And I lookt
very cautious at the thing that moved beyond the fire, and surely I had
seen no thing so monstrous since that I had come free of the Night Land;
for it was as that some huge Creature, like to the hull of a great ship
did move down out of the dark of the upper way of the Gorge. And it went
by the fire-hole, and onward into the dark of the lower way of the
Gorge; and I had perceived somewhat of it, as it did go past the fire,
and, surely, it was black and beslimed, and utter great in height and in
length, and it went always without noise, so that I had not known it to
be there, but that I saw it plain with mine eyes. And, truly, if I do
say that it was somewhat as that I had seen a monstrous slug-thing,
surely I should use wise and proper words to make known to you this
horrid brute. And I stayed very quiet a time, and afterward I went upward again of the
Gorge, and did use a new caution to my way, and saw that the Diskos was
free upon my hip; for even thus I did carry the weapon, being that I
must use both hands to my way, and to save me in my stumblings and
slidings over the slippery rocks. And once it did seem to me that some great thing moved in the darkness,
and I went downward among the rocks, and stirred not my body for a great
while; and sure am I that there went some living monster past me, that
did stink as a loathsome grave. And afterward, I went on again. And three hours did I go thus, and came at last to a place where a
fire-hole did shine more ruddy; and I did look well about me, that I
should perceive that part of the Gorge the better. And as I stood there,
very quiet, away off from the fire, so that it did show no great light
upon my person, I did note how utter still was that place; and this to
take me anew, as though it had come fresh upon me. And here, there would
be the drip of water, and again in that place, and again elsewhere; and
all very solemn and very dismal. And the silence to be constant. And presently, as I lookt, now to this way and again to that, I saw that
there was a monstrous slug-thing laid upward against the black side of
the Gorge, as that it had stood up on end; and the one end of the
monster went upward beyond the light from the fire-pit; but the other
part did come down and trail into the Gorge, as a long hillock, very
ugly and black and beslimed. And I near sweat with a disgust and horror of the thing; but afterward I
had more courage, and spied well upon the brute. And surely, it moved
not at all, any more than the side of the cliff of the Gorge; and I
conceived that it stood not upward upon any feet; but clung to the rock,
even as you shall see a slug to go. And for a great space I was very
quiet and moved not, neither did I make to hide, but stood there very
stupid. Yet, in a time, I had more of courage which brought strength unto my
heart, and I began again to go upon my way, but with an utter caution,
and I then to creep for a weary time upon my hands and knees among the
dank and weariful rocks and boulders that lay in the bottom of the
Gorge. And thrice between four hours was I passed by hidden and
monstrous things in the horrid dark places of the Gorge; yet with no
noise, save, as it might be, the odd rattle of a rock in this place and
that; but with an utter and dreadful stinking. And I to be quiet as
they went, as you shall think. And each time now that I did go by the fire-pits and fire-holes that lay
odd-ways in the Gorge, I did pause and search about me with mine eyes,
very cautious, and oft now did I perceive how that the monstrous slug
creatures did lie in this place and in that against the cliffs of the
Gorge. And I did go then utter still, from this space to that space
among the rocks, and oft upon the flat of my belly, and with a constant
heed that I make not mine armour to knock against the boulders. And always as I did go, there was a monstrous stench, and the choking of
sulphurous smoke very oft. And here and there, as mine heart doth
believe, there were utter great caverns within the mountains to the
right and to the left; and of this thing I have some small proof; for
once I did go by a place where a fire did burn, as it should be a
fire-hole, afar inward of the mountain side upon my right; so that I saw
in a moment that I looked in the darkness through the mouth of a mighty
cave-place; and I went past very quick and silent, for I knew not
whether any horrid thing should come forth out of that place to slay me. And, truly, as I did think, if there did be one such place, there were
like to be many; and mayhaps the slugs came forth from those caverns,
where, as I did conceive there was naught save an eternal dripping of
waters and the foul growth of things in all parts. Yet is this last but
a thought, as I do say, and you shall wisely take it for no more than
that. Now, I came clear of the darkness and the slime and the stinking in
about twelve hours after the time that I did think the mountains to be a
roof unto the Gorge; and the air was now free and did seem as that some
life and health did abound in it; and the fires did be more plentiful,
and burned very bright and clean, and threw all their fumings upward, so
that there was no more any bitter pain of sulphur within my throat. And surely, it was with a thankful heart that I went onward, and with a
good speed; for there was much of light all about me, in that there
burned an hundred fire-pits here and in that place; so that I saw clear
before me and behind, and conceived that the slugs did abide only in the
closed part of the Gorge. And oft I did take the air very full into my
lungs, for the sweetness of it, after the horrid stenchings that I had
abode all those hours. And presently, when I was come free of the roofed part of the Gorge,
maybe some three good hours, I lookt for a place proper to slumber; for
it was surely something over three and thirty hours since that I did
last come upon sleep; and I was utter worn and lost of strength with so
much of creeping and harking for monsters, as you shall believe;
moreover, about that time I had gone bitter long whiles between
slumberings through more than an hundred hours, as you shall have
perceived from my tellings. Now, presently, I saw a small cave that went inward of the side of the
Gorge. And I lookt into the cave, and found it to be sweet and clean,
and very dry. And there was a small fire-pit off from the mouth of the
cave that did throw a good light for my purpose; so that I saw there was
no creeping thing or horror in the place; and I went in, and made to
prepare for my slumber. But truly, when I was come to look upon myself, I was utter soiled and
did seem as that I stank with the slime and disgust of the dark part of
the Gorge, where I had gone upon my hands, and upon my belly. And
because of this, I was set that I should not eat or come to sleep,
without I washed me. And I went out from the cave, and there was a spring near to the
fire-pit, as was oft in that part of the Gorge.