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1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet set over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, drop in the bread cubes and stir them about until they are crisp and golden brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer the cubes to a deep bowl.
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2. Place the sausage meat in the skillet and, mashing it frequently to break up any lumps, cook over moderate heat until no trace of pink remains and the meat has rendered all its fat. Do not let the sausage brown. Using the slotted spoon, add the sausage to the toasted bread cubes.
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3. Add the onions and celery to the fat remaining in the skillet and, stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not brown. With a rubber spatula, scrape the entire contents of the skillet into the bowl with the sausage and bread cubes.
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4. Add the apple, ½ teaspoon of the salt and the red pepper, and toss the stuffing ingredients together gently but thoroughly. Taste for seasoning.
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5. Wash the mallards briefly under cold running water and pat them dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Rub the skin of the birds with the remaining teaspoon of salt.
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6. Then fill the cavities with the sausage stuffing and close the openings by lacing, them with cord and small skewers or sewing them with heavy white thread. Truss the mallards neatly.
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7. Cross two bacon slices over the breast of each duck and wrap the ends of the bacon under the birds, pressing the slices snugly against the bodies to keep them in place.
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8. Place the ducks breast side up on a rack set in a shallow roasting pan, and roast in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue roasting for 30 minutes longer.
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9. To test for doneness, pierce a thigh with the point of a small sharp knife. The juice that trickles out should be clear yellow; if it is still tinged with pink, roast the ducks for another 5 to 10 minutes.
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10. Transfer the sausage-stuffed mallards to a heated platter and, for easier carving, let them rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
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