Redruff 5 1 



RedrufF's mother knew it was coming as 

 soon as she saw the frost grapes blackening, 

 and the maples shedding their crimson and 

 gold. There was nothing to do but care for 

 their health and keep them in the quietest part 

 of the woods. 



The first sign of it came when a flock of wild 

 geese went hoyikitig southward overhead. The 

 young ones had never before seen such long- 

 necked hawks, and were afraid of them. But 

 seeing that their mother had no fear, they took 

 courage, and watched them with intense inter- 

 est. Was it the wild, clanging cry that moved 

 them, or was it solely the inner prompting then 

 come to the surface? A strange longing to 

 follow took possession of each of the young 

 ones. They watched those arrowy trumpeters 

 fading away to the south, and sought out higher 

 perches to watch them farther yet, and from 

 that time things were no more the same. The 

 November moon was waxing, and when it was 

 full, the November madness came. 



The least vigorous of the flock were most 

 affected. The little family was scattered. Red- 

 ruff himself flew on several long erratic night 

 journeys. The impulse took him southward, 

 out there lay the boundless stretch of Lake 

 Ontario, so he turned again, and the waning of 



