I've always thought it's a shame that city people, no matter how well traveled or well read, can never really appreciate hounds. A hound represents a way of life that no city dog, regardless of pedigree, can ever come close to: It pays its keep with the sound of its voice on trail telling the story of the hunt. People who listen get taken back in time. Old fox and coon hunters are keepers of history. They know that George Washington, with his cousin Lund, and his brother-in-law Jackie Custis, used to do the same thing, 200 years ago--listen to their hounds keep to a trail and tell the truth. George, they say, was radical about truth, which I suspect he seldom heard much of from congress.

George is partly responsible for the hounds of today: Trumbos and Hudspeths, Walkers and Plotts, Julys, Triggs, Blueticks, Redbones and Black and Tans, all of them bred for the woods and the race. No wonder their owners are radicals, who like George, believe that your hounds tell a lot about your own standards in life.

Let me tell you just how radical hound people can be. Back in the Depression years a neighbor was caught butchering a pig that had wandered onto his place and the owner of the pig took him to law. The pig thief explained to the judge that his family was practically starving. The farm-raised judge, said, "Well, I can understand that, and I'd feel a lot more sympathy for you except that I know for a fact that you keep four or five big hounds." The man looked at the judge in horror and said, "Lord have mercy, Judge. Surely you wouldn't expect us to eat my hounds ?"

And if that one didn't tell you how valuable a hound can be, try this one: An old hound raiser whose wife had run off with another man took on like the world was coming to an end; he tore his hair and didn't bathe or shave and even tried suicide. His best friend finally took him aside and said: "Now this is ridiculous. I appreciate your grief, but I happen to know you and her didn't even get along all that well."

The hound man just shook his head. "You don't understand," he said, "Two of my best hounds got run over by a semi last week, and mashed flat. When you've been through a tragedy like that, the least little thing will set you off."