AN UNDERSTANDING AT LAST 411 



to a conclusion without a final rupture. After some 

 sparring I at last succeeded in bringing the two impracti- 

 cable men to a mutual understanding on the following 

 terms. Wiggins retained his anchors and cables, his 

 spare sails and blocks, his stores and provisions, and 

 Schwanenberg paid him in cash four hundred roubles, 

 and, in a bill upon Sideroff, three hundred roubles more, 

 whilst I took Schwanenberg's draft upon Sideroff for six 



SHELLS AT GOLCHIKA 



hundred roubles. If it had not been for Wiggins' im- 

 practicability we might have had fifteen hundred roubles 

 for the ship at Brekoffsky, with Schwanenberg's thanks 

 and gratitude into the bargain, but after all it did not 

 make much difference in the long run. Wiggins had 

 the good luck to meet Sideroff and obtain his endorse- 

 ment ; nevertheless the bill was not paid until Wiggins 

 had prosecuted him from court to court, and at last got 

 a final verdict in his favour, and an execution. As my 

 bill was only accepted " per pro," my lawyer in St. 



