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Lugnut The Pickup Driving Dog!

By

Cary Grant Anderson www.CaryGrantAnderson.com/Lugnut

First Edition – 11/18/2014

TM

Story #1 – The First Midnight

Run

http://www.carygrantanderson.com/Lugnut

Lugnut the Pickup Driving Dog!

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Dedication

To my special granddaughter Jenny

Copyright 2014 Cary Grant Anderson

All Rights Reserved


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Chapter 1

When I Met Lugnut the Pickup Driving Dog

Lugnut is a mighty unusual little dog. When I first met him he didn't act like a normal dog. And

I had no idea at time exactly what that would mean. And what was I was in for in the near

future. Lugnut came to me from my nephew, Martin. Martin was going to college up at one of

those big and expensive

engineering schools. I had

suggested that he should go

into medicine instead but he

loved tinkering with gadgets

and building stuff so off he

went to learn

engineering. My sister had an

indulgence for the boy so

that's a bit of what was going

on in his family. He wanted engineering in spite of much more money and respect he'd get as a

doctor. Now, before you'all thinks that I'm a meddling uncle I'm not. It's that Martin had a way

with animals, and sometimes with people, that I thought that he'd make a good doctor. Always

wanting to fix what's broken and such. Turns out that that's a how I got to know Lugnut.

Now y'all may notice that I said "get to know Lugnut" rather than "own Lugnut". See's I'm not

into owning things or people or even dogs. And I don't see fit to consider a dog "my dog" as it's

really more like a person than a thing. Anyhow, it turns out that no one could actually own

Lugnut so that's fits in with me too. So Lugnut fit right in. I don't like to think that I own Lugnut


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cause I don't. Lugnut is his own dog. Actually, Lugnut is much more than a dog. But we'll get to

that rightly.

So I'm a writer, at least a part time

one, and I live up in the hills in the

woods sorta close to but not really

in the mountains. I live alone, my

wife having died a bunch of years

back. Seems like that took a lot of

something out of my life so I

prefer to just live a quiet life in the

woods surrounded by the trees

and the animals and a whole

bunch of quietness. I didn't have a dog or a cat or anything. Although the raccoons often

played on my porch (I'd feed them a scrap or two from time to time). And the porkies would

work very hard from time to time to get into my garbage cans. So things were pretty quiet. At

least until Lugnut came along.

Marty, as I called him when he was just a wee lad, was away at college when one day he drives

up to my cabin all excited and such. He says, "Uncle, I gotta ask ya a big favor!" Actually he said

"got to" and "you" rather than "gotta" and "ya" but that's how ah talk so I sorta think that way

too. Marty's been educated quite a bit so he uses proper American English. Ah only use

properly English when ah forget to use my accent. So I looked at him quizzically and asked him

"What do you need? Is everything all right at school?" He looked kind of sheepish and nodded

and said "Yes, sir! It's just that's there been a little complication...." Immediately thoughts of

Marty doing something wrong and getting kicked out of college went through my head in a

flash but Marty's really very responsible so that isn't very likely. Marty looked like he wanted to

say more but maybe didn't have the words so instead he pauses then turns around, walks back


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to his little Toyota sedan, and opens up the door. He says "C'mon out here now!" I didn't see

anyone in the car with him so I'm thinking does he have a girlfriend he wants to introduce me

to? Then out of the car jumps an animal that marches right up to me then sits down and stares

up at me. "This is Lugnut" Marty says. And Lugnut tilts his head a bit to the side and sits there

staring me in my eyes!

I didn't quite think at first that it was a dog because he looks quite a bit different from your

ordinary dog. First he's not very big. But he's not really that small either. He sorta looks like a

regular little dog but he’s got a look about himself. He looks at you with these big sad eyes and

you feel sad. Then you see something else in his eyes. A spark of something and you think,

“That’s strange for a dog…” and then it’s gone. Then you notice that one ear is a bit bigger than

the other. And one of his eyes looks like it’s a bit different in color. Then he turns his head and

it’s the same color. Or different. You sorta just keep looking at him and then you start feeling

that he’s a wanting to tell you something like he

could talk or something. He’s got a bunch of little

things not quite right about him. One leg is too

short so he sort of limps while he walks. One eye

is a might higher than the other. His ears are sort

of floppy and seem like they're just sorta stuck on

there by a first grader drawing his very first

dog. So it sorta looks like he been in a scrape or

two. Or just was put together a might differently

than other dogs.

All this sinks in while he's just sitting there staring

at me. I realize he's a dog. But I can't figure out

what kind. There seems to be a little of everything

mixed in there. I just stared back at him. Marty


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was saying something that I missed. Then Lugnut let out a little bark and blinked and suddenly I

was aware of Martin standing there trying to talk to me. "You gotta do me a big favor, Uncle"

he says. "You gotta take care of Lugnut for me!"

I was surprised and just sorta looked at him, then Lugnut, then back at him. Marty continued,

"They found out that I was keeping him in my dorm room and told me that I had to get rid of

him or they'd throw me out of college! Can you look after him for a while?" And I looked back

down at Lugnut. He seemed to be saying something to me although he wasn't making a

sound. I looked back at Marty. "A dog?! I haven't had a dog for years! How would I take care

of him?" I said. Marty said, "He really takes care of himself. Uses the toilet so you don't have

to walk him. And I brought his food dish and water dish and some food and a couple of other

things he plays with. You'll love him!" I looked back at Lugnut who seemed to be taking it all in

and not worried at all what would happen. "He uses the toilet?" I said. "Dogs don't use the

toilet. I've heard of a cat or two that

does though." "Honest, Uncle" Marty

said, "He uses the toilet. Flushes it

too. And changes the roll too if it needs

to be changed." "Huh?" I exclaimed

"Flushes and changes the roll too?" It all

sounded crazy but Marty has a very level

head and doesn't make things up. So I

peered down at Lugnut and asked

Marty, "And how does he do

that?" Marty replied, "I don't really know. He shuts the bathroom door when he goes. You

hear him in there and when he opens the door it's done!" Lugnut just sat there, head cocked to

one side, and I thought I heard him say "Try me!"


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And so I took Lugnut in. And, yes, he uses the bathroom just like Marty said. And he does

other things that I can't figure out either. I don't know how he does it but it happens all the

time. Especially when my pick'em up truck went missing one night......


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Chapter 2

“A Mighty Different Dog”

It had been 3 days since Marty had visited and brought Lugnut into my life. Marty didn’t stay

long for a visit ‘cause he had to head back to school. But it was a good visit though brief. So

there I was with a new dog in my life. Since my wife died some years back I had become a bit of

a hermit gradually withdrawing from life and moving on up permanently to the cabin in the

mountains. It wasn’t what some people would call real mountains ‘cause the mountains in

North Carolina aren’t that big compared to the Great Rocky Mountains out west. But these

mountains were big enough for me. They had trees all over them, unlike the majestic but bare

Rocky Mountains, and I’m a bit of woodsman so the trees and I got along quite fine.

When I took Lugnut in I thought that I’d be making room in my life for a simple stray dog and

would, well, I guess I expected him to act like a stray dog, a new stray dog. I expected that it

would take some time for the animal to settle down and feel at home. But from the start

Lugnut didn’t act like a regular dog. He wasn’t nervous or afraid or excited. He just settled in

like he had lived in the cabin for years. He never made a fuss, a growl, or all that barking that

dogs always do. He was mighty quiet for a dog. That I guess gave me the first indication that

he was, well, different. Real different from your ordinary dog.

Well, now, don’t go and get me wrong. He was a dog and did regular dog things. He went for

long walks with me and liked to poke his nose into this bush and that bush and go sniffing and

looking at this and that as dogs do. But I never had to break him in or train him at all. He’d just

didn’t need any trainin’. He just acted like a well-trained dog. ‘Cept for his, well, special

qualities. I’d let him chase a rabbit or two on our walks. He liked to do that might fine like any

good hunting dog but he never really chased down any of the rabbits like a real hunting, or

even a regular dog, would. Instead, he’d be like runnin’ with them if you can imagine such as


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thing. Then he’d go cavorting and playin’ with them like they were best buddies and they were

young pups or whatever you’d call a young rabbit or other critter.

And I’ve seen him act spookily friendly with other animals too. One day he met a young

porcupine and neither got real riled up like you’d expect. They stood there in front of each

other in the woods and I thought for sure that I’d be pulling porky quills from Lugnut’s muzzle

soon enough, but no, they just looked at each other for a while. Then Lugnut made a soft noise

like he was saying “Hi!” to a new friend. And the little porky made some soft noises back and

pretty soon they were a having a regular conversation. So I watch this for a while scratching my

head in wonder and confusion. This was pretty strange acting for a dog! Then Lugnut turned

and trotted back out in front of me as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And darned

if his new friend the little porky didn’t follow right alongside him!

So there I was a walking down the hiking trail with Lugnut out in the lead with new friend. He’d

stop every so often and poke his nose

here and there and sniff. And so did his

new friend! And they seemed to be

chatting back and forth, having a regular

conversation! It was strange walkin’ in

the woods with my dog chatting with a

porcupine! I mean, I wasn’t talking with

the porky, Lugnut was! I’ve never seen or

heard of such a thing! Lugnut was a mighty special dog I was thinkin’. A mighty special dog.

How special I was going to find out soon enough. Lugnut had a mind of his own though he

acted like a regular dog most of the time. He’d go rootin’ around the cabin while I sat and read

or wrote on my big front porch. Well, it’s kind of big, for the size of the cabin I live in. Not real

big for some folks, as they would say, but I think it’s big enough for me. I’d sit and Lugnut


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would sit by my side or go rootin’ around the woods by the cabin. He’d never wander far and

he’d always come back to sit by me. I would scratch his head behind his ears and he’d like that.

We’d sit by the fire at night too and I got to rubbin’ his belly and he’d just lay back and enjoy it

as any dog would.

But Lugnut wasn’t just a regular dog. He was something more. How much more I was goin’ to

find out.


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Chapter 3

“That’s My Pickup Truck!”

One night, must have been about five days after Lugnut arrived, that ah was deep in sleep and I

must have heard a noise or something because I woke up with a start. Then I heard it again!

An engine gunnin’! And not just any engine! That was my prize restored vintage pickup truck

with racing flames and turboboost! Someone was stealing my pickup truck! I heard it gun

again, a sweet roar in the quiet night, and I leaped out of bed and ran out of the front door.

Just in time to see my beloved pick’em up truck kick up a cloud of dust and speed down my dirt

driveway!

I stood there for a moment in my bare feet mah mouth just hangin’ open in shock. Somebody

just stole my pickup truck! Ah live fairly deep in the woods up in the mountains so we don’t

have many folks up near here. And

no one who lives around these parts

would be stealin’ things. The cloud of

dust hit me then and I stopped gapin’

like a fool and shut mah low hanging

jawbone and started coughing. That

snapped me out of my surprise and I

ran back to the house. I’d radio the

sheriff and…Wait a minute! Where was Lugnut? Why hadn’t he barked or something? Frantic

like I turned on the lights and searched my small cabin which didn’t too long on account of it be

small and all. I looked everywhere even under the bed, but I couldn’t find Lugnut anywhere!

So ah grabbed my big flashlight and ran around the cabin callin’ his name and shining my light

into the surrounding woods. “Lugnut! Lugnut! Here boy!” I called. But no Lugnut! “He must


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of run off!” I thought. Then I stopped and thought, “Maybe he was in the pickup truck!” ‘cause

he wasn’t around here! “They took Lugnut!” exploded in my mind.

Ah ran back into the cabin and grabbed my ready pack that I keep by the door ‘cause I help out

the park folks and the county sheriff’s department with finding lost hikers and such. I pawed

open the pack and took out the radio, turned it on and yelled into it, “They just stole my pickup

truck and my dog! Sherif’s department come in! 10-31 they just stole…”

It took me a few moments to figure out that I hadn’t gotten any squawk sound from the radio

when I turned it on. Or when I finally released the transmit lever. “Goldarnit!” I cursed. Ah

keep the batteries out of the radio until I’m ready to use it cause it makes the batteries last

longer. I fumbled with the pack again, dug out the batteries, opened the waterproof bag and

got them into the Motorola. The radio squawked and came the sound of static which I cut off

as ah mashed the transmit button down and yelled, “Sherif’s department! Sherif’s department!

They stole my pickup truck and my dog! They just left…”

It was a few moments before I remembered to let go of the transmit button ‘cause I was

excited and such. “…listen for a space! Stop tranmittin’ and listen for a space!” came out of the

speaker. I took a deep breath, remembered proper radio protocol and all and transmitted,

“Roger, 10-4! This is Harry Watkins transmitting on channel 9, over.” Ah’m supposed to

identify myself and the radio channel I’m using so they can figure out who I am and what

channel I’m using more easily when they’re using a scanner to monitor multiple radio channels.

“That you, Harry?” came over the radio. Folks here about have a way of talkin’ that’s a bit

different from city folks. “Yep, it’s me Harry!” ah radio back and force myself to wait. “Hey,

Harry!” comes the reply. They say “hey” here instead of “hi” for some reason. “You say they

stole your pickup? And your dog?” There was a noticeable pause and then, “Ah didn’ know

you had a dog, Harry!” says the radio. Another pause and then, “This is Jake Dunin of the

sheriff’s department, over.”


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This is the way folks talk here, being personable and such. “Yep, I gotta dog now Jake. Just got

him a couple of days ago” I grind out. You gotta talk like the locals here and about, emergency

or not. “They just drove off in my pickup truck and I think they got Lugnut with ‘em. I can’t find

him anywhere! Over” I radio.

“Lugnut the name of your dog, Harry?” comes the reply.

I grind my teeth a bit. The local folks here have a special way of talking and trying to rush them

will only slow things down. So I take another deep breath like the training taught me and

radioed, “10-4, Jake”. They like it when I use their names in the conversation. And the radio

codes on the radio. “Someone just roared out of there not 2 minutes ago in my pickup truck.

They might have Lugnut ‘cause I can’t find him anywhere! Over.”

“That’s a mighty interesting name for a dog” comes the reply.

I heard Jakes’ engine rev in the background. He’s already on the way though he sounds calm

and slow. “10-60 Ah’m headed for Highway 5 by your place to intercept them. What kind of

dog you got?”

Jake isn’t being just sociable now. He’s a doing his job and a good one at that. He spent time in

the Army and likes to use “tactical terms” as he calls ‘em. He wants to know what Lugnut looks

like so he can identify him ‘cause people around these parts drive with their dogs most enough

times.

“He’s a…ah, mixed breed” I radio back. Ah was going to say “mutt” ‘cause that’s what we call a

dog with a lot of undetermined breeds mixed all up but Lugnut is certainly no common “mutt”.


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So ah says “mixed breed” instead. “He’s about medium height, maybe a little smaller then

medium, mostly white with brown patches and brown patches over each eye” I radio back.

“10-4” Jake replies. “Can you make it to Lookout Ledge and do over watch?”

“Roger 10-4” I reply. “Running to over watch on Lookout Ledge. Over and out for now!”


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Chapter 4

The Run Up The Mountain…And Down the Road!

I strap on the radio to the pack and start pulling on my socks, pants, and boots. Ah keep them

right next to the door for emergencies. I’m a part time emergency guide and responder so I

have everything ready and “pre-staged” by the door. Ah was in the military too for a bit so I

sometimes use military terms like Jake. We’ve all had a bit of training together for emergencies

and such so that’s a darn good thing now. I quickly dress and get my gear on, slam the door

shut to keep out the darn bears, and jog up the back trail to Lookout Ledge. It’s a bit of a climb

up the back way. I usually just drive up there of course, but time’s a wasting and I don’t have

my pickup truck right now ‘cause somebody just done stole it! And probably Lugnut too! I

force myself to jog up the mountain ‘cause if I run flat out I won’t make it, it’s that high and that

far. I even checked under the bed and no Lugnut…

Jake slewed through the turn, up shifted, and felt the big turbocharged 350 open up as he

turned onto Highway 5. He wasn’t that far away from the turnoff to Harry’s cabin so he might

just catch up to whoever stole Harry’s truck. Now why would they steal Harry’s pickup truck?

It’s a nice pickup truck, a restored semi-classic with a bit of a souped up engine. But nothing

like this Big Beth here. Now this is a truck! He patted the dashboard affectionately. This is the

fastest truck in Chickaloo County! If anything could catch Harry’s truck it was Big Beth!

Huffing and puffing, Harry made it to Lookout Ledge. Jutting out from the side of the mountain

Lookout Ledge was not very big but it was high enough up the mountain and cleared the trees

enough that it provided a spectacular view of the base of the mountain, the valley, and of

nearby Highway 5. While the local folks sometimes climbed up here for the view Harry used it

as lookout post during emergency training exercised. Harry, in one movement, swung off his


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pack and knelt over it. A quick unzipping and he whipped out his high power binoculars and

quickly scanned the Eastern view for his lost pickup truck. The windy switchback road from his

cabin to the main road, Highway 5, would take whoever stole his truck sometime to navigate

especially the dark. He should beat them to the Lookout Ledge before they were much more

than three quarters of the way down the long and torturous dirt road. The moon was out

tonight, almost full, so Harry had a good view as well as a front row seat.

But there they were! They were almost the

Highway! Whoever was driving was driving like

maniac! Twisting, turning, skidding, and diving

Harry’s truck headlights hurdled down the dirt

road somehow missing the trees that lined it. It

was almost to the Highway! Harry quickly

unstrapped the radio from his pack, snapped it

unto his belt holster, and fished the headset from

the pack. He plugged in the headset, set it in his

ear, and transmitted, “Harry at Lookup Ledge in

over watch! Be advised vehicle is almost to

Highway 5” he transmitted while bringing the

binoculars up to his eyes.

Jake frowned. Almost to the Highway? Whoever

was driving was either very good or very reckless to have made it down the switchbacks so fast!

Jake transmitted, “Jake in car number 2. Ah’m almost to the intersection! I’ll cut him off!”

Harry frowned and focused his binoculars on the intersection of Highway 5 and his cabin’s dirt

road. He saw the headlights of what must be Jakes truck whip around the bend and bear down

on the intersection. Harry swept the binoculars back and saw the headlights from his truck


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careen down the last switchback and head for the intersection without slowing down. Harry

frantically transmitted, “Watch out, Jake! They’re at the intersection and not stopping!” He

watched breathlessly as the two sets of headlights ran towards each other in collision.

Jake heard Harry’s frantic radio call just in time to see headlights dive out of the woods to his

right and almost taking his front bumper off! Jake hit the backs and slewed his big truck into a

swerve that narrowly missed colliding with Harry’s truck. It was Harry’s truck alright! It was all

black with orange and red flames on the hood and front sides. A racing color combination but

Harry was no racer. He said that he had bought it from the restorer guy like that. Jake had no

time for further reflections as he swung the steering wheel hard left then hard right then hard

left again as he stomped the brakes on and off to control his slide. The darn fool had almost

collided with him! The slide wasn’t stopping! It was getting worse! So he did the only thing he

could to prevent the truck from turning over – He let go of the steering wheel and let go the

brakes. And Big Beth slid into a spin. Once, twice, three times Big Beth spun around. Jake

tensed up waiting for the truck to hit the trees but miraculously it stayed on the pavement and

came to a stop still on the road.

Jake blinked and thought first about how lucky he was not to have spun into the trees or had

flipped over and over. His next thought was about goldarned stolen truck driver who almost

killed him. He looked out his passenger side window and saw two taillights fading rapidly into

the darkness. Ignore Harry’s frantic, “Are you all right?” radio calls Jake shifted into first,

stomped the accelerator to the floor, and burned a circle of screaming rubber as he whipped

Big Beth around in pursuit. “Now it’s personal!” he whispered under his breath.


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Chapter 5

“This is gonna be some chase!”

Harry had watched the entire near collision. He saw the headlights just miss each other by

what must have been inches and then Jake’s Sherriff’s truck slew left, then right, then left

before swinging around and around in circles. Three circles to be exact. And wind up smack

dab in the middle of the two lane highway. It was a miracle that Jake’s truck hadn’t hit the

trees or turned over thought Harry. He called Jake on the radio asking him if he was ok but Jake

never answered. Instead he saw Jake’s truck. What had he named it? Betty, no Beth, Big Beth.

That was it. Big Beth spun around and roared off down the highway in pursuit of his stolen

pickup truck. “Wow!” thought Harry. “This is gonna be some chase!”

The small figure hunched over the pickup’s steering wheel muttered an “Oops!” or at least

something that sounded like “Oops!” He watched as the headlights in the rear view mirror

spun around and around and around and finally stopped. Then they whipped around and

started to follow him. “This might be better than chasing rabbits!” he thought as he motioned

to his accomplice to push the accelerator to the floor.

Jake was not in a good mood. He was mad at the other driver. And mad at himself too for

being a bit careless. He was going to get this guy and throw him in jail by golly! “10-80 Car 2 in

pursuit of stolen vehicle west on Highway 5 mile marker…48” he radioed as Big Beth

accelerated. The tail lights up ahead were getting bigger and closer as he caught up with the

lunatic in Harry’s pickup. He turned on his red lights and switched his mike over the outside

speaker and boomed out, “Pull over! This is the Sheriff! Pull over and stop now!”


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The tail lights started slowing and Jake thought for a moment that he was in luck and that the

truck thieves were stopping. But they didn’t stop. They just slowed down then sped up again.

Jake repeated his order to stop over the loudspeaker to no avail. The truck thieves had slowed

down significantly but were

still doing the slowdown

then speed up thing. Jake

finally realized that they

were playing with him! Jake

shouted through the

loudspeaker, “Pull over and

stop now! Or else I’ll force

you off the road! Stop

now!” and by golly they hit

their brakes and Jake had to

swerve into the other lane so as to not hit them. But they didn’t pull over and stop. They kept

on going side by side with Jake.

Now it was the middle of the night and everyone was home in their beds sleeping. That is

except for officer Jake and the guy or guys that had stolen Harry’s truck. And Harry up there on

Lookout Ledge watching the whole thing. The read was clear of traffic this late at night. Or

early in the morning. Whichever way you look at it.

Harry watched as they roared down the highway then seemed to slow and move back and forth

like they were racing and not chasing and being chased. AS he watched them weave back and

forth, back and forth, he thought it was like a game. Almost like when Lugnut was chasing

rabbits…


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“Yep! Just like chasing rabbits!” said the driver to his accomplice. “But more fun!” as he

swerved and weaved back and forth with the other truck.

“Just who are these guys?” thought Jake as he swerved back and forth with the stolen pickup

truck. He thought that he could just make out two small shadows in the truck cab but it was

too dark to make out any faces. Maybe some high school kids he thought due to their

seemingly small size. “But where they’d learn to drive like that?” he wondered.

Back and forth they went one ahead then the other, “Like some sort of race” though Jake. The

end of the straight away was coming up and so was the village so Jake had to end this ridiculous

chase, race, or whatever it had become. They had slowed their speeds down from their initial

dangerous highs and now they were slow enough for the classic “cut ‘em off and stop ‘em”

maneuver. Jake gauged the distances, the weaving, and the timing. He up shifted, stomped

hard on the accelerator, and surged ahead of the stolen pickup. He then swung the wheel hard

right and cut ahead in front of the other truck to force it to stop. He heard the screech of the

other truck’s brakes and jammed on his own brakes so the other guy couldn’t brake hard and

swerve around him evading the forced stop maneuver.


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Chapter 6

“Where’d it go?”

Instead, suddenly the other truck’s headlights were gone! Big Beth had screeched to a stop

right where she should but where was the other pickup truck? It must have flipped off its lights

at just the right moment…and got away. But where? Jake blanked and looked around. No

pickup behind, beside, or in front of him. What the heck? Jake finally heard Harry on the radio

breaking him out of his frantic looking around. “Harry, did you see where he went?” he called.

Harry had a front row seat and had seen it all. But where did his truck go? “Jake, I can’t see

mah truck! They just disappeared!” he radioed in reply. He swept around and around Jakes

truck with his binoculars and radioed, “I can’t see the truck anywhere! Can you see them?”

“Negative! 10-74!” came the reply from Jake. “I lost sight of them when I stopped.” “Any

ideas?” he added. “They couldn’t have just vanished into thin air!”

Harry swept the area with his binoculars. He wished that he had his telescope here as his

binoculars were at their extreme “good looking” range. “Their lights went out just as you were

stopping them. Could they have pulled around you, Jake, with their lights off?”

“No” came the reply. “I would have seen that.” There was a long pause then Jake said, “Ok,

they must have done that! I’m resuming the pursuit!” And Harry watched Jake and Big Beth

roar off down the road. He watched as it slowed as it reached the village and Jake played his

spotlight around looking for some trace of the stolen pickup.


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Harry peered over the village looking

for movement or even a small dust

cloud which would give him a clue as to

where his truck was. Time passed as

they search the village, Jake checking

behind the buildings on both sides of

the highway and Harry checking every

square yard with binoculars that he

could see.

“Anything, Jake?” Harry called.

“Nothing, Harry” answered Jake.

“Everyone’s asleep and there’s no sign of anything out of normal.”

“Could they have just driven through the village with their lights off?” Harry radioed.

There was a pause then Jake replied, “I didn’t think so but they’re not here or back there so we

must have missed them and they drove on…”

But suddenly Harry wasn’t listening. “Back there?” he thought. He swept his binoculars back

around to where the stop took place. Or tried to take place. What if…?

“Jake, what if they went into the ditch by the side of the road?” queried Harry.

There was a pause then Jake said, “Ok…Maybe. I should have seen them then. But I’m driving

back to the search the ditch.”


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“I’ll keep looking from here” radioed back Harry.


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Chapter 7

“I’ve found the tracks!”

Sometime later Jake radioed Harry, “Harry, I’ve found the tracks! They went off the road here.

Can you see anything from up there?”

Harry took another sweep of the area with his binoculars. “Negative, Jake. I can’t see down

into the ditch and the trees block the view after about forty feet” replied Harry. “Isn’t the old

logging site down that way?” he radioed.

Jake radioed back, “I’m walking down the

tracks. Wait one. 10-12.”

Harry’s view was cut off at a spread of

threes as the ditch sloped down towards

the river. Thoughts of his pickup truck

smashed into the trees or floating down

the river ran through his head. Finally, he

could take waiting no longer and radioed, “Radio check, Jake. Please say status. Uh…10-13

please!” Harry was always polite. Even on the radio.

The radio squawked and he heard, “Harry, it’s the darnedest thing I ever saw! They drove

down the side of the ditch at a shallow angle, up the other side in between a bunch of trees,

zigzagged through the trees for about 50 yards and then cut down to the old logging road to the

old logging site.” After a pause, “How exactly they did this without hitting any trees I don’t

know. They must have been able to see in the dark. And must have just gotten very, very

lucky.”


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There was a pause then, “Sorry, Harry. It’s been too long. They could be anywhere by now. I’ll

have to put out an APB with county and they’ll have to keep an eye out for your truck.” A

pause, then “And your dog.”

Harry put the binoculars down. He lost his truck. And probably Lugnut too. “It’s not your fault

Jake. How they got that lucky is anyone’s guess.” A pause then Harry stated, “I’ll get back to

the cabin and see if I can find Lugnut. Maybe he ran into the woods and will come home soon.”

“You do that Harry” replied Jake. “Let us know if you find him. I’ll write up the report and get

an all-points bulletin out.”

“Thanks, Jake” replied Harry. “That was one heck of a chase. You did good. It was just bad luck

that they got away.”

“Thanks, Harry” replied Jake. “If I ever get another crack at them I’ll them to ground for sure!”

“Thanks again, Jake. Lookout Ledge over watch out and shutting down. 10-24.”

“10-4. 10-24.” muttered Jake in reply.

With a heavy sigh and a last look around Harry packed his gear then shambled defeated down

the back trail to his now empty cabin.


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Chapter 8

Return to the Cabin

Harry took his time going down the back trail. Going down it’s easier to fall or twist or break an

ankle. Especially in the dark. But Harry was afraid that wouldn’t find any trace of Lugnut when

he got back.

And though he searched the rest of the night and into the next morning he was right. There

was no trace of Lugnut. He put down a bowl of dog food on the porch where perhaps Lugnut

would see it from the woods, if he had actually run into the woods, and know that it was safe to

come home.

Harry took off his boots and lay down on the bed. It had been a long night and he was

exhausted.

------

Sometime later he heard his pickup truck drive up and the front door open and close. Must be

Marty coming back from getting supplies he thought sleepily. And started to return to

sleep…Wait a minute! His eyes popped open. Marty only stayed with him during school breaks

and this wasn’t a break time! The memories of last night flooded back into his consciousness.

Lugnut! And his pickup truck!

He sprang off the bed and into the main room of his cabin. There, by the fireplace in his

favorite spot, was Lugnut! Harry rushed over to him. “Lugnut! You’re back home! You’re back

home!” Lugnut looked at Harry with a “Yes, of course!” expression and rolled over to let Harry


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rub his belly. Which Harry did happily. “Boy am I glad to see you!” Harry said over and over

again. Then he paused and said questioningly, “And did you see my pickup truck anywhere?”

Lugnut just yawned and smiled that happy dog smile of his then closed his eyes.


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Chapter 9

“It couldn’t be!”

Harry stood up muttering, “It couldn’t be…It couldn’t be! I must have been dreaming!” But he

thought that he’d heard his pickup truck pull up outside so he walked to the door. And stopped

staring. There on the peg by the door were his keys to his truck. They had been gone before

with his truck. Now they were back as if by magic! He opened the door…There was his pickup

truck! Parked right where he left it!

He walked over to it and studied it for a moment. It looked fine. He looked all around and

didn’t see anyone. He looked down at his feet, at the pine needles on the ground and slowly

walked around his truck. Once then twice. Not a pine needle was disturbed except where he

walked. He had learned a bit of tracking from an old Native American some years back. He

didn’t see any tracks from human or animal. Except his of course. He checked the tire tracks

and couldn’t see where anyone had stepped in them moving away from the truck.

Nothing! Who had driven it back and returned it? The person or persons that had stolen it last

night?

Harry walked around the truck again, this time looking for any damage. He didn’t see any. That

was good. Great actually! He thought his truck must of careened off of a dozen trees while he

watched it with this binoculars last night. If he ever got it back he had expected to see

significant damage to it. But there was no damage. None at all. That was a miracle!

He went to open the driver’s side door and found it locked. Must have been a very courteous

thief! He brought it back untouched and even locked the doors. Harry went back to the cabin,


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grabbed the keys from the peg, walked back and opened up his truck. The inside looked ok.

What about the gas level? It was low. He had just filled it. So the thief didn’t buy gas, huh?

Well, Harry thought that was understandable. Everyone around these parts knew his black

truck with the flames on the hood and sides. It had a really good engine but it wasn’t quite a

racing truck.

Harry looked over the interior again. Everything seemed to be fine. He’d radio the sheriff’s

department and let them know both Lugnut and his pickup truck magically returned safe and

sound without a scratch. Wait! What’s this? He reached down and picked up a porcupine

quill. What’s that doing in here? Must have got carried in with his boots. Or the boots of

whomever “borrowed” the truck. Since he had returned it intact, sans gas, he had borrowed it

more than he stole it. But who did it?

Up in the trees Harry heard the skittering cry of a

porcupine. A young one by the sound of it. Maybe this

was his quill Harry mused.

After a bit more of thinking Harry went back into the cabin

holding the porky quill. He went up to Lugnut and looked

down at him. Lugnut opened one eye, looked at him, and

at the porky quill in Harry’s hand. He shut his open eye,

smiled that strange dog smile of his, and rolled over

asleep.

Harry stood there for a while thinking. “No, it’s just not possible!” he finally said and walked

away. “It’s just not possible!”


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Chapter 10

“My Pickup Driving Dog!”

And that was the first of the many times that my pickup truck got “borrowed” at night and was

usually returned the next day.

That Lugnut was somehow had something to do with each borrowing becomes more and more

obvious with each “borrowing”. But that just can’t be, can it? There no such thing as a “pickup

driving dog” is there?

But now I’m not too sure….


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After Words

More chapters of the complete story series of “Lugnut the Pickup Driving Dog!” will be

forthcoming!

If you like this story and would like to see more please give an encouraging review for the story

where you found it. Also please register on the Lugnut web page at

www.CaryGrantAnderson.com/Lugnut and also on www.LugnutThePickupDrivingDog.com to

receive notifications of new Lugnut stories as they are released.

Please note that this first Lugnut story is free for everyone so you can share it with your friends

and family and post it one your website if you’d like. Just keep the story exactly as it is (no

changes) with my name and copyright notice intact. You’ll find a PDF version of this first Lugnut

story free for downloading on my website www.CaryGrantAnderson.com/Lugnut and also on

www.LugnutThePickupDrivingDog.com.

If you purchased this story on Amazon and it was not yet free then please contact Amazon and

ask them to reduce the price to free as they will only do this when sufficient customers contact

them and request that it should be free as it is available for free elsewhere.

Enjoy everyone!

- Cary Grant Anderson

- Atlanta, Georgia USA

- November 18, 2014

http://www.carygrantanderson.com/Lugnut

http://www.lugnutthepickupdrivingdog.com/



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Special Thanks

A special thanks to the nursing staff of St. Joseph Hospital, Atlanta. They provided me with

great care while I was in for observation and testing there the fall of 2013.

I would like to say “Thanks!” for the great care that I received:

Nurses Wendy (Wednesday),

Sarah,

Jasmine,

Mehret,

Teddy,

Others, and

Drs. D, T, S, and P.

While I was in the hospital I finally found the time to write down the first full Lugnut story while

there. After telling it verbally to many folks over the years. Thankfully, the reason that I was in

the hospital turned out not to be a serious problem and I went home after a couple of days.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank Kathy, Jana, and Jamie to whom I told Lugnut stories

to in the past and with whom I honed my Lugnut storytelling skils.

And www.DollarPhotoClub.com for the photos.

Here, finally, is the first of many “Lugnut the Pickup Driving Dog!” stories.

- Cary Grant Anderson

http://www.dollarphotoclub.com/


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Please visit Lugnut’s website at www.LugnutThePickupDrivingDog.com for

Lugnut goodies and to register to hear about new Lugnut stories!

Lugnut The Pickup Driving Dog!


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