jrt.fellowshipofring-第77部分

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ead　Marshes　I　followed　it；　and　then　I　had　him。　Lurking　by　a　stagnant　mere；　peering　in　the　water　as　the　dark　eve　fell；　I　caught　him；　Gollum。　He　was　covered　with　green　slime。　He　will　never　love　me；　I　fear；　for　he　bit　me；　and　I　was　not　gentle。　Nothing　more　did　I　ever　get　from　his　mouth　than　the　marks　of　his　teeth。　I　deemed　it　the　worst　part　of　all　my　journey；　the　road　back；　watching　him　day　and　night；　making　him　walk　before　me　with　a　halter　on　his　neck；　gagged；　until　he　was　tamed　by　lack　of　drink　and　food；　driving　him　ever　towards　Mirkwood。　I　brought　him　there　at　last　and　gave　him　to　the　Elves；　for　we　had　agreed　that　this　should　be　done；　and　I　was　glad　to　be　rid　of　his　pany；　for　he　stank。　For　my　part　I　hope　never　to　look　upon　him　again；　but　Gandalf　came　and　endured　long　speech　with　him。'
　　　‘Yes；　long　and　weary；'　said　Gandalf；　‘but　not　without　profit。　For　one　thing；　the　tale　he　told　of　his　loss　agreed　with　that　which　Bilbo　has　now　told　openly　for　the　first　time；　but　that　mattered　little；　since　I　had　already　guessed　it。　But　I　learned　then　first　that　Gollum's　ring　came　out　of　the　Great　River　nigh　to　the　Gladden　Fields。　And　I　learned　also　that　he　had　possessed　it　long。　Many　lives　of　his　small　kind。　The　power　of　the　ring　had　lengthened　his　years　far　beyond　their　span；　but　that　power　only　the　Great　Rings　wield。
　　　‘And　if　that　is　not　proof　enough；　Galdor；　there　is　the　other　test　that　I　spoke　of。　Upon　this　very　ring　which　you　have　here　seen　held　aloft；　round　and　unadorned；　the　letters　that　Isildur　reported　may　still　be　read；　if　one　has　the　strength　of　will　to　set　the　golden　thing　in　the　fire　a　while。　That　I　have　done；　and　this　I　have　read：
　　　Ash　nazg　durbatul？k；　ash　nazg　gimbatul；　ash　nazg　thrakatul？k　agh　burzum…ishi　krimpatul。'
　　　The　change　in　the　wizard's　voice　was　astounding。　Suddenly　it　became　menacing；　powerful；　harsh　as　stone。　A　shadow　seemed　to　pass　over　the　high　sun；　and　the　porch　for　a　moment　grew　dark。　All　trembled；　and　the　Elves　stopped　their　ears。
　　　‘Never　before　has　any　voice　dared　to　utter　the　words　of　that　tongue　in　Imladris；　Gandalf　the　Grey；'　said　Elrond；　as　the　shadow　passed　and　the　pany　breathed　once　more。
　　　‘And　let　us　hope　that　none　will　ever　speak　it　here　again；'　answered　Gandalf。　‘Nonetheless　I　do　not　ask　your　pardon；　Master　Elrond。　For　if　that　tongue　is　not　soon　to　be　heard　in　every　corner　of　the　West；　then　let　all　put　doubt　aside　that　this　thing　is　indeed　what　the　Wise　have　declared：　the　treasure　of　the　Enemy；　fraught　with　all　his　malice；　and　in　it　lies　a　great　part　of　his　strength　of　old。　Out　of　the　Black　Years　e　the　words　that　the　Smiths　of　Eregion　heard；　and　knew　that　they　had　been　betrayed：
　　　One　Ring　to　rule　them　all；　One　Ring　to　find　them；　One　Ring　to　bring　them　all　and　in　the　Darkness　bind　them。
　　　‘Know　also；　my　friends；　that　I　learned　more　yet　from　Gollum。　He　was　loth　to　speak　and　his　tale　was　unclear；　but　it　is　beyond　all　doubt　that　he　went　to　Mordor；　and　there　all　that　he　knew　was　forced　from　him。　Thus　the　Enemy　knows　now　that　the　One　is　found；　that　it　was　long　in　the　Shire；　and　since　his　servants　have　pursued　it　almost　to　our　door；　he　soon　will　know；　already　he　may　know；　even　as　I　speak；　that　we　have　it　here。'
　　　All　sat　silent　for　a　while；　until　at　length　Boromir　spoke。　‘He　is　a　small　thing；　you　say；　this　Gollum？　Small；　but　great　in　mischief。　What　became　of　him？　To　what　doom　did　you　put　him？'
　　　'He　is　in　prison；　but　no　worse；'　said　Aragorn。　‘He　had　suffered　much。　There　is　no　doubt　that　he　was　tormented；　and　the　fear　of　Sauron　lies　black　on　his　heart。　Still　I　for　one　am　glad　that　he　is　safely　kept　by　the　watchful　Elves　of　Mirkwood。　His　malice　is　great　and　gives　him　a　strength　hardly　to　be　believed　in　one　so　lean　and　withered。　He　could　work　much　mischief　still；　if　he　were　free。　And　I　do　not　doubt　that　he　was　allowed　to　leave　Mordor　on　some　evil　errand。'
　　　‘Alas！　alas！'　cried　Legolas；　and　in　his　fair　elvish　face　there　was　great　distress。　‘The　tidings　that　I　was　sent　to　bring　must　now　be　told。　They　are　not　good；　but　only　here　have　I　learned　how　evil　they　may　seem　to　this　pany。　Sméagol；　who　is　now　called　Gollum；　has　escaped。'
　　　'Escaped？'　cried　Aragorn。　'That　is　ill　news　indeed。　We　shall　all　rue　it　bitterly；　I　fear。　How　came　the　folk　of　Thranduil　to　fail　in　their　trust？'
　　　‘Not　through　lack　of　watchfulness；'　said　Legolas；　‘but　perhaps　through　over…kindliness。　And　we　fear　that　the　prisoner　had　aid　from　others；　and　that　more　is　known　of　our　doings　than　we　could　wish。　We　guarded　this　creature　day　and　night；　at　Gandalf's　bidding；　much　though　we　wearied　of　the　task。　But　Gandalf　bade　us　hope　still　for　his　cure；　and　we　had　not　the　heart　to　keep　him　ever　in　dungeons　under　the　earth；　where　he　would　fall　back　into　his　old　black　thoughts。'
　　　'You　were　less　tender　to　me；'　said　Glóin　with　a　flash　of　his　eyes　as　old　memories　were　stirred　of　his　imprisonment　in　the　deep　places　of　the　Elven…king's　halls。
　　　'Now　e！'　said　Gandalf。　‘Pray　do　not　interrupt；　my　good　Glóin。　That　was　a　regrettable　misunderstanding；　long　set　right。　If　all　the　grievances　that　stand　between　Elves　and　Dwarves　are　to　be　brought　up　here；　we　may　as　well　abandon　this　Council。'
　　　Glóin　rose　and　bowed；　and　Legolas　continued。　'In　the　days　of　fair　weather　we　led　Gollum　through　the　woods；　and　there　was　a　high　tree　standing　alone　far　from　the　others　which　he　liked　to　climb。　Often　we　let　him　mount　up　to　the　highest　branches；　until　he　felt　the　free　wind；　but　we　set　a　guard　at　the　tree's　foot。　One　day　he　refused　to　e　down；　and　the　guards　had　no　mind　to　climb　after　him：　he　had　learned　the　trick　of　clinging　to　boughs　with　his　feet　as　well　as　with　his　hands；　so　they　sat　by　the　tree　far　into　the　night。
　　　'It　was　that　very　night　of　summer；　yet　moonless　and　starless；　that　Orcs　came　on　us　at　unawares。　We　drove　them　off　after　some　time；　they　were　many　and　fierce；　but　they　came　from　over　the　mountains；　and　were　unused　to　the　woods。　When　the　battle　was　over；　we　found　that　Gollum　was　gone；　and　his　guards　were　slain　or　taken。　It　then　seemed　plain　to　us　that　the　attack　had　been　made　for　his　rescue；　and　that　he　knew　of　it　beforehand。　How　that　was　contrived　we　cannot　guess；　but　Gollum　is　cunning；　and　the　spies　of　the　Enemy　are　many。　The　dark　things　that　were　driven　out　in　the　year　of　the　Dragon's　fall　have　returned　in　greater　numbers；　and　Mirkwood　is　again　an　evil　place；　save　where　our　realm　is　maintained。
　　　‘We　have　failed　to　recapture　Gollum。　We　came　on　his　trail　among　those　of　many　Orcs；　and　it　plunged　deep　into　the　Forest；　going　south。　But　ere　long　it　escaped　our　skill；　and　we　dared　not　continue　the　hunt；　for　we　were　drawing　nigh　to　Dol　Guldur；　and　that　is　still　a　very　evil　place；　we　do　not　go　that　way。'
　　　‘Well；　well；　he　is　gone；'　said　Gandalf。　'We　have　no　time　to　seek　for　him　again。　He　must　do　what　he　will。　But　he　may　play　a　part　yet　that　neither　he　nor　Sauron　have　foreseen。
　　　'And　now　I　will　answer　Galdor's　other　questions。　What　of　Saruman？　What　are　his　counsels　to　us　in　this　need？　This　tale　I　must　tell　in　full；　for　only　Elrond　has　heard　it　yet；　and　that　in　brief；　but　it　will　bear　on　all　that　we　must　resolve。　It　is　the　last　chapter　in　the　Tale　of　the　Ring；　so　far　as　it　has　yet　gone。
　　　'At　the　end　of　June　I　was　in　the　Shire；　but　a　cloud　of　anxiety　was　on　my　mind；　and　I　rode　to　the　southern　borders　of　the　little　land；　for　I　had　a　foreboding　of　some　danger；　still　hidden　from　me　but　drawing　near。　There　messages　reached　me　telling　me　of　war　and　defeat　in　Gondor；　and　when　I　heard　of　the　Black　Shadow　a　chill　smote　my　heart。　But　I　found　nothing　save　a　few　fugitives　from　the　South；　yet　it　seemed　to　me　that　on　them　sat　a　fear　of　which　they　would　not　speak。　I　turned　then　east　and　north　and　journeyed　along　the　Greenway；　and　not　far　from　Bree　I　came　upon　a　traveller　sitting　on　a　bank　beside　the　road　with　his　grazing　horse　beside　him。　It　was　Radagast　the　Brown；　who　at　one　time　dwelt　at　Rhosgobel；　near　the　borders　of　Mirkwood。　He　is　one　of　my　order；　but　I　had　not　seen　him　for　many　a　year。
　　　‘　〃Gandalf！　〃　he　cried。　〃I　was　seeking　you。　But　I　am　a　stranger　in　these　parts。　All　I　knew　was　that　you　might　be　found　in　a　wild　region　with　the　uncouth　name　of　Shire。〃
　　　'　〃Your　information　was　correct；〃　I　said。　〃But　do　not　put　it　that　way；　if　you　meet　any　o