iretop and Firefly
and shook them soundly.

"You little red-headed wretches," she cried. "Here you are alive and
well, and fat as rabbits, and all this time I've worried the heart
nearly out of me wondering what had become of you!"

It had been such a long time since the spring morning when the Twins had
stolen away out of the cave that at first they did not know what Grannie
was talking about. They had never thought how she must have felt when
she found that they were gone.

Hawk-Eye laughed. "I've brought Grannie back with me on purpose to give
you what you deserve," he said. "She told me she was going to take a
stick to you as soon as she saw you, for playing such a trick on her."

"Just you wait until I get a stick," cried Grannie. She looked fierce
as she said it, but the Twins knew very well she was just as glad to see
them as they were to see her. They seized her hands, one on each side,
and began to pull her up the hill. Blackbird and Squaretoes pushed from
behind.

"Go along with you," screamed Grannie, holding back with all her might.
"I can't run so fast; I am all out of breath."

"We'll run you, then," screamed the children, and they pulled and pushed
until they got her panting and breathless to the top of the hill.
Hawk-Eye had drawn his precious boat high up on the beach out of reach
of the tide, and he and Limberleg followed more slowly with the basket
of clams.

At the top of the hill, the Twins, with Blackbird and Squaretoes, ducked
into the hidden path that led to the cave, just like mice diving down a
mouse-hole.

Grannie was left standing alone on the hill-top. She couldn't see what
had become of the children. She could hear their voices, and down the
bluff she could see a thin column of smoke rising. She knew the cave
must be there, but she didn't know how to get to it.

When Hawk-Eye and Limberleg came up, they took her with them through the
little green alley that led to the cave. When they reached it the
children had flung a great pile of dry sticks on the fire, and the
flames were leaping high in the air to welcome them.

"See," cried Limberleg, "even the fire dances with joy at your coming."

She took Grannie into the cave and showed her the piles of warm skins,
and the heaps of nuts: then she showed Grannie how to cook clams.

The Twins had taken Blackbird and Squaretoes the very first thing to see
the rabbits. Then they came back for Grannie and made her go and see