Traffic Disruption

Taillights lit up as cars braked, a typical occurrence for the time of day termed "rush hour."  Yet the line became a little too long as cars slowed to a speed greatly below normal.  Many cast curious glances around, looking for the accident which is usually responsible for such delays.  Suddenly the cause of it all appeared!  Not a mess of metal and flashing lights- the culprit trotted down the freeway on four legs in a carefree manner-sniffing here and there and jogging along.  Car after car pulled laboriously forward and the escapee's pursuers came into view.  Two men, perhaps in their twenties, running opposite of traffic, several yards behind the long-legged dog.  Both were smiling as though they were quite amused with the situation and perhaps slightly apologetic for the disruption they were causing.  Further up one could see their two vehicles, pulled off on the shoulder- a blue truck carrying a piece of furniture in the bed, and a white car with a rather squashed appearance.  The questions of how the dog got loose - was he riding in the back and jumped out or had they stopped for a bathroom break?  and were the two chasers acquainted or had one stopped out of a Samaritan kindness to help the other? - remained unanswered as the exit ramp loomed nearer and the scene disappeared in the rear-view mirror.