Travis decides to try a method of catching some wild pigs that Mr. Searcy had told him about. It involves climbing into a low hanging branch, having your dog herd the pigs under the branch, lowering a rope noose to catch one pig at a time, pulling it up, notching it's ear (in effect, branding it), then continuing with the rest of the pigs. Travis and Yeller collaborate well and he successfully marks one small pig, but his second attempt is a larger pig and it pulls him out of the tree. A boar with sharp tusks then attacks Travis, cutting his leg. Yeller saves him, but in the process, Yeller is severely injured. Travis uses a neckerchief on his leg, then wraps his shirt around Yeller's torso wound and helps him into a small cave for protection and runs for home. Mrs. Coates returns with Travis, Arliss, and Jumper to see about Yeller. She sends Arliss off to catch a green lizard for her (to keep him busy), while she uses one of Jumper's tail hairs to sew up Yeller's wound. They then use a travois to haul Yeller home to recover.
