Then means of saving them were thought of. For hours the crowd waited, while the endless rope was uncoiled, and, together with the piece of wood, which had been made to shine with phosphorescent light, was floated into the Dragon's Hole. Then four strong men began hauling in the rope. No one dared to hope—hope seemed impossible. But when the block appeared again, out floated from the cavern's jaws the little boat!
And when the great crowd saw it, such a shout of joy went up as drowned the roaring of the torrent. The poor parents wept for joy, as they clasped their recovered children in their arms.
But they two were deathly pale, quite deaf, and almost blind. Slowly and only by degrees did they recover from the shock, and were able to look upon the happy faces around them, and hear the roaring waters and the shouts of joy.
Arm-in-arm they got into the softly-cushioned carriage; for they quite refused to be parted.
"What a bridal gift for our silver wedding!" exclaimed the forester. And his wife added: "Truly my prayers last night were not in vain!"
Thus they returned home through the forests to their own valley, the crowd following in procession, and dragging the little boat with them, like a trophy of victory—to be kept for Otto and Anna in everlasting remembrance of that terrible Whitsun eve.
