- To avoid the mosquitoes, Georgie and Billy ignore Mr. Garrow's instructions and keep going in the same direction, planning to loop back around to Dog Hollow.
- The hair ribbon gives Georgie new hope that Agatha is alive, but she's so tired that all she wants to do is find a place to camp for the night.
- As they sit around the campfire, Georgie and Billy agree that they should go back to the Garrows' because two young women with auburn hair missing plus the hair ribbon add up to something not quite making sense.
- Billy admits he's actually starting to think Agatha might be alive.
- Billy decides it's not a good idea for him and Georgie to return to the Garrows' farm alone, though, since he's thinking the Garrows may be up to no good. Instead they should bring a posse.
- Billy clearly has a serious case of the feels here: Now he's thinking they shouldn't go back to the Garrows' at all because Agatha must be dead and they might have something to do with it.
- Georgie establishes in her own mind that Billy must still be in love with Agatha; she also decides to ditch him and return to the Garrows' place on her own. Sounds like another smart move for Georgie.
- To trick Billy, she pretends to agree that they should go home and tell Sheriff McCabe what they've learned.
- Billy, who is now feeling a bit weepy, tells Georgie she's figured out more than his pa did.
- In turn, Georgie tells him he can't marry Polly if he's still in love with Agatha—he should wait until someone like her comes along.
- Billy says he's in love with Polly for sure, but Georgie is the best part of the trip.
- Georgie's feeling a bit embarrassed by that whole sort-of-proposing-marriage-to-Billy thing, so she's happy to let him read The Prairie Traveler while she goes off to climb a hill.
- When she reaches the top, she sees that Billy is still reading.
- Then she sees a cave, steps on pine boards, and discovers some stairs.
- She returns to Billy carrying a five-dollar note she found in the cave.