"You just wait until I do! I'll make you sorry you ever came near my
hickory tree," snapped Happy Jack.

"I'm waiting. Besides, it isn't your tree any more than it's mine,"
replied Chatterer, and made a face at Happy Jack.

Happy Jack hopped up as if he meant to begin the chase again, but he had
a pain in his side from running so hard and so long, and so he sat down
again. Right down in his heart Happy Jack knew that Chatterer was
right, that the tree didn't belong to him any more than to his cousin.
But when he thought of all those big, fat nuts with which the tall
hickory tree had been loaded, greedy thoughts chased out all thoughts of
right and he said to himself again, as he had said when he first saw his
cousin, that Chatterer shouldn't have _one_ of them. He stopped scolding
long enough to steal a look at them, and then--what do you think Happy
Jack did? Why, he gave such a jump of surprise that he nearly lost his
balance. Not a nut was to be seen! Happy Jack blinked. Then, he rubbed
his eyes and looked again. He couldn't see a nut anywhere!

There were the husks in which the nuts had grown big and fat until they
were ripe, but now every husk was empty. Chatterer saw the queer look on
Happy Jack's face, and he looked too. Now Chatterer the Red Squirrel had
very quick wits, and he guessed right away what had happened. He knew
that while they had been quarreling and racing over the top of the tall
hickory tree, they must have knocked down all the nuts, which were just
ready to fall anyway. Like a little red flash, Chatterer started down
the tree. Then Happy Jack guessed too, and down he started as fast as he
could go, crying, "Stop, thief!" all the way.