But Sally opposed this proposition with all her power, and assured him firmly that Erick had not gone home; that he would have first come back to her; and she was not going a step away from where he had left her, until Erick came, for if he were to come and she was not there, then he would wait for her again, if he had to wait the whole night, she was sure of that.

“We must go home, you know it,” declared Edi.  “Come, Sally, you know we must.”

“I cannot, I cannot!” lamented Sally.  “You go with Ritz and tell them at home how it is; perhaps Erick cannot find the road again.”  At this conjecture which, only now after she had uttered it, Sally saw plainly, she began to weep and sob piteously, while Edi took Ritz by the hand and ran toward home as quickly as possible.

Mother and Aunt were standing before the parsonage, looking in all directions to see if the children would not make their appearance somewhere.  ’Lizebeth ran to and fro, hither and thither, and asked of the returning children of the neighborhood, where the parsonage children were.  She received the same answer from all:  the three were still below by the Woodbach, and were waiting for Erick, who had gone alone.  At last Ritz and Edi came running through the darkness.  Both panted in confusion, one interrupting the other.  They shouted:  “Sally sits—­“—­“Erick is over”—­“Yes, Erick is over”—­“But Sally still sits and”—­

“Sally sits and Erick is over!” cried the aunt.  “Now let anyone make sense of that!” But the mother drew Edi aside and said; “Come, tell me quietly what has happened.”

Then Edi told everything, how Erick had climbed over the rock and how Sally now was sitting alone below near the Woodbach, and Erick gave no answer to all his calling.

“For heaven’s sake,” the mother cried, now thoroughly frightened, “I hope that nothing has happened to Erick!  Or could he have lost his way?” She ran into the house to ask her husband what was to be done.  At once ’Lizebeth ran to seven or eight neighbors and brought them together with a good deal of noise, all armed with staves and lanterns, as ’Lizebeth had ordered.  Also several women hastened up, they too wanted to help in the seeking.  Now the pastor had come out and joined them, for he himself wanted to do everything to find Erick, and at any rate to bring Sally home.  ’Lizebeth came last in the procession, with a large basket hanging from her arm, for without a basket, ’Lizebeth could not leave the house.

Two long hours went by, while the mother walked ceaselessly to and fro, now to the window, then to the house door, now up and down the sitting-room; for the longer no news came the greater grew her fear.  At last the house-door was opened and in came the father, holding the weeping Sally by the hand, for he had not been able to comfort her.  They had at that time not been able to get a trace of Erick; but the neighbors were still seeking for him and had promised not to stop seeking until he was found.  ’Lizebeth was still with them, and she was the most energetic of all the seekers.