When the detectives come knocking at the cottage park, Peter messes Ellie's hair up to disguise her, and begins acting like a chatty husband, then once the detectives enter and ask about her, she interjects and he plays the abusive husband and the two of them get into an "argument" about her being "once a plumber's daughter, always a plumber's daughter!". The detectives can only stand there dumbfounded at the display of this ordinary couple having a conversation suddenly erupting into a loud domestic dispute.
After Shapely confronts Peter about Ellie's picture in the paper, and suggests splitting the $10,000 reward, Peter pulls him aside and whips up a story about how he's planning to assassinate her once they reach New York, and threatens to do the same to Shapely's family. Once Shapely runs off, Peter still plays it cool and delivers a Spiteful Spit over his shoulder... Only to realize he just spit on his jacket.
Immediately after, Peter and Ellie abandon the bus ride and need to cross a shallow river. Peter opts to carry her over his shoulder, and they end up having a debate on the concept of piggyback rides, ending with Peter handing his suitcase to Ellie, just so he can slap her on the ass.
The famous hitchhiking scene, and the follow-up:
Peter: Why didn't you take off all your clothes? You could've stopped forty cars. Ellie: I'll remember that when we need forty cars.
The scene itself is hilarious, as Peter goes on a long-winded Fake Expert rant about several special " near flawless" hitchhiking techniques, only for them to all fail spectacularly, resulting in a long line of cars zipping by without so much as honking, while Peter awkwardly flails his arm and thumb the entire time. He eventually gives up and thumbs his nose at the last one as it goes by.
When Peter has his Love Epiphany, he drive to New York to meet with his editor, telling him he's got a line on the biggest story yet, only to be dismissed as a drunken lout.
Peter: What if I told ya she's planning on marrying another man? Would that be worth $1000 to ya? Editor: It would IF it was on the level! Peter: It is! Editor: So who's the other man she's planning on marrying? Peter:I am! Editor: [utter disbelief] You?! [gets up to leave] Now I know you're drunk!
Immediately after, due to a misunderstanding involving the couple who owned the cabin, Ellie wakes up and is cast out, and calls her father to pick her up. The editor gets wind of it, and immediately rescinds all the frantic news calls he just made, including commissioning a cartoonist to whip something up for the occasion.
Editor: [on the phone] You know what, forget it! Forget everything! [calls for his secretary] AGNES! Agnes: What is it chief? Editor: Get me a doctor. I'm about to have a nervous breakdown! [continues another call] Forget everything I just said, it was just a nightmare! Someone call the police, and get a warrant out on Peter Warren, that no good double crossing crook!
