The two men nodded and the older one walked away.
Ralph waited for two hours. Then, as the man in the grocery store was beginning to look suspicious, he got up and strolled about. In the meantime the station master had reappeared, after having spent some time at his own midday meal.
Ralph tried to give him the impression that he was expecting some one on the next train.
But between four and five o’clock his patience gave out. It was either this, or he had lost all hope of Billy Webster’s returning the way he had evidently gone, not only this morning, but on several others.
Ralph then made up his mind to ask Mrs. Burton to allow him to remain all night at Sunrise camp.
The wanderer should not disappear the next day without his seeing him go.
CHAPTER XVIII
An Appeal
It was not particularly difficult as Billy had not the faintest suspicion that he was under surveillance. As he had planned beforehand in his own mind, Ralph followed him a few moments after his departure from camp a little after daylight the next day.
Both rode burros—the small, sure-footed ponies, which are used almost entirely in the western states where difficult climbing is to be accomplished. And, except for the pair of mules which were sometimes hitched to their provision wagon, the Sunrise Camp Fire party had no other steeds.
If any were required for their longer excursions they were rented from the hotel stables.