jrt.the hobbit-第34章

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　The　spiders　saw　the　sword；　though　I　don't　suppose　they　knew　what　it　was；　and　at　once　the　whole　lot　of　them　came　hurrying　after　the　hobbit　along　the　ground　and　the　branches；　hairy　legs　waving；　nippers　and　spinners　snapping；　eyes　popping；　full　of　froth　and　rage。　They　followed　him　into　the　forest　until　Bilbo　had　gone　as　far　as　he　dared。
　Then　quieter　than　a　mouse　he　stole　back。　He　had　precious　little　time；　he　knew；　before　the　spiders　were　disgusted　and　came　back　to　their　trees　where　the　dwarves　were　hung。　In　the　meanwhile　he　had　to　rescue　them。　The　worst　part　of　the　job　was　getting　up　on　to　the　long　branch　where　the　bundles　were　dangling。
　I　don't　suppose　he　would　have　managed　it；　if　a　spider　had　not　luckily　left　a　rope　hanging　down；　with　its　help；　though　it　stuck　to　his　hand　and　hurt　him；　he　scrambled　up…only　to　meet　an　old　slow　wicked　fat…bodied　spider　who　had　remained　behind　to　guard　the　prisoners；　and　had　been　busy　pinching　them　to　see　which　was　the　juiciest　to　eat。　It　had　thought　of　starting　the　feast　while　the　others　were　away；　but　Mr。　Baggins　was　in　a　hurry；　and　before　the　spider　knew　what　was　happening　it　felt　his　sting　and　rolled　off　the　branch　dead。　Bilbo's　next　job　was　to　loose　a　dwarf。　What　was　he　to　do？　If　he　cut　the　string　which　hung　him　up；　the　wretched　dwarf　would　tumble　thump　to　the　ground　a　good　way　below。　Wriggling　along　the　branch　（which　made　all　the　poor　dwarves　dance　and　dangle　like　ripe　fruit）　he　reached　the　first　bundle。
　〃Fili　or　Kili；〃　he　thought　by　the　tip　of　a　blue　hood　sticking　out　at　the　top。　〃Most　likely　Fili；〃　he　thought　by　the　tip　of　a　long　nose　poking　out　of　the　winding　threads。　He　managed　by　leaning　over　to　cut　most　of　the　strong　sticky　threads　that　bound　him　round；　and　then；　sure　enough；　with　a　kick　and　a　struggle　most　of　Fili　emerged。　I　am　afraid　Bilbo　actually　laughed　at　the　sight　of　him　jerking　his　stiff　arms　and　legs　as　he　danced　on　the　spider…string　under　his　armpits；　just　like　one　of　those　funny　toys　bobbing　on　a　wire。　　Somehow　or　other　Fili　was　got　on　to　the　branch；　and　then　he　did　his　best　to　help　the　hobbit；　although　he　was　feeling　very　sick　and　ill　from　spider…poison；　and　from　hanging　most　of　the　night　and　the　next　day　wound　round　and　round　with　only　his　nose　to　breathe　through。　It　took　him　ages　to　get　the　beastly　stuff　out　of　his　eyes　and　eyebrows；　and　as　for　his　beard；　he　had　to　cut　most　of　it　off。　Well；　between　them　they　started　to　haul　up　first　one　dwarf　and　then　another　and　slash　them　free。　None　of　them　were　better　off　than　Fili；　and　some　of　them　were　worse。　Some　had　hardly　been　able　to　breathe　at　all　（long　noses　are　sometimes　useful　you　see）；　and　some　had　been　more　poisoned。
　In　this　way　they　rescued　Kili；　Bifur；　Bofur；　Don　and　Nori。　Poor　old　Bombur　was　so　exhausted…he　was　the　fattest　and　had　been　constantly　pinched　and　poked…that　he　just　rolled　off　the　branch　and　fell　plop　on　to　the　ground；　fortunately　on　to　leaves；　and　lay　there。　But　there　were　still　five　dwarves　hanging　at　the　end　of　the　branch　when　the　spiders　began　to　e　back；　more　full　of　rage　than　ever。　Bilbo　immediately　went　to　the　end　of　the　branch　nearest　the　tree…trunk　and　kept　back　those　that　crawled　up。　He　had　taken　off　his　ring　when　he　rescued　Fili　and　forgotten　to　put　it　on　again；　so　now　they　all　began　to　splutter　and　hiss：
　〃Now　we　see　you；　you　nasty　little　creature！　We　will　eat　you　and　leave　your　bones　and　skin　hanging　on　a　tree。　Ugh！　he's　got　a　sting　has　he？　Well；　we'll　get　him　all　the　same；　and　then　we'll　hang　him　head　downwards　for　a　day　or　two。〃
　While　this　was　going　on；　the　other　dwarves　were　working　at　the　rest　of　the　captives；　and　cutting　at　the　threads　with　their　knives。　Soon　all　would　be　free；　though　it　was　not　clear　what　would　happen　after　that。　The　spiders　had　caught　them　pretty　easily　the　night　before；　but　that　had　been　unawares　and　in　the　dark。　This　time　there　looked　like　being　a　horrible　battle。　　Suddenly　Bilbo　noticed　that　some　of　the　spiders　had　gathered　round　old　Bombur　on　the　floor；　and　had　tied　him　up　again　and　were　dragging　him　away。　He　gave　a　shout　and　slashed　at　the　spiders　in　front　of　him。　They　quickly　gave　way；　and　he　scrambled　and　fell　down　the　tree　right　into　the　middle　of　those　on　the　ground。　His　little　sword　was　something　new　in　the　way　of　stings　for　them。　　How　it　darted　to　and　fro！　It　shone　with　delight　as　he　stabbed　at　them。　Half　a　dozen　were　killed　before　the　rest　drew　off　and　left　Bombur　to　Bilbo。　　〃e　down！　e　down！〃　he　shouted　to　the　dwarves　on　the　branch。　〃Don't　stay　up　there　and　be　netted！〃　For　he　saw　spiders　swarming　up　all　the　neighboring　trees；　and　crawling　along　the　boughs　above　the　heads　of　the　dwarves。
　Down　the　dwarves　scrambled　or　jumped　or　dropped；　eleven　all　in　a　heap；　most　of　them　very　shaky　and　little　use　on　their　legs。　There　they　were　at　last；　twelve　of　them　counting　poor　old　Bombur；　who　was　being　propped　up　on　either　side　by　his　cousin　Bifur；　and　his　brother　Bofur；　and　Bilbo　was　dancing　about　and　waving　his　Sting；　and　hundreds　of　angry　spiders　were　goggling　at　them　all　round　and　about　and　above。　It　looked　pretty　hopeless。　　Then　the　battle　began。　Some　of　the　dwarves　had　knives；　and　some　had　sticks；　and　all　of　them　could　get　at　stones；　and　Bilbo　had　his　elvish　dagger。
　Again　and　again　the　spiders　were　beaten　off；　and　many　of　them　were　killed。　But　it　could　not　go　on　for　long。　Bilbo　was　nearly　tired　out；　only　four　of　the　dwarves　were　able　to　stand　firmly；　and　soon　they　would　all　be　overpowered　like　weary　flies。　Already　the　spiders　were　beginning　to　weave　their　webs　all　round　them　again　from　tree　to　tree。　In　the　end　Bilbo　could　think　of　no　plan　except　to　let　the　dwarves　into　the　secret　of　his　ring。　He　was　rather　sorry　about　it；　but　it　could　not　be　helped。
　〃I　am　going　to　disappear；〃　he　said。　〃I　shall　draw　the　spiders　off；　if　I　can；　and　you　must　keep　together　and　make　in　the　opposite　direction。　To　the　left　there；　that　is　more　or　less　the　way　towards　the　place　where　we　last　saw　the　elf…fires。〃
　It　was　difficult　to　get　them　to　understand；　what　with　their　dizzy　heads；　and　the　shouts；　and　the　whacking　of　sticks　and　the　throwing　of　stones；　but　at　last　Bilbo　felt　he　could　delay　no　longer…the　spiders　were　drawing　their　circle　ever　closer。　He　suddenly　slipped　on　his　ring；　and　to　the　great　astonishment　of　the　dwarves　he　vanished。
　Soon　there　came　the　sound　of　〃Lazy　Lob〃　and　〃Attercop〃　from　among　the　trees　away　on　the　right。　That　upset　the　spiders　greatly。　They　stopped　advancing；　and　some；　went　off　in　the　direction　of　the　voice。　〃Attercop〃　made　them　so　angry　that　they　lost　their　wits。　Then　Balin；　who　had　grasped　Bilbo's　plan　better　than　the　rest；　led　an　attack。　The　dwarves　huddled　together　in　a　knot；　and　sending　a　shower　of　stones　they　drove　at　the　spiders　on　the　left；　and　burst　through　the　ring。　Away　behind　them　now　the　shouting　and　singing　suddenly　stopped。
　Hoping　desperately　that　Bilbo　had　not　been　caught　the　dwarves　went　on。　　Not　fast　enough；　though。　They　were　sick　and　weary；　and　they　could　not　go　much　better　than　a　hobble　and　a　wobble；　though　many　of　the　spiders　were　close　behind。　Every　now　and　then　they　had　to　turn　and　fight　the　creatures　that　were　overtaking　them　and　already　some　spiders　were　in　the　trees　above　them　and　throwing　down　their　long　clinging　threads。
　Things　were　looking　pretty　bad　again；　when　suddenly　Bilbo　appeared　and　charged　into　the　astonished　spiders　unexpectedly　from　the　side。　　〃Go　on！　Go　on！〃　he　shouted。　〃I　will　do　the　stinging！〃　And　he　did。　He　darted　backwards　and　forwards；　slashing　at　spider…threads；　hacking　at　their　legs；　and　stabbing　at　their　fat　bodies　if　they　came　too　near。　The　spiders　swelled　with　rage；　and　spluttered　and　frothed；　and　hissed　out　horrible　curses；　but　they　had　bee　mortally　afraid　of　Sting；　and　dared　not　e　very　near；　now　that　it　had　e　back。　So　curse　as　they　would；　their　prey　moved　slowly　but　steadily　away。　It　was　a　most　terrible　business；　and　seemed　to　take　hours。　But　at　last；　just　when　Bilbo　felt　that　he　could　not　lift　his　hand　for　a　single　stroke　more；　the　spiders　suddenly　gave　it　up；　and　followed　them　no　more；　but　went　back　disappointed　to　their　dark　colony。
　The　dwarves　then　noticed　that　they　had　e　to　the　edge　of　a　ring　where　elf…fires　had　been。　Whether　it　was　one　of　those　they　had　seen　the　night　before；　the