Then did I make no waste of time; but set off unto the fire-hole; and
kept so much to shelter as I might; but was oft made to run over baked
places, ere that I should come to more of the bushes. And I came presently nigh unto the fire-hole, and made a pause, and
crept unto it, with a great care. And I found it to be in the bottom of
a deep hollow of the rock of that part. And the rock was clear looking
of all living matters, the which did make me to be glad. And I went
round about the top of the hollow, carrying the Diskos very handily; but
there was nowhere any living thing; and I feared not to go downward into
the deep hollow, and so unto the fire-hole, which lay in the bottom, as
you have perceived. And when I was come there, I made a close search of the rock, and found
it was very sweet and warm; and there were no serpents, neither any
stinging creatures; so that a certain comfort came upon my spirit. Then stript I off mine armour and gear, and afterward all my garments,
so that I stood naked there in the hollow. Yet was that place almost so
warm as some mild oven, and I had no fear to suffer from the cold of the
Night Land; but was uneasy lest that any monstrous thing should be anigh
to come to take me so unawares. Now I wrung the garments, and spread them upon the rock near unto the
fire-hole, where it was hot; and I did rub my body very brisk with my
hands, so that I glowed into health and had no fear of a stiffness. And afterward, I did look to my food and drink, and to the matters in
the pouch; but there had no harm come to any, by reason of the tightness
of the scrip and the pouch, that had kept off the water. And I eat and
drank, there as I stood waiting for the garments to come to dryness; and
I walked about a little, as I eat; for I was restless to be into mine
armour swiftly. And now I did turn this garment upward of the dry side,
and now that; but did find them to steam, so that I turned them many
times before they were proper. Yet, in truth, they dried in but a little while, and I gat me into them
very swift, and into the armour; and I felt the strength and courage of
my spirit to come back into me, which had gone outward somewhat when I
did stand there so naked. And this feeling you shall all have
understanding of; and know that you would have felt that way, likewise,
had you but stood there in that Land in so unhappy a plight. And when I had come into mine armour, I put my gear upon me, and took
the Diskos into my hand, and did climb out of the hollow; for I would
find a more secure place to my slumber, and did not dare to sleep in
that place; for it was beyond seven and thirty hours since that I did
have sleep; though as I do see by my count, I have made it to seem but
as five and thirty; yet was a part consumed in diverse matters that I
have not set down. And you shall mind how bitter had been my labour and
weariness in all that time; and I did know of a surety that sleep must
come heavily upon me; so that I was sorely in need that I should search
out a safe place; for I should not be lightly waked, until that I had
slept away the tiredness of my heart, and the weariful achings from my
body. And, indeed, I should mind you how that I was not yet come perfect
from the bruising which I had gotten from the fight with the Yellow
Thing. And presently, when I had searched but a little while, I did find that a
rock stood upward from a great clumping of the moss-bushes unto my left;
and I went over to the rock, and made a search about it. And I found
that there was a hole into the bottom part of the rock, and I thrust the
Diskos into the hole, and made the blade to spin a little, so that it
sent out a light; but there was no thing in the hole, and it did seem a
dry and safe place for my sleep. Then I turned me about, and went into the hole with my feet that way;
and I found that it was so deep into the rock as the length of two men,
and just so wide as I could lie in it without having it to pinch me. And
there I made my bed in the hole, and went swift unto my sleep, and
scarce had but a moment even to think upon Naani; and by this thing
shall you know how utter was my weariness. Now I waked of a sudden, and was very clear and refreshed. And I crept
to the mouth of the hole, and lookt out; but there was all a quietness
round about, and nothing to threaten. And I found that I had slept ten hours; so that I made a haste to eat
and drink, that I should go forward swiftly upon my journey. And at that
time, as in the time when I did eat, naked, in the hollow, by the
fire-hole, I eat four of the tablets; and this you shall understand to
be rightly due unto me, in that I had gone so long fasting in that my
great journeying to come safe from the Hound, and to come past the House
of Silence. And this shall seem but a little thing to you; yet was it a
wondrous important matter unto me, that had gone so long with an empty
belly, and was never satisfied. And neither should any be, that had eat
so little as I did eat, and made to fill their belly always with a drink
of water. Yet, I doubt not but that it did keep my soul sweet and
wholesome and no useful thing to the Powers of Evil of the Land. And when I had made an end of so great a gorging, and had ceased to be
drunken with water, I gat my gear upon me, and took the Diskos into mine
hand, and so went forth once more towards the North. And presently, I was nigh unto the Road again; for it did curve
something Westward a space beyond. And I was sore tempted to go upon the
Road; for the ground was rough and the moss-bushes did catch my feet. Yet did I stay among the bushes, though the Road was true and smooth, by
compare. And by this telling, you will perceive that I walked once more
upright, and had given over to crawl between the bushes. And, in truth,
this was so; for the Land did seem very quiet in all that part; and I
had less of fear, now that I stood beyond the horrid unease of the House
of Silence. Now, after that I had journeyed twelve hours, I saw that I was come upon
the commencement of a great and mighty slope, as that the world did
slope downward always towards the North. And I went on again, after that
I had eat and drunk, as I did likewise before this at the sixth hour of
that day's journey. And presently, I perceived the Road to cease; and surely this did
confound me; as that a man of this age had come to a part where the
world did end; for you shall know that the Road was that which had
seemed to go on for ever; and you shall mind the way of my life up till
that time, and so shall you the better conceive of my bewilderment, and
as it were a feeling of great strangeness unto one that was overprest,
as you would believe, with strange matters. Yet, truly, was this all as the little book of metal had told unto me;
and so should I have been something prepared; yet are we ever thus
needing eye-proof; and perhaps it is more proper that it be so.