Where the Red Fern Grows Chapter 1

When I left my office that beautiful spring day I had no idea what was in store for me. To begin with everything was too perfect for anything unusual to happen, it was one of those days when a man feels good. Feels like speaking to his neighbor. It is glad to live in a country like ours and proud of his government. You know what I mean? One of those rare days when everything is right and nothing is wrong. I was walking along whistling when I heard the dog fight. At first I paid no attention to it after all it wasn't anything to get excited about just another dog fight in a residential section. As the sound of the fight grew nearer I could tell there were quite a few dogs mixed up in it. They boiled out of an alley, turned, and headed straight toward me. Not wanting to get bitten or run over. I moved over to the edge of the sidewalk. I could see that all the dogs were fighting one. About 25 feet from me they caught him, and down he went. I felt sorry for the unfortunate one. I knew if something wasn't done quickly, the sanitation department would have to pick up a dead dog. I was trying to make up my mind to help when I got a surprise. Up out of that snarling, growling, slashing mass, reared an old red bone hound. For a second I saw him, I caught my breath. I couldn't believe what I had seen. Twisting and slashing he fought his way through the pack and backed up under the low branches of a hedge, growling and snarling, they formed a half moon circle around him. A big bird dog bolder than the others darted in. The head shook as he tangled with the hound. He came out so fast, he fell over backwards. I saw that his right ear was split wide open. It was too much for him, and he took off down the street squalling like a scalded cat. A big ugly cur tried his luck. He didn't get off so easy. He came out with his left shoulder laid open to the bone. He sat down on his rear and let the world know that he had been hurt. By this time my fighting blood was boiling, it's hard for a man to stand and watch an old hound fight against such odds. Especially if that man has memories in his heart like I had in mind. I had seen the time when an old hound like that had given his life so that I might live. Taking off my coat, I waded in. My yelling and scolding didn't have much effect, but the swinging coat did the dog scattered and left. Down on my knees I peered back under the hedge, the hound was still mad, he growled at me and showed his teeth. I knew it wasn't his nature to fight a man. In a soft voice I started talking to him. Come on, boy. I said, it's all right. I'm your friend. Come on now. The fighting fire slowly left his eyes. He bowed his head and his long red tail started thumping the ground. I kept coaxing. On his stomach, an inch at a time he came to me and laid his head in my hand. I almost cried at what I saw. His coat was dirty and mud caked. His skin was stretched drum tight over his bony frame. The naughty joints of his hips and shoulders stood at a good three inches from his body. I could tell he was starved. I couldn't figure it out. He didn't belong in town. He was far out of place with the boxes, poodles, bird dogs, and other breeds of town dogs. He belonged in the country. He was hunting hound. I raised one of his paws, and there I read the story. The pads were worn down, slick as the Rhine on an Apple. I knew he had come a long way, and no doubt had a long way to go. Around his neck was a crude collar on closer inspection I saw it had been made from a piece of check line leather, two holes had been punched in each end, and the ends were laced together with bailing wire. As I turned the collar with my finger, I saw something else, there scratched deep in the tough leather was the name buddy. I guess that the crude scribbly letters had probably been written by a little boy. It's strange indeed how memories can lie dormant in a man's mind for so many years, yet those memories can be awakened and brought forth fresh and new just buy something you've seen or something you've heard or the sight of an old familiar face. What I saw in the warm, gray eyes of the friendly old hound brought back wonderful memories. To show my gratitude I took hold of his collar and said, come on, boy, let's go home and get something to eat. He seemed to understand that he had found a friend. He came willingly. I gave him a bath and rubbed all the soreness from his muscles. He drank quartz warm milk and ate all the meat I had in the house. I hurried down to the store and bought more. He ate until he was satisfied. He slept all that night, and most of the next day. Late in the afternoon he grew restless. I told him I understood and as soon as it was dark, he could be on his way. I figured he had a much better chance if you left town at night. That evening little after sundown, I opened the back gate. He walked out, stopped, turned around and looked at me. He thanked me by wagging his tail. With tears in my eyes, I said, you're more than welcome, old fella. In fact, you could have stayed here as long as you want to do. He whined and licked my hand. I was wondering which way he would go. With one final whimper, he turned and headed east. I couldn't help smiling as I watched him trot down the alley, and noticed the way his hind quarters shifted over to the right never in line with the front yet always in perfect rhythm. His long ears flopped up and down, keeping time with the jogging motion of his body. Yes. They were all there. The unmistakable marks of a hunting hound. Where the alley emptied into the street he stopped and looked back. I waved my hand. As I watched him disappear in the Twilight shadows, I whispered these words. Good luck. And good hunting. I didn't have to let him go. I could have kept him in my backyard. But to pan up a dog like that is a sin, it would have broken his heart the will to live would have slowly left his body. I had no idea where he had come from, or where he was going. Perhaps it wasn't too far, or maybe it was a long, long way. I tried to make myself believe that his home was in the Ozark mountains, somewhere in Missouri or Oklahoma. It wasn't impossible, even though it was a long way from the snake river valley in Idaho. I figured something drastic must have happened in his life, as it is very unusual for how to be traveling all alone. Perhaps he had been stolen, or maybe he had been sold for some much needed money. Whatever it was that had interrupted his life, he was trying to straighten it out. He was going home to the master he loved, and with the help of God he would make it. To him it made no difference how long the road or how rough or rocky. His old red feet would keep jogging along on and on mile after mile. There would be no crying or giving up when his feet grew tired and weary he would curl up in the weeds and rest. Water from a rain puddle or mountain stream would quench his thirst and cool his hot dry throat, food found along the highway or the offerings from a friendly hand would ease the pangs of hunger. Through the rains, the snows or the desert heat he would jog along, never looking back. Some morning he would be found curled up on the front porch. The long journey would be over. He would be home. There would be a lot of tail wagging and a few whimpering cries. His warm moist tongue would caress the hand of his master, all would be forgiven. Once again, the lights would shine in his dog's world. His heart would be happy. After my friend had disappeared in the darkness I stood and stared at the empty alley, a strange feeling came over me. The first I thought I was lonely or sad. But I realized that wasn't it at all. The feeling was wonderful one. Although the old hound had no way of knowing it he had stirred memories and what priceless treasures they were. Memories of my boyhood days, an old Casey baking powder can, and two little red hounds. Memories of a wonderful love, unselfish devotion. And death in its saddest form. As I turned into my yard I started to lock the gate and I thought, no, I'll leave it open. He might come back. I was about halfway to the house when a cool breeze drifted down from the rugged tetons. It had a bite in it and goose pimples jumped out on my skin. I stopped at the woodshed and picked up several sticks of wood. I didn't turn on any lights on entering the house, the dark quiet atmosphere was a perfect setting for the mood I was in. I built a fire in the fireplace, and pulled up my favorite rocker. As I sat there in the silence the fire grew larger, it crackled and popped. Fire light shadows began to shimmer and dance around the room. The warm, comfortable heat felt good. I struck a match to light my pipe. As I did two beautiful cups gleamed from the mantle. I held a match up so I can get a better look. There they were. Sitting side by side. One was large with long, upright handles that stood out like wings on a morning dove. The highly polished surface gleamed and glistened with a golden Sheen. The other was smaller, and made of silver. It was neat and trim and sparkled like a white star in the heavens. I got up and took them down. There was a story in those cups. A story that went back more than a half century. As I caressed the smooth surfaces, my mind drifted back through the years, back to my boyhood days. How wonderful the memories were. Piece by piece, the story unfolded.