Now we must go back to Mr. and Mrs. Beaver and the three other children. As soon as Mr. Beaver said, “There's no time to lose, ”everyone began bundling themselves into coats, except Mrs. Beaver, who started picking up sacks and laying them on the table and said: “Now, Mr. Beaver, just reach down that ham. And here's a packet of tea, and there's sugar, and some matches. And if someone will get two or three loaves out of the crock over there in the corner.”
“What are you doing, Mrs. Beaver? ” exclaimed Susan.
“Packing a load for each of us, dearie, ” said Mrs. Beaver very coolly. “You didn't think we'd set out on a journey with nothing to eat, did you? ”
“But we haven't time! ” said Susan, buttoning the collar of her coat.“She may be here any minute.”
“That's what I say, ” chimed in Mr. Beaver.
“Get along with you all, ” said his wife. “Think it over, Mr. Beaver. She can't be here for quarter of an hour at least.”
“But don't we want as big a start as we can possibly get, ” said Peter, “if we're to reach the Stone Table before her? ”
“You've got to remember that, Mrs. Beaver, ” said Susan. “As soon as she has looked in here and finds we're gone she'll be off at top speed.”
“That she will, ” said Mrs. Beaver. “But we can't get there before her whatever we do, for she'll be on a sledge and we'll be walking.”
“Then—have we no hope? ” said Susan.
“Now don't you get fussing, there's a dear, ” said Mrs. Beaver,“but just get half a dozen clean handkerchiefs out of the drawer. 'Course we've got a hope. We can't get there before her but we can keep under cover and go by ways she won't expect and perhaps we'll get through.”
“That's true enough, Mrs. Beaver, ” said her husband. “But it's time we were out of this.”