The Lord of the Rings-指环王(英文版)-第78章

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rom　halfguessed　openings　in　the　walls。　There　were　many　of　these。　In　the　pale　ray　of　the　wizard's　staff；　Frodo　caught　glimpses　of　stairs　and　arches　and　of　other　passages　and　tunnels；　sloping　up；　or　running　steeply　down；　or　opening　blankly　dark　on　either　side。　It　was　bewildering　beyond　hope　of　remembering。

Gimli　aided　Gandalf　very　little；　except　by　his　stout　courage。　At　least　he　was　not；　as　were　most　of　the　others；　troubled　by　the　mere　darkness　in　itself。　Often　the　wizard　consulted　him　at　points　where　the　choice　of　way　was　doubtful；　but　it　was　always　Gandalf　who　had　the　final　word。　The　Mines　of　Moria　were　vast　and　intricate　beyond　the　imagination　of　Gimli；　Glóin's　son；　dwarf　of　the　mountainrace　though　he　was。　To　Gandalf　the　faroff　memories　of　a　journey　long　before　were　now　of　little　help；　but　even　in　the　gloom　and　despite　all　windings　of　the　road　he　knew　whither　he　wished　to　go；　and　he　did　not　falter；　as　long　as　there　was　a　path　that　led　towards　his　goal。

'Do　not　be　afraid！　'　said　Aragorn。　There　was　a　pause　longer　than　usual；　and　Gandalf　and　Gimli　were　whispering　together；　the　others　were　crowded　behind；　waiting　anxiously。　'Do　not　be　afraid！　I　have　been　with　him　on　many　a　journey；　if　never　on　one　so　dark；　and　there　are　tales　of　Rivendell　of　greater　deeds　of　his　than　any　that　I　have　seen。　He　will　not　go　astrayif　there　is　any　path　to　find。　He　has　led　us　in　here　against　our　fears；　but　he　will　lead　us　out　again；　at　whatever　cost　to　himself。　He　is　surer　of　finding　the　way　home　in　a　blind　night　than　the　cats　of　Queen　Berúthiel。'

It　was　well　for　the　pany　that　they　had　such　a　guide。　They　had　no　fuel　nor　any　means　of　making　torches；　in　the　desperate　scramble　at　the　doors　many　things　had　been　left　behind。　But　without　any　light　they　would　soon　have　e　to　grief。　There　were　not　only　many　roads　to　choose　from；　there　were　also　in　many　places　holes　and　pitfalls；　and　dark　wells　beside　the　path　in　which　their　passing　feet　echoed。　There　were　fissures　and　chasms　in　the　walls　and　floor；　and　every　now　and　then　a　crack　would　open　right　before　their　feet。　The　widest　was　more　than　seven　feet　across；　and　it　was　long　before　Pippin　could　summon　enough　courage　to　leap　over　the　dreadful　gap。　The　noise　of　churning　water　came　up　from　far　below；　as　if　some　great　millwheel　was　turning　in　the　depths。

'Rope！　'　muttered　Sam。　'I　knew　I'd　want　it；　if　I　hadn't　got　it！　'

As　these　dangers　became　more　frequent　their　march　became　slower。　Already　they　seemed　to　have　been　tramping　on；　on；　endlessly　to　the　mountains'　roots。　They　were　more　than　weary；　and　yet　there　seemed　no　fort　in　the　thought　of　halting　anywhere。　Frodo's　spirits　had　risen　for　a　while　after　his　escape；　and　after　food　and　a　draught　of　the　cordial；　but　now　a　deep　uneasiness；　growing　to　dread；　crept　over　him　again。　Though　he　had　been　healed　in　Rivendell　of　the　knifestroke；　that　grim　wound　had　not　been　without　effect。　His　senses　were　sharper　and　more　aware　of　things　that　could　not　be　seen。　One　sign　of　change　that　he　soon　had　noticed　was　that　he　could　see　more　in　the　dark　than　any　of　his　panions；　save　perhaps　Gandalf。　And　he　was　in　any　case　the　bearer　of　the　Ring：　it　hung　upon　its　chain　against　his　breast；　and　at　whiles　it　seemed　a　heavy　weight。　He　felt　the　certainty　of　evil　ahead　and　of　evil　following；　but　he　said　nothing。　He　gripped　tighter　on　the　hilt　of　his　sword　and　went　on　doggedly。

The　pany　behind　him　spoke　seldom；　and　then　only　in　hurried　whispers。　There　was　no　sound　but　the　sound　of　their　own　feet；　the　dull　stump　of　Gimli's　dwarfboots；　the　heavy　tread　of　Boromir；　the　light　step　of　Legolas；　the　soft；　scarceheard　patter　of　hobbitfeet；　and　in　the　rear　the　slow　firm　footfalls　of　Aragorn　with　his　long　stride。　When　they　halted　for　a　moment　they　heard　nothing　at　all；　unless　it　were　occasionally　a　faint　trickle　and　drip　of　unseen　water。　Yet　Frodo　began　to　hear；　or　to　imagine　that　he　heard；　something　else：　like　the　faint　fall　of　soft　bare　feet。　It　was　never　loud　enough；　or　near　enough；　for　him　to　feel　certain　that　he　heard　it；　but　once　it　had　started　it　never　stopped；　while　the　pany　was　moving。　But　it　was　not　an　echo；　for　when　they　halted　it　pattered　on　for　a　little　all　by　itself；　and　then　grew　still。

It　was　after　nightfall　when　they　had　entered　the　Mines。　They　had　been　going　for　several　hours　with　only　brief　halts；　when　Gandalf　came　to　his　first　serious　check。　Before　him　stood　a　wide　dark　arch　opening　into　three　passages：　all　led　in　the　same　general　direction；　eastwards；　but　the　lefthand　passage　plunged　down；　while　the　righthand　climbed　up；　and　the　middle　way　seemed　to　run　on；　smooth　and　level　but　very　narrow。

'I　have　no　memory　of　this　place　at　all！　'　said　Gandalf；　standing　uncertainly　under　the　arch。　He　held　up　his　staff　in　the　hope　of　finding　some　marks　or　inscription　that　might　help　his　choice；　but　nothing　of　the　kind　was　to　be　seen。　'I　am　too　weary　to　decide；'　he　said；　shaking　his　head。　'And　I　expect　that　you　are　all　as　weary　as　I　am；　or　wearier。　We　had　better　halt　here　for　what　is　left　of　the　night。　You　know　what　I　mean！　In　here　it　is　ever　dark；　but　outside　the　late　Moon　is　riding　westward　and　the　middlenight　has　passed。'

'Poor　old　Bill！　'　said　Sam。　'I　wonder　where　he　is。　I　hope　those　wolves　haven't　got　him　yet。'

To　the　left　of　the　great　arch　they　found　a　stone　door：　it　was　half　closed；　but　swung　back　easily　to　a　gentle　thrust。　Beyond　there　seemed　to　lie　a　wide　chamber　cut　in　the　rock。

'Steady！　Steady！　'　cried　Gandalf　as　Merry　and　Pippin　pushed　forward；　glad　to　find　a　place　where　they　could　rest　with　at　least　more　feeling　of　shelter　than　in　the　open　passage。　'Steady！　You　do　not　know　what　is　inside　yet。　I　will　go　first。'

He　went　in　cautiously；　and　the　others　filed　behind。　'There！　'　he　said；　pointing　with　his　staff　to　the　middle　of　the　floor。　Before　his　feet　they　saw　a　large　round　hole　like　the　mouth　of　a　well。　Broken　and　rusty　chains　lay　at　the　edge　and　trailed　down　into　the　black　pit。　Fragments　of　stone　lay　near。

'One　of　you　might　have　fallen　in　and　still　be　wondering　when　you　were　going　to　strike　the　bottom；'　said　Aragorn　to　Merry。　'Let　the　guide　go　first　while　you　have　one。'

'This　seems　to　have　been　a　guardroom；　made　for　the　watching　of　the　three　passages；'　said　Gimli。　'That　hole　was　plainly　a　well　for　the　guards'　use；　covered　with　a　stone　lid。　But　the　lid　is　broken；　and　we　must　all　take　care　in　the　dark。'

Pippin　felt　curiously　attracted　by　the　well。　While　the　others　were　unrolling　blankets　and　making　beds　against　the　walls　of　the　chamber；　as　far　as　possible　from　the　hole　in　the　floor；　he　crept　to　the　edge　and　peered　over。　A　chill　air　seemed　to　strike　his　face；　rising　from　invisible　depths。　Moved　by　a　sudden　impulse　he　groped　for　a　loose　stone；　and　let　it　drop。　He　felt　his　heart　beat　many　times　before　there　was　any　sound。　Then　far　below；　as　if　the　stone　had　fallen　into　deep　water　in　some　cavernous　place；　there　came　a　plunk；　very　distant；　but　magnified　and　repeated　in　the　hollow　shaft。

'What's　that？　'　cried　Gandalf。　He　was　relieved　when　Pippin　confessed　what　he　had　done；　but　he　was　angry；　and　Pippin　could　see　his　eye　glinting。　'Fool　of　a　Took！　'　he　growled。　'This　is　a　serious　journey；　not　a　hobbit　walkingparty。　Throw　yourself　in　next　time；　and　then　you　will　be　no　further　nuisance。　Now　be　quiet！　'

Nothing　more　was　heard　for　several　minutes；　but　then　there　came　out　of　the　depths　faint　knocks：　tomtap；　taptom。　They　stopped；　and　when　the　echoes　had　died　away；　they　were　repeated：　taptom；　tomtap；　taptap；　tom。　They　sounded　disquietingly　like　signals　of　some　sort；　but　after　a　while　the　knocking　died　away　and　was　not　heard　again。

'That　was　the　sound　of　a　hammer；　or　I　have　never　heard　one；'　said　Gimli。

'Yes；'　said　Gandalf；　'and　I　do　not　like　it。　It　may　have　nothing　to　do　with　Peregrin's　foolish　stone；　but　probably　something　has　been　disturbed　that　would　have　been　better　left　quiet。　Pray；　do　nothing　of　the　kind　again！　Let　us　hope　we　shall　get　some　rest　without　further　trouble。　You；　Pippin；　can　go　on　the　first　watch；　as　a　reward；'　he　growled；　as　he　rolled　himself　in　a　blanket。

Pippin　sat　miserably　by　the　door　in　the　pitch　dark；　but　he　kept　on　turning　round；　fearing　that　some　unknown　thing　would　crawl　up　out　of　the　well。　He　wished　he　could　cover　the　hole；　if　only　with　a　blanket；　but　he　dared　not　move　or　go　near　it；　even　though　Gandalf　seemed　to　be　asleep。

Actually　Gandalf　was　awake；　though　lying　still　and　silent。　He　was　deep　in　thought；　trying　to　recall　every　memory　of　his　former　journey　in　the　Mines；　and　considering　anxiously　the　next　course　that　he　should　take；　a　false　turn　now　might　be　disastrous。　After　an　hour　he　rose　up　and　came　over　to　Pippin。

'Get　into　a　corner　and　have　a　sleep；　my　lad；'　he　said　in　a　kindly　tone。　'You　want　to　sleep；　I　expect。　I　cannot　get　a　wink；　so　I　may　as　well　do　the　watching。'

'I　know　what　is　the　matter　with　me；'　he　muttered；　as　he　sat　down　by　the　door。　'I　need　smoke！　I　have　not　tasted　it　since　the　morning　before　the　snowstorm。'

The　last　thing　that　Pippin　saw；　as　sleep　took　him；　was　a　dark　glimpse　of　the　old　wizard　huddled　on　the　floor；　shielding　a　glowing　chip　in　his　gnarled　hands　between　his　knees。　The　flicker　for　a　moment　showed　his　sharp　nose。　and　the　puff　of　smoke。

It　was　Gandalf　who　roused　them　all　from　sleep。　He　had　sat　an