And it would appear that this stranger was a very a patient sort…
Such is life… This Bearded Stranger also appears to have been a Confidence Man… playing on the hopes and dreams of others- including JJ, Doc and Leola… Mark was the only one of the group to keep his head on straight…
Now what to do about JJ? Now that he has shown his true colors?
With everybody else facing the “treasure chest”, I imagine that JJ has already begin to slowly fade back towards the entrance. On Monday we’ll likely see an image of JJ’s legs as they are running/climbing out of the cave.
The Big Question to me is whether he will spend some time tossing boulders over the entrance to slow down pursuit or simply sprint away
As for Leola, I’m not prepared to completely throw over my suspicion about her covert complicity with JJ. After all:
* She led the crew directly to JJ’s store.
* She voluntarily revealed to JJ the actual reason for their trip and the existence of the map
* She gave the map to JJ, acting as their “guide”. (Apparently, Doc, Mark, and JJ were too naive to think of making a copy beforehand).
* She conveniently became overwhelmed by the flash flood (Doc, much older, apparently did not), causing Mark and Doc to waste time saving her and helping her to recover, while JJ apparently hid, only to follow their progress to the mine. (Evidently, he knew another, easier way to the top). I suppose he needed time to get the gun out of his backpack.
* She picked up the gun when JJ dropped it after getting decked by Mark.
* She apparently turned away from JJ after Mark opened the chest, giving JJ an opening.
However, it is also possible she is not a “bad guy”, but simply a very naive and insufferable pedant.