The water kept on swiftly rising, and it forced them out of the positions they occupied to ledges and pockets higher up on the rocks. To these all were forced to retreat, and the still senseless enchanter was carried after them by some of his cowardly, frightened followers who would have left him behind if it had not been for the stern command of King Stanislaus. Still higher and higher rose the water till they were again threatened in their new places of refuge, and it soon became evident that something had to be done, and that quickly. There was but one passage-way through which the water was not pouring like that of a swift mill-race, and this was the one in which the Brownies had been trapped. As the water ascended they were forced into it, and they continued on through it well knowing from bitter experience that the huge boulder effectually blocked the exit, and would hold them powerless until finally they were submerged by the relentless flood. [Illustration] But still they went on, hoping against hope, until they came to the boulder. It was still in place, and though they exerted all their strength in trying to remove it they could not budge it to even the extent of a millionth of an inch. Brownies used sticks as levers, and the demons employed brute force, but all their efforts proved in vain. "It's no use," at last said King Stanislaus, wiping his perspiring brow. "It looks as though this would be the end." A sudden thought entered Florimel's head--a wild, foolish thought perhaps, but not any more so than when he had aimed his magic arrow at the crescent moon. "Stand back, all of you!" he shouted. [Illustration] He took one of the four arrows that were in the quiver, and placed it in the bow. Then he aimed it at the rock, and pulled the cord, making no particular attempt at a display of strength which he realized fully could not accomplish his purpose. But to the infinite delight and astonishment of all a strange thing happened, that made the eyes pop in from every head. The arrow struck the base of the rock, which at the moment of contact burst into hundreds of jagged pieces that flew up into the air. As these fell they formed a series of steps that were as good as any mason could have planned. [Illustration] They ascended these steps with all possible haste up into the open, where the blue sky was above them, and where they could breathe freely the air that never before had seemed so sweet and pure. Looking around they could note the ravages of the flood, for with it there had come a mighty tidal wave from the sea, with abnormally high water that had changed the low marshlands into lakes, and had swollen the small creeks to roaring, rushing rivers. [Illustration] Just then a vivacious little mine-sprite found an opportunity to whisper to the Policeman: "This is leap-year, officer, and, to speak freely, I loved you at first sight."