"Here she is! Florence is found!" cried Emily, in joy; and from all quarters the seekers came running to the spot, while Florence, hardly knowing where she was, stared round her in surprise.
Fred came up first: "Where had—?" he cried; but no more was heard, for he sunk into the ground and disappeared.
Johnny came next, running towards them; "So you are—" he began, and also sunk into the ground disappeared.
Alfred was next. "Ah! Florence! I am—" he sunk, and disappeared.
Florence started up, but when she had got on her knees she began slipping and sinking, and in an instant had vanished.
"What is it?—where are—?" cried Emily rushing forward, and sunk like the others.
"Bless me!" cried Jacob. "Stop a moment! Wait a bit, Miss Jessie; hold fast by that stump, Miss Annie!"
But both were running too fast to stop themselves, and when they set their foot on the spot where all the rest had vanished, down they went and disappeared.
Little Ernest had taken longer to come up than the rest, for he had been dreadfully frightened about Florence, and had gone to a great distance to seek her, and had seen all this with the greatest wonder. He was running fast towards the place, when Florence's head appeared above ground.
"Dear Florence!" he cried, holding out both his hands, and catching hold of her's, which now came above ground also, "where are you? Have you all tumbled into one of those ponds covered with leaves, papa told us about? Shall you all be drowned?"