a last word with Mr. Rogers. Addicks came next for
a spell; from him to Braman and Foster; back to John Moore; more
interviews with lawyers and round the circle again. It seemed as though
it were impossible to arrive at any agreement that some one of the
principals interested would not kick over. At four o'clock Friday
morning John Moore and myself ceased our labors for the day, both of us
wellnigh exhausted. With all our efforts many of the vital points to our
agreement were still in the air. A few hours' sleep and we were back at
our task, and by six o'clock on Friday night the last obstacle had been
overcome and the deal was completed.

There remained now the tremendous business of putting all the
arrangements concluded into execution. A multitude of legal documents
had to be drawn up and executed, first by Rogers and then by the Bay
State board of directors and officers. It was a pile of work, but not a
second was lost, and by 11.20 that night we were ready for the third
act, which was to be performed simultaneously by different sets of
actors in Boston and Wilmington. For this our officers were split. With
the directors of the Boston corporations, Chandler, and Mr. Rogers'
attorney to supervise the legal end of next day's transaction, I left on
a special car attached to the midnight train for Boston; while Addicks
and the Bay State directors set forth on another midnight train for
Wilmington, Del., to be followed in the early morning by my New York
partner, John Moore's partner, Braman, Foster, and more counsel
representing Mr. Rogers. This contingent was to carry the money.

CHAPTER XXVI

THE CIRCLING OF THE VULTURES

I don't believe there ever was before or since a financial operation in
which so many things, each of vital importance, had to be done at one
and the same time.

Before I took the train for Boston, just after the last deed had been
signed, Braman, Foster, and I had come to a complete understanding in
regard to the manner in which the court proceedings the following
morning should be conducted. It was understood that no one should take
another's word for anything, and consequently that no money should pass
until specific performance of all the required conditions. Immediately
on the release of the receivership, Foster and Braman were to be paid
their "fee," and they asked that the $175,000 cash coming to them should
be arranged in separate piles of bills. The two packages containing
Fost