Chapter 1 Summary

The story opens with Nyle, the main character, yelling at Tyrus, the always-straying dog that belongs to Ripley Powers. Nyle throws a stone close to, but not at, Tyrus to scare him off. The method is successful, and Tyrus runs into the woods. While Nyle and her friend Muncie watch the sheep, Nyle sees one laying still. As she gets closer, she realizes there is no movement at all. Nyle leans down and discovers that the ewe suffered at the hands, or rather teeth, of Tyrus. Just then, Ripley Powers approaches, and there is a stand off between the two. The two characters exchange words, and tempers flare. Despite the desire to fight, Nyle and Muncie back off and return home just as Tyrus picks up a scent elsewhere in the woods and is off again.

One of the comments that Ripley throws...