In their rambles through this little Arctic fairy land, Tom noticed that
the squirrels were now busy every day running away to their holes with
nuts and leaves. Of course they might have young ones to feed, he
thought; but surely it was something more than this which made them act
thus.

Creeping all alone one morning through the bushes, as quietly as a mouse,
Tom came upon a sight which taught him a useful lesson. For high up in
the trunk of an old tree was a big round hole with a squirrel's tail
hanging out. Presently up ran another squirrel, carrying a great mouthful
of leaves and clay.

The new-comer made a slight noise, when out came No. 1 and took the
bundle from No. 2, which then darted off for more.

"Ho! ho!" said Tom to himself, "they seem to be storing up food for
winter. Heigho! I thought it would always be summer in this fairyland.
But thank you, Master Squirrel, I shall go and do the same." So off went
Tom to tell Frank and the girls what he had seen the squirrels doing.

"As there is no sign of the ship coming back for us, children," he said
somewhat seriously, "and we may have to spend the winter here, I think,
you know, we ought to be making ready for it."

"So do I," said Pansy, looking very wise. "We want food, and we want wood
and all, doesn't we, Tom?"

"It won't be very, very cold in this island," said her brother, "because
we have the warm-water lake all round us. But perhaps the squirrels know
best."

So now began a very busy season indeed, for everybody went nut-gathering.

Tom opened up a squirrel's store, and a pretty noise the little creature
made about it. But he did not rob it; he only wanted to learn a lesson.

He noticed that the nuts it had collected were a little green on one
side, so these must be the best. Then he looked at the leaves and clay
that were packed over them, and thought he would get some just the same.

This going a-nutting in fairyland was real fine fun, and to have heard
their merry voices, talking and laughing and singing, with every now and
then Briton's great bass "Wowff!" and Veevee's shrill "Wiff!" no one
would have taken them for castaways and Crusoes.

Nutting made everyone so hungry too!

Rabbits were very plentiful on the island. The boys caught them by means
of snares made of a kind of tough creeper. And bonny Flossy caught as
many fish as would have kept a large family alive.

Tom seldom used his rifle, though he always carried it. The car