Starting woes...

[DurangoMan <sbaird@domain.elided>]

	Last night I was about to go home after a fantastic date, but my
Scout would not start.  Turn the key, nothing.  No click, no nothing.
This has happened once or twice before.  The other times I just wiggled
the wires coming out of the firewall and it would start right up.  Once, I
just let it set over night and it started up.  This time, wiggling did
nothing, letting it set over night did nothing.  So I started tracing
wires (no manual or multimeter-I was still at my girl's apartment).  I
eventually found which wire out of the ten that go through the lower
firewall plug goes to the starter.  I directly wired around the plug, and
it started right up.  BUT... later that day, it happened again, and the
connection I made was still sound.  Question 1): What is the problem,
wiring or the solenoid?  Question 2): If this happens again (I have a
trail trip planned for next weekend, 3 days in Canyonlands, UT), is there
any way to bypass the electricals in the cab and just "hotwire" the
solenoid?  Will that even work?  Thanks in advance.

				DurangoMan