jrt.the hobbit-第32节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃We　did　not　attack　them；〃　answered　Thorin；　〃we　came　to　beg；　because　we　were　starving。〃
　〃Where　are　your　friends　now；　and　what　are　they　doing？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　but　I　expect　starving　in　the　forest。〃
　〃What　were　you　doing　in　the　forest？〃
　〃Looking　for　food　and　drink；　because　we　were　starving。〃
　〃But　what　brought　you　into　the　forest　at　all？〃　asked　the　king　angrily。
　At　that　Thorin　shut　his　mouth　and　would　not　say　another　word。　　〃Very　well！〃　said　the　king。　〃Take　him　away　and　keep　him　safe；　until　he　feels　inclined　to　tell　the　truth；　even　if　he　waits　a　hundred　years。'〃　Then　the　elves　put　thongs　on　him；　and　shut　him　in　one　of　the　inmost　caves　with　strong　wooden　doors；　and　left　him。　They　gave　him　food　and　drink；　plenty　of　both；　if　not　very　fine；　for　Wood…elves　were　not　goblins；　and　were　reasonably　well…behaved　even　to　their　worst　enemies；　when　they　captured　them。　　The　giant　spiders　were　the　only　living　things　that　they　had　no　mercy　upon。　　There　in　the　king's　dungeon　poor　Thorin　lay；　and　after　he　had　got　over　his　thankfulness　for　bread　and　meat　and　water；　he　began　to　wonder　what　had　bee　of　his　unfortunate　friends。　It　was　not　very　long　before　he　discovered；　but　that　belongs　to　the　next　chapter　and　the　beginning　of　another　adventure　in　which　the　hobbit　again　showed　his　usefulness。
　
　Chapter　9
　Barrels　Out　of　Bond
　
　The　day　after　the　battle　with　the　spiders　Bilbo　and　the　dwarves　made　one　last　despairing　effort　to　find　a　way　out　before　they　died　of　hunger　and　thirst。　They　got　up　and　staggered　on　in　the　direction　which　eight　out　of　the　thirteen　of　them　guessed　to　be　the　one　in　which　the　path　lay；　but　they　never　found　out　if　they　were　right。　Such　day　as　there　ever　was　in　the　forest　was　fading　once　more　into　the　blackness　of　night；　when　suddenly　out　sprang　the　light　of　many　torches　all　round　them；　like　hundreds　of　red　stars。　Out　leaped　Wood…elves　with　their　bows　and　spears　and　called　the　dwarves　to　halt。　　There　was　no　thought　of　a　fight。　Even　if　the　dwarves　had　not　been　in　such　a　state　that　they　were　actually　glad　to　be　captured；　their　small　knives；　the　only　weapons　they　had；　would　have　been　of　no　use　against　the　arrows　of　the　elves　that　could　hit　a　bird's　eye　in　the　dark。　So　they　simply　stopped　dead　and　sat　down　and　waited…all　except　Bilbo；　who　popped　on　his　ring　and　slipped　quickly　to　one　side。
　That　is　why；　when　the　elves　bound　the　dwarves　in　a　long　line；　one　behind　the　other；　and　counted　them；　they　never　found　or　counted　the　hobbit。　Nor　did　they　hear　or　feel　him　trotting　along　well　behind　their　torch…light　as　they　led　off　their　prisoners　into　the　forest。　Each　dwarf　was　blindfold；　but　that　did　not　make　much　difference；　for　even　Bilbo　with　the　use　of　his　eyes　could　not　see　where　they　were　going；　and　neither　he　nor　the　others　knew　where　they　had　started　from　anyway。　Bilbo　had　all　he　could　do　to　keep　up　with　the　torches；　for　the　elves　were　making　the　dwarves　go　as　fast　as　ever　they　could；　sick　and　weary　as　they　were。　The　king　had　ordered　them　to　make　haste。　Suddenly　the　torches　stopped；　and　the　hobbit　had　just　time　to　catch　them　up　before　they　began　to　cross　the　bridge。　This　was　the　bridge　that　led　across　the　river　to　the　king's　doors。　The　water　flowed　dark　and　swift　and　strong　beneath；　and　at　the　far　end　were　gates　before　the　mouth　of　a　huge　cave　that　ran　into　the　side　of　a　steep　slope　covered　with　trees。　There　the　great　beeches　came　right　down　to　the　bank；　till　their　feet　were　in　the　stream。　Across　this　bridge　the　elves　thrust　their　prisoners；　but　Bilbo　hesitated　in　the　rear。　He　did　not　at　all　like　the　look　of　the　cavern…mouth　and　he　only　made　up　his　mind　not　to　desert　his　friends　just　in　time　to　scuttle　over　at　the　heels　of　the　fast　elves；　before　the　great　gates　of　the　king　closed　behind　them　with　a　clang。　　Inside　the　passages　were　lit　with　red　torch…light；　and　the　elf…guards　sang　as　they　marched　along　the　twisting；　crossing；　and　echoing　paths。　These　were　not　like　those　of　the　goblin…cities：　they　were　smaller；　less　deep　underground；　and　filled　with　a　cleaner　air。　In　a　great　hall　with　pillars　hewn　out　of　the　living　stone　sat　the　Elvenking　on　a　chair　of　carven　wood。　On　his　head　was　a　crown　of　berries　and　red　leaves；　for　the　autumn　was　e　again。　In　the　spring　he　wore　a　crown　of　woodland　flowers。　In　his　hand　he　held　a　carven　staff　of　oak。
　The　prisoners　were　brought　before　him；　and　though　he　looked　grimly　at　them；　he　told　his　men　to　unbind　them；　for　they　were　ragged　and　weary。　〃Besides　they　need　no　ropes　in　here；〃　said　he。　〃There　is　no　escape　from　my　magic　doors　for　those　who　are　once　brought　inside。〃
　Long　and　searchingly　he　questioned　the　dwarves　about　their　doings；　and　where　they　were　going　to；　and　where　they　were　ing　from；　but　he　got　little　more　news　out　of　them　than　out　of　Thorin。　They　were　surly　and　angry　and　did　not　even　pretend　to　be　polite。
　〃What　have　we　done；　O　king？〃　said　Balin；　who　was　the　eldest　left。　〃Is　it　a　crime　to　be　lost　in　the　forest；　to　be　hungry　and　thirsty；　to　be　trapped　by　spiders？　Are　the　spiders　your　tame　beasts　or　your　pets；　if　killing　them　makes　you　angry？〃　Such　a　question　of　course　made　the　king　angrier　than　ever；　and　he　answered：　〃It　is　a　crime　to　wander　in　my　realm　without　leave。　Do　you　forget　that　you　were　in　my　kingdom；　using　the　road　that　my　people　made？　Did　you　not　three　times　pursue　and　trouble　my　people　in　the　forest　and　'　rouse　the　spiders　with　your　riot　and　clamour？　After　all　the　disturbance　you　have　made　I　have　a　right　to　know　what　brings　you　here；　and　if　you　will　not　tell　me　now；　I　will　keep　you　all　in　prison　until　you　have　learned　sense　and　manners！〃　Then　he　ordered　the　dwarves　each　to　be　put　in　a　separate　cell　and　to　be　given　food　and　drink；　but　not　to　be　allowed　to　pass　the　doors　of　their　little　prisons；　until　one　at　least　of　them　was　willing　to　tell　him　all　he　wanted　to　know。　But　be　did　not　tell　them　that　Thorin　was　also　a　prisoner　with　him。　It　was　Bilbo　who　found　that　out。
　Poor　Mr。　Baggins　…　it　was　a　weary　long　time　that　he　lived　in　that　place　all　alone；　and　always　in　hiding；　never　daring　to　take　off　his　ring；　hardly　daring　to　sleep；　even　tucked　away　in　the　darkest　and　remotest　ers　he　could　find。　For　something　to　do　he　took　to　wandering　about　the　Elven…king's　palace。　　Magic　shut　the　gates；　but　be　could　sometimes　get　out；　if　he　was　quick。　　panies　of　the　Wood…elves；　sometimes　with　the　king　at　their　head；　would　from　time　to　time　ride　out　to　hunt；　or　to　other　business　in　the　woods　and　in　the　lands　to　the　East。　Then　if　Bilbo　was　very　nimble；　he　could　slip　out　just　behind　them；　though　it　was　a　dangerous　thing　to　do。　More　than　once　he　was　nearly　caught　in　the　doors；　as　they　clashed　together　when　the　last　elf　passed；　yet　he　did　not　dare　to　march　among　them　because　of　his　shadow　（altogether　thin　and　wobbly　as　it　was　in　torch…light）；　or　for　fear　of　being　bumped　into　and　discovered。　And　when　he　did　go　out；　which　was　not　very　often；　he　did　no　good。　　He　did　not　wish　to　desert　the　dwarves；　and　indeed　he　did　not　know　where　in　the　world　to　go　without　them。　He　could　not　keep　up　with　the　hunting　elves　all　the　time　they　were　out；　so　he　never　discovered　the　ways　out　of　the　wood；　and　was　left　to　wander　miserably　in　the　forest；　terrified　of　losing　himself；　until　a　chance　came　of　returning。　He　was　hungry　too　outside；　for　he　was　no　hunter；　but　inside　the　caves　he　could　pick　up　a　living　of　some　sort　by　stealing　food　from　store　or　table　when　no　one　was　at　hand。　〃I　am　like　a　burglar　that　can't　get　away；　but　must　go　on　miserably　burgling　the　same　house　day　after　day；〃　he　thought。　〃This　is　the　dreariest　and　dullest　part　of　all　this　wretched；　tiresome；　unfortable　adventure！　I　wish　I　was　back　in　my　hobbit…hole　by　my　own　warm　fireside　with　the　lamp　shining！〃　He　often　wished；　too；　that　he　could　get　a　message　for　help　sent　to　the　wizard；　but　that　of　course　was　quite　impossible；　and　he　soon　realized　that　if　anything　was　to　be　done；　it　would　have　to　be　done　by　Mr。　Baggins；　alone　and　unaided。
　Eventually；　after　a　week　or　two　of　this　sneaking　sort　of　life；　by　watching　and　following　the　guards　and　taking　what　chances　he　could；　he　managed　to　find　out　where　each　dwarf　was　kept。　He　found　all　their　twelve　cells　in　different　parts　of　the　palace；　and　after　a　time　he　got　to　know　his　way　about　very　well。　What　was　his　surprise　one　day　to　overhear　some　of　the　guards　talking　and　to　learn　that　there　was　another　dwarf　in　prison　too；　in　a　specially　deep　dark　place。　He　guessed　at　once；　of　course；　that　that　was　Thorin；　and　after　a　while　he　found　that　his　guess　was　right。　At　last　after　many　difficulties　he　managed　to　find　the　place　when　no　one　was　about；　and　to　have　a　word　with　the　chief　of　the　dwarves。　Thorin　was　too　wretched　to　be　angry　any　longer　at　his　misfortunes；　and　was　even　beginning　to　think　of　telling　the　king　all　about　his　treasure　and　his　quest　（which　shows　how　low…spirited　he　had　bee）；　when　he　heard　Bilbo's　little　voice　at　his　keyhole。　He　could　hardly　believe　his　ears。　Soon　however　he　made　up　his　mind　that　he　could　not　be　mistaken；　and　he　came　to　the　door　and　had　a　long　whispered　talk　with　the　hobbit　on　the　other　side。
　So　it　was　that　Bilbo　was　able　to　take　secretly　Thorin's　message　to　each　of　the　other　imprisoned　dwarves；　telling　them　that　Thorin　their　chief　was　also　in　prison　close　at　hand；　and　that　no　one　was