the fellowship of the ring-第25部分

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　he　thought　he　knew。　But　it　lookedlike　the　old　Sam　Gamgee　sitting　there；　except　that　his　face　was　unusuallythoughtful。　
'Do　you　feel　any　need　to　leave　the　Shire　now　–　now　that　your　wish　to　seethem　has　e　true　already？'　he　asked。　
'Yes；　sir。　I　don't　know　how　to　say　it；　but　after　last　night　I　feeldifferent。　I　seem　to　see　ahead；　in　a　kind　of　way。　I　know　we　are　going　to　takea　very　long　road；　into　darkness；　but　I　know　I　can't　turn　back。　It　isn't　to　seeElves　now；　nor　dragons；　nor　mountains；　that　I　want　–　I　don't　rightly　know　whatI　want：　but　I　have　something　to　do　before　the　end；　and　it　lies　ahead；　not　inthe　Shire。　I　must　see　it　through；　sir；　if　you　understand　me。'　
'I　don't　altogether。　But　I　understand　that　Gandalf　chose　me　a　goodpanion。　I　am　content。　We　will　go　together。'　
Frodo　finished　his　breakfast　in　silence。　Then　standing　up　he　looked　overthe　land　ahead；　and　called　to　Pippin。　
'All　ready　to　start？'　he　said　as　Pippin　ran　up。　'We　must　be　getting　offat　once。　We　slept　late；　and　there　are　a　good　many　miles　to　go。'　
_'You_　slept　late；　you　mean；'　said　Pippin。　'I　was　up　long　before；　and　weare　only　waiting　for　you　to　finish　eating　and　thinking。'　
'I　have　finished　both　now。　And　I　am　going　to　make　for　Bucklebury　Ferry　asquickly　as　possible。　I　am　not　going　out　of　the　way；　back　to　the　road　we　leftlast　night：　I　am　going　to　cut　straight　across　country　from　here。'　
'Then　you　are　going　to　fly；'　said　Pippin。　'You　won't　cut　straight　on　footanywhere　in　this　country。'　
'We　can　cut　straighter　than　the　road　anyway；'　answered　Frodo。　'The　Ferryis　east　from　Woodhall；　but　the　hard　road　curves　away　to　the　left　…you　can　seea　bend　of　it　away　north　over　there。　It　goes　round　the　north　end　of　the　Marishso　as　to　strike　the　causeway　from　the　Bridge　above　Stock。　But　that　is　milesout　of　the　way。　We　could　save　a　quarter　of　the　distance　if　we　made　a　line　forthe　Ferry　from　where　we　stand。'　
_'Short　cuts　make　long　delays；'_　argued　Pippin。　'The　country　is　roughround　here；　and　there　are　bogs　and　all　kinds　of　difficulties　down　in　theMarish　…I　know　the　land　in　these　parts。　And　if　you　are　worrying　about　BlackRiders；　I　can't　see　that　it　is　any　worse　meeting　them　on　a　road　than　in　a　woodor　a　field。'　　
'It　is　less　easy　to　find　people　in　the　woods　and　fields；'　answered　Frodo。　
'And　if　you　are　supposed　to　be　on　the　road；　there　is　some　chance　that　you　willbe　looked　for　on　the　road　and　not　off　it。'　　
'All　right！'　said　Pippin。　'I　will　follow　you　into　every　bog　and　ditch。　
But　it　is　hard！　I　had　counted　on　passing　the　_Golden　Perch_　at　Stock　beforesundown。　The　best　beer　in　the　Eastfarthing；　or　used　to　be：　it　is　a　long　timesince　I　tasted　it。'　　
'That　settles　it！'　said　Frodo。　'Short　cuts　make　delays；　but　inns　makelonger　ones。　At　all　costs　we　must　keep　you　away　from　the　_Golden　Perch_。　Wewant　to　get　to　Bucklebury　before　dark。　What　do　you　say；　Sam？'　
'I　will　go　along　with　you；　Mr。　Frodo；'　said　Sam　（in　spite　of　privatemisgiving　and　a　deep　regret　for　the　best　beer　in　the　Eastfarthing）。　
'Then　if　we　are　going　to　toil　through　bog　and　briar；　let's　go　now！'　saidPippin。　
It　was　already　nearly　as　hot　as　it　had　been　the　day　before；　but　clouds　　
　
were　beginning　to　e　up　from　the　West。　It　looked　likely　to　turn　to　rain。　Thehobbits　scrambled　down　a　steep　green　bank　and　plunged　into　the　thick　treesbelow。　Their　course　had　been　chosen　to　leave　Woodhall　to　their　left；　and　tocut　slanting　through　the　woods　that　clustered　along　the　eastern　side　of　thehills；　until　they　reached　the　flats　beyond。　Then　they　could　make　straight　forthe　Ferry　over　country　that　was　open；　except　for　a　few　ditches　and　fences。　
Frodo　reckoned　they　had　eighteen　miles　to　go　in　a　straight　line。　
He　soon　found　that　the　thicket　was　closer　and　more　tangled　than　it　hadappeared。　There　were　no　paths　in　the　undergrowth；　and　they　did　not　get　on　veryfast。　When　they　had　struggled　to　the　bottom　of　the　bank；　they　found　a　streamrunning　down　from　the　hills　behind　in　a　deeply　dug　bed　with　steep　slipperysides　overhung　with　brambles。　Most　inconveniently　it　cut　across　the　line　theyhad　chosen。　They　could　not　jump　over　it；　nor　indeed　get　across　it　at　allwithout　getting　wet；　scratched；　and　muddy。　They　halted；　wondering　what　to　do。　
'First　check！'　said　Pippin；　smiling　grimly。　
Sam　Gamgee　looked　back。　Through　an　opening　in　the　trees　he　caught　aglimpse　of　the　top　of　the　green　bank　from　which　they　had　climbed　down。　
'Look！'　he　said；　clutching　Frodo　by　the　arm。　They　all　looked；　and　on　theedge　high　above　them　they　saw　against　the　sky　a　horse　standing。　Beside　itstooped　a　black　figure。　
They　at　once　gave　up　any　idea　of　going　back。　Frodo　led　the　way；　andplunged　quickly　into　the　thick　bushes　beside　the　stream。　'Whew！'　he　said　toPippin。　'We　were　both　right！　The　short　cut　has　gone　crooked　already；　but　wegot　under　cover　only　just　in　time。　You've　got　sharp　ears；　Sam：　can　you　hearanything　ing？'　
They　stood　still；　almost　holding　their　breath　as　they　listened；　but　therewas　no　sound　of　pursuit。　'I　don't　fancy　he　would　try　bringing　his　horse　downthat　bank；'　said　Sam。　'But　I　guess　he　knows　we　came　down　it。　We　had　better　begoing　on。'　
Going　on　was　not　altogether　easy。　They　had　packs　to　carry；　and　the　bushesand　brambles　were　reluctant　to　let　them　through。　They　were　cut　off　from　thewind　by　the　ridge　behind；　and　the　air　was　still　and　stuffy。　When　they　forcedtheir　way　at　last　into　more　open　ground；　they　were　hot　and　tired　and　veryscratched；　and　they　were　also　no　longer　certain　of　the　direction　in　which　theywere　going。　The　banks　of　the　stream　sank；　as　it　reached　the　levels　and　becamebroader　and　shallower；　wandering　off　towards　the　Marish　and　the　River。　
'Why；　this　is　the　Stock…brook！'　said　Pippin。　'If　we　are　going　to　try　andget　back　on　to　our　course；　we　must　cross　at　once　and　bear　right。'　
They　waded　the　stream；　and　hurried　over　a　wide　open　space；　rush…grown　andtreeless；　on　the　further　side。　Beyond　that　they　came　again　to　a　belt　of　trees：　
tall　oaks；　for　the　most　part；　with　here　and　there　an　elm　tree　or　an　ash。　Theground　was　fairly　level；　and　there　was　little　undergrowth；　but　the　trees　wereloo　close　for　them　to　see　far　ahead。　The　leaves　blew　upwards　in　sudden　gustsof　wind；　and　spots　of　rain　began　to　fall　from　the　overcast　sky。　Then　the　winddied　away　and　the　rain　came　streaming　down。　They　trudged　along　as　fast　as　theycould；　over　patches　of　grass；　and　through　thick　drifts　of　old　leaves；　and　allabout　them　the　rain　pattered　and　trickled。　They　did　not　talk；　but　keptglancing　back；　and　from　side　to　side。　
After　half　an　hour　Pippin　said：　'I　hope　we　have　not　turned　too　muchtowards　the　south；　and　are　not　walking　longwise　through　this　wood！　It　is　not　avery　broad　belt　…I　should　have　said　no　more　than　a　mile　at　the　widest　–　and　weought　to　have　been　through　it　by　now。'　
'It　is　no　good　our　starting　to　go　in　zig…zags；'　said　Frodo。　'That　won'tmend　matters。　Let　us　keep　on　as　we　are　going！　I　am　not　sure　that　I　want　toe　out　into　the　open　yet。'　
They　went　on　for　perhaps　another　couple　of　miles。　Then　the　sun　gleamedout　of　ragged　clouds　again　and　the　rain　lessened。　It　was　now　past　mid…day；　andthey　felt　it　was　high　time　for　lunch。　They　halted　under　an　elm　tree：　itsleaves　though　fast　turning　yellow　were　still　thick；　and　the　ground　at　its　feelwas　fairly　dry　and　sheltered。　When　they　came　to　make　their　meal；　they　found　　
　
that　the　Elves　had　filled　their　bottles　with　a　clear　drink；　pale　golden　incolour：　it　had　the　scent　of　a　honey　made　of　many　flowers；　and　was　wonderfullyrefreshing。　Very　soon　they　were　laughing；　and　snapping　their　fingers　at　rain；　
and　at　Black　Riders。　The　last　few　miles；　they　felt；　would　soon　be　behind　them。　
Frodo　propped　his　back　against　the　tree…trunk；　and　closed　his　eyes。　Samand　Pippin　sat　near；　and　they　began　to　hum；　and　then　to　sing　softly：　　
Ho！　Ho！　Ho！　to　the　bottle　I　go　
To　heal　my　heart　and　drown　my　woe。　
Rain　may　fall　and　wind　may　blow；　
And　many　miles　be　still　to　go；　
But　under　a　tall　tree　I　will　lie；　
And　let　the　clouds　go　sailing　by。　　
_Ho！　Ho！　Ho！_　they　began　again　louder。　They　stopped　short　suddenly。　Frodosprang　to　his　feet。　A　long…drawn　wail　came　down　the　wind；　like　the　cry　of　someevil　and　lonely　creature。　It　rose　and　fell；　and　ended　on　a　high　piercing　note。　
Even　as　they　sat　and　stood；　as　if　suddenly　frozen；　it　was　answered　by　anothercry；　fainter　and　further　off；　but　no　less　chilling　to　the　blood。　There　wasthen　a　silence；　broken　only　by　the　sound　of　the　wind　in　the　leaves。　
'And　what　do　you　think　that　was？'　Pippin　asked　at　last；　trying　to　speaklightly；　but　quavering　a　little。　'If　it　was　a　bird；　it　was　one　that　I　neverheard　in　the　Shire　before。'　　
'It　was　not　bird　or　beast；'　said　Frodo。　'It　was　a　call；　or　a　signal　–　
there　were　words　in　that　cry；　though　I　could　not　catch　them。　But　no　hobbit　hassuch　a　voice。'　　
No　more　was　said　about　it。　They　were　all　thinking　of　the　Riders；　but　noone　spoke　of　them。　They　were　now　reluctant　either　to　stay　or　go　on；　but　sooneror　later　they　had　got　to　get　across　the　open　country　to　the　Ferry；　and　it　wasbest　to　go　sooner　and　in　daylight。　In　a　few　moments　they　had　shouldered　theirpacks　again　and　were　off。　
Before　long　the　wood　came　to　a　sudden　end。　Wide　grass…lands　stretchedbefore　them。　They　now　saw　that　they　had；　in　fact；　turned　too　much　to　thesouth。　Away　over　the　flats　they　could　glimpse　the　low　hill　of