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It was at such a time as this, when everything was ripe and ready, that the Red Flower went mad, and great was the excitement among both men and the wild creatures. It started its mad career on the Holcome farm down on the edge of the meadow. No one ever knew how it happened. Perhaps it was a cigarette butt or a partly extinguished match, but anyhow the mischief was done. One evening from his lookout Redcoat saw the Red Flower leap up in half a dozen places. After a short time he saw men striking at it with spruce bows. They were running hither and yon and seemed very much excited. They would beat the Red Flower down to earth in one spot only to have it leap up in another. As soon as they went to the new fire it would flame up in the spot they had just left. The night wind would catch it even as it did the dead leaves and it would go racing through the grass at a frightful pace. Soon the men brought teams and plowed furrows trying to stop it. Then they started other fires and tried to make them run towards the one that