ed and his bill was wearing blunt, but when the
sun went down he seemed as far as ever from escape. The night passed
like the others, except no fox went trotting overhead. In the morning he
renewed his pecking, though now with scarcely any force, and the voices
or struggles of the others were no more heard. As the daylight grew
stronger he could see that his long efforts had made a brighter spot
above him in the snow, and he continued feebly pecking. Outside, the
storm-horses kept on trampling all day, the crust was really growing
thin under their heels, and late that afternoon his bill went through
into the open air. New life came with this gain, and he pecked away,
till just before the sun went down he had made a hole that his head, his
neck, and his ever-beautiful ruffs could pass. His great broad shoulders
were too large, but he could now strike downward, which gave him
fourfold force; the snow-crust crumbled quickly, and in a little while
he sprang from his icy prison once more free.

But the young ones? Redruff flew to the nearest bank, hastily gathered
a few red hips to Stay his gnawing hunger, then returned to the
prison-drift and clucked and stamped. He got only one reply, a feeble
'peek, peete,' and scratching with his sharp claws on the thinned
granular sheet he soon broke through, and Graytail feebly crawled out
of the hole. But that was all; the others, scattered he could not tell
where in the drift, made no reply, gave no sign of life, and he was
forced to leave them. When the snow melted in the spring their bodies
came to view, skin, bones, and feathers--nothing more.

VII

It was long before Redruff and Graytail fully recovered, but food and
rest in plenty are sure cure-alls, and a bright clear day in midwinter
had the usual effect of setting the vigorous Redruff to drumming on the
log. Was it the drumming, or the tell-tale tracks of their snow-shoes
on the omnipresent snow, that betrayed them to Cuddy? He came prowling
again and again up the ravine, with dog and gun, intent to hunt the
partridges down. They knew him of old, and he was coming now to know
them well. That great copper-ruffed cock was becoming famous up and
down the valley. During the Gunner Moon many a one had tried to end his
splendid life, just as a worthless wretch of old sought fame by burning
the Ephesian wonder of the world. But Redruff was deep in woodcraft. He
knew just where to hide, and when to rise on silent wing, and when
to