beaten."

Carrie gave him a level glance. "It's done with, Jim. I wanted you
and Jake to make good, for your sake and mine. You see, if you
couldn't have stood for it, I'd have lost confidence in myself."

"I'm not sure I do see," Jim replied, as they started down hill.

"It's good to concentrate, but perhaps you concentrate too much,"
Carrie resumed by and by. "You see things right in front; you don't
look about."

"I suppose I am like that," Jim admitted. "I don't know if it's good
or not."

Carrie smiled rather curiously. "We didn't choose our characters; they
were given us. I wonder what would have happened had we been
different----"

She stopped as they climbed across a fallen tree and said nothing more
until they reached the camp.

CHAPTER XIV

THE RECKONING

When the line reached the settlement Jim and his party returned to
Vancouver. Shortly after their arrival Martin came to see them.

"I've been in town some time, and seeing a notice in the _Colonist_
that you had finished the job, thought I'd like to tell you I was
glad," he said.

Carrie thanked him and by and by he asked: "Have you had a fresh offer
from Baumstein for your copper claim?"

Jim said they had not and Martin smiled. "I reckon the offer will
arrive, and now he knows you have got your pay he'll put up his price."

"If it does arrive, we won't reply," said Carrie, firmly.

"I don't know if that's a good plan," Martin remarked. "Baumstein will
offer about half as much as he's willing to give, but I'd take hold and
negotiate until I thought he'd reached his limit. It will be under
what the claim is worth. Then I'd go along and try the Combine."

"Would they buy?" Jim asked.

"Go and see. Although Baumstein's pretty smart, he doesn't know
they're quietly investing in Northern copper; I do. There's another
thing; if you have got specimens, send some for assay to a different
man."

Jim pondered. The analysis of the ore was not as good as he had
expected and the miner who had examined the specimens at his camp
agreed. For all that, assayers were generally honest and skillful.

"What's the matter with the man I went to?" he asked.

"He's sometimes soused and you can't trust a tanker. Then he's
extravagant."

"Ah," said Jim. "Is that all?"

Martin gave him a dry smile. "I happen to know Baumstein lent him
money. It's possible he meant to get value for a risky loan."

The others said nothing, but the