Not at first by Carrington and Palmer—they were holding back, like men whose positions were unassailable.
The attack on corn was begun by the smaller fry, from the outposts, as it were, of the bear army.
Carrington and Palmer were holding their immense forces in reserve for the real attack that was to carry everything down before the onslaught.
But the first real surprise developed at once.
Jack Fox, one of the new traders on the board, accepted every bid offered.
He was immediately the center of a furious vortex that hurled corn in a flood at his head.
But with a confident smile on his face, that soon began to be noted with some uneasiness by cautious brokers, he welcomed the rush with open arms.
The result was that the grain began to recover and present a bold front to the bears.
“What in thunder does this mean?” growled Abe Palmer to his partner.
“Some fool has lost his head, that’s all,” sneered Carrington.