jrt.the hobbit-第32部分

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！


ood　after　the　lights。　But　the　others　remembered　only　too　well　the　warnings　of　the　wizard　and　of　Beorn。　〃A　feast　would　be　no　good；　if　we　never　got　back　alive　from　it；〃　said　Thorin。　　〃But　without　a　feast　we　shan't　remain　alive　much　longer　anyway；〃　said　Bombur；　and　Bilbo　heartily　agreed　with　him。　They　argued　about　it　backwards　and　forwards　for　a　long　while；　until　they　agreed　at　length　to　send　out　a　couple　of　spies；　to　creep　near　the　lights　and　find　out　more　about　them。　But　then　they　could　not　agree　on　who　was　to　be　sent：　no　one　seemed　anxious　to　run　the　chance　of　being　lost　and　never　finding　his　friends　again。　In　the　end；　in　spite　of　warnings；　hunger　decided　them；　because　Bombur　kept　on　describing　all　the　good　things　that　were　being　eaten；　according　to　his　dream；　in　the　woodland　feast；　so　they　all　left　the　path　and　plunged　into　the　forest　together。　　After　a　good　deal　of　creeping　and　crawling　they　peered　round　the　trunks　and　looked　into　a　clearing　where　some　trees　had　been　felled　and　the　ground　levelled。　There　were　many　people　there；　elvish…looking　folk；　all　dressed　in　green　and　brown　and　sitting　on　sawn　rings　of　the　felled　trees　in　a　great　circle。　There　was　a　fire　in　their　midst　and　there　were　torches　fastened　to　some　of　the　trees　round　about；　but　most　splendid　sight　of　all：　they　were　eating　and　drinking　and　laughing　merrily。
　The　smell　of　the　roast　meats　was　so　enchanting　that；　without　waiting　to　consult　one　another；　every　one　of　them　got　up　and　scrambled　forwards　into　the　ring　with　the　one　idea　of　begging　for　some　food。　No　sooner　had　the　first　stepped　into　the　clearing　than　all　the　lights　went　out　as　if　by　magic。
　Somebody　kicked　the　fire　and　it　went　up　in　rockets　of　glittering　sparks　and　vanished。　They　were　lost　in　a　pletely　lightless　dark　and　they　could　not　even　find　one　another；　not　for　a　long　time　at　any　rate。　After　blundering　frantically　in　the　gloom；　falling　over　logs；　bumping　crash　into　trees；　and　shouting　and　calling　till　they　must　have　waked　everything　in　the　forest　for　miles；　at　last　they　managed　to　gather　themselves　in　a　bundle　and　count　themselves　by　touch。　By　that　time　they　had；　of　course；　quite　forgotten　in　what　direction　the　path　lay；　and　they　were　all　hopelessly　lost；　at　least　till　morning。
　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　settle　down　for　the　night　where　they　were；　they　did　not　even　dare　to　search　on　the　ground　for　scraps　of　food　for　fear　of　being　separated　again。　But　they　had　not　been　lying　long；　and　Bilbo　was　only　just　getting　drowsy；　when　Dori；　whose　turn　it　was　to　watch　first；　said　in　a　loud　whisper：
　〃The　lights　are　ing　out　again　over　there；　and　there　are　more　than　ever　of　them。〃
　Up　they　all　jumped。　There；　sure　enough；　not　far　away　were　scores　of　twinkling　lights；　and　they　heard　the　voices　and　the　laughter　quite　plainly。　　They　crept　slowly　towards　them；　in　a　single　line；　each　touching　the　back　of　the　one　in　front。　When　they　got　near　Thorin　said：　〃No　rushing　forward　this　time！　No　one　is　to　stir　from　hiding　till　I　say。　I　shall　send　Mr。　Baggins　alone　first　to　talk　to　them。　They　won't　be　frightened　of　him…（'What　about　me　of　them？'　thought　Bilbo）…and　any　way　I　hope　they　won't　do　anything　nasty　to　him。〃　When　they　got　to　the　edge　of　the　circle　of　lights　they　pushed　Bilbo　suddenly　from　behind。　Before　he　had　time　to　slip　on　his　ring；　he　stumbled　forward　into　the　full　blaze　of　the　fire　and　torches。　It　was　no　good。　Out　went　all　the　lights　again　and　plete　darkness　fell。　If　it　had　been　difficult　collecting　themselves　before；　it　was　far　worse　this　time。　And　they　simply　could　not　find　the　hobbit。　Every　time　they　counted　themselves　it　only　made　thirteen。　They　shouted　and　called：　〃Bilbo　Baggins！　Hobbit！　You　dratted　hobbit！　　Hi！　hobbit；　confusticate　you；　where　are　you？〃　and　other　things　of　that　sort；　but　there　was　no　answer。
　They　were　just　giving　up　hope；　when　Dori　stumbled　across　him　by　sheer　luck。　In　the　dark　he　fell　over　what　he　thought　was　a　log；　and　he　found　it　was　the　hobbit　curled　up　fast　asleep。　It　took　a　deal　of　shaking　to　wake　him；　and　when　he　was　awake　he　was　not　pleased　at　all。
　〃I　was　having　such　a　lovely　dream；〃　he　grumbled；　〃all　about　having　a　most　gorgeous　dinner。〃
　〃Good　heavens！　he　has　gone　like　Bombur；〃　they　said。　〃Don't　tell　us　about　dreams。　Dream…dinners　aren't　any　good；　and　we　can't　share　them。〃　〃They　are　the　best　I　am　likely　to　get　in　this　beastly　place；〃　he　muttered；　as　he　lay　down　beside　the　dwarves　and　tried　to　go　back　to　sleep　and　find　his　dream　again。　But　that　was　not　the　last　of　the　lights　in　the　forest。　　Later　when　the　night　must　have　been　getting　old；　Kili　who　was　watching　then；　came　and　roused　them　all　again；　saying：
　〃There's　a　regular　blaze　of　light　begun　not　far　away　…　hundreds　of　torches　and　many　fires　must　have　been　lit　suddenly　and　by　magic。　And　hark　to　the　singing　and　the　harps！〃
　After　lying　and　listening　for　a　while；　they　found　they　could　not　resist　the　desire　to　go　nearer　and　try　once　more　to　get　help。　Up　they　got　again；　and　this　time　the　result　was　disastrous。　The　feast　that　they　now　saw　was　greater　and　more　magnificent　than　before；　and　at　the　head　of　a　long　line　of　feasters　sat　a　woodland　king　with　a　crown　of　leaves　upon　his　golden　hair；　very　much　as　Bombur　had　described　the　figure　in　his　dream。　The　elvish　folk　were　passing　bowls　from　hand　to　hand　and　across　the　fires；　and　some　were　harping　and　many　were　singing。　Their　gloaming　hair　was　twined　with　flowers；　green　and　white　gems　glinted　on　their　collars　and　their　belts；　and　their　faces　and　their　songs　were　filled　with　mirth。　Loud　and　clear　and　fair　were　those　songs；　and　out　stepped　Thorin　into　their　midst。
　Dead　silence　fell　in　the　middle　of　a　word。　Out　went　all　light。　The　fires　leaped　up　in　black　smokes。　Ashes　and　cinders　were　in　the　eyes　of　the　dwarves；　and　the　wood　was　filled　again　with　their　clamour　and　their　cries。　Bilbo　found　himself　running　round　and　round　（as　he　thought）　and　calling　and　calling：
　〃Dori；　Nori；　Ori；　Oin；　Gloin；　Fili；　Kili；　Bombur；　Bifur；　Bofur；　Dwalin；　Balin；　Thorin　Oakenshield；〃　while　people　he　could　not　see　or　feel　were　doing　the　same　all　round　him　（with　an　occasional　〃Bilbo！〃　thrown　in）。　But　the　cries　of　the　others　got　steadily　further　and　fainter；　and　though　after　a　while　it　seemed　to　him　they　changed　to　yells　and　cries　for　help　in　the　far　distance；　all　noise　at　last　died　right　away；　and　he　was　left　alone　in　plete　silence　and　darkness。　　That　was　one　of　his　most　miserable　moments。　But　he　soon　made　up　his　mind　that　it　was　no　good　trying　to　do　anything　till　day　came　with　some　little　light；　and　quite　useless　to　go　blundering　about　tiring　himself　out　with　no　hope　of　any　breakfast　to　revive　him。　So　he　sat　himself　down　with　his　back　to　a　tree；　and　not　for　the　last　time　fell　to　thinking　of　his　far…distant　hobbit…hole　with　its　beautiful　pantries。　He　was　deep　in　thoughts　of　bacon　and　eggs　and　toast　and　butter　when　he　felt　something　touch　him。　Something　like　a　strong　sticky　string　was　against　his　left　hand；　and　when　he　tried　to　move　he　found　that　his　legs　were　already　wrapped　in　the　same　stuff；　so　that　when　he　got　up　he　fell　over。
　Then　the　great　spider；　who　had　been　busy　tying　him　up　while　he　dozed；　came　from　behind　him　and　came　at　him。　He　could　only　see　the　things's　eyes；　but　he　could　feel　its　hairy　legs　as　it　struggled　to　wind　its　abominable　threads　round　and　round　him。　It　was　lucky　that　he　had　e　to　his　senses　in　time。　Soon　he　would　not　have　been　able　to　move　at　all。　As　it　was；　he　had　a　desperate　fight　before　he　got　free。　He　beat　the　creature　off　with　his　hands…it　was　trying　to　poison　him　to　keep　him　quiet；　as　small　spiders　do　to　flies…until　he　remembered　his　sword　and　drew　it　out。　Then　the　spider　jumped　back；　and　he　had　time　to　cut　his　legs　loose。　After　that　it　was　his　turn　to　attack。　The　spider　evidently　was　not　used　to　things　that　carried　such　stings　at　their　sides；　or　it　would　have　hurried　away　quicker。　Bilbo　came　at　it　before　it　could　disappear　and　struck　it　with　his　sword　right　in　the　eyes。　Then　it　went　mad　and　leaped　and　danced　and　flung　out　its　legs　in　horrible　jerks；　until　he　killed　it　with　another　stroke；　and　then　he　fell　down　and　remembered　nothing　more　for　a　long　while。
　There　was　the　usual　dim　grey　light　of　the　forest…day　about　him　when　he　came　to　his　senses。　The　spider　lay　dead