Redruff 



and a peculiar musty smell told them that a 

 mink was the killer of their fool brother. 



Six little partridges now sat in a row at night, 

 with their mother in the middle, though it was 

 not unusual for some little one with cold feet to 

 perch on her back. 



Their education went on, and about this time 

 they were taught ' whirring. ' A partridge can 

 rise on the wing silently if it wishes, but whir- 

 ring is so important at times that all are taught 

 how and when to rise on thundering wings. 

 Many ends are gained by the whirr. It warns 

 all other partridges near that danger is at hand, 

 it unnerves the gunner, or it fixes the foe's at- 

 tention on the whirrer, while the others sneak 

 off in silence, or by squatting, escape notice. 



A partridge adage might well be ' foes and 

 food for every moon.' September came, with 

 seeds and grain in place of berries and ant- 

 eggs, and gunners in place of skunks and minks. 



The partridges knew well what a fox was, 

 but had scarcely seen a dog. A fox they knew 

 they could easily baffle by taking to a tree, but 

 when in the Gunner Moon old Cuddy came 

 prowling through the ravine with his bob-tailed 



320 



