As a little boy, Billy had always wanted puppies since he was ten years old. His parents tell him they don't have enough money for puppies. He decides to earn the money himself. For two years, he works many different jobs. He saves $50. His grandfather helps him order two Redbone Coonhounds. The mail does not deliver the puppies, so Billy goes to get them. He walks to Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He sees how different the city life is from his country life at home. He buys gifts for his family there. He picks up his puppies. On the way back home, he sleeps in a cave on a mountain. He hears the roar of a mountain lion. The puppies answer the roar with their howls. They scare off the lion. The next morning, Billy and the dogs return home. On the way, he sees a sycamore tree with the names Dan and Ann on it. He decides to name the puppies Old Dan and Little Ann.