"Then I don't understand why you came to me. There's not much advantage in telling your antagonist he has hit you pretty hard."
"I wanted you to understand that you hadn't hit us hard enough. Your blow was not a knockout, and we mean to guard against the next. We have taken the contract and are going to put it over; I want you to get that. You can't scare us off, and while I don't know if you can smash us or not, it will certainly cost you high. Hadn't you better calculate if the thing's worth while?"
"You were far North for some time," Martin said carelessly.
"I was," Jim admitted with surprise, for he could not see where the remark led. "So were you."
Martin nodded. "A blamed hard country! Looks as if we were both pretty tough, since we made good yonder, and I think I get your proposition. Your idea is, we had better make terms than fight?"
"Something like that," Jim agreed.
"Very well," said Martin, who paused and smiled. "Now I'll tell you something. I don't like your butting in, but I did not put Davies on your track."
Jim looked hard at him, and although he was surprised did not doubt his statement. "Then, I imagine he made the plan himself; wanted to show you he was smart, but said nothing when it didn't work as smoothly as he thought."
Martin was silent for a few moments and Jim imagined he was thinking hard. Then he said, "It's possible; that's all."
"Perhaps the Cartner people sent him without telling you," Jim suggested.