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Soon　they　were　leading　their　ponies　in　single　file　over　the　rim　and　down　the　long　northward　slope　of　the　hill；　down　into　a　foggy　sea。　As　they　went　down　the　mist　became　colder　and　damper；　and　their　hair　hung　lank　and　dripping　on　their　foreheads。　When　they　reached　the　bottom　it　was　so　cold　that　they　halted　and　got　out　cloaks　and　hoods；　which　soon　became　bedewed　with　grey　drops。　Then；　mounting　their　ponies；　they　went　slowly　on　again；　feeling　their　way　by　the　rise　and　fall　of　the　ground。　They　were　steering；　as　well　as　they　could　guess；　for　the　gatelike　opening　at　the　far　northward　end　of　the　long　valley　which　they　had　seen　in　the　morning。　Once　they　were　through　the　gap；　they　had　only　lo　keep　on　in　anything　like　a　straight　line　and　they　were　bound　in　the　end　to　strike　the　Road。　Their　thoughts　did　not　go　beyond　that；　except　for　a　vague　hope　that　perhaps　away　beyond　the　Downs　there　might　be　no　fog。

Their　going　was　very　slow。　To　prevent　their　getting　separated　and　wandering　in　different　directions　they　went　in　file；　with　Frodo　leading。　Sam　was　behind　him；　and　after　him　came　Pippin；　and　then　Merry。　The　valley　seemed　to　stretch　on　endlessly。　Suddenly　Frodo　saw　a　hopeful　sign。　On　either　side　ahead　a　darkness　began　to　loom　through　the　mist；　and　he　guessed　that　they　were　at　last　approaching　the　gap　in　the　hills；　the　northgate　of　the　Barrowdowns。　If　they　could　pass　that；　they　would　be　free。

'e　on！　Follow　me！'　he　called　back　over　his　shoulder；　and　he　hurried　forward。　But　his　hope　soon　changed　to　bewilderment　and　alarm。　The　dark　patches　grew　darker；　but　they　shrank；　and　suddenly　he　saw；　towering　ominous　before　him　and　leaning　slightly　towards　one　another　like　the　pillars　of　a　headless　door；　two　huge　standing　stones。　He　could　not　remember　having　seen　any　sign　of　these　in　the　valley；　when　he　looked　out　from　the　hill　in　the　morning。　He　had　passed　between　them　almost　before　he　was　aware：　and　even　as　he　did　so　darkness　seemed　to　fall　round　him。　His　pony　reared　and　snorted；　and　he　fell　off。　When　he　looked　back　he　found　that　he　was　alone：　the　others　had　not　followed　him。　'Sam！'　he　called。　'Pippin！　Merry！　e　along！　Why　don't　you　keep　up？'

There　was　no　answer。　Fear　took　him；　and　he　ran　back　past　the　stones　shouting　wildly：　'Sam！　Sam！　Merry！　Pippin！'　The　pony　bolted　into　the　mist　and　vanished。　From　some　way　off；　or　so　it　seemed；　he　thought　he　heard　a　cry：　'Hoy！　Frodo！　Hoy！'　It　was　away　eastward；　on　his　left　as　he　stood　under　the　great　stones；　staring　and　straining　into　the　gloom。　He　plunged　off　in　the　direction　of　the　call；　and　found　himself　going　steeply　uphill。

As　he　struggled　on　he　called　again；　and　kept　on　calling　more　and　more　frantically；　but　he　heard　no　answer　for　some　time；　and　then　it　seemed　faint　and　far　ahead　and　high　above　him。　'Frodo！　Hoy！'　came　the　thin　voices　out　of　the　mist：　and　then　a　cry　that　sounded　like　help；　help！　often　repeated；　ending　with　a　last　help！　that　trailed　off　into　a　long　wail　suddenly　cut　short。　He　stumbled　forward　with　all　the　speed　he　could　towards　the　cries；　but　the　light　was　now　gone；　and　clinging　night　had　closed　about　him；　so　that　it　was　impossible　to　be　sure　of　any　direction。　He　seemed　all　the　time　to　be　climbing　up　and　up。

Only　the　change　in　the　level　of　the　ground　at　his　feet　told　him　when　he　at　last　came　to　the　top　of　a　ridge　or　hill。　He　was　weary；　sweating　and　yet　chilled。　It　was　wholly　dark。

'Where　are　you？'　he　cried　out　miserably。

There　was　no　reply。　He　stood　listening。　He　was　suddenly　aware　that　it　was　getting　very　cold；　and　that　up　here　a　wind　was　beginning　to　blow；　an　icy　wind。　A　change　was　ing　in　the　weather。　The　mist　was　flowing　past　him　now　in　shreds　and　tatters。　His　breath　was　smoking；　and　the　darkness　was　less　near　and　thick。　He　looked　up　and　saw　with　surprise　that　faint　stars　were　appearing　overhead　amid　the　strands　of　hurrying　cloud　and　fog。　The　wind　began　to　hiss　over　the　grass。

He　imagined　suddenly　that　he　caught　a　muffled　cry；　and　he　made　towards　it；　and　even　as　he　went　forward　the　mist　was　rolled　up　and　thrust　aside；　and　the　starry　sky　was　unveiled。　A　glance　showed　him　that　he　was　now　facing　southwards　and　was　on　a　round　hilltop；　which　he　must　have　climbed　from　the　north。　Out　of　the　east　the　biting　wind　was　blowing。　To　his　right　there　loomed　against　the　westward　stars　a　dark　black　shape。　A　great　barrow　stood　there。

'Where　are　you？'　he　cried　again；　both　angry　and　afraid。

'Here！'　said　a　voice；　deep　and　cold；　that　seemed　to　e　out　of　the　ground。　'I　am　waiting　for　you！'

'No！'　said　Frodo；　but　he　did　not　run　away。　His　knees　gave；　and　he　fell　on　the　ground。　Nothing　happened；　and　there　was　no　sound。　Trembling　he　looked　up；　in　time　to　see　a　tall　dark　figure　like　a　shadow　against　the　stars。　It　leaned　over　him。　He　thought　there　were　two　eyes；　very　cold　though　lit　with　a　pale　light　that　seemed　to　e　from　some　remote　distance。　Then　a　grip　stronger　and　colder　than　iron　seized　him。　The　icy　touch　froze　his　bones；　and　he　remembered　no　more。

When　he　came　to　himself　again；　for　a　moment　he　could　recall　nothing　except　a　sense　of　dread。　Then　suddenly　he　knew　that　he　was　imprisoned；　caught　hopelessly；　he　was　in　a　barrow。　A　Barrowwight　had　taken　him；　and　he　was　probably　already　under　the　dreadful　spells　of　the　Barrowwights　about　which　whispered　tales　spoke。　He　dared　not　move；　but　lay　as　he　found　himself：　flat　on　his　back　upon　a　cold　stone　with　his　hands　on　his　breast。

But　though　his　fear　was　so　great　that　it　seemed　to　be　part　of　the　very　darkness　that　was　round　him；　he　found　himself　as　he　lay　thinking　about　Bilbo　Baggins　and　his　stories；　of　their　jogging　along　together　in　the　lanes　of　the　Shire　and　talking　about　roads　and　adventures。　There　is　a　seed　of　courage　hidden　（often　deeply；　it　is　true）　in　the　heart　of　the　fattest　and　most　timid　hobbit；　wailing　for　some　final　and　desperate　danger　to　make　it　grow。　Frodo　was　neither　very　fat　nor　very　timid；　indeed；　though　he　did　not　know　it；　Bilbo　（and　Gandalf）　had　thought　him　the　best　hobbit　in　the　Shire。　He　thought　he　had　e　to　the　end　of　his　adventure；　and　a　terrible　end；　but　the　thought　hardened　him。　He　found　himself　stiffening；　as　if　for　a　final　spring；　he　no　longer　felt　limp　like　a　helpless　prey。

As　he　lay　there；　thinking　and　getting　a　hold　of　himself；　he　noticed　all　at　once　that　the　darkness　was　slowly　giving　way：　a　pale　greenish　light　was　growing　round　him。　It　did　not　at　first　show　him　what　kind　of　a　place　he　was　in；　for　the　light　seemed　to　be　ing　out　of　himself；　and　from　the　floor　beside　him；　and　had　not　yet　reached　the　roof　or　wall。　He　turned；　and　there　in　the　cold　glow　he　saw　lying　beside　him　Sam；　Pippin；　and　Merry。　They　were　on　their　backs；　and　their　faces　looked　deathly　pale；　and　they　were　clad　in　white。　About　them　lay　many　treasures；　of　gold　maybe；　though　in　that　light　they　looked　cold　and　unlovely。　On　their　heads　were　circlets；　gold　chains　were　about　their　waists；　and　on　their　fingers　were　many　rings。　Swords　lay　by　their　sides；　and　shields　were　at　their　feet。　But　across　their　three　necks　lay　one　long　naked　sword。

Suddenly　a　song　began：　a　cold　murmur；　rising　and　falling。　The　voice　seemed　far　away　and　immeasurably　dreary；　sometimes　high　in　the　air　and　thin；　sometimes　like　a　low　moan　from　the　ground。　Out　of　the　formless　stream　of　sad　but　horrible　sounds；　strings　of　words　would　now　and　again　shape　themselves：　grim；　hard；　cold　words；　heartless　and　miserable。　The　night　was　railing　against　the　morning　of　which　it　was　bereaved；　and　the　cold　was　cursing　the　warmth　for　which　it　hungered。　Frodo　was　chilled　to　the　marrow。　After　a　while　the　song　became　clearer；　and　with　dread　in　his　heart　he　perceived　that　it　had　changed　into　an　incantation：

Cold　be　hand　and　heart　and　bone；
and　cold　be　sleep　under　stone：
never　mare　to　wake　on　stony　bed；
never；　till　the　Sun　fails　and　the　Moon　is　dead。
In　the　black　wind　the　stars　shall　die；
and　still　on　gold　here　let　them　lie；
till　the　dark　lord　lifts　his　hand
over　dead　sea　and　withered　land。

He　heard　behind　his　head　a　creaking　and　scraping　sound。　Raising　himself　on　one　arm　he　looked；　and　saw　now　in　the　pale　light　that　they　were　in　a　kind　of　passage　which　behind　them　turned　a　corner。　Round　the　corner　a　long　arm　was　groping；　walking　on　its　fingers　towards　Sam；　who　was　lying　nearest；　and　towards　the