With a choking sob, I ran for my dogs.
On hearing our approach, they sat down and started bawling treed. I noticed their voices didn't have that solid ring. Their ice-covered tails made a rattling sound as they switched this way and that on the icy ground.
A large fire was built. Standing my dogs close to the warm heat, the gentle hands of the hunters went to work. With handkerchiefs and scarves heated steaming hot, little by little the ice was thawed from their bodies,
'If they had ever lain down,' someone said, 'they would've frozen to death.'
'They knew it,' another said. 'That's why they kept running in that circle.'
'What I can't understand is why they stayed with the tree,' Mr. Benson said. 'I've seen hounds stay with a tree for a while, but not in a northern blizzard.'
'Men,' said Mr. Kyle, 'people have been trying to understand dogs ever since the beginning of time. One never knows what they'll do. You can read every day where a dog saved the life of a drowning child, or lay down his life for his master. Some people call this loyalty. I don't. I may be wrong, but I call it love-the deepest kind of love.'
After these words were spoken, a thoughtful silence settled over the men. The mood was broken by the deep growling voice I had heard back in the washout.
'It's a shame that people all over the world can't have that kind of love in their hearts,' he said. 'There would be no wars, slaughter, or murder; no greed or selfishness. It would be the kind of world that God wants us to have-a wonderful world.'
After all the ice was thawed from my dogs and their coats were dried out, I could see they were all right. I was happy again and felt good all over.
One of the hunters said, 'Do you think those hounds are thawed out enough to fight a coon?'
'Sure, just run him out of that tree,' I said.
At the crack of the gun, the coon ran far out on a big limb and stopped. Again the hunter sprinkled him with bird shot. This time he jumped. Hitting the ground, he crouched down.
Old Dan made a lunge. Just as he reached him, the coon sprang straight up and came down on his head. Holding on with his claws, the coon sank his teeth in a long tender ear. Old Dan was furious. He started turning in a circle, bawling with pain.
Little Ann was trying hard to get ahold of the coon but she couldn't. Because of his fast circling, Old Dan's feet flew out from under him and he fell. This gave Little Ann a chance. Darting in, her jaws closed on the back of the coon's neck. I knew the fight was over.
Arriving back at camp, I saw that all the tents had been taken down but ours. A hunter said, 'Everyone was in a hurry to get out before another blizzard Sets in.'
Papa told me to take my dogs into the tent as Grandpa wanted to see them.
I saw tears in my grandfather's eyes as he talked to them. His ankle was wrapped in bandages. His foot and toes were swollen to twice their normal size. They had turned a greenish-yellow color. Placing my hand on his foot, I could feel the feverish heat.
Dr. Lathman came over. 'Are you ready to go now?' he asked.
Snorting and growling, Grandpa said, 'I told you I wasn't going anywhere till I see the gold cup handed to this boy.'
Turning to face the crowd, Dr. Lathman said, 'Men, let's get this over. I want to get this man to town. That's one of the meanest sprains I've ever seen and it should be in a cast, but I don't have any plaster of Paris with me.'
The hunter who had come by our tent collecting the jackpot money came up to me. Handing me the box, he said, 'Here you are, son. There's over three hundred dollars in this box. It's all yours.'
Turning to the crowd, he said, 'Fellows, I can always say this. On this hunt I've seen two of the finest little coon hounds I ever hope to see.'
There was a roar of approval from the crowd.
Looking down, I saw the box was almost full of money. I was shaking all over. I tried to say 'Thanks,' but it was only a whisper. Turning, I handed the box to my father. As his rough old hands closed around it, I saw a
