“They won’t like it,” said Firefly. “What do you think they will do to us?”
“They’ll wallop us,” said Firetop, “but I don’t care. It won’t hurt when it is over, and I’ve just got to go. We shall see all kinds of things that we’ve never seen before.”
“Well,” sighed Firefly, “I do hate that part of it, but I guess it’s worth it. Come on. Let’s climb this tree.”
The children could climb like monkeys, but they had their weapons and the meat and that made it a little difficult. They leaned their spears against the trunk of the tree, took the meat in their teeth, and up they went as easily as you could go upstairs. Then they hid themselves in a fork of the tree and ate their breakfast.
The thick branches made a screen around them so they could see without being seen. They watched the cave. It was not long before they saw Grannie come out and take a look at the weather. Then she put more fuel on the fire and sat down on a rock to gnaw a bone for her breakfast.
Soon Hawk-Eye and Limberleg appeared. They each had their weapons, and a reindeer-skin strapped by leather thongs across their shoulders. Limberleg had a gourd tied to her belt. They were each gnawing bones, too. They stopped to speak to Grannie. The Twins leaned forward and listened with all their ears. They heard Hawk-Eye say, “The children are still asleep. You can tell them when they wake up.”
Then they came along the path, eating as they came. They passed almost under the tree where the Twins were hiding. This seemed to the Twins so funny that they stuffed their mouths full of meat and then clapped their hands over them to keep from laughing aloud. As it was, a little snicker ran out between Firefly’s fingers. Hawk-Eye heard it.
“What’s that?” he said sharply. He and Limberleg stopped a moment and listened.
“Nothing but a squirrel,” said Limberleg. “There he is on that log over there.”