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250 but from time to time, blows and falling stones seemed to strike our ears. I was uncertain what to do; curiosity prompted me to stay, but a sort of terror urged me to remove my child and myself. However, Jack, always daring, was unwilling to go till he had discovered the cause of the phenomenon. "If Francis were here," said he, "he would fancy it was the wicked gnomes, working under-ground, and he would be in a fine fight. For my part, I believe it is only people come to collect the salt in the rock."

"People !" said I; "you don't know what you are saying, Jack; I could excuse Francis and his gnomes,&mdash;it would be at least a poetic fancy, but yours is quite absurd. Where are the people to come from?"

"But what else can it be?" said he. "Hark! you may hear them strike the rock."

"Be certain, however," said I, "there are no people." At that moment, I distinctly heard human voices, speaking, laughing, and apparently clapping their hands. I could not distinguish any words; I was struck with a mortal terror; but Jack, whom nothing could alarm, clapped his hands also, with joy, that he had guessed right. "What did I say, papa? Was I not right? Are there not people within the rock?&mdash;friends, I hope." He was approaching the rock, when it appeared to me to be shaking; a stone soon fell down, then another. I seized hold of Jack, to drag him away, lest he should be crushed by the fragments of rock. At that moment another stone fell, and we saw two heads appear through the opening,&mdash;the heads of Fritz and Ernest. Judge of our surprise and joy! Jack was soon