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Just then they heard a blow. The rock boomed, the walls cracked and stones fell from the roof on their heads. They ran down the tunnel, while behind them outside they heard the roar and rumble of Smaug’s fury. He was breaking rocks to pieces, smashing wall and cliff. In this way he felt better.
Then Smaug went away towards the Running River.
Meanwhile, the dwarves silently sat in darkness. They ate and spoke little. At last after days and days of waiting, as it seemed, Thorin spoke:
“Let us try the door!” he said. “I must feel the wind on my face soon or die.”
So several of the dwarves got up and walked back to where the door had been. But they found that broken rock had blocked the upper end of the tunnel.
“We are trapped!” they cried. “This is the end. We will die here.”
“Come, come!”[92] Bilbo said. “Don’t despair! I am going down the tunnel once again. The only way out is down. And I think that you all should come with me.” The dwarves agreed.
“Now please be careful!” whispered the hobbit, “and quiet! Don’t let us take any unnecessary risks!”
Down, down they went. Near the bottom Bilbo slipped on his ring and went ahead. But he did not need it: the darkness was complete, and they were all invisible, anyway. The hobbit came to the opening unexpectedly, put his hand on air, stumbled forward, and rolled into the hall! There he lay on the floor and was afraid to get up. But nothing moved. There was not a gleam of light. When at last he slowly raised his head, there was a pale white shine, above him and far off in the gloom. But certainly it was not a spark of dragon-fire.
Bilbo got up, and found that he did not know in what direction to turn. “I am sure Smaug is not at home today. Perhaps we can make a little light, and have a look round,” he thought.
“Light!” he cried. “Can anybody make a light?”
After a while the dwarves brought the torch. But they decided to wait in the tunnel for Bilbo’s report. So they sat near the door and watched.
Bilbo was climbing the great mound of treasure. Soon he stood upon the top, and still went on. Then they saw him stop for a moment; but they did not know the reason. It was the Arkenstone, the Heart of the Mountain. So Bilbo guessed from Thorin’s description. All the time as he climbed, the same white gleam had shone before him. Now the great jewel shone with magnificent light right before his feet.
Suddenly Bilbo lifted it, shut his eyes, and put it in his deepest pocket.
“Now I am a burglar indeed!” thought he. “But I suppose I must tell the dwarves about it – some time.” Down the other side of the great mound he climbed, and the spark of his torch vanished from the sight of the watching dwarves. But soon they saw it far away in the distance again. Bilbo was crossing the floor of the hall.
He went on, until he came to the great doors at the further side, and there a draught of air refreshed him, but it almost put out his light. He peeped carefully through and saw wide stairs going up into the gloom. And still there was no sound of Smaug. He was just going to turn and go back, when a black shape swooped at him. He fell. His torch dropped and went out! “It’s only a bat, I hope!” he thought.
“Thorin! Balin! Oin! Gloin! Fili! Kili!” he cried as loudly as he could. “The light’s gone out! Someone come and find and help me!”
The dwarves waited a moment or two, and then Thorin said, “We have to go and help our burglar.”
“It is our turn to help,” said Balin, “and I am ready to go.”
Gloin lit several more torches, and then they all crept out, one by one, and went along the wall. Soon they met Bilbo.
“It was only a bat and a dropped torch, nothing worse!” he said in answer to their questions. Now the dwarves wanted to explore the hall, and they were sure that Smaug was away from home. They forgot fear and gathered gems and stuffed their pockets. Thorin searched from side to side for something which he could not find. It was the Arkenstone; but he spoke of it yet to no one.
The dwarves took down weapons from the walls, and armed themselves.
Thorin put on Bilbo a small coat of mail,[93] made for some young elf-prince long ago. It was of silver-steel, and with it went a belt of pearls and crystals. A beautiful light helmet decorated with white gems was set upon the hobbit’s head.
“Thorin!” Bilbo cried aloud suddenly. “What next? We are armed but it won’t help us kill the dragon. We are not looking for gold yet, but for a way of escape!”
“You speak the truth!” answered Thorin. “Let us go! I will guide you. I still remember the ways of this palace.” Then they gathered together, and passed through the gaping doors.
They had covered their bright mail again with their old cloaks and their helmets with their hoods, and one by one they walked behind Thorin. Up, up, the dwarves went, and they met no sign of life. Suddenly they saw an opening far above, and the air smelt sweeter.
“This is the great chamber of Thror,” said Thorin; “the hall of feasting and of council. Not far off now is the Front Gate.”
They passed through the ruined chamber. Tables, chairs and benches were overturned. Skulls and bones were on the floor among bowls and broken drinking-horns and dust. Soon they heard a sound of water. “There is the birth of the Running River,” said Thorin. “From here it runs to the Gate. Let us follow it!”
Beside the stream there was a stone-paved road. The friends ran along the road, and soon they saw the broad light of day coming through the huge arch. They were dazzled. They came to the Front Gate, and were looking out upon Dale.
Suddenly Bilbo realized that he was not only tired but also very hungry indeed.
“I suppose it is breakfast-time,” he said. “But I don’t think this is the safest place for a meal. Let’s go somewhere where we can sit quietly!”
“Quite right!” said Balin. “And I think we should go to the old look-out post[94] at the Southwest corner of the Mountain.”
“How far is that?” asked the hobbit.
“Five hours march,” I think.
“Oh!” grumbled the hobbit. “Again we have to walk and climb somewhere without breakfast!”
“We must move away from here,” said Don. “I feel as if Smaug’s eyes were on the back of my head.”
“Come on! Come on!” cried the others. “Let us go!”
Soon they came to a deep valley among the rocks; there they rested for a while and had some biscuits and water.
After that they went on again. At last they reached the hill path. Finally in the late afternoon they came to the top of the ridge and saw the sun going downwards to the West.
Here on the rock they found a flat place open to East and South and West. “Here,” said Balin, “in the old days we always kept watchmen and that door in the rock behind leads into a guardroom. There we can stay until tomorrow.”
So they went inside. Some of them fell asleep at once, while others discussed their plans. Still they didn’t know where Smaug was.
Now if you wish, like the dwarves, to hear news of Smaug, you must go back again to the evening when he smashed the door and flew off in rage, two days before.
The men of the lake-town Esgaroth were mostly at home, because the wind was cold, but a few were walking and watching the stars.
Then suddenly a great light appeared in the hills and the northern end of the lake became golden.
“The King beneath the Mountain!” they shouted. “His wealth is like the Sun, his silver like a fountain, his rivers golden run! The river is running gold from the Mountain!” they cried, and everywhere windows were opening and feet were hurrying.
There was once more a great excitement. But one man cried: “The dragon is coming or I am a fool! Cut the bridges! To arms![95] To arms!”
Then the joy was turned to fear. Soon they could see the dragon rushing towards them. Still they had a little time. Every vessel in the town was filled with water, every warrior was armed, and the bridge to the land was destroyed.
Amid shrieks and wailing and the shouts of men he came over them, swept towards the bridges and stopped! The bridge was gone, and his enemies were on an island in deep water.
Roaring the dragon swept back over the town. Men shot arrows. No one had dared to give battle to him for many years, so he was furious now.
Fire leaped from the dragon’s jaws. Then down he swooped straight through the arrow-storm; he wanted to set their town on fire.
Flames sprang high into the night. Already men were jumping into the water on every side. Women and children ran to the boats in the market-pool. Now men dropped their weapons. But there was still a company of archers among the burning houses. Their captain was Bard. He was a descendant in long line[96] of Girion, Lord of Dale, whose wife and child had escaped down the Running River from the ruin long ago. Now he shot with a great bow, till he spent all his arrows but one.[97] The flames were near him. His companions were leaving him. He bent his bow for the last time. Suddenly a bird sat down on his shoulder. It was an old thrush. It brought him news. Bard understood its language, because he was of the race of Dale.
“Wait! Wait!” the bird said to him. “The moon is rising. Look for the hollow of the left breast as he flies above you!” And then it told him of all that it had heard. Bard drew his bow-string to his ear. The dragon was flying low, and as he came the moon rose and silvered his great wings.
“Arrow!” said the bowman. “Black arrow! I have saved you to the last. You have never failed me. I had you from my father and he – from of old.[98] So go now and speed well!”
The black arrow sped straight from the string, straight for the hollow by the left breast. With a shriek Smaug turned over and crashed down.
He fell on the town. The lake roared in. A vast steam leaped up, white in the sudden dark under the moon. There was a hiss, and then silence. And that was the end of Smaug and Esgaroth, but not of Bard. And three quarters of the people of the town had escaped alive; their woods and fields and pastures and cattle and most of their boats remained undamaged; and the dragon was dead. So they praised the courage of Bard and his last mighty shot.
Bard wanted to rebuild Dale. And he said: “This is no time for words. There is work to do.”
Then he went to help the sick and the wounded. Not all the people could get shelters and there was little food. Bard had a hard task to direct the preparations for people’s protection and housing. But help came quickly; Bard had sent speedy messengers up the river to the Forest to ask the aid of the King of the Elves of the Wood. The Elvenking had received news from his own messengers, and already knew of what had happened. Far over Mirkwood news spread: “Smaug is dead!” Beorn had heard it in his wooden house, and the goblins were at council[99] in their caves.
The king of the Elves hastened now down the river to the Long Lake. He sent ahead great store of goods by water. Five days after the death of the dragon the elves came to the shores and looked on the ruins of the town. Their welcome was good,[100] and the men and their Master were ready to do anything in return for the Elvenking’s aid.
Their plans were soon made. With the women and the children, the Master remained behind; and with him were some men and many skilled elves; and they started building many huts by the shore; and also they began the planning of a new town, but not in the same place. They removed northward higher up the shore because they had fear of the water where the dragon lay.
All the other men and most of the Elvenking’s warriors went to the Mountain. So in eleven days from the ruin of the town they came into the desolate lands.
Chapter 15
The Gathering of the Clouds
Now we will return to Bilbo and the dwarves. All night one of them had watched, but when morning came they had not heard or seen any sign of danger.
Suddenly Bilbo cried: “There is that old thrush again!”
Sure enough the old thrush was there. He sang; then he stopped singing and listened to something; and again he sang, and again he listened.
“I think he is trying to tell us something,” said Balin, “but I don’t understand his speech.”
Then the old thrush flew away but soon he came back; and with him came a very old bird. He was almost blind, he could hardly fly, and the top of his head was bald. He was an old raven of great size. He got down on the ground before them and bobbed towards Thorin.
“O Thorin son of Thrain, and Balin son of Fundin,” he croaked (he used ordinary language and not bird-speech). “I am Rac son of Carc. Carc is dead, but he was well known to you once. Now I am the chief of the great ravens of the Mountain. I want to tell you some great news. The birds are gathering back again to the Mountain and to Dale from South and East and West, because Smaug is dead!”
“Dead! Dead!” shouted the dwarves. “Dead! Then the treasure is ours!”
“Yes, dead,” said Rac. “The thrush saw him fall in battle[101] with the men of Esgaroth three nights ago.” The dwarves started shouting with joy, but Rac went on:
“You may go back to your halls in safety; all the treasure is yours – for the moment. But already a host of the elves is on the way. By the lake men say that their sorrows are due to the dwarves.[102] They want to get compensation from your treasure.
“So don’t trust the Master of the Lake-men. But you should trust the man who shot the dragon with his bow. His name is Bard, he is of the race of Dale, of the line of Girion. We would like to see peace once more among dwarves and men and elves after the long desolation; but it may cost you a lot of gold.”
Then Thorin answered: “Thank you, Rac Carc’s son. We will not forget you and your people. But thieves will never take our gold while we are alive. Please bring us news about anyone who comes near. Also I beg you, send your messengers to our relatives and tell them of our troubles. But go especially to my cousin Dain in the Iron Hills, for he has many well-armed people, and he lives nearest to this place. Tell him to hurry!”
“I will do as you ask,” croaked Rac. Then off he slowly flew.
“Back now to the Mountain!” cried Thorin. “We have little time to lose.”
So the dwarves and Bilbo returned to the Mountain.
They explored the caverns once more, and found that only the Front Gate remained open; all the other gates (except the small secret door) had long ago been broken by Smaug. So now they began to fortify the main entrance, and remake the road that led from it.
As they worked the ravens brought them news. The dwarves learnt that three of the elves’ ponies had escaped and were wandering near the Running River, not far from where they had left their stores. So Fili and Kili found the ponies and brought back all they could.
Four days later they knew that the joined armies of the Lake-men and the Elves were hurrying towards the Mountain. But now they had food for some weeks, and already the gate was blocked with a wall of stones. There were holes in the wall through which they could see (or shoot) but no entrance. They climbed in or out with ladders, and pulled things up with ropes. They had made a small low arch under the new wall for the stream. It was now only possible to approach the Gate along a narrow ledge of the cliff. The dwarves had brought the ponies only to the head of the steps above the old bridge, and then unloaded them and sent them back to the South.
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