Smally Hoag was a genial, heavyset man with light hair and prominent teeth. He lived and worked on a pig farm that was located near the farm home of "Fatty" McDonald. Despite their close proximity, Smally and his family had never met the McDonalds.
Smally and his mother had read about Fatty's abduction and disappearance in the newspaper. One night, Smally and some others were on the grounds of his farm hunting raccoons when Smally's friend Roy noticed something in the branches of a tree alongside the railroad tracks. Smally and his hunting party then attracted the attention of Dick Tracy and the police search party who were looking for Fatty.
The tree was examined and it was discovered that Roy had found Fatty, alive but seriously injured. Smally explained to the police what he and his friends were doing, and he expressed an interest in Fatty's well-being.
Fatty was taken to a hospital and she began to recover from her ordeal. Smally and his mother came to visit Fatty and invited her join them at their home for Mrs. Hoag's home-cooked meals. Fatty agreed.
