heavy with the promise of rain, the sound of the three adult beagles nosing a warm track had the eleven and a half week old rabbit dog in training, Lucy, moving between Brag and myself on the dirt road. Brag, Uncle NoPass’s grandson and my rabbit/dog partner, had convinced me to run “the gate” this morning, a patch of exceedingly thick planted pines about a hundred yards between the gate to my hunting lease in Seale, Alabama and the paved road.

The three adult beagles went into full cry as the track became blisteringly hot.
As we watched, Lucy suddenly plunged into the undergrowth to be with her new Aunties, Maizie, Dixie and Julie.