In the roar and tumult of that disastrous day, what would have been in calmer moments a spectacle of astonishment passed much unnoticed.

The stock world was busy saving itself out of the teeth of destruction, and the smashing and slugging in Northern Consolidated attracted the less attention.
Northern Consolidated merited admiring attention; against that desperate hammering, it stood like a wall of granite.

Ten, twenty, forty, eighty, over one hundred thousand shares were sold that Wednesday; and yet, marvel of marvels, Northern Consolidated at the day's close had fallen off no more than six points.

It retreated sullenly, slowly, step by step and eighth by eighth; ever and anon it would make a stand and hold a price an hour.

Other stocks lost twice and threefold the ground; the stubbornness of Northern Consolidated began to engage the notice of men.
More than one poor "bull" when sore beset that day took fresh heart from the obstinacy of Northern Consolidated; his own foothold was steadied and made the stronger for it.
But the old gray buccaneer refused to be denied; he had quit thinking and begun to act; he would break the back of Northern Consolidated if it took the last share of those four hundred thousand! His courage never wavered; he would charge and keep charging; in the end his cavalry work must tell and the lines of Northern Consolidated crumple up like paper.
All it required was dash and confidence, with an underlying grim determination to win or die, and Northern Consolidated must yield.
The war was renewed upon Thursday, and staggered fiercely on throughout the day.