164 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



were mostly Stock Exchange men and the in- 

 debtedness arose from short sales made to me a 

 day or so before the crash in the stock and one 

 on the very morning of the break, bought on a 

 continuing order of mine which I had failed to 

 cancel. As these debts represented no loss, I 

 supposed they would be easy to settle. There 

 were three, however, who were obdurate and in- 

 sisted on the pound of flesh and the settlement 

 was held up by them. They were anxious for 

 me to get to work but seemed to believe that the 

 interests were so large that by holding them up 

 a special settlement for themselves could be 

 forced. 



The brokers themselves expressed sympathy 

 and a desire to settle on the terms proposed, but 

 said their customers were obdurate and de- 

 manded short notes for the full amount. Their 

 refusal to tell me the names of their principals 

 confirmed suspicions I already held and before 

 many days I was able to offer proof that two of 

 the claims were by the member of the pool who 

 had previously betrayed me. In presenting this 



