They used fir boughs for beds, but even so the hard rock shelf was so uncomfortable that Jack slept fitfully. His legs hurt from the long, hard climb. His back ached, too. No matter how he adjusted himself, the cold night air seemed to hit him. He could hear Willie and War moaning and tossing not far away.
Of the Explorers, only Ken appeared to be getting a sound night’s sleep.
Jack was up at dawn, ready to help Craig Warner build the fire and start breakfast. Cups of strong black coffee, oatmeal, and pancakes made everyone feel better and revived zest for the adventure.
While the Scouts fixed their packs, Mr. Livingston and the rancher carefully went over the contour map.
“We’ll swing down to the old ghost town,” Warner decided. “Then we’ll have a hard climb to the pass which leads into the Headless Hollow area. We may not be lucky enough to find a way through.”
“That’s where Walz has the advantage of us,” Mr. Livingston replied. “The map he has probably shows the way.”
Since the Scouts had caught no glimpse of Walz and his guide, they had begun to wonder if they were following a phantom trail.
“I’d like to catch up with Walz,” the rancher said. “I sure would. But if we miss him, it may save us a lot of trouble.”
“In any case, you’ll push on to the Hollow?” Ken asked hopefully.
“I want to. Since we’ve come this far, we may as well have a look at that valley. This may be our only chance.”