"Which is the nearest way to the mill?" asked Velvet-paw.

"Swim to the shore, and keep the Indian, path, and you will soon see it."

But while the grey squirrels were looking out for the path, the cunning
chitmunks whisked away into their holes, and left the inquirers in the
lurch, who could not tell what had become of them; for though they did
find a round hole that they thought might be one of their burrows, it was
so narrow that they could only poke in their noses, but could get no
further; the grey squirrels being much fatter and bigger than the slim
little chitmunks.

"After all," said Silvy, who was the best of the three, "perhaps, if we
had been civil, the chitmunks would have treated us better."

"Well," said Nimble, "if they had been good fellows, they would have
invited us, as our mother did cousin Blackie, and have set before us the
best they had. I could find it in my heart to dig them out of their holes,
and give them a good bite." This was all brag on Nimble's part, who was
not near so brave as he wished Silvy and Velvet-paw to suppose he was.

After spending some time in hunting for acorns, they made up their minds
to leave the island; and as it was not very far to the mainland, they
decided on swimming thither.

"Indeed," said Silver-nose, "I am tired of this dull place; we are not
better off here than we were in the little island in Stony Lake, where our
good old mother took care we should have plenty to eat, and we had a nice
warm nest to shelter us."