In all of the state of Kentucky, there is probably no dog like Jeb's bob-tailed, moon-eyed hound. Blind in one eye, he is -Grandma Quildy assures Jed- marked for some special purpose. Jeb believes that like Sampson and Job, Mooneye has been denied in order that he may be rewarded twofold through his master's faith. And the boy and his dog are rewarded when Mooneye not only turns out to be a great coon hunter, but against all odds, becomes Kentucky's champion hound. A biblical motif is firmly welded to this poignant and adventuresome story of a small boy's love for a handicapped dog, set against a background of pioneer simplicity and stamina.