jrt.the hobbit-第29节

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　〃I　was　having　such　a　lovely　dream；〃　he　grumbled；　〃all　about　having　a　most　gorgeous　dinner。〃
　〃Good　heavens！　he　has　gone　like　Bombur；〃　they　said。　〃Don't　tell　us　about　dreams。　Dream…dinners　aren't　any　good；　and　we　can't　share　them。〃　〃They　are　the　best　I　am　likely　to　get　in　this　beastly　place；〃　he　muttered；　as　he　lay　down　beside　the　dwarves　and　tried　to　go　back　to　sleep　and　find　his　dream　again。　But　that　was　not　the　last　of　the　lights　in　the　forest。　　Later　when　the　night　must　have　been　getting　old；　Kili　who　was　watching　then；　came　and　roused　them　all　again；　saying：
　〃There's　a　regular　blaze　of　light　begun　not　far　away　…　hundreds　of　torches　and　many　fires　must　have　been　lit　suddenly　and　by　magic。　And　hark　to　the　singing　and　the　harps！〃
　After　lying　and　listening　for　a　while；　they　found　they　could　not　resist　the　desire　to　go　nearer　and　try　once　more　to　get　help。　Up　they　got　again；　and　this　time　the　result　was　disastrous。　The　feast　that　they　now　saw　was　greater　and　more　magnificent　than　before；　and　at　the　head　of　a　long　line　of　feasters　sat　a　woodland　king　with　a　crown　of　leaves　upon　his　golden　hair；　very　much　as　Bombur　had　described　the　figure　in　his　dream。　The　elvish　folk　were　passing　bowls　from　hand　to　hand　and　across　the　fires；　and　some　were　harping　and　many　were　singing。　Their　gloaming　hair　was　twined　with　flowers；　green　and　white　gems　glinted　on　their　collars　and　their　belts；　and　their　faces　and　their　songs　were　filled　with　mirth。　Loud　and　clear　and　fair　were　those　songs；　and　out　stepped　Thorin　into　their　midst。
　Dead　silence　fell　in　the　middle　of　a　word。　Out　went　all　light。　The　fires　leaped　up　in　black　smokes。　Ashes　and　cinders　were　in　the　eyes　of　the　dwarves；　and　the　wood　was　filled　again　with　their　clamour　and　their　cries。　Bilbo　found　himself　running　round　and　round　（as　he　thought）　and　calling　and　calling：
　〃Dori；　Nori；　Ori；　Oin；　Gloin；　Fili；　Kili；　Bombur；　Bifur；　Bofur；　Dwalin；　Balin；　Thorin　Oakenshield；〃　while　people　he　could　not　see　or　feel　were　doing　the　same　all　round　him　（with　an　occasional　〃Bilbo！〃　thrown　in）。　But　the　cries　of　the　others　got　steadily　further　and　fainter；　and　though　after　a　while　it　seemed　to　him　they　changed　to　yells　and　cries　for　help　in　the　far　distance；　all　noise　at　last　died　right　away；　and　he　was　left　alone　in　plete　silence　and　darkness。　　That　was　one　of　his　most　miserable　moments。　But　he　soon　made　up　his　mind　that　it　was　no　good　trying　to　do　anything　till　day　came　with　some　little　light；　and　quite　useless　to　go　blundering　about　tiring　himself　out　with　no　hope　of　any　breakfast　to　revive　him。　So　he　sat　himself　down　with　his　back　to　a　tree；　and　not　for　the　last　time　fell　to　thinking　of　his　far…distant　hobbit…hole　with　its　beautiful　pantries。　He　was　deep　in　thoughts　of　bacon　and　eggs　and　toast　and　butter　when　he　felt　something　touch　him。　Something　like　a　strong　sticky　string　was　against　his　left　hand；　and　when　he　tried　to　move　he　found　that　his　legs　were　already　wrapped　in　the　same　stuff；　so　that　when　he　got　up　he　fell　over。
　Then　the　great　spider；　who　had　been　busy　tying　him　up　while　he　dozed；　came　from　behind　him　and　came　at　him。　He　could　only　see　the　things's　eyes；　but　he　could　feel　its　hairy　legs　as　it　struggled　to　wind　its　abominable　threads　round　and　round　him。　It　was　lucky　that　he　had　e　to　his　senses　in　time。　Soon　he　would　not　have　been　able　to　move　at　all。　As　it　was；　he　had　a　desperate　fight　before　he　got　free。　He　beat　the　creature　off　with　his　hands…it　was　trying　to　poison　him　to　keep　him　quiet；　as　small　spiders　do　to　flies…until　he　remembered　his　sword　and　drew　it　out。　Then　the　spider　jumped　back；　and　he　had　time　to　cut　his　legs　loose。　After　that　it　was　his　turn　to　attack。　The　spider　evidently　was　not　used　to　things　that　carried　such　stings　at　their　sides；　or　it　would　have　hurried　away　quicker。　Bilbo　came　at　it　before　it　could　disappear　and　struck　it　with　his　sword　right　in　the　eyes。　Then　it　went　mad　and　leaped　and　danced　and　flung　out　its　legs　in　horrible　jerks；　until　he　killed　it　with　another　stroke；　and　then　he　fell　down　and　remembered　nothing　more　for　a　long　while。
　There　was　the　usual　dim　grey　light　of　the　forest…day　about　him　when　he　came　to　his　senses。　The　spider　lay　dead　beside　him；　and　his　sword…blade　was　stained　black。　Somehow　the　killing　of　the　giant　spider；　all　alone　by　himself　in　the　dark　without　the　help　of　the　wizard　or　the　dwarves　or　of　anyone　else；　made　a　great　difference　to　Mr。　Baggins。　He　felt　a　different　person；　and　much　fiercer　and　bolder　in　spite　of　an　empty　stomach；　as　he　wiped　his　sword　on　the　grass　and　put　it　back　into　its　sheath。
　〃I　will　give　you　a　name；〃　he　said　to　it；　〃and　I　shall　call　you　Sting。〃　After　that　he　set　out　to　explore。　The　forest　was　grim　and　silent；　but　obviously　he　had　first　of　all　to　look　for　his　friends；　who　were　not　likely　to　be　very　far　off；　unless　they　had　been　made　prisoners　by　the　elves　（or　worse　things）。
　Bilbo　felt　that　it　was　unsafe　to　shout；　and　he　stood　a　long　while　wondering　in　what　direction　the　path　lay；　and　in　what　direction　he　should　go　first　to　look　for　the　dwarves。　〃O！　why　did　we　not　remember　Beorn's　advice；　and　Gandalf's！〃　he　lamented。　〃What　a　mess　we　are　in　now！　We！　I　only　wish　it　was　we：　it　is　horrible　being　all　alone。〃
　In　the　end　he　made　as　good　a　guess　as　he　could　at　the　direction　from　which　the　cries　for　help　had　e　in　the　night　…　and　by　luck　（he　was　born　with　a　good　share　of　it）　be　guessed　more　or　less　right；　as　you　will　see。　Having　made　up　his　mind　he　crept　along　as　cleverly　as　he　could。　Hobbits　are　clever　at　quietness；　especially　in　woods；　as　1。　have　already　told　you；　also　Bilbo　had　slipped　on　his　ring　before　he　started。　That　is　why　the　spiders　neither　saw　nor　heard　him　ing。
　He　had　picked　his　way　stealthily　'for　some　distance；　when　he　noticed　a　place　of　dense　black　shadow　ahead　of　him　black　even　for　that　forest；　like　a　patch　of　midnight　that　had　never　been　cleared　away。　As　he　drew　nearer；　he　saw　that　it　was　made　by　spider…webs　one　behind　and　over　and　tangled　with　another。
　Suddenly　he　saw；　too；　that　there　were　spiders　huge　and　horrible　sitting　in　the　branches　above　him；　and　ring　or　no　ring　he　trembled　with　fear　lest　they　should　discover　him。　Standing　behind　a　tree　he　watched　a　group　of　them　for　some　time；　and　then　in　the　silence　and　stillness　of　the　wood　he　realised　that　these　loathsome　creatures　were　speaking　one　to　another。　Their　voices　were　a　sort　of　thin　creaking　and　hissing；　but　he　could　make　out　many　of　the　words　that　they　said。　They　were　talking　about　the　dwarves！
　〃It　was　a　sharp　struggle；　but　worth　it；〃　said　one。　〃What　nasty　thick　skins　they　have　to　be　sure；　but　I'll　wager　there　is　good　juice　inside。〃　〃Aye；　they'll　make　fine　eating；　when　they've　hung　a　bit；〃　said　another。　　〃Don't　hang　'em　too　long；〃　said　a　third。　〃They're　not　as　fat　as　they　might　be。　Been　feeding　none　too　well　of　late；　I　should　guess。〃　〃Kill'em；　I　say；〃　hissed　a　fourth；　〃kill　'em　now　and　hang　'em　dead　for　a　while。〃
　〃They're　dead　now；　I'll　warrant；〃　said　the　first。
　〃That　they　are　not。　I　saw　one　a…struggling　just　now。　Just　ing　round　again；　I　should　say；　after　a　bee…autiful　sleep。　I'll　show　you。〃　With　that　one　of　the　fat　spiders　ran　along　a　rope；　till　it　came　to　a　dozen　bundles　hanging　in　a　row　from　a　high　branch。　Bilbo　was　horrified；　now　that　he　noticed　them　for　the　first　time　dangling　in　the　shadows；　to　see　a　dwarvish　foot　sticking　out　of　the　bottoms　of　some　of　the　bundles；　or　here　and　there　the　tip　of　a　nose；　or　a　bit　of　beard　or　of　a　hood。
　To　the　fattest　of　these　bundles　the　spider　went…〃It　is　poor　old　Bombur；　I'll　bet；〃　thought　Bilbo　…　and　nipped　hard　at　the　nose　that　stuck　out。　There　was　a　muffled　yelp　inside；　and　a　toe　shot　up　and　kicked　the　spider　straight　and　hard。　There　was　life　in　Bombur　still。　There　was　a　noise　like　the　kicking　of　a　flabby　football；　and　the　enraged　spider　fell　off　the　branch；　only　catching　itself　with　its　own　thread　just　in　time。
　The　others　laughed。　〃You　were　quite　right；〃　they　said；　〃the　meat's　alive　and　kicking！〃　〃　〃I'll　soon　put　an　end　to　that；〃　hissed　the　angry　spider　climbing　back　onto　the　branch。
　Bilbo　saw　that　the　moment　had　e　when　he　must　do　something。　He　could　not　get　up　at　the　brutes　and　he　had　nothing　to　shoot　with；　but　looking　about　he　saw　that　in　this　place　there　were　many　stones　lying　in　what　appeared　to　be　a　now　dry　little　watercourse。　Bilbo　was　a　pretty　fair　shot　with　a　stone；　and　it　did　not　take　him　long　to　find　a　nice　smooth　egg…shaped　one　that　fitted　his　hand　cosily。
　As　a　boy　he　used　to　practise　throwing　stones　at　things；　until　rabbits　and　squirrels；　and　even　birds；　got　out　of　his　way　as　quick　as　lightning　if　they　saw　him　stoop；　and　even　grownup　he　had　still　spent　a　deal　of　his　time　at　quoits；　dart…throwing；　shooting　at　the　wand；　bowls；　ninepins　and　other　quiet　games　of　the　aiming　and　throwing　sort…indeed　he　could　do　lots　of　things；　besides　blowing　smoke…rings；　asking　riddles　and　cooking；　that　I　haven't　had　time　to　tell　you　about。　There　is　no　time　now。　While　he　was　picking　up　stones；　the　spider　had　reached　Bombur；　and　soon　he　would　have　been　dead。　At　that　moment　Bilbo　threw。　The　stone　struck　the　spider　plunk　on　the　head；　and　it　dropped　senseless　off　the　tree；　flop　to　the　ground；　with　all　its　legs　curled　up。
　The　next　stone　went　whizzing　through　a　big　web；　snapping