毋庸置疑,安德森与罗尔夫是一对很好的搭档,并且互相理解。当罗尔夫在一次工作中失败了,斯文就会整晚不眠,脑子里反复思考着他们在事发现场的搜寻工作。他经常起床带着罗尔夫再次回到失败地,凭借手电筒的微光在那里寻找。
“夜晚很安静,”他说道,“那是寻找东西的最佳时刻。”而且通常他们都能成功。“当我们找到失物的时候,”他说,“再也没有比这更开心的事情了。我不知道罗尔夫和我谁更高兴,之后我会放松自己,直到电话再一次响起!”
Dayafterday,asmallbluetruckspeedsalongtheroadsofDenmark'sislandofFunen。Abigdarkdogsitsbesidethedriver,lookingathimasiflisteningtohisinstrus。Wheruckgoesby,thepeopleofFuurnandstare,someihersiion。ForonitssideareprihewordsSporhundenRolf(Rolf,theTragDog)andatelephonenumber。
&hepassehebluetruckisRolf,adogthatishiredtofindthingspeoplehavelost。Withinsevenyears,Rolfandhisownerhavefouo$400,000worthofmissingitems。Amoches,Jewelry,tools,money,cows,geese,pigsands。AndwhatisRolf'ssecret?Hissensitivenose?
Theowen-year-oldGermaheermanShepherdisSveogethertheyao700callsforhelpthattheygeteachyear。Fouroutoffivetimestheyfindwhattheyareaskedtolookfor。
&elephsinAnderson'shouse,Rolfisinsta。Hedashestertobeoff。
Ontheway,Svesagainandagaitheyaregoingtolookfor。So,bythetimetheyarrive,Rettowork。Hecircles,backtradcir。Thisheuesuntilhepicksupthefaiofalyinginaspotwhereitdoesn'tbelong。
IweomakesurethatRolf'sdetectiveworkwasnotsomekindoffairystory。OverddachedRolf。Thedog'sstarewasmysterious。Heseemedalertyetcalm。Theteleph,andthenIheardSvendsaying,"Awallet?Iise,butwe'lldoourbest。"
Anhourlaterweark,trampingamohAxelJehemanhoned。Jensenhadlosthis>
ForhalfanhourRolfroamedinwide,brokenzigzags。Oally,Svendwouldcallhimbackortellhimtokeeplooking。wasfound。
&oaainRolfroamedwithhisheboggyearth。Svendenfromtimetotime。Idon'tknowatwhatmomeoRolfaddingaboutinsmallcirdwasnowstandingattheedgeofaditch。Hewastense,asifgivionlyRolfcouldhear。
Suddenly,Rolfbegantopawthesoftearth。Hestopped,lookedaboutandscratafewfeetaway。Thenhegedhismiodigfurthertht。Allatoedoutofthebog,headhigh。Hewasholdihingdarkinhismouth。Itwasthewallet?Jehsurpriseandjoy。
"Tellme,Svend,"Isaidlater,"howohdoesadoggoaboutfindifivebyseveninahugeforestcoveredwithuh?"
Svendsmiledashereplied,"Ikhi75acresbecauseofRolf'slaterest。ButinthesIcouldtellfromthewayRolfactedthathehadpickedupatrail。Thesthadreachedhimthroughtheairfromthespotwheretheedtendaysago。"
HowdidSvehisdogwithadetective'snose?HepialitterofsevenpupsbecauseRolfhadthebiggestheadandsnuffledmtheground。
Whenhewasohsold,Rolffoundhisfirstmissiwasaneighbor'swatch。Afterayear'scarefultraining,Rolfbecameaprofessional,readyforwork。
&imeSvendhadanunusualcall。Avisitortoacattleshowsneezedsohardthathelostagoldfalling。DidRolffindit?Ofdthespeckofgoldlayseveralyardsfromtheplaceofthesneeze,ingroundthathadbeentrampledbyhundredsoffeet。
AimeRolfsavedan11-year-oldgirlfromasternsg。Shelayingwithhergrandmother'sfishelostitinahaystack。About50wereturolookforit。Noluextdaythepolicecamewithtwodogs;bothfailed。
&er,Rolfwassentfothehaystack,Rolfbegainapitsomedistanceaway。Hefouamatterofminutes。Someonehaddumpedaforkfulofhayfromthestatothepit。
Rolfdoesnotalwaysmeetwithsuccess,buthetriesveryhard。Sometimeshetriestoohard。OnSvendssharplyftofindalostwatch,Rolfcreptaway。Hereturlelaterintriumphwithawathismouth。Closebehindhimwasanangry,halfnakedmaed:"Iwasgettihisdogpokedhisheadinthedoorathetable。He'sathief?"
slostintheAndersenhouse。Rolfpicksupails,buttons,allwithoutbeingtold。Toshowmethis,SvendputaspoononthefloorandthencalledRolfiroom。Thedogwasorderedtoliedoentontalking。Rolf'tstandit。Ieshegotup,seizedthespooninhismouthandbroughtittohismaster。
Andersenaelyareparthemthereisadeepuanding。WhenRolffailsonajob,Svehatnight。Inhismindhegoesoverahegroundtheysearched。OfteofbedahRolftotheseoftheirfailure。Theretheygohuntingagainbyflashlight。
"Thenightisquiet,"hesays,"It'sagoodtimetohuntathingthatislost。"Ofte。"Whenwefihing,"saysA;there'snofeeli。Idon'tknowier,Rolforme。ThenIjustrelax—uelephain?"