jrt.the hobbit-第27节

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　of　wet　rope。〃
　Fili　picked　up　the　hook　when　he　had　drawn　it　back；　rather　doubtfully　all　the　same。　This　time　he　threw　it　with　greater　strength。　　〃Steady！〃　said　Bilbo；　〃you　have　thrown　it　right　into　the　wood　on　the　other　side　now。　Draw　it　back　gently。〃　Fili　hauled　the　rope　back　slowly；　and　after　a　while　Bilbo　said：
　〃Carefully！　It　is　lying　on　the　boat；　let's　hope　the　hook　will　catch。〃　It　did。　The　rope　went　taut；　and　Fili　pulled　in　vain。　Kili　came　to　his　help；　and　then　Oin　and　Gloin。　They　tugged　and　tugged；　and　suddenly　they　all　fell　over　on　their　backs。　Bilbo　was　on　the　lockout；　however；　caught　the　rope；　and　with　a　piece　of　stick　fended　off　the　little　black　boat　as　it　came　rushing　across　the　stream。　〃Help！〃　he　shouted；　and　Balin　was　just　in　time　to　seize　the　boat　before　it　floated　off　down　the　current。
　〃It　was　tied　after　all；〃　said　he；　looking　at　the　snapped　painter　that　was　still　dangling　from　it。　〃That　was　a　good　pull；　my　lads；　and　a　good　job　that　our　rope　was　the　stronger。〃
　〃Who'll　cross　first？〃　asked　Bilbo。
　〃I　shall；〃　said　Thorin；　〃and　you　will　e　with　me；　and　Fili　and　Balin。　　That's　as　many　as　the　boat　will　hold　at　a　time。　After　that　Kili　and　Oin　and　Gloin　and　Don；　next　On　and　Nori；　Bifur　and　Bofur；　and　last　Dwalin　and　Bombur。〃　〃I'm　always　last　and　I　don't　like　it；〃　said　Bombur。　〃It's　somebody　else's　turn　today。〃
　〃You　should　not　be　so　fat。　As　you　are；　you　must　be　with　the　last　and　lightest　boatload。　Don't　start　grumbling　against　orders；　or　something　bad　will　happen　to　you。〃
　〃There　aren't　any　oars。　How　are　you　going　to　push　the　boat　back　to　the　far　bank？〃　asked　the　hobbit。
　〃Give　me　another　length　of　rope　and　another　hook；〃　said　Fili；　and　when　they　had　got　it　ready；　he　cast　into　the　darkness　ahead　and　as　high　as　he　could　throw　it。　Since　it　did　not　fall　down　again；　they　saw　that　it　must　have　stuck　in　the　branches。　〃Get　in　now；〃　said　Fili；　〃and　one　of　you　haul　on　the　rope　that　is　stuck　in　a　tree　on　the　other　side。　One　of　the　others　must　keep　hold　of　the　hook　we　used　at　first；　and　when　we　are　safe　on　the　other　side　he　can　hook　it　on；　and　you　can　draw　the　boat　back。〃
　In　this　way　they　were　all　soon　on　the　far　bank　safe　across　the　enchanted　stream。　Dwalin　had　just　scrambled　out　with　the　coiled　rope　on　his　arm；　and　Bombur　（still　grumbling）　was　getting　ready　to　follow；　when　something　bad　did　happen。　There　was　a　flying　sound　of　hooves　on　the　path　ahead。　Out　of　the　gloom　came　suddenly　the　shape　of　a　flying　deer。　It　charged　into　the　dwarves　and　bowled　them　over；　then　gathered　itself　for　a　leap。　High　it　sprang　and　cleared　the　water　with　a　mighty　jump。　But　it　did　not　reach　the　other　side　in　safety。　　Thorin　was　the　only　one　who　had　kept　his　feet　and　his　wits。　As　soon　as　they　had　landed　he　had　bent　his　bow　and　fitted　an　arrow　in　case　any　hidden　guardian　of　the　boat　appeared。　Now　he　sent　a　swift　and　sure　shot　into　the　leaping　beast。　As　it　reached　the　further　bank　it　stumbled。　The　shadows　swallowed　it　up；　but　they　heard　the　sound　of　hooves　quickly　falter　and　then　go　still。　　Before　they　could　shout　in　praise　of　the　shot；　however；　a　dreadful　wail　from　Bilbo　put　all　thoughts　of　venison　out　of　their　minds。　〃Bombur　has　fallen　in！　Bombur　is　drowning！〃　he　cried。　It　was　only　too　true。　Bombur　had　only　one　foot　on　the　land　when　the　hart　bore　down　on　him；　and　sprang　over　him。　He　had　stumbled；　thrusting　the　boat　away　from　the　bank；　and　then　toppled　back　into　the　dark　water；　his　hands　slipping　off　the　slimy　roots　at　the　edge；　while　the　boat　span　slowly　off　and　disappeared。
　They　could　still　see　his　hood　above　the　water　when　they　ran　to　the　bank。
　Quickly　they　flung　a　rope　with　a　hook　towards　him。　His　hand　caught　it；　and　hey　pulled　him　to　the　shore。　He　was　drenched　from　hair　to　boots；　of　course；　but　that　was　not　the　worst。　When　they　laid　him　on　the　bank　he　was　already　fast　asleep；　with　one　hand　clutching　the　rope　so　tight　that　they　could　not　get　it　from　his　grasp；　and　fast　asleep　he　remained　in　spite　of　all　they　could　do。　　They　were　still　standing　over　him；　cursing　their　ill　luck；　and　Bombur's　clumsiness；　and　lamenting　the　loss　of　the　boat　which　made　it　impossible　for　them　to　go　back　and　look　for　the　hart；　when　they　became　aware　of　the　dim　blowing　of　horns　in　the　wood　and　the　sound　as　of　dogs　baying　far　off。　Then　they　all　fell　silent；　and　as　they　sat　it　seemed　they　could　hear　the　noise　of　a　great　hunt　going　by　to　the　north　of　the　path；　though　they　saw　no　sign　of　it。　　There　they　sat　for　a　long　while　and　did　not　dare　to　make　a　move。　Bombur　slept　on　with　a　smile　on　his　fat　face；　as　if　he　no　longer　cared　for　all　the　troubles　that　vexed　them。
　Suddenly　on　the　path　ahead　appeared　some　white　deer；　a　hind　and　fawns　as　snowy　white　as　the　hart　had　been　dark。　They　glimmered　in　the　shadows。　Before　Thorin　could　cry　out　three　of　the　dwarves　had　leaped　to　their　feet　and　loosed　off　arrows　from　their　bows。　None　seemed　to　find　their　mark。　The　deer　turned　and　vanished　in　the　trees　as　silently　as　they　had　e；　and　in　vain　the　dwarves　shot　their　arrows　after　them。
　〃Stop！　stop！〃　shouted　Thorin；　but　it　was　too　late；　the　excited　dwarves　had　wasted　their　last　arrows；　and　now　the　bows　that　Beorn　had　given　them　were　useless。
　They　were　a　gloomy　party　that　night；　and　the　gloom　gathered　still　deeper　on　them　in　the　following　days。　They　had　crossed　the　enchanted　stream；　but　beyond　it　the　path　seemed　to　straggle　on　just　as　before；　and　in　the　forest　they　could　see　no　change。　Yet　if　they　had　known　more　about　it　and　considered　the　meaning　of　the　hunt　and　the　white　deer　that　had　appeared　upon　their　path；　they　would　have　known　that　they　were　at　last　drawing　towards　the　eastern　edge；　and　would　soon　have　e；　if　they　could　have　kept　up　their　courage　and　their　hope；　to　thinner　trees　and　places　where　the　sunlight　came　again。　　But　they　did　not　know　this；　and　they　were　burdened　with　the　heavy　body　of　Bombur；　which　they　had　to　carry　along　with　them　as　best　they　could；　taking　the　wearisome　task　in　turns　of　four　each　while　the　others　shared　their　packs。　If　these　had　not　bee　all　too　light　in　the　last　few　days；　they　would　never　have　managed　it；　but　a　slumbering　and　smiling　Bombur　was　a　poor　exchange　for　packs　filled　with　food　however　heavy。　In　a　few　days　a　time　came　when　there　was　practically　nothing　left　to　eat　or　to　drink。　Nothing　wholesome　could　they　see　growing　in　the　woods；　only　funguses　and　herbs　with　pale　leaves　and　unpleasant　smell。
　About　four　days　from　the　enchanted　stream　they　came　to　a　part　where　most　of　the　trees　were　beeches。　They　were　at　first　inclined　to　be　cheered　by　the　change；　for　here　there　was　no　undergrowth　and　the　shadow　was　not　so　deep。　　There　was　a　greenish　light　about　them；　and　in　places　they　could　see　some　distance　to　either　side　of　the　path。　Yet　the　light　only　showed　them　endless　lines　of　straight　grey　trunks　like　the　pillars　of　some　huge　twilight　hall。　　There　was　a　breath　of　air　and　a　noise　of　wind；　but　it　had　a　sad　sound。　A　few　leaves　came　rustling　down　to　remind　them　that　outside　autumn　was　ing　on。　　Their　feet　ruffled　among　the　dead　leaves　of　countless　other　autumns　that　drifted　over　the　banks　of　the　path　from　the　deep　red　carpets　of　the　forest。　　Still　Bombur　slept　and　they　grew　very　weary。　At　times　they　heard　disquieting　laughter。　Sometimes　there　was　singing　in　the　distance　too。　The　laughter　was　the　laughter　of　fair　voices　not　of　goblins；　and　the　singing　was　beautiful；　but　it　sounded　eerie　and　strange；　and　they　were　not　forted；　rather　they　hurried　on　from　those　parts　with　what　strength　they　had　left。　　Two　days　later　they　found　their　path　going　downwards　and　before　long　they　were　in　a　valley　filled　almost　entirely　with　a　mighty　growth　of　oaks。　　〃Is　there　no　end　to　this　accursed　forest？〃　said　Thorin。　　〃Somebody　must　climb　a　tree　and　see　if　he　can　get　his　head　above　the　roof　and　have　a　look　round。　The　only　way　is　to　choose　the　tallest　tree　that　overhangs　the　path。〃
　Of　course　〃somebody〃　meant　Bilbo。　They　chose　him　because　to　be　of　any　use　the　climber　must　get　his　head　above　the　topmost　leaves；　and　so　he　must　be　light　enough　for　the　highest　and　slenderest　branches　to　bear　him。　Poor　Mr。　　Baggins　had　never　had　much　practice　in　climbing　trees；　but　they　hoisted　him　up　into　the　lowest　branches　of　an　enormous　oak　that　grew　right　out　into　the　path；　and　up　he　had　to　go　as　best　he　could。　He　pushed　his　way　through　the　tangled　twigs　with　many　a　slap　in　the　eye；　he　was　greened　and　grimed　from　the　old　bark　of　the　greater　boughs；　more　than　once　he　slipped　and　caught　himself　just　in　time；　and　at　last；　after　a　dreadful　struggle　in　a　difficult　place　where　there　seemed　to　be　no　convenient　branches　at　all；　he　got　near　the　top。　All　the　time　he　was　wondering　whether　there　were　spiders　in　the　tree；　and　how　he　was　going　to　get　down　again　（except　by　falling）。
　In　the　end　he　poked　his　head　above　the　roof　of　leaves；　and　then　he　found　spiders　all　right。　But　they　were　only　small　ones　of　ordinary　size；　and　they　were　after　the　butterflies。　Bilbo's　eyes　were　nearly　blinded　by　the　light。　He　could　hear　the　dwarves　shouting　up　at　him　from　far　below；　but　he　could　not　answer；　only　hold　on　and　blink。　The　sun　was　shining　brilliantly；　and　it　was　a　long　while　before　he　could　bear　it。　When　he　could；　he　saw　all　round　him　a　sea　of　dark　green；　ruffled　here　and　there　by　the　breeze；　and　there　we