jrt.the hobbit-第21部分

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　All　of　a　sudden　they　heard　a　howl　away　down　hill；　a　long　shuddering　howl。
　It　was　answered　by　another　away　to　the　right　and　a　good　deal　nearer　to　them；　then　by　another　not　far　away　to　the　left。　It　was　wolves　howling　at　the　moon；wolves　gathering　together！
　There　were　no　wolves　living　near　Mr。　Baggins'　hole　at　home；　but　he　knew　that　noise。　He　had　had　it　described　to　him　often　enough　in　tales。　One　of　his　elder　cousins　（on　the　Took　side）；　who　had　been　a　great　traveller；　used　to　imitate　it　to　frighten　him。　To　hear　it　out　in　the　forest　under　the　moon　was　too　much　for　Bilbo。　Even　magic　rings　are　not　much　use　against　wolves…especially　against　the　evil　packs　that　lived　under　the　shadow　of　the　goblin…infested　mountains；　over　the　Edge　of　the　Wild　on　the　borders　of　the　unknown。　　Wolves　of　that　sort　smell　keener　than　goblins；　and　do　not　need　to　see　you　to　catch　you！
　〃What　shall　we　do；　what　shall　we　do！〃　he　cried。　〃Escaping　goblins　to　be　caught　by　wolves！〃　he　said；　and　it　became　a　proverb；　though　we　now　say　'out　of　the　frying…pan　into　the　fire'　in　the　same　sort　of　unfortable　situations。　　〃Up　the　trees　quick！〃　cried　Gandalf；　and　they　ran　to　the　trees　at　the　edge　of　the　glade；　hunting　for　those　that　had　branches　fairly　low；　or　were　slender　enough　to　swarm　up。　They　found　them　as　quick　as　ever　they　could；　you　can　guess；　and　up　they　went　as　high　as　ever　they　could　trust　the　branches。　You　would　have　laughed　（from　a　safe　distance）；　if　you　had　seen　the　dwarves　sitting　up　in　the　trees　with　their　beards　dangling　down；　like　old　gentlemen　gone　cracked　and　playing　at　being　boys。　Fili　and　Kili　were　at　the　top　of　a　tall　larch　like　an　enormous　Christmas　tree。　Dori；　Nori；　On；　Oin；　and　Gloin　were　more　fortable　in　a　huge　pine　with　regular　branches　sticking　out　at　intervals　like　the　spokes　of　a　wheel。　Bifur；　Bofur；　Bombur；　and　Thorin　were　in　another。　Dwalin　and　Balin　had　swarmed　up　a　tall　slender　fir　with　few　branches　and　were　trying　to　find　a　place　to　sit　in　the　greenery　of　the　topmost　boughs。　　Gandalf；　who　was　a　good　deal　taller　than　the　others；　had　found　a　tree　into　which　they　could　not　climb；　a　large　pine　standing　at　the　very　edge　of　the　glade。　He　was　quite　hidden　in　its　boughs；　but　you　could　see　his　eyes　gleaming　in　the　moon　as　he　peeped　out。
　And　Bilbo？　He　could　not　get　into　any　tree；　and　was　scuttling　about　from　trunk　to　trunk；　like　a　rabbit　that　has　lost　its　hole　and　has　a　dog　after　it。　　〃You've　left　the　burglar　behind　again｝〃　said　Nori　to　Dori　looking　down。　　〃I　can't　be　always　carrying　burglars　on　my　back；〃　said　Dori；　〃down　tunnels　and　up　trees！　What　do　you　think　I　am？　A　porter？〃　〃He'll　be　eaten　if　we　don't　'do　something；〃　said　Thorin；　for　there　were　howls　all　around　them　now；　getting　nearer　and　nearer。　〃Dori！〃　he　called；　for　Dori　was　lowest　down　in　the　easiest　tree；　〃be　quick；　and　give　Mr。　Baggins　a　hand　up！〃
　Dori　was　really　a　decent　fellow　in　spite　of　his　grumbling。　Poor　Bilbo　could　not　reach　his　hand　even　when　he　climbed　down　to　the　bottom　branch　and　hung　his　arm　down　as　far　as　ever　he　could。　So　Dori　actually　climbed　out　of　the　tree　and　let　Bilbo　scramble　up　and　stand　on　his　back。　　Just　at　that　moment　the　wolves　trotted　howling　into　the　clearing。　All　of　a　sudden　there　were　hundreds　of　eyes　looking　at　them。　Still　Dori　did　not　let　Bilbo　down。　He　waited　till　he　had　clambered　off　his　shoulders　into　the　branches；　and　then　he　jumped　for　the　branches　himself。　Only　just　in　time！　A　wolf　snapped…　at　his　cloak　as　he　swung　up；　and　nearly　got　him。　In　a　minute　there　was　a　whole　pack　of　them　yelping　all　round　the　tree　and　leaping　up　at　the　trunk；　with　eyes　blazing　and　tongues　hanging　out。　　But　even　the　wild　Wargs　（for　so　the　evil　wolves　over　the　Edge　of　the　Wild　were　named）　cannot　climb　trees。　For　a　time　they　were　safe。　'Luckily　it　was　warm　and　not　windy。　Trees　are　not　very　fortable　to　sit　in　for　long　at　any　time；　but　in　the　cold　and　the　wind；　with　wolves　all　round　below　waiting　for　you；　they　can　be　perfectly　miserable　places。
　This　glade　in　the　ring　of　trees　was　evidently　a　meeting…place　of　the　wolves。　More　and　more　kept　ing　in。　They　left　guards　at　the　foot　of　the　tree　in　which　Dori　and　Bilbo　were；　and　then　went　sniffling　about　till　they　had　smelt　out　every　tree　that　had　anyone　in　it。　These　they　guarded　too；　while　all　the　rest　（hundreds　and　hundreds　it　seemed）　went　and　sat　in　a　great　circle　in　the　glade；　and　in　the　middle　of　the　circle　was　a　great　grey　wolf。　He　spoke　to　them　in　the　dreadful　language　of　the　Wargs。　Gandalf　understood　it。　Bilbo　did　not；　but　it　sounded　terrible　to　him；　and　as　if　all　their　talk　was　about　cruel　and　wicked　things；　as　it　was。　Every　now　and　then　all　the　Wargs　in　the　circle　would　answer　their　grey　chief　all　together；　and　their　dreadful　clamour　almost　made　the　hobbit　fall　out　of　his　pine…tree。
　I　will　tell　you　what　Gandalf　heard；　though　Bilbo　did　not　understand　it。　　The　Wargs　and　the　goblins　often　helped　one　another　in　wicked　deeds。　Goblins　do　not　usually　venture　very　far　from　their　mountains；　unless　they　are　driven　out　and　are　looking　for　new　homes；　or　are　marching　to　war　（which　I　am　glad　to　say　has　not　happened　for　a　long　while）。　But　in　those　days　they　sometimes　used　to　go　on　raids；　especially　to　get　food　or　slaves　to　work　for　them。　Then　they　often　got　the　Wargs　to　help　and　shared　the　plunder　with　them。　Sometimes　they　rode　on　wolves　like　men　do　on　horses。　Now　it　seemed　that　a　great　goblin…raid　had　been　planned　for　that　very　night。　The　Wargs　had　e　to　meet　the　goblins　and　the　goblins　were　late。　The　reason；　no　doubt；　was　the　death　of　the　Great　Goblin；　and　all　the　excitement　caused　by　the　dwarves　and　Bilbo　and　the　wizard；　for　whom　they　were　probably　still　hunting。
　In　spite　of　the　dangers　of　this　far　land　bold　men　had　of　late　been　making　their　way　back　into　it　from　the　South；　cutting　down　trees；　and　building　themselves　places　to　live　in　among　the　more　pleasant　woods　in　the　valleys　and　along　the　river…shores。　There　were　many　of　them；　and　they　were　brave　and　well…armed；　and　even　the　Wargs　dared　not　attack　them　if　there　were　many　together；　or　in　the　bright　day。　But　now　they　had　planned　with　the　goblins'　help　to　e　by　night　upon　some　of　the　villages　nearest　the　mountains。　If　their　plan　had　been　carried　out；　there　would　have　been　none　left　there　next　day；　all　would　have　been　killed　except　the　few　the　goblins　kept　from　the　wolves　and　carried　back　as　prisoners　to　their　caves。
　This　was　dreadful　talk　to　listen　to；　not　only　because　of　the　brave　woodmen　and　their　wives　and　children；　but　also　because　of　the　danger　which　now　threatened　Gandalf　and　his　friends。　The　Wargs　were　angry　and　puzzled　at　finding　them　here　in　their　very　meeting…place。　They　thought　they　were　friends　of　the　woodmen；　and　were　e　to　spy　on　them；　and　would　take　news　of　their　plans　down　into　the　valleys；　and　then　the　goblins　and　the　wolves　would　have　to　fight　a　terrible　battle　instead　of　capturing　prisoners　and　devouring　people　waked　suddenly　from　their　sleep。　So　the　Wargs　had　no　intention　of　going　away　and　letting　the　people　up　the　trees　escape；　at　any　rate　not　until　morning。　And　long　before　that；　they　said；　goblin　soldiers　would　be　ing　down　from　the　mountains；　and　goblins　can　climb　trees；　or　cut　them　down。　　Now　you　can　understand　why　Gandalf；　listening　to　their　growling　and　yelping；　began　to　be　dreadfully　afraid；　wizard　though　he　was；　and　to　feel　that　they　were　in　a　very　bad　place；　and　had　not　yet　escaped　at　all。　All　the　same　he　was　not　going　to　let　them　have　it　all　their　own　way；　though　he　could　not　do　very　much　stuck　up　in　a　tall　tree　with　wolves　all　round　on　the　ground　below。　　He　gathered　the　huge　pinecones　from　the　branches　of　his　tree。　Then　he　set　one　alight　with　bright　blue　fire；　and　threw　it　whizzing　down　among　the　circle　of　the　wolves。　It　struck　one　on　the　back；　and　immediately　his　shaggy　coat　caught　fire；　and　he　was　leaping　to　and　fro　yelping　horribly。　Then　another　came　and　another；　one　in　blue　flames；　one　in　red；　another　in　green。　They　burst　on　the　ground　in　the　middle　of　the　circle　and　went　off　in　coloured　sparks　and　smoke。　　A　specially　large　one　hit　the　chief　wolf　on　the　nose；　and　he　leaped　in　the　air　ten　feet；　and　then　rushed　round　and　round　the　circle　biting　and　snapping　even　at　the　other　wolves　in　his　anger　and　fright。
　The　dwarves　and　Bilbo　shouted　an