jrt.the hobbit-第16部分

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　〃And　here's　the　burglar！〃　said　Bilbo　stepping　down　into　the　middle　of　them；　and　slipping　off　the　ring。
　Bless　me；　how　they　jumped！　Then　they　shouted　with　surprise　and　delight。　　Gandalf　was　as　astonished　as　any　of　them；　but　probably　more　pleased　than　all　the　others。　He　called　to　Balin　and　told　him　what　he　thought　of　a　look…out　man　who　let　people　walk　right　into　them　like　that　without　warning。　It　is　a　fact　that　Bilbo's　reputation　went　up　a　very　great　deal　with　the　dwarves　after　this。　　If　they　had　still　doubted　that　he　was　really　a　first…class　burglar；　in　spite　of　Gandalf's　words；　they　doubted　no　longer。　Balin　was　the　most　puzzled　of　all；　but　everyone　said　it　was　a　very　clever　bit　of　work。
　Indeed　Bilbo　was　so　pleased　with　their　praise　that　he　just　chuckled　inside　and　said　nothing　whatever　about　the　ring；　and　when　they　asked　him　how　he　did　it；　he　said：　〃O；　just　crept　along；　you　know…very　carefully　and　quietly。〃
　〃Well；　it　is　the　first　time　that　even　a　mouse　has　crept　along　carefully　and　quietly　under　my　very　nose　and　not　been　spotted；〃　said　Balin；　〃and　I　take　off　my　hood　to　you。〃　Which　he　did。
　〃Balin　at　your　service；〃　said　he。
　〃Your　servant；　Mr。　Baggins；〃　said　Bilbo。
　Then　they　wanted　to　know　all　about　his　adventures　after　they　had　lost　him；　and　he　sat　down　and　told　them　everything…except　about　the　finding　of　the　ring　（〃not　just　now〃　he　thought）。　They　were　particularly　interested　in　the　riddle…petition；　and　shuddered　most　appreciatively　at　his　description　of　Gollum。
　〃And　then　I　couldn't　think　of　any　other　question　with　him　sitting　beside　me；〃　ended　Bilbo；　〃so　I　said　'what's　in　my　pocket？'　And　he　couldn't　guess　in　three　goes。　So　I　said：　'what　about　your　promise？　Show　me　the　way　out！'　But　he　came　at　me　to　kill　me；　and　I　ran；　and　fell　over；　and　he　missed　me　in　the　dark。　　Then　I　followed　him；　because　I　heard　him　talking　to　himself。　He　thought　I　really　knew　the　way　out；　and　so　he　was　making　for　it。　And　then　he　sat　down　in　the　entrance；　and　I　could　not　get　by。　So　I　jumped　over　him　and　escaped；　and　ran　down　to　the　gate。〃
　〃What　about　guards？〃　they　asked。　〃Weren't　there　any？〃　〃O　yes！　lots　of　them；　but　I　dodged　'em。　I　got　stuck　in　the　door；　which　was　only　open　a　crack；　and　I　lost　lots　of　buttons；〃　he　said　sadly　looking　at　his　torn　clothes。　〃But　I　squeezed　through　all　right…and　here　I　am。〃
　The　dwarves　looked　at　him　with　quite　a　new　respect；　when　he　talked　about　dodging　guards；　jumping　over　Gollum；　and　squeezing　through；　as　if　it　was　not　very　difficult　or　very　alarming。
　〃What　did　I　tell　you？〃　said　Gandalf　laughing。　〃Mr。　Baggins　has　more　about　him　than　you　guess。〃　He　gave　Bilbo　a　queer　look　from　under　his　bushy　eyebrows；　as　he　said　this；　and　the　hobbit　wondered　if　he　guessed　at　the　part　of　his　tale　that　he　had　left　out。
　Then　he　had　questions　of　his　own　to　ask；　for　if　Gandalf　had　explained　it　all　by　now　to　the　dwarves；　Bilbo　had　not　heard　it。　He　wanted　to　know　how　the　wizard　had　turned　up　again；　and　where　they　had　all　got　to　now。　　The　wizard；　to　tell　the　truth；　never　minded　explaining　his　cleverness　more　than　once；　so　now　he　had　told　Bilbo　that　both　he　and　Elrond　had　been　well　aware　of　the　presence　of　evil　goblins　in　that　part　of　the　mountains。　But　their　main　gate　used　to　e　out　on　a　different　pass；　one　more　easy　to　travel　by；　so　that　they　often　caught　people　benighted　near　their　gates。　Evidently　people　had　given　up　going　that　way；　and　the　goblins　must　have　opened　their　new　entrance　at　the　top　of　the　pass　the　dwarves　had　taken；　quite　recently；　because　it　had　been　found　quite　safe　up　to　now。
　〃I　must　see　if　I　can't　find　a　more　or　less　decent　giant　to　block　it　up　again；〃　said　Gandalf；　〃or　soon　there　will　be　no　getting　over　the　mountains　at　all。〃
　As　soon　as　Gandalf　had　heard　Bilbo's　yell　he　realized　what　had　happened。　　In　the　flash　which　killed　the　goblins　that　were　grabbing　him　he　had　nipped　inside　the　crack；　just　as　it　snapped　to。　He　followed　after　the　drivers　and　prisoners　right　to　the　edge　of　the　great　hall；　and　there　he　sat　down　and　worked　up　the　best　magic　he　could　in　the　shadows。
　〃A　very　ticklish　business；　it　was；〃　he　said。　〃Touch　and　go！〃　But；　of　course；　Gandalf　had　made　a　special　study　of　bewitchments　with　fire　and　lights　（even　the　hobbit　had　never　forgotten　the　magic　fireworks　at　Old　Took's　midsummer…eve　parties；　as　you　remember）。　The　rest　we　all　know　…　except　that　Gandalf　knew　all　about　the　back…door；　as　the　goblins　called　the　lower　gate；　where　Bilbo　lost　his　buttons。　As　a　matter　of　fact　it　was　well　known　to　anybody　who　was　acquainted　with　this　part　of　the　mountains；　but　it　took　a　wizard　to　keep　his　head　in　the　tunnels　and　guide　them　in　the　right　direction。
　〃They　made　that　gate　ages　ago；〃　he　said；　〃partly　for　a　way　of　escape；　if　they　needed　one；　partly　as　a　way　out　into　the　lands　beyond；　where　they　still　e　in　the　dark　and　do　great　damage。　They　guard　it　always　and　no　one　has　ever　managed　to　block　it　up。　They　will　guard　it　doubly　after　this；〃　he　laughed。　　All　the　others　laughed　too。　After　all　they　had　lost　a　good　deal；　but　they　had　killed　the　Great　Goblin　and　a　great　many　others　besides；　and　they　had　all　escaped；　so　they　might　be　said　to　have　had　the　best　of　it　so　far。　　But　the　wizard　called　them　to　their　senses。　〃We　must　be　getting　on　at　once；　now　we　are　a　little　rested；〃　he　said。　〃They　will　be　out　after　us　in　hundreds　when　night　es　on；　and　already　shadows　are　lengthening。　They　can　smell　our　footsteps　for　hours　and　hours　after　we　have　passed。　We　must　be　miles　on　before　dusk。　There　will　be　a　bit　of　moon；　if　it　keeps　fine；　and　that　is　lucky。　Not　that　they　mind　the　moon　much；　but　it　will　give　us　a　little　light　to　steer　by。〃
　〃O　yes！〃　he　said　in　answer　to　more　questions　from　the　hobbit。　〃You　lose　track　of　time　inside　goblin…tunnels。　Today's　Thursday；　and　it　was　Monday　night　or　Tuesday　morning　that　we　were　captured。　We　have　gone　miles　and　miles；　and　e　right　down　through　the　heart　of　the　mountains；　and　are　now　on　the　other　side…quite　a　short　cut。　But　we　are　not　at　the　point　to　which　our　pass　would　have　brought　us；　we　are　too　far　to　the　North；　and　have　some　awkward　country　ahead。　And　we　are　still　pretty　high　up。　Let's　get　on！〃
　〃I　am　so　dreadfully　hungry；〃　groaned　Bilbo；　who　was　suddenly　aware　that　he　had　not　had　a　meal　since　the　night　before　the　night　before　last。　Just　think　of　that　for　a　hobbit！　His　stomach　felt　all　empty　and　loose　and　his　legs　all　wobbly；　now　that　the　excitement　was　over。
　〃Can't　help　it；〃　said　Gandalf；　〃unless　you　like　to　go　back　and　ask　the　goblins　nicely　to　let　you　have　your　pony　back　and　your　luggage。〃　〃No　thank　you！〃　said　Bilbo。
　〃Very　well　then；　we　must　just　tighten　our　belts　and　trudge　on　…　or　we　shall　be　made　into　supper；　and　that　will　be　much　worse　than　having　none　ourselves。〃
　As　they　went　on　Bilbo　looked　from　side　to　side　for　something　to　eat；　but　the　blackberries　were　still　only　in　flower；　and　of　course　there　were　no　nuts；　nor　even　hawthorn…berries。　He　nibbled　a　bit　of　sorrel；　and　he　drank　from　a　small　mountain…stream　that　crossed　the　path；　and　he　ate　three　wild　strawberries　that　he　found　on　its　bank；　but　it　was　not　much　good。　　They　still　went　on　and　on。　The　rough　path　disappeared。　The　bushes；　and　the　long　grasses；　between　the　boulders；　the　patches　of　rabbit…cropped　turf；　the　thyme　and　the　sage　and　the　marjoram；　and　the　yellow　rockroses　all　vanished；　and　they　found　themselves　at　the　top　of　a　wide　steep　slope　of　fallen　stones；　the　remains　of　a　landslide。　When　they　began　to　go　down　this；　rubbish　and　small　pebbles　rolled　away　from　their　feet；　soon　larger　bits　of　split　stone　went　clattering　down　and　started　other　pieces　below　them　slithering　and　rolling；　then　lumps　of　rocks　were　disturbed　and　bounded　off；　crashing　down　with　a　dust　and　a　noise。　Before　long　the　whole　slope　above　them　and　below　them　seemed　on　the　move；　and　they　were　sliding　away；　huddled　all　together；　in　a　fearful　confusion　of　slipping；　rattling；　cracking　slabs　and　stones。　　It　was　the　trees　at　the　bottom　that　saved　them。　They　slid　into　the　edge　of　a　climbing　wood　of　pines　that　here　stood　right　up　the　mountain　slope　from　the　deeper　darker　forests　of　the　valleys　below。　Some　caught　hold　of　the　trunks　and　swung　themselves　into　lower　branches；　some　（like　the　little　hobbit）　got　behind　a　tree　to　shelter　from　the　onslaught　of　the　rocks。　Soon　the　danger　was　over；　the　slide　had　stopped；　and　the　last　faint　crashes　could　be　heard　as　the　largest　of　the　disturbed　stones　went　bounding　and　spinning　among　the　bracken　and　the　pine…roots　far　below。
　〃Well！　that　has　got　us　on　a　bit；〃　said　Gandalf；　〃and　even　goblins　tracking　us　will　have　a　job　to　e　down　here　quietly。〃　〃I　daresay；〃　grumbled　Bombur；　〃but　they　won't　find　it　difficult　to　send　stones　bouncing　down　on　our　heads。〃　The　dwarves　（and　Bilbo）　were　feeling　far　from　happy；　and　were　rubbing　their　bruised　and　damaged　legs　and　feet。　　〃Nonsense！　We　are　going　to　turn　aside　here　out　of　the　path　of　the　slide。　　We　must　be　quick！　Look　at　the　light！〃　The　sun　had　long　gone　behind　the　mountains。　Already　the　shadows　were　deepening　about　them；　though　far　away　through　the　trees　and　over　the　black　tops　of　those　growing　lower　down　they　could　still　see　the　evening　lights　on　the　plains　beyond。　They　limped　along　now　as　fast　as　they　were　able　down　the　gentle　slopes　of　a　pine　forest　in　a　slanting　path　leading　steadily　southwards。　At　times　they　were　pushing　through　a　sea　of　bracken　with　tall　fronds　rising　right　above　the　hobbit's　head；　at　times　they　were　marching　along　quiet　as　quiet　over　a　floor　of　pine…needles；　and　all　the　while　the　forest…gloom　got　heavier　and　the　forest…silence　deeper。　　There　was　no　wind　that　evening　to　bring　even　a　sea…sighing　into　the　branches　of　the　trees。
　〃Must　we　go　any　further？〃　asked　Bilbo；　when　it　was　so　dark　that　he　could　only　just　see　Thorin's　beard　wagging　beside　him；　and　so　quiet　that　he　could　hear　the　dwarves'　breathing　like　a　loud　noise。　〃My　toes　are　all　bruised　and　bent；　and　my　legs　ache；　and　my　stomach　is　wagging　like　an　empty　sack。〃　〃A　bit　further；〃　said　Gandalf。
　After　what　seemed　ages　further　they　came　suddenly　to　an　opening　where　no　trees　grew。　The　moon　was　up　and　was　shining　into　the　clearing。　Somehow　it　struck　all　of　them　as　not　at　all　a　nice　place；　although　there　was　nothing　wrong　to　see。
　All　of　a　sudden　they　heard　a　howl　away　down　hill；　a　long　shuddering