San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-14

Moreover, he deputed the bulk of
trespass-repelling to his fiery little
son, Wolf; and to the graver and
sweeter Bruce-"Bruce, the beautiful. &"
Which brings us by needfully prosy
degrees TO morning when two maraud-
ers came to the place at the same time
if by different routes. They could not
we'll have come at a more propitiouS
time, for themselves; nor at worse
time for those whose domain they Wis
tied.
Bruce and Wolf had trotted idly
off TO the forest, back Of the Place.
for a desultory ramble in quest of rab-
bits or squirrels. This they had done
because they were bored. For the
Mistress and the Master had driven
over for, the morning mail. and Lad
had gene with them, as usual. Had it
been night instead of morning. neither
Wolf nor Bruce would have stirred p
step from the grounds. For both were
trained watchdocs. But, thus early
in the day. neither duty nor compan-
ionship held them at home. And the
autumn woods promised a half hour
Of mild sport.
The superintendent and his helpers
were in. the distant upper field"
working around the roots Of some
young fruit trees. But for the maids.
busy indoors, the Place was deserted
of human or canine life.
Thus, luck was with the two in
trudrrs.
Through the fence-gsp in the oak
grove bored Titus Romaine's hugost
and oldest and crankiest sow. She
was in search of acorns and of any
other food that might lie handy to her
line of march. In her owners part
of the grove there was too much COM
petition, in sthe fnod-hunt, from other
| and equally greedy pigs Of the herd.
These she could fight off and drive
from the choicest acorn-hoards. But
it was easier to forage without COM
petition.
So through the gap she forced her
grunting bulk. and on through the
Places half of the oak-grove. Paus-
ing now and then to root amid the
strewn leaves, she made her leisurrly
way toward the open lawn with its
acknowledgement shHde-oaks. and
its flower-borders which still held q
few toothsome bulbs.
The second intruder entered the
grounds in much more open fashion
He was a man in the late twentics
well-set-up, neatly, even sprucely
dressed: and he walked with a slight
swagger. He looked very much at
home and very certain of his well
come.
A casual student of human nature
would have guessed him to be a travel
ing salesman, finely equipped with
nerve and with confidence in his own
goods. The average servant would
have been vastly impressed with his
air of self-assurance, and would have
admitted him to the house without
question. (The long-mcmoried warden
of Auburn Prison would have recog-
nizcd him as ALI Dugan, one of the
clevercst automobile thieves in the
East.)
Mr.. Dugan was an Industrious young
man as well as ingenious. And he
had a streak Of quick-witt,.. audacity
which made, him an ornament to his
chosen profession. His method of work
was simple. Coming to a rural neigh
borhood. he would stop at some local
hotel and, armed with clever patter
and a sheaf of automobile insurance
documents. would make the rounds of
the regions better-class homes.
At these he sold no automobile in
surancc, though he made seemingly
earnest efforts TO do so. But he learn
ed the precise location of each garage,
the cars therein, and the easiest way
to thu high road, and any possible OBJ
stacles to a hasty flight thereto. Us
ually he succeeded in pecsuading his
reluctant host to take him to the gar
| are to look at the cars and to esti-
mate the insurance 'alue Of each.
While there it was easy to palm a key
or to get a good look at the garage
paddock for future skeletoh-key refer
ence: or to note what sort of car
locks were used.
A night or two later, the garage was
entered and the best car was stolen.
Dugan, like love, laughed at lock
smiths.
Sometimes-notably in places where
dogs were kept-he would make his
initial visit and then, choosing a time
when he had seen some of the houses
occupants go for a walk with their
dogs, would enter by broad daylight
and take a chance at getting the car
out unobserved. If he were inter
rupted before starting off in the ma
chine-why, he was that same polite
insurance agent who had come back
to revise his estimate on the premium
needed for the car, and was taking an
other look at IL TO make certain. Once