Old Yeller

by

Fred Gipson

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Old Yeller makes teaching easy.

Old Yeller: Chapter 10 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
It is hard and uncertain work for Travis to keep track of how many hogs he’s tagged and to be sure that he’s gotten all his family’s hogs—but he takes a piece of each hog’s ear with him to keep a count. When the count reaches 46, he figures that he’s caught them all. One afternoon, however, Bud Searcy pays the family another visit—he says that there are a bunch of hogs Travis missed out on in a nearby area full of bat caves. Travis has never been to the area before, but he feels confident about going to locate and tag the missing hogs.
When Bud Searcy brings the news that Travis’s work with the hogs isn’t done, Travis is excited to take on the added responsibility of rounding up the hogs that have wandered far away. Travis wants to explore a new place—and he wants to be sure that he leaves no task unfinished while Papa is away.
Themes
Coming of Age and Responsibility Theme Icon
As Travis and Old Yeller set out into the Hill Country, Travis takes in the sights and sounds of the nature all around him. Old Yeller locates the hogs with little trouble; as Travis hurries toward the pack, he can tell that they’re in an angry mood. Travis runs off toward a nearby tree, yelling for Old Yeller to bring the hogs over to him—but at a deep cut-bank between Travis and the tree, the hogs stop under an overhang that has created a shallow cave. Travis decides to get on the bank above them and go about his usual process from up there.
Though Travis’s last encounter with the hogs went relatively smoothly in spite of their aggressive nature, this trip seems different right from the start. There aren’t as many trees around for Travis to sit in, so he’s forced to improvise a way of getting near the hogs without putting himself too close to the angry swarm.
Themes
People and Animals Theme Icon
Bravery vs. Fear Theme Icon
The tagging goes well enough until, suddenly, the dirt bank breaks beneath Travis’s weight, sending him crashing down in a wave of sand directly on top of the angry hogs. Travis is terrified—though he can’t see or hear for all the sand, he stands and begins to run. He is not fast enough, though, and a hog gores him in the leg with its huge tusk. Travis falls down, screaming. Old Yeller rushes to the rescue, darting between Travis and the hogs. The hogs rip into Old Yeller with their tusks while Travis scrambles far away. Alone in a grove of prickly pear trees, Travis rips open his pant leg and looks at his gored calf—the gash is a bad one that goes straight to the bone, yet Travis is in too much shock to feel any pain. He makes a tourniquet for himself and stands back up—but rather than heading for home, he hurries back to Old Yeller.
As calamity strikes, the strong and violent hogs threaten Travis’s life. Old Yeller, a faithful pet, jumps into the fray in order to stop the hogs from goring Travis further, illustrating the thin barrier between the people and nature. Though Old Yeller is only a dog, he’s so loyal to Travis that he instinctively risks his own life. In return, Travis realizes that he owes this same loyalty to Old Yeller.
Themes
People and Animals Theme Icon
Bravery vs. Fear Theme Icon
When Travis finds Old Yeller, the hogs have left the dog alone—but Old Yeller is in bad shape. When Old Yeller sees Travis, he drags himself toward him, wagging his tail even though he is cut up and covered in blood. Travis begins to cry as Old Yeller starts licking Travis’s wound. Travis can see that Old Yeller’s belly has been ripped wide open and that some of his entrails are hanging out. The sight is so terrible that Travis wants to run away. Instead, he steels himself, pets Old Yeller, and gets to work. He ties up Old Yeller’s wounds with strips from his shirt, then eases Old Yeller under the collapsed rock slab and hides him behind a large tree stump. Travis promises old Yeller that he will be back for him. As Travis runs home to get help for his dog, Old Yeller howls mournfully. 
Old Yeller has sustained several terrible and perhaps even mortal wounds in the fight against the hogs. Travis is terrified and sickened by his beloved dog’s state—yet he knows he must show Old Yeller the care and devotion that Old Yeller showed him. Travis doesn’t just see Old Yeller as another animal or a hunting dog—he knows that Old Yeller is an important part of his life, and that their bond transcends the gap between their two worlds.
Themes
People and Animals Theme Icon
Bravery vs. Fear Theme Icon
Coming of Age and Responsibility Theme Icon
Quotes
Get the entire Old Yeller LitChart as a printable PDF.
Old Yeller PDF