Looking back they saw that the sky had become a glowing red as it often does just before the light dies out; seen through the dark, twisted trees the wood appeared to be on fire. The lovers sat down and gazed for a few moments in silence till the glory faded from the sky.
"Now for it, Norah," said Karl getting up and offering her a hand, "the way down into dwarfland must be quite near here!"
"Of course I know, I can find it at once," she answered.
They searched carefully around for the great crack in the rocks, but could find nothing in the least resembling it.
"How absurd; how can we miss it when it is certainly not more than a yard or two away," said Norah.
"The steps were not so easily recognisable, if I remember rightly," said Karl, "but we are sure to find them in a minute."
It grew darker and darker; the mountain was covered with boulders of stone, juniper bushes and stunted trees; but no trace of the great rent in the mountain-side could they discover.
"Did we dream it all?" said Karl.
"Impossible, why I have been down there many times," said Norah beginning to feel bitterly disappointed.
"Supposing I were to fetch some of my men here and blow up the rocks with dynamite; we must be able to get in then, for the mountain is as full of dwarfs as bees in a hive," said Karl, who was getting in a temper.