As the noon hour drew near the doctor's heart was beating like a sledge hammer. Bivens's programme had been carried out to the letter. Stocks had declined for the first hour a point, and in the second hour suddenly smashed down two more points amid the wildest excitement on the Exchange.
There was a momentary lull and the market hesitated. For ten minutes the sales dragged with only fractional changes—first up, then down.
The moment to buy had come. The doctor was sure of it. Stocks had touched bottom. The big bear pool would turn bull in a moment and the whole market would rise by leaps and bounds.
He called old Dugro.
"Buy for me now, Amalgamated Copper, the market leader, for all I'm worth!"
The broker glared at him.
"Buy! Buy in this market? Man, are you mad?"
"I said buy!" was the firm answer. "What's the limit?"
"Not a share without a stop loss order under it."
"Well, with the stop?"