The Lord of the Rings-指环王(英文版)- 第83部分

'I　saw　you！'　cried　Frodo。　'You　were　walking　backwards　and　forwards。　The　moon　shone　in　your　hair。'

Gandalf　paused　astonished　and　looked　at　him。　'It　was　only　a　dream'　said　Frodo；　'but　it　suddenly　came　back　to　me。　I　had　quite　fotten　it。　It　came　some　time　ago；　after　I　left　the　Shire；　I　think。'

'Then　it　was　late　in　ing；'　said　Gandalf；　'as　you　will　see。　I　was　in　an　evil　plight。　And　those　who　know　me　will　agree　that　I　have　seldom　been　in　such　need；　and　do　not　bear　such　misfortune　well。　Gandalf　the　Grey　caught　like　a　fly　in　a　spider's　treacherous　web！　Yet　even　the　most　subtle　spiders　may　leave　a　weak　thread。

'At　first　I　feared；　as　Saruman　no　doubt　intended；　that　Radagast　had　also　fallen。　Yet　I　had　caught　no　hint　of　anything　wrong　in　his　voice　or　in　his　eye　at　our　meeting。　If　I　had；　I　should　never　have　gone　to　Isengard；　or　I　should　have　gone　more　warily。　So　Saruman　guessed；　and　he　had　concealed　his　mind　and　deceived　his　messenger。　It　would　have　been　useless　in　any　case　to　try　and　win　over　the　honest　Radagast　to　treachery。　He　sought　me　in　good　faith；　and　so　persuaded　me。

'That　was　the　undoing　of　Saruman's　plot。　For　Radagast　knew　no　reason　why　he　should　not　do　as　I　asked；　and　he　rode　away　towards　Mirkwood　where　he　had　many　friends　of　old。　And　the　Eagles　of　the　Mountains　went　far　and　wide；　and　they　saw　many　things：　the　gathering　of　wolves　and　the　mustering　of　Orcs；　and　the　Nine　Riders　going　hither　and　thither　in　the　lands；　and　they　heard　news　of　the　escape　of　Gollum。　And　they　sent　a　messenger　to　bring　these　tidings　to　me。

'So　it　was　that　when　summer　waned；　there　came　a　night　of　moon；　and　Gwaihir　the　Windlord；　swiftest　of　the　Great　Eagles；　came　unlookedfor　to　Orthanc；　and　he　found　me　standing　on　the　pinnacle。　Then　I　spoke　to　him　and　he　bore　me　away；　before　Saruman　was　aware。　I　was　far　from　Isengard；　ere　the　wolves　and　orcs　issued　from　the　gate　to　pursue　me。

'　〃How　far　can　you　bear　me？　〃　I　said　to　Gwaihir。

'　〃Many　leagues；〃　said　he；　〃but　not　to　the　ends　of　the　earth。　I　was　sent　to　bear　tidings　not　burdens。〃

'　〃Then　I　must　have　a　steed　on　land；〃　I　said；　〃and　a　steed　surpassingly　swift；　for　I　have　never　had　such　need　of　haste　before。〃

'　〃Then　I　will　bear　you　to　Edoras；　where　the　Lord　of　Rohan　sits　in　his　halls；〃　he　said；　〃for　that　is　not　very　far　off。〃　And　I　was　glad；　for　in　the　Riddermark　of　Rohan　the　Rohirrim；　the　Horselords；　dwell；　and　there　are　no　horses　like　those　that　are　bred　in　that　great　vale　between　the　Misty　Mountains　and　the　White。

'　〃Are　the　Men　of　Rohan　still　to　be　trusted；　do　you　think？　〃　I　said　to　Gwaihir；　for　the　treason　of　Saruman　had　shaken　my　faith。

'　〃They　pay　a　tribute　of　horses；〃　he　answered；　〃and　send　many　yearly　to　Mordor；　or　so　it　is　said；　but　they　are　not　yet　under　the　yoke。　But　if　Saruman　has　bee　evil；　as　you　say；　then　their　doom　cannot　be　long　delayed。〃

'He　set　me　down　in　the　land　of　Rohan　ere　dawn；　and　now　I　have　lengthened　my　tale　over　long。　The　rest　must　be　more　brief。　In　Rohan　I　found　evil　already　at　work：　the　lies　of　Saruman；　and　the　king　of　the　land　would　not　listen　to　my　warnings。　He　bade　me　take　a　horse　and　be　gone；　and　I　chose　one　much　to　my　liking。　but　little　to　his。　I　took　the　best　horse　in　his　land；　and　I　have　never　seen　the　like　of　him。'

'Then　he　must　be　a　noble　beast　indeed；'　said　Aragorn；　'and　it　grieves　me　more　than　many　tidings　that　might　seem　worse　to　learn　that　Sauron　levies　such　tribute。　It　was　not　so　when　last　I　was　in　that　land。'

'Nor　is　it　now；　I　will　swear；'　said　Boromir。　'It　is　a　lie　that　es　from　the　Enemy。　I　know　the　Men　of　Rohan；　true　and　valiant；　our　allies；　dwelling　still　in　the　lands　that　we　gave　them　long　ago。'

'The　shadow　of　Mordor　lies　on　distant　lands；'　answered　Aragorn。　'Saruman　has　fallen　under　it。　Rohan　is　beset。　Who　knows　what　you　will　find　there；　if　ever　you　return？'

'Not　this　at　least。'　said　Boromir；　'that　they　will　buy　their　lives　with　horses。　They　love　their　horses　next　to　their　kin。　And　not　without　reason；　for　the　horses　of　the　Riddermark　e　from　the　fields　of　the　North；　far　from　the　Shadow。　and　their　race；　as　that　of　their　masters；　is　descended　from　the　free　days　of　old。'

'True　indeed！'　said　Gandalf。　'And　there　is　one　among　them　that　might　have　been　foaled　in　the　morning　of　the　world。　The　horses　of　the　Nine　cannot　vie　with　him；　tireless；　swift　as　the　flowing　wind。　Shadowfax　they　called　him。　By　day　his　coat　glistens　like　silver；　and　by　night　it　is　like　a　shade；　and　he　passes　unseen。　Light　is　his　footfall！　Never　before　had　any　man　mounted　him；　but　I　took　him　and　I　tamed　him；　and　so　speedily　he　bore　me　that　I　reached　the　Shire　when　Frodo　was　on　the　Barrowdowns；　though　I　set　out　from　Rohan　only　when　he　set　out　from　Hobbiton。

'But　fear　grew　in　me　as　I　rode。　Ever　as　I　came　north　I　heard　tidings　of　the　Riders；　and　though　I　gained　on　them　day　by　day；　they　were　ever　before　me。　They　had　divided　their　forces；　I　learned：　some　remained　on　the　eastern　borders；　not　far　from　the　Greenway。　and　some　invaded　the　Shire　from　the　south。　I　came　to　Hobbiton　and　Frodo　had　gone；　but　I　had　words　with　old　Gamgee。　Many　words　and　few　to　the　point。　He　had　much　to　say　about　the　shortings　of　the　new　owners　of　Bag　End。

'　〃I　can't　abide　changes；〃　said　he；　〃not　at　my　time　of　life；　and　least　of　all　changes　for　the　worst。〃　〃Changes　for　the　worst；〃　he　repeated　many　times。

'　〃Worst　is　a　bad　word；〃　I　said　to　him；　〃and　I　hope　you　do　not　live　to　see　it。〃　But　amidst　his　talk　I　gathered　at　last　that　Frodo　had　left　Hobbiton　less　than　a　week　before；　and　that　a　black　horseman　had　e　to　the　Hill　the　same　evening。　Then　I　rode　on　in　fear。　I　came　to　Buckland　and　found　it　in　uproar；　as　busy　as　a　hive　of　ants　that　has　been　stirred　with　a　stick。　I　came　to　the　house　at　Crickhollow；　and　it　was　broken　open　and　empty；　but　on　the　threshold　there　lay　a　cloak　that　had　been　Frodo's。　Then　for　a　while　hope　left　me；　and　I　did　not　wait　to　gather　news；　or　I　might　have　been　forted；　but　I　rode　on　the　trail　of　the　Riders。　It　was　hard　to　follow；　for　it　went　many　ways；　and　I　was　at　a　loss。　But　it　seemed　to　me　that　one　or　two　had　ridden　towards　Bree；　and　that　way　I　went；　for　I　thought　of　words　that　might　be　said　to　the　innkeeper。

'　〃Butterbur　they　call　him；〃　thought　I。　〃If　this　delay　was　his　fault；　I　will　melt　all　the　butter　in　him。　I　will　roast　the　old　fool　over　a　slow　fire。〃　He　expected　no　less；　and　when　he　saw　my　face　he　fell　down　flat　and　began　to　melt　on　the　spot。'

'What　did　you　do　to　him？'　cried　Frodo　in　alarm。　'He　was　really　very　kind　to　us　and　did　all　that　he　could。'

Gandalf　laughed。　'Don't　be　afraid！'　he　said。　'I　did　not　bite；　and　I　barked　very　little。　So　overjoyed　was　I　by　the　news　that　I　got　out　of　him；　braced　the　old　fellow。　How　it　happened　I　could　not　then　guess；　but　I　learned　that　you　had　been　in　Bree　the　night　before；　and　had　gone　off　that　morning　with　Strider。

'　〃Strider！　〃　I　cried；　shouting　for　joy。

'　〃Yes；　sir；　I　am　afraid　so；　sir；〃　said　Butterbur；　mistaking　me。　〃He　got　at　them；　in　spite　of　all　that　I　could　do；　and　they　took　up　with　him。　They　behaved　very　queer　all　the　time　they　were　here：　wilful；　you　might　say。〃

'　〃Ass！　Fool！　Thrice　worthy　and　beloved　Barliman！　〃　said　I。　〃It's　the　best　news　I　have　had　since　midsummer：　it's　worth　a　gold　piece　at　the　lea