Hugh....River Walk

Small wonder that bank robbers have adopted this style. The path by the river was dotted with men wearing sunglasses and sensible winter beanies like this, with little to distinguish one from the next other than the dog the gentleman was walking. So I was taken off guard when this man spoke my name. I recognized that voice, though I had not recognized him. Never, dear reader, underestimate the value or charm of a distinctive accent.

“Lord M, do you like my toboggan?” Hugh asked in his Southern lilt. I looked about but saw no sled. Curious, indeed.

Still pondering my experience, I returned to the warmth of my library and first googled “bank robber attire.” It seems that robbers do attract attention for what they wear: I found more than one fashion critic taking issue with a robber's garish ensemble; a trend in Seattle—robbers dressed as construction workers; and in New Hampshire, a hapless bank robber who disguised himself as a tree.

Next, to solve the mystery of the invisible toboggan. It seems that Southerners are unlike the rest of the world in yet another charming way: they call woolly winter caps toboggans and when they use the word, almost never mean “sled.” Fascinating.