with a stiff salute that was side-splitting.
Taking it all the way through the election was declared to be a popular success. Of course some of the defeated candidates were bitterly disappointed, but they did their best to hide their true feelings. William Philander Tubbs had declined to vote and Lew Flapp and Gus Pender had kept entirely out of sight while the voting was going on. The two cronies took themselves to the gymnasium and there declared their hatred of Dick Rover.
"He is responsible for this," muttered Flapp, clenching his fists and grating his teeth. "But for him I might at this minute be major of the battalion, or one of the captains. Oh, but won't I square up some day!"
"What will you do?" questioned Pender. "Remember, I'm just as down on him as you are."
