132 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



from the Government what they required at a 

 very slight advance on the then market price. 



More than ever I stood alone, greater than ever 

 was the load I carried. Whatever reputation I 

 had earned through past successes faded away 

 for now I was only pig-headed. My sleep was 

 broken at night and my nerves were on edge by 

 day. Maintaining an unruffled demeanor in the 

 Gold Room was the hardest work of the day and 

 once or twice I broke through it. Passing a 

 group of brokers who were discussing the market 

 I overheard one say: 



"A man is a fool to fight the Government," 

 and I turned to him saying : 



"The Government is a fool to fight Nature." 



"Haven't lost your nerve?" inquired a broker 

 with pretended solicitude. 



"Only my temper," I laughed as I passed on, 

 determined not to forget myself again. The one 

 thing that sustained and encouraged me was the 

 scarcity of gold which gave me my own way in 

 the loan market. Yet I had to be content with 

 moderate rates since the attempt to squeeze 



