jrt.the hobbit-第39章

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　you　cannot　count　friends　that　are　all　packed　up　in　barrels。
　Very　soon　a　grey　patch　came　up　in　the　darkness　ahead。　He　heard　the　creak　of　the　water…gate　being　hauled　up；　and　he　found　that　he　was　in　the　midst　of　a　bobbing　and　bumping　mass　of　casks　and　tubs　all　pressing　together　to　pass　under　the　arch　and　get　out　into　the　open　stream。　He　had　as　much　as　he　could　do　to　prevent　himself　from　being　hustled　and　battered　to　bits；　but　at　last　the　jostling　crowd　began　to　break　up　and　swing　off；　one　by　one；　under　the　stone　arch　and　away。　Then　he　saw　that　it　would　have　been　no　good　even　if　he　had　managed　to　get　astride　his　barrel；　for　there　was　no　room　to　spare；　not　even　for　a　hobbit；　between　its　top　and　the　suddenly　stooping　roof　where　the　gate　was。
　Out　they　went　under　the　overhanging　branches　of　the　trees　on　either　bank。　　Bilbo　wondered　what　the　dwarves　were　feeling　and　whether　a　lot　of　water　was　getting　into　their　tubs。　Some　of　those　that　bobbed　along　by　him　in　the　gloom　seemed　pretty　low　in　the　water；　and　he　guessed　that　these　had　dwarves　inside。　　〃I　do　hope　I　put　the　lids　on　tight　enough！〃　he　thought；　but　before　long　he　was　worrying　too　much　about　himself　to　remember　the　dwarves。　He　managed　to　keep　his　head　above　the　water；　but　he　was　shivering　with　the　cold；　and　he　wondered　if　he　would　die　of　it　before　the　luck　turned；　and　how　much　longer　he　would　be　able　to　hang　on；　and　whether　he　should　risk　the　chance　of　letting　go　and　trying　to　swim　to　the　bank。
　The　luck　turned　all　right　before　long：　the　eddying　current　carried　several　barrels　close　ashore　at　one　point　and　there　for　a　while　they　stuck　against　some　hidden　root。　Then　Bilbo　took　the　opportunity　of　scrambling　up　the　side　of　his　barrel　while　it　was　held　steady　against　another。　Up　he　crawled　like　a　drowned　rat；　and　lay　on　the　top　spread　out　to　keep　the　balance　as　best　he　could。　The　breeze　was　cold　but　better　than　the　water；　and　he　hoped　he　would　not　suddenly　roll　off　again　when　they　started　off　once　more。　Before　long　the　barrels　broke　free　again　and　turned　and　twisted　off　down　the　stream；　and　out　into　the　main　current　Then　he　found　it　quite　as　difficult　to　stick　on　as　he　had　feared；　but　he　managed　it　somehow；　though　it　was　miserably　unfortable。　　Luckily　he　was　very　light；　and　the　barrel　was　a　good　big　one　and　being　rather　leaky　had　now　shipped　a　small　amount　of　water。　All　the　same　it　was　like　trying　to　ride；　without　bridle　or　stirrups；　a　round…bellied　pony　that　was　always　thinking　of　rolling　on　the　grass。　In　this　way　at　last　Mr。　Baggins　came　to　a　place　where　the　trees　on　either　hand　grew　thinner。　He　could　see　the　paler　sky　between　them。　The　dark　river　opened　suddenly　wide；　and　there　it　was　joined　to　the　main　water　of　the　Forest　River　flowing　down　in　haste　from　the　king's　great　doors。　There　was　a　dim　sheet　of　water　no　longer　overshadowed；　and　on　its　sliding　surface　there　were　dancing　and　broken　reflections　of　clouds　and　of　stars。　Then　the　hurrying　water　of　the　Forest　River　swept　all　the　pany　of　casks　and　tubs　away　to　the　north　bank；　in　which　it　had　eaten　out　a　wide　bay。　　This　had　a　shingly　shore　under　hanging　banks　and　was　walled　at　the　eastern　end　by　a　little　jutting　cape　of　hard　rock。　On　the　shallow　shore　most　of　the　barrels　ran　aground；　though　a　few　went　on　to　bump　against　the　stony　pier。　　There　were　people　on　the　look…out　on　the　banks。　They　quickly　poled　and　pushed　all　the　barrels　together　into　the　shallows；　and　when　they　had　counted　them　they　roped　them　together　and　left　them　till　the　morning。　Poor　dwarves！　　Bilbo　was　not　so　badly　off　now。　He　slipped　from　his　barrel　and　waded　ashore；　and　then　sneaked　along　to　some　huts　that　he　could　see　near　the　water's　edge。　　He　no　longer　thought　twice　about　picking　up　a　supper　uninvited　if　he　got　the　chance；　he　had　been　obliged　to　do　it　for　so　long；　and　he　knew　only　too　well　what　it　was　to　be　really　hungry；　not　merely　politely　interested　in　the　dainties　of　a　well…filled　larder。　Also　he　had　caught　a　glimpse　of　a　fire　through　the　trees；　and　that　appealed　to　him　with　his　dripping　and　ragged　clothes　clinging　to　him　cold　and　clammy。
　There　is　no　need　to　tell　you　much　of　his　adventures　that　night；　for　now　we　are　drawing　near　the　end　of　the　eastward　journey　and　ing　to　the　last　and　greatest　adventure；　so　we　must　hurry　on。　Of　course　helped　by　his　magic　ring　he　got　on　very　well　at　first；　but　he　was　given　away　in　the　end　by　his　wet　footsteps　and　the　trail　of　drippings　that　he　left　wherever　he　went　or　sat；　and　also　he　began　to　snivel；　and　wherever　he　tried　to　hide　he　was　found　out　by　the　terrific　explosions　of　his　suppressed　sneezes。　Very　soon　there　was　a　fine　motion　in　the　village　by　the　riverside；　but　Bilbo　escaped　into　the　woods　carrying　a　loaf　and　a　leather　bottle　of　wine　and　a　pie　that　did　not　belong　to　him。　The　rest　of　the　night　he　had　to　pass　wet　as　he　was　and　far　from　a　fire；　but　the　bottle　helped　him　to　do　that；　and　he　actually　dozed　a　little　on　some　dry　leaves；　even　though　the　year　was　getting　late　and　the　air　was　chilly。
　He　woke　again　with　a　specially　loud　sneeze。　It　was　already　grey　morning；　and　there　was　a　merry　racket　down　by　the　river。　They　were　making　up　a　raft　of　barrels；　and　the　raft…elves　would　soon　be　steering　it　off　down　the　stream　to　Lake…town。　Bilbo　sneezed　again。　He　was　no　longer　dripping　but　he　felt　cold　all　over。　He　scrambled　down　as　fast　as　his　stiff　legs　would　take　him　and　managed　just　in　time　to　get　on　to　the　mass　of　casks　without　being　noticed　in　the　general　bustle。　Luckily　there　was　no　sun　at　the　time　to　cast　an　awkward　shadow；　and　for　a　mercy　he　did　not　sneeze　again　for　a　good　while。　　There　was　a　mighty　pushing　of　poles。　The　elves　that　were　standing　in　the　shallow　。water　heaved　and　shoved。　The　barrels　now　all　lashed　together　creaked　and　fretted。　。
　〃This　is　a　heavy　load！〃　some　grumbled。　〃They　float　too　deep…some　of　these　are　never　empty。　If　they　had　e　ashore　in　the　daylight；　we　might　have　had　a　look　inside；〃　they　said。
　〃No　time　now！〃　cried　the　raftman。　〃Shove　off！〃
　And　off　they　went　at　last；　slowly　at　first；　until　they　had　passed　the　point　of　rock　where　other　elves　stood　to　fend　them　off　with　poles；　and　then　quicker　and　quicker　as　they　caught　the　main　stream　and　went　sailing　away　down；　down　towards　the　Lake。
　They　had　escaped　the　dungeons　of　the　king　and　were　through　the　wood；　but　whether　alive　or　dead　still　remains　to　be　seen。
　
　Chapter　10
　A　Warm　Wele
　
　The　day　grew　lighter　and　warmer　as　they　floated　along。　After　a　while　the　river　rounded　a　steep　shoulder　of　land　that　came　down　upon　their　left。　Under　its　rocky　feet　like　an　inland　cliff　the　deepest　stream　had　flowed　lapping　and　bubbling。　Suddenly　the　cliff　fell　away。　The　shores　sank。　The　trees　ended。　Then　Bilbo　saw　a　sight：　The　lands　opened　wide　about　him；　filled　with　the　waters　of　the　river　which　broke　up　and　wandered　in　a　hundred　winding　courses；　or　halted　in　marshes　and　pools　dotted　with　isles　on　every　side：　but　still　a　strong　water　flowed　on　steadily　through　the　midst。　And　far　away；　its　dark　head　in　a　torn　cloud；　there　loomed　the　Mountain！　Its　nearest　neighbours　to　the　North…East　and　the　tumbled　land　that　joined　it　to　them　could　not　be　seen。　All　alone　it　rose　and　looked　across　the　marshes　to　the　forest。　The　Lonely　Mountain！　Bilbo　had　e　far　and　through　many　adventures　to　see　it；　and　now　he　did　not　like　the　look　of　it　in　the　least。
　As　he　listened　to　the　talk　of　the　raftmen　and　pieced　together　the　scraps　of　information　they　let　fall；　he　soon　realized　that　he　was　very　fortunate　ever　to　have　seen　it　at　all；　even　from　this　distance。　Dreary　as　had　been　his　imprisonment　and　unpleasant　as　was　his　position　（to　say　nothing　of　the　poor　dwarves　underneath　him）　still；　he　had　been　more　lucky　than　he　had　guessed。　The　talk　was　all　of　the　trade　that　came　and　went　on　the　waterways　and　the　growth　of　the　traffic　on　the　river；　as　the　roads　out　of　the　East　towards　Mirkwood　vanished　or　fell　into　disuse；　and　of　the　bickerings　of　the　Lake…men　and　the　Wood…elves　about　the　upkeep　of　the　Forest　River　and　the　care　of　the　banks。
　Those　lands　had　changed　much　since　the　days　when　dwarves　dwelt　in　the　Mountain；　days　which　most　people　now　remembered　only　as　a　very　shadowy　tradition。　They　had　changed　even　in　recent　years；　and　since　the　last　news　that　Gandalf　had　had　of　them。