Once the Pound Puppies had seen Flack and Tubbs carried off to jail they started once again on their journey.
"Where do we go now?" asked Nose Marie.
"Well, we've finally made it to Ohio," said Barkerville. "So now we should keep going South and we should sooner or later come to Rugby's new home."
So they headed South and kept on for the rest of the day. When evening was approaching and it was beginning to darken they slowed down as once again hunger and fatigue began to take over them.
"Hey, I'm hungry," complained Scrounger, "and if I don't have something to eat pretty soon I'm gonna fall."
"I feel the same way," agreed Cooler.
'Well, we're heading towards an alleyway now and so hopefully we'll find a restaurant soon with a nice owner who will give us some scraps," said Barkerville.
So they continued on down the alley and it wasn't long before they saw many large cardboard boxes were crowded against buildings, some stacked on top of the other. Altogether it looked like a cardboard box city.
"Would you look at this place," said Cooler as he observed their surroundings. "It looks like a miniature version of New York made out of cardboard."
"It does indeed," said Barkerville.
"Who do you suppose built it?" asked Nose Marie.
"Maybe some kids built it for a secret meeting place," suggested Scrounger.
Then suddenly one of the boxes in front of them opened up and out stepped a tall and skinny brown Dachshund who ran up to them extending his paw.
"Hello, and welcome to the all dogs alley, folks," he said heartily. "My name is Jamie and I run most of the things around here as my family was one of the first to live here."
"Do you mean to say you live here and you have no owner," asked Barkerville.
"Well, yes I do," said Jamie. "As a matter of fact, none of the dogs who live here are owned by anyone. But that is only because we like it that way. You see, we believe that no human can ever truly own a dog and so we have built this place for ourselves to provide for own needs and we and the ones who came before us have been living here happily and contentedly for a long time."
"So these boxes are your homes?" asked Cooler.
Jamie nodded. "Yep, there doesn't come any better abode than them."
"And how do you get your food around here?" asked Scrounger.
"We usually eat whatever the people who live in the houses nearby throw away," said Jamie. "Though we also occasionally get some more gourmet stuff from this guy who speaks mostly French in this restaurant up the street."
"And what do you do for entertainment?" asked Barkerville.
"We have many ways," replied Jamie. "We all come bringing our own songs, and stories, and jokes, and we're all just one big family caring for each other."
"Gosh, I never knew such a place as this existed," admitted Cooler. "Though I must admit it is a fine establishment. We also don't have any owners but we live in a place called the City Pound where we have jobs of finding homes for puppies who don't have them, as well as returning lost ones to their families, such as our friend Rugby here. We're just passing through and were wondering if you could spare us some place where we could eat and sleep for the night."
"Why, of course," said Jamie. "There is a fine place not far from here called the Doggone Motel where they serve only the best of the best food we have around here and provide comfy quarters and also quality entertainment."
"Sounds like a good deal to me," said Barkerville cordially.
"And me too," agreed Scrounger, rubbing his stomach.
"I'm in," said Cooler. "So lead the way, Jamie."
So Jamie led them to what looked like a tower of multi cardboard boxes stacked on top of the other with the motel's name painted in the center of them. As they arrived a dog wearing a doorman's hat escorted them inside where they signed in.
Then they crawled into a few more adjoined boxes where they entered the restaurant where they served today's special, cold meatloaf. Then they went into the lounge area where they were entertained by a small band of dogs, a terrier who played a drum, a Doberman who played a tambourine, a cocker spaniel who played a horn, with a white poodle wearing a necklace of bottle caps around her neck singing "You Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog." Then they were shown to their rooms where they turned in for the night.
The next day the said goodbye to Jamie and started on their way again. It wasn't long before they came to a green sign by the road which said, NOW ENTERING COLUMBUS.
"Why, I do believe we've just entered into Rugby's family's city," said Barkerville triumphantly.
"So now it's up to the Nose to find out where they live," said Cooler turning to Nose Marie.
"You can count on me, Cooler," assured Nose Marie. She took a good sniff of Rugby and then headed into a Northwesterly direction with the others following close behind her.
They walked on and on for a long time and as the sun rose higher in the sky they felt the need to stop to rest and so they did and sat down by a curb behind a dumpster.
"It seems like we've been walking all day," said Cooler tiredly. "Can you tell us how much farther it is to the home of Rugby's family?" he asked Nose Marie.
Nose Marie sniffed at the air, then sniffed at it again, and again. Then finally with a slightly troubled expression she said, "It's close, just a few more miles or so."
"I was afraid of that," said Scrounger wearily.
They started off again at a brisk pace still heading Northwest. Shortly after Nose Marie stopped them and began sniffing at the air again.
"It's this way," she said and led them into the Westerly direction. They all followed for they all had great confidence in her nose.
After a while of heading in the new direction Nose Marie stopped them and sniffed at the air for a long moment and then said, "This way."
"But... uh... didn't we just come from that way," asked Cooler uneasily.
Nose Marie looked at him in surprise and then she began sniffing at the air all around them in every direction. Then suddenly she gasped and her eyes went wide and she put her hand up to her face and nose as she exclaimed, "I can't smell anything!"
The others all looked at her in shock. "What?!" they all exclaimed in unison.
"I don't know where to go," Nose Marie said despairingly. "My nose has failed."
"What nonsense, old girl," said Barkerville. "You're nose has and always will be the finest in all the Pound and it's never failed."
"But it has," said Nose Marie with her eyes beginning to water. "I think I'm losing my sense of smell, if I haven't lost it already, because I can't smell anything except air which doesn't smell like anything."
"Oh no, impossible, my dear," said Barkerkille. "No dog can ever really lose their sense of smell, especially not a bloodhound."
"But we're lost now, and it's all because of my nose," Nose Marie wailed. Tears fell from her eyes and she let out a long howl.
"There, there now," said Barkerville coming up to her and putting his arm around her. "Your nose must just be exhausted is all, you've been smelling so many different things ever since we started on this journey and now it is just wanting a rest. Here," he added as he took out a handkerchief and lent it to her. "Maybe this will help."
She took the handkerchief and first wiped her eyes and then she blew her nose heavily.
"There, now try again," said Barkerville after a few moments.
"Do you really think it will work now?" asked Nose Marie.
"I'm sure it will," he replied. "I believe in you."
Nose Marie smiled weakly and then sniffed Rugby again and then put her nose to the air and drew a long sniff. Then her eyes lit up with joy suddenly and she began to hurry forward.
"Come on, everyone!" she called to them. "We're on the right track now, I can feel it!"
They all hurried after her and she led them about half a block down and stopped at a two-story house painted a pale yellow color with a peaked roof and lace curtains in the windows.
"Is this it?" asked Rugby hopefully.
"This is it, alright," said Nose Marie. "See for yourself." She stepped up to the door and knocked on it.
Kyle Chenworth was just inside in the living room watching television when he heard the knock on the door. "I'll get it," he called to his parents.
He opened the door and at first saw no one there but then he looked down and saw a very familiar looking brown puppy. I took him a moment to register the realization of why he was so familiar.
"Rugby? Is it really you?"
Rugby yipped and jumped up against Kyle and stuck out his tongue and looked at him with the most loving and eager expression.
"Rugby, it is you!" Kyle exclaimed as his face lit up and he took Rugby into his arms so that he licked his face all over.
"Mom! Dad! Rugby's here! He found us!" Kyle called to his parents as he hurried inside.
The Pound Puppies stood by silently watching the happy reunion. "Ah, it always gets me every time to see a lost puppy find his home," sighed Cooler as he wiped a stray tear from his eye.
"I told you my nose knew where to go," said Nose Marie.
"Just like I told you, my dear," said Barkerville.