IN THE SADDLE AGAIN 161 



"Then we must give him a chance," said Claf- 

 lin, "and if trouble comes of it I will stand by 

 you." 



From the office of the Quaker wolf I went to 

 the office of some worldly minded bankers in 

 William Street to whom my indebtedness was 

 large, bracing myself to meet the satire I ex- 

 pected from the cynical member of the house. 

 The three brothers who constituted the firm were 

 talking together as I entered the private office. 



"Suppose you want us for pallbearers!" said 

 the cynic, turning to me and then he continued, 

 "See here, Dimock, we've been talking about 

 you, and if you say two hundred thousand dollars 

 will pull you through and put you on your legs 

 we'll let you have it." 



Much could be done with a sum that was so 

 vast in those days and the temptation was ter- 

 rific, but I shook my head and explained that my 

 only hope was in carrying through a compromise 

 that would leave me free to work, and I showed 

 the paper that had been prepared which then had 

 but the signatures of those who had advised it. I 



