Rebuff 



no one moved or peeped. He saw not one, but 

 as he tramped about with heedless, hateful feet, 

 he crossed and crossed again their hiding- 

 ground, and more than one of the silent little 

 sufferers he trampled to death, and neither knew 

 nor cared. 



Redruff had taken the yellow brute away of! 

 down-stream, and now returned to where he 

 left his mate. The murderer had gone, taking 

 her remains, to be thrown to the dog. Red- 

 ruff sought about and found the bloody spot 

 with feathers, Brownie's feathers, scattered 

 around, and now he knew the meaning of that 

 shot. 



Who can tell what his horror and his mourn- 

 ing were ? The outward signs were few, some 

 minutes dumbly gazing at the place with down- 

 cast, draggled look, and then a change at the 

 thought of their helpless brood. Back to the 

 hiding-place he went, and called the well-known 

 ' Kreet, kreet. ' Did every grave give up its little 

 inmate at the magic word? No, barely more than 

 half; six little balls of down unveiled their lus- 

 trous eyes, and, rising, ran to meet him, but four 

 feathered little bodies had found their graves in- 



344 



