Chapter 4, "Fox and Hounds" Summary

One late winter afternoon, Little Tree feels grown up when Granma gives him a deer shirt to wear, just like Granpa's. Granma also gives Little Tree some meat and biscuits, and says she'll sit on the porch that evening and hear them. Little Tree is curious about what's going on. Granpa leaves the old hounds, Maud and Ringer, in the cabin and sets off with the other dogs. As well as for guarding the crops and cabin, Granpa keeps the hounds for the fun of fox hunting. Little Tree explains how Granpa plays 'with' the game, not 'at' it. He commands respect from the white mountain men in the area for his skills at trailing animals and his sense of instinct.

As night falls, the path narrows between the mountains. It is a portion of the trail...