And the scent of
the woods was sweet unto my spirit, as you shall wot. Now all the time that I did go, there was the shore unto my right; but
alway to my left, and around me oft-times as I did say, the great
forests. And as I did go, lo! there was life in all those darksome
woods, and living eyes did peer out odd whiles upon me, and afterward go
backward into the dark; so that I wotted not whether to fear, or to have
no heed of trouble. Yet naught did come anigh to me, to make any hurt. And thrice in that day did I come to little fire-hills that burnt redly,
and sent out fire and noise, so that I heard their trouble each time
through the forest, before that I was come to them. And about each was
there a deadness and desolation, where the fire had killed the big
trees; yet, as I did observe, the quick life of little plants did grow
more nigh, as that they were born and lived between the times of the
fire-bursts. And this I do take it that you perceive. And in that one day I past thirty and seven boiling springs; but whether
they boiled truly, I do have no knowledge; only that they sent out a
great steam oft-times; and some did make a strong roaring noise; so that
to hear them afar off in the forests was to think odd times that some
wild beast roared strangely. Now, when the eighteenth hour was come, I sat me down, as I had done
upon the sixth and the twelfth hours, and eat two of the tablets, and
drank some of the water, which here did fizz very rich and quick. And afterward I lay down to my slumber, for I was greatly wearied. And I
had chosen a place against a great rock, which was so that no creature
might come upon me from behind. And I came easy upon sleep; but yet I
did fix it upon me that I slumber only with the body; for I did know, by
the shining of the eyes in the darksome woods, that strange creatures
abode in the mighty forests. And ere I was gone over to sleep, I thought upon Naani, as I had done
much all that day, as though her spirit did hover near unto mine, and
did strive pitiful to speak with me. And this I set out to you, that you
shall know how it did seem unto me in my thoughts and fancyings. And as
I lay there, I put a blessing upon her, and a determination into my
heart that I make a more desperate speed of my going, if that might be;
so that I come the sooner to that strange, and unknown place in the dead
world where did stand the lesser Refuge. And I was then asleep in a
moment. And lo! sudden I was awake. And lovely was the brightness of that
Country, that did show me in a moment my danger, and did not keep me
suspend in fearful Doubt, as did the grey darkness and strange shadows
and lights of the Night Land. For I saw, on the instant that I got me to
mine elbow, how that certain things did crouch within the borders of the
trees, no more than a score paces off. And I perceived in a moment that
my spirit had been given knowledge, and had wakened me. And I stared,
the while that I did grip the Diskos; and I saw that there were six
squat men that were humpt at the neck and shoulder; and they did crouch
all there in a row, and were something hid by the shadows; and I
perceived that they watched me; and the eyes of the men did shine like
the eyes of beasts; and so shall you know somewhat of the strange terror
that came upon me. Yet had I the Diskos and mine armour; and though my
heart did shake a little, yet was my spirit assured to conquer. Now I gat me to my feet, and had the Diskos ready within my hand; and
behold! I could not see the Humped Men, for they were gone from that
place; yet never did I see them go, though I had kept my gaze very
steadfast upon that part where they did hide. And, as you shall
understand, I was near ready to believe that there had been nothing
there within the border of the wood; yet truly I knew that the men with
the humps had been there, as I had seen. Now, I looked presently, and found that I had slept five hours; and I
eat two of the tablets, as I did stand there, watchful; and afterward
drank some of the water; and so was ready to go forward again; for I was
grown very anxious to be gone from that place; and did have no knowledge
but that those strangely humpt Men were but a little way off, among the
trees, and might come upon me in a moment; or, further, that they did go
to call an army of other humped men to my destruction. And after that I was ready, and had my gear secure upon me, I set off at
a great stride, and did hold the Diskos very handy, and lookt this way
and lookt that way, and all the while made onward with speed; for,
truly, I was grown so lean and hard that it did seem to me that I had
power to out-pace those men or aught else of their kind. And all that day, through thirty great hours did I go forward, at that
stride, and did always watch; and at every sixth hour, I eat two of the
tablets and drank a little of the water, and went onward again. And so did I hope that I was lost from those Humped Men. Yet, though I
did hope, my faith was not this wise; for twice and thrice did it come
to me that there went things through the woods to my left all that day,
and did keep always to a level with my speed; yet were always hid. And,
as you shall believe, this did be a very shaking thing to my heart, and
did make my hope of but little account. Now, because that I had no faith to company my hope, I was not easy to
have slumber, until that I was come to a place proper and safe. And so,
as I have told, I went onward through thirty great hours; and, in truth,
in all that while I did find nowhere that did seem to fit my need. And lo! about the end of the thirtieth hour, I perceived that there was
water ahead, besides the water of the sea that was ever to my right. And
I thought, maybe, that the sea did go inward at that part of the land;
but it was otherwise; for when I was gotten to that place, I found that
a river came into the sea, and did come out of all the country that lay
unto my left. And in the mouth of this river, there was a small island; and surely I
did look across to the island, and think it a refuge from the Humped Men
that did surely play dog upon my going. Yet, truly, this was but an idle
thought, and my need was that I should come to some way to cross over
the river, that I go forward beside the great sea, which did stretch
onward, as it did seem for ever, before me upon the far side. And I knew not how to go across; for I had no power to swim, and had I
swum, there were surely monsters in that great and warm-flowing river,
as you shall believe.