Animals: Treasure Hunt

If Albert Payson Terhune, Ernest Thompson Seton, Donald Culross Peattie and Thornton Burgess all put their heads together, they would hardly be able to devise an animal fiction as strange as the animal fact which baffled San Antonio, Texas last week.

Duchess Dumpy San José is a sturdy black mongrel (Doberman pinscher & Irish setter) bitch belonging to Horticulturist Harvey C. Stiles. About a month ago, Mrs. Stiles held a dollar bill out to Dumpy and said, “Doesn’t that smell nice?” Few days later, Dumpy turned up carrying in her mouth a dollar bill, which she pressed on her mistress. Next day she brought home another dollar. Each day for the following fortnight Dumpy brought home a dollar a day, never more, never less. Some of the bills were old-issue, large-sized dollars, most were current certificates. Only clue was that Dumpy’s snout was dirty, her paws muddy.

One day last week Dumpy fell sick (indigestion). After a visit to her veterinary and a day’s rest, she felt better. Next day, to make up for the day she had missed, she made two of her mysterious trips, brought back two dollars. Then she resumed her schedule of one per day. She made other extra trips later in the week, but disappointed her owners by carrying home in her jaws not extra cash, but a skimpy, flea-ridden terrier, a piece of bone, a sponge, a small grey kitten.

San Antonians began to follow Dumpy like children after the Pied Piper. Throughout the neighborhood, treasure hunters began pocking the ground like so many ‘forty-niners. But Dumpy shook all pursuers, kept her source secret. By week’s end she had brought in $18. Mrs. Stiles took some of the bills to a bank, where she was assured they were neither marked nor on wanted lists. This week all San Antonio was interested or involved in the hunt for Dumpy’s roll.