jrt.the hobbit-第26章

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ack　night；　and　there　we　must　leave　them　for　the　present；　too　sick　and　weary　to　set　guards　or　take　turns　watching。
　Thorin　had　been　caught　much　faster　than　they　had。　You　remember　Bilbo　falling　like　a　log　into　sleep；　as　he　stepped　into　a　circle　of　light？　The　next　time　it　had　been　Thorin　who　stepped　forward；　and　as　the　lights　went　out　he　fell　like　a　stone　enchanted。　All　the　noise　of　the　dwarves　lost　in　the　night；　their　cries　as　the　spiders　caught　them　and　bound　them；　and　all　the　sounds　of　the　battle　next　day；　had　passed　over　him　unheard。　Then　the　Wood…elves　had　e　to　him；　and　bound　him；　and　carried　him　away。　The　feasting　people　were　Wood…elves；　of　course。　These　are　not　wicked　folk。　If　they　have　a　fault　it　is　distrust　of　strangers。　Though　their　magic　was　strong；　even　in　those　days　they　were　wary。　They　differed　from　the　High　Elves　of　the　West；　and　were　more　dangerous　and　less　wise。　For　most　of　them　（together　with　their　scattered　relations　in　the　hills　and　mountains）　were　descended　from　the　ancient　tribes　that　never　went　to　Faerie　in　the　West。　There　the　Light…elves　and　the　Deep…elves　and　the　Sea…elves　went　and　lived　for　ages；　and　grew　fairer　and　wiser　and　more　learned；　and　invented　their　magic　and　their　cunning　craft；　in　the　making　of　beautiful　and　marvellous　things；　before　some　came　back　into　the　Wide　World。　　In　the　Wide　World　the　Wood…elves　lingered　in　the　twilight　of　our　Sun　and　Moon　but　loved　best　the　stars；　and　they　wandered　in　the　great　forests　that　grew　tall　in　lands　that　are　now　lost。　They　dwelt　most　often　by　the　edges　of　the　woods；　from　which　they　could　escape　at　times　to　hunt；　or　to　ride　and　run　over　the　open　lands　by　moonlight　or　starlight；　and　after　the　ing　of　Men　they　took　ever　more　and　more　to　the　gloaming　and　the　dusk。　Still　elves　they　were　and　remain；　and　that　is　Good　People。
　In　a　great　cave　some　miles　within　the　edge　of　Mirkwood　on　its　eastern　side　there　lived　at　this　time　their　greatest　king。　Before　his　huge　doors　of　stone　a　river　ran　out　of　the　heights　of　the　forest　and　flowed　on　and　out　into　the　marshes　at　the　feet　of　the　high　wooded　lands。　This　great　cave；　from　which　countless　smaller　ones　opened　out　on　every　side；　wound　far　underground　and　had　many　passages　and　wide　halls；　but　it　was　lighter　and　more　wholesome　than　any　goblin…dwelling；　and　neither　so　deep　nor　so　dangerous。　In　fact　the　subjects　of　the　king　mostly　lived　and　hunted　in　the　open　woods；　and　had　houses　or　huts　on　the　ground　and　in　the　branches。　The　beeches　were　their　favourite　trees。　The　king's　cave　was　his　palace；　and　the　strong　place　of　his　treasure；　and　the　fortress　of　his　people　against　their　enemies。
　It　was　also　the　dungeon　of　his　prisoners。　So　to　the　cave　they　dragged　Thorin…not　too　gently；　for　they　did　not　love　dwarves；　and　thought　he　was　an　enemy。　In　ancient　days　they　had　had　wars　with　some　of　the　dwarves；　whom　they　accused　of　stealing　their　treasure。　It　is　only　fair　to　say　that　the　dwarves　gave　a　different　account；　and　said　that　they　only　took　what　was　their　due；　for　the　elf…king　had　bar…　gained　with　them　to　shape　his　raw　gold　and　silver；　and　had　afterwards　refused　to　give　them　their　pay。　If　the　elf…king　had　a　weakness　it　was　for　treasure；　especially　for　silver　and　white　gems；　and　though　his　hoard　was　rich；　he　was　ever　eager　for　more；　since　he　had　not　yet　as　great　a　treasure　as　other　elf…lords　of　old。　His　people　neither　mined　nor　worked　metals　or　jewels；　nor　did　they　bother　much　with　trade　or　with　tilling　the　earth。　All　this　was　well　known　to　every　dwarf；　though　Thorin's　family　had　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　old　quarrel　I　have　spoken　of。　Consequently　Thorin　was　angry　at　their　treatment　of　him；　when　they　took　their　spell　off　him　and　he　came　to　his　senses；　and　also　he　was　determined　that　no　word　of　gold　or　jewels　should　be　dragged　out　of　him。
　The　king　looked　sternly　on　Thorin；　when　he　was　brought　before　him；　and　asked　him　many　questions。　But　Thorin　would　only　say　that　he　was　starving。　　〃Why　did　you　and　your　folk　three　times　try　to　attack　my　people　at　their　merrymaking？〃　asked　the　king。
　〃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