Chapter 13 Summary

Arriving at the tree, which stands alone near an old barbed wire fence and a broken gate, Billy sees that it is short and squat and still in full leaf. He climbs the tree and can find no coon and no hollow in which the coon might be hiding. He tells Dan to quiet down, and then he notices Ann over by the fence, still seeking the trail. Billy knows that the coon has slipped from the tree. He climbs one more time and convinces himself the coon is not there. His dogs appear to have given up, so he pays the two dollars to Rubin, saying Rubin has won them, fair and square. They turn to leave, Billy and the dogs quite sad.

At that moment the wind blows and Ann picks up the scent again. In just a few minutes she...