“Why don’t you talk to Pete?” Warner suggested. “He might be induced to take you to the Headless region—for a price.”
“But he doesn’t have the map,” Walz growled. “That’s why I don’t want to team up with him. Besides, he’s a heavy drinker, they tell me—reliable only when he’s sober.”
“You’re welcome to stay here tonight,” Warner said. “We’ll talk some more. Maybe we can get together.”
“Fine!” the motel owner responded heartily. “I thought you’d see it my way. You team up with me, and I’ll pay all the expenses. If we hit it lucky, we’ll split any way you want.”
The Scouts remained out of doors while Warner showed Walz to a room.
“I wonder if this isn’t our cue to pull out of here?” Mr. Livingston remarked. “It’s not going to be pleasant, now that Walz has come.”
“He’ll only try to make us look bad,” Jack agreed.
When Craig Warner came outside alone, the Scouts mentioned leaving, but he would not hear of it.
“I couldn’t turn Walz away,” he said. “As for teaming up with him, I’m not even considering it. Stick around, boys. Things may get interesting.”
Whenever the rancher was near, Walz deliberately avoided the Scouts. Late in the afternoon, however, he ran into Jack and Ken near the corrals. They would have passed him without a word, if he had not blocked their way.