jrt.the hobbit-第12章

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　Chapter　4
　Over　Hill　and　Under　Hill
　
　There　were　many　paths　that　led　up　into　those　mountains；　and　many　passes　over　them。　But　most　of　the　paths　were　cheats　and　deceptions　and　led　nowhere　or　to　bad　ends；　and　most　of　the　passes　were　infested　by　evil　things　and　dreadful　dangers。　The　dwarves　and　the　hobbit；　helped　by　the　wise　advice　of　Elrond　and　the　knowledge　and　memory　of　Gandalf；　took　the　right　road　to　the　right　pass。
　Long　days　after　they　had　climbed　out　of　the　valley　and　left　the　Last　Homely　House　miles　behind；　they　were　still　going　up　and　up　and　up。　It　was　a　hard　path　and　a　dangerous　path；　a　crooked　way　and　a　lonely　and　a　long。　Now　they　could　look　back　over　the　lands　they　had　left；　laid　out　behind　them　far　below。　Far；　far　away　in　the　West；　where　things　were　blue　and　faint；　Bilbo　knew　there　lay　his　own　country　of　safe　and　fortable　things；　and　his　little　hobbit…hole。　He　shivered。　It　was　getting　bitter　cold　up　here；　and　the　wind　came　shrill　among　the　rocks。　Boulders；　too；　at　times　came　galloping　down　the　mountain…sides；　let　loose　by　midday　sun　upon　the　snow；　and　passed　among　them　（which　was　lucky）；　or　over　their　heads　（which　was　alarming）。　The　nights　were　fortless　and　chill；　and　they　did　not　dare　to　sing　or　talk　too　loud；　for　the　echoes　were　uncanny；　and　the　silence　seemed　to　dislike　being　broken…except　by　the　noise　of　water　and　the　wail　of　wind　and　the　crack　of　stone。　　〃The　summer　is　getting　on　down　below；〃　thought　Bilbo；　〃and　haymaking　is　going　on　and　picnics。　They　will　be　harvesting　and　blackberrying；　before　we　even　begin　to　go　down　the　other　side　at　this　rate。〃　And　the　others　were　thinking　equally　gloomy　thoughts；　although　when　they　had　said　good…bye　to　Elrond　in　the　high　hope　of　a　midsummer　morning；　they'　had　spoken　gaily　of　the　passage　of　the　mountains；　and　of　riding　swift　across　the　lands　beyond。　They　had　thought　of　ing　to　the　secret　door　in　the　Lonely　Mountain；　perhaps　that　very　next　first　moon　of　Autumn…〃　and　perhaps　it　will　be　Durin's　Day〃　they　had　said。　Only　Gandalf　had　shaken　his　head　and　said　nothing。　Dwarves　had　not　passed　that　way　for　many　years；　but　Gandalf　had；　and　he　knew　how　evil　and　danger　had　grown　and　thriven　in　the　Wild；　since　the　dragons　had　driven　men　from　the　lands；　and　the　goblins　had　spread　in　secret　after　the　battle　of　the　Mines　of　Moria。　Even　the　good　plans　of　wise　wizards　like　Gandalf　and　of　good　friends　like　Elrond　go　astray　sometimes　when　you　are　off　on　dangerous　adventures　over　the　Edge　of　the　Wild；　and　Gandalf　was　a　wise　enough　wizard　to　know　it。
　He　knew　that　something　unexpected　might　happen；　and　he　hardly　dared　to　hope　that　they　would　pass　without　fearful　adventure　over　those　great　tall　mountains　with　lonely　peaks　and　valleys　where　no　king　ruled。　They　did　not。　All　was　well；　until　one　day　they　met　a　thunderstorm　…　more　than　a　thunderstorm；　a　thunder…battle。　You　know　how　terrific　a　really　big　thunderstorm　can　be　down　in　the　land　and　in　a　river…valley；　especially　at　times　when　two　great　thunderstorms　meet　and　clash。　More　terrible　still　are　thunder　and　lightning　in　the　mountains　at　night；　when　storms　e　up　from　East　and　West　and　make　war。　　The　lightning　splinters　on　the　peaks；　and　rocks　shiver；　and　great　crashes　split　the　air　and　go　rolling　and　tumbling　into　every　cave　and　hollow；　and　the　darkness　is　filled　with　overwhelming　noise　and　sudden　light。　　Bilbo　had　never　seen　or　imagined　anything　of　the　kind。　They　were　high　up　in　a　narrow　place；　with　a　dreadful　fall　into　a　dim　valley　at　one　side　of　them。　　There　they　were　sheltering　under　a　hanging　rock　for　the　night；　and　he　lay　beneath　a　blanket　and　shook　from　head　to　toe。　When　he　peeped　out　in　the　lightning…flashes；　he　saw　that　across　the　valley　the　stone…giants　were　out　and　were　hurling　rocks　at　one　another　for　a。　game；　and　catching　them；　and　tossing　them　down　into　the　darkness　where　they　smashed　among　the　trees　far　below；　or　splintered　into　little　bits　with　a　bang。　Then　came　a　wind　and　a　rain；　and　the　wind　whipped　the　rain　and　the　hail　about　in　every　direction；　so　that　an　overhanging　rock　was　no　protection　at　all。　Soon　they　were　getting　drenched　and　their　ponies　were　standing　with　their　heads　down　and　their　tails　between　their　legs；　and　some　of　them　were　whinnying　with　fright。　They　could　hear　the　giants　guffawing　and　shouting　all　over　the　mountainsides。
　〃This　won't　do　at　all！〃　said　Thorin。　〃If　we　don't　get　blown　off　or　drowned；　or　struck　by　lightning；　we　shall　be　picked　up　by　some　giant　and　kicked　sky…high　for　a　football。〃
　〃Well；　if　you　know　of　anywhere　better；　take　us　there！〃　said　Gandalf；　who　was　feeling　very　grumpy；　and　was　far　from　happy　about　the　giants　himself。　　The　end　of　their　argument　was　that　they　sent　Fill　and　Kili　to　look　for　a　better　shelter。　They　had　very　sharp　eyes；　and　being　the　youngest　of　the　dwarves　by　some　fifty　years　they　usually　got　these　sort　of　jobs　（when　everybody　could　see　that　it　was　absolutely　no　use　sending　Bilbo）。　There　is　nothing　like　looking；　if　you　want　to　find　something　（or　so　Thorin　said　to　the　young　dwarves）。　You　certainly　usually　find　something；　if　you　look；　but　it　is　not　always　quite　the　something　you　were　after。　So　it　proved　on　this　occasion。
　Soon　Fili　and　Kili　came　crawling　back；　holding　on　to　the　rocks　in　the　wind。　〃We　have　found　a　dry　cave；〃　they　said；　〃not　far　round　the　next　corner；　and　ponies　and　all　could　get　inside。〃
　〃Have　you　thoroughly　explored　it？〃　said　the　wizard；　who　knew　that　caves　up　in　the　mountains　were　seldom　unoccupied。
　〃Yes；　yes！〃　they　said；　though　everybody　knew　they　could　not　have　been　long　about　it；　they　had　e　back　too　quick。　〃It　isn't　all　that　big；　and　it　does　not　go　far　back。〃
　That；　of　course；　is　the　dangerous　part　about　caves：　you　don't　know　how　far　they　go　back；　sometimes；　or　where　a　passage　behind　may　lead　to；　or　what　is　waiting　for　you　inside。　But　now　Fili　and　Kill's　news　seemed　good　enough。　So　they　all　got　up　and　prepared　to　move。　The　wind　was　howling　and　the　thunder　still　growling；　and　they　had　a　business　getting　themselves　and　their　ponies　along。　Still　it　was　not　very　far　to　go；　and　before　long　they　came　to　a　big　rock　standing　out　into　the　path。　If　you　stepped　behind；　you　found　a　low　arch　in　the　side　of　the　mountain。　There　was　just　room　to　get　the　ponies　through　with　a　squeeze；　when　they　had　been　unpacked　and　unsaddled。　As　they　passed　under　the　arch；　it　was　good　to　hear　the　wind　and　the　rain　outside　instead　of　all　about　them；　and　to　feel　safe　from　the　giants　and　their　rocks。　But　the　wizard　was　taking　no　risks。　He　lit　up　his　wand　…　as　he　did　that　day　in　Bilbo's　dining…room　that　seemed　so　long　ago；　if　you　remember…；　and　by　its　light　they　explored　the　cave　from　end　to　end。
　It　seemed　quite　a　fair　size；　but　not　too　large　and　mysterious。　It　had　a　dry　floor　and　some　fortable　nooks。　At　one　end　there　was　room　for　the　ponies；　and　there　they　stood　（mighty　glad　of　the　change）　steaming；　and　champing　in　their　nosebags。　Oin　and　Gloin　wanted　to　light　a　fire　at　the　door　to　dry　their　clothes；　but　Gandalf　would　not　hear　of　it。　So　they　spread　out　their　wet　things　on　the　floor；　and　got　dry　ones　out　of　their　bundles；　then　they　made　their　blankets　fortable；　got　out　their　pipes　and　blew　smoke　rings；　which　Gandalf　turned　into　different　colours　and　set　dancing　up　by　the　roof　to　amuse　them。　They　talked　and　talked；　and　forgot　about　the　storm；　and　discussed　what　each　would　do　with　his　share　of　the　treasure　（when　they　got　it；　which　at　the　moment　did　not　seem　so　impossible）；　and　so　they　dropped　off　to　sleep　one　by　one。　And　that　was　the　last　time　that　they　used　the　ponies；　packages；　baggages；　tools　and　paraphernalia　that　they　had　brought　with　them。　　It　turned　out　a　good　thing　that　night　that　they　had　brought　little　Bilbo　with　them；　after　all。　For　somehow；　he　could　not　go　to　sleep　for　a　long　while；　and　when　he　did　sleep；　he　had　very　nasty　dreams。　He　dreamed　that　a　crack　in　the　wall　at　the　back　of　the　cave　got　bigger　and　bigger；　and　opened　wider　and　wider；　and　he　was　very　afraid　but　could　not　call　out　or　do　anything　but　lie　and　look。　Then　he　dreamed　that　the　floor　of　the　cave　was　giving　way；　and　he　was　slipping…beginning　to　fall　down；　down；　goodness　knows　where　to。　　At　that　he　woke　up　with　a　horrible　start；　and　found　that　part　of　his　dream　was　true。　A　crack　had　opened　at　the　back　of　t