The Incredible Journey

The trio has now covered over 200 miles of land. Tao is the only one who is still physically thriving. Bodger is holding up tolerably, but Luath is in very bad shape: “his once beautiful gleaming coat [is] harsh and staring now, his grotesquely swollen face in horrible contrast to his gaunt frame, and the pain in his infected jaw [makes] it almost impossible for him to open his mouth, so that he [is] virtually starving” (103). Tao and Bodger now habitually give Luath first preference on any prey they catch, and the young dog subsists solely on fresh blood, as he is unable to chew anything.

One morning, a forester catches a glimpse of the two dogs trotting through the forest. The sight of the two domestic animals in the middle of the wilderness amuses and surprises him, as there are no humans living within 30 miles. When he tells a colleague of his sighting, it is roundly dismissed as an absurdity.

Meanwhile, John Longridge and his brother are readying for their final hunting expedition of the season and the Hunters are packing their bags in England in preparation for their return home.