But Siccatee herself was too frightened to go down on the beach, for she was a very nervous little thing.  Sentre, her husband, was quite daring, and not easily frightened.  They had worked very hard together, and their children, who were now getting quite strong and big, had done their best to help them.  Only that morning Siccatee woke up feeling quite bright and cheerful, for she had accumulated nearly enough winter food for herself and her little ones; but then, that very afternoon, just as she was taking two big beechnuts to one of her secret hiding-places, she saw two Horrible Humans standing close to it.

Siccatee suddenly stopped, hugging the two nuts tightly to her breast with her funny little paws, and whisking her tail nervously up and down, making waves in the pretty, gray fur, while her nervous little mouth worked convulsively.  For, oh, what should she do if they found her treasures?

Quick as a flash she bounded behind a tree, for, with her wonderfully quick eyesight and senses always on the alert, she scented danger in a moment.

Once behind a tree, nothing could be seen of Siccatee but her bright eyes and just the tip of her bushy tail.  And even these were not noticed by the Humans.

After all, the Horrible Humans were only a little boy and a little girl.  But, oh, what mischief they did in the next few moments!  They seemed to be picking ferns and flowers, and for a few moments Siccatee hoped that they would pass her hoarding-place unnoticed.  But, alas! just as they were turning away, the little boy caught sight of the hollow in the tree, and, having a boy’s natural curiosity, he straightway went to investigate.

Siccatee’s little heart beat and throbbed and thumped until she felt nearly suffocated.  Her bright little eyes almost started out of her head with fear, and her tail waved, and waved, and waved—­a true index of the agitation of its owner.

She remembered that she had hidden her treasures in the tree as far back as she could go, and had carefully covered them with some powdery earth.  Perhaps they would think there was only earth in the hollow and not disturb it.

But in another moment the boy gave a scream of delight.  For a moment Siccatee could not see what he was doing, as his body was bent over the hole.  Then he suddenly stood up and called to his sister, and there, dragged out on the ground and strewn all about, was one of Siccatee’s beautiful winter hoards!

She did not know herself, until she saw it thrown out, what a quantity of food she and her family had collected.

The Humans did not seem to want the things after all, for the boy kicked them about, which made Siccatee very angry.  And the little girl, after picking them up, threw them down again.

It was so dreadful to see her precious treasures strewn about in this fashion, and kicked and bruised, that Siccatee, in spite of her self-control, gave a little, sobbing cry.