Властелин колец: Две башни
The Taming of Sméagol
Tofindapathintheseclefts,whichwerebecomingdeeperandmorefrequent,FrodoandSamweredriventotheirleft,wellawayfromtheedge,andtheydidnotnoticethatforseveralmilestheyhadbeengoingslowlybutsteadilydownhill:thecliff-topwassinkingtowardsthelevelofthelowlands.
Atlasttheywerebroughttoahalt.Theridgetookasharperbendnorthwardandwasgashedbyadeeperravine.Onthefurthersideitrearedupagain,manyfathomsatasingleleap:agreatgreycliffloomedbeforethem,cutsheerdownasifbyaknifestroke.Theycouldgonofurtherforwards,andmustturnnoweitherwestoreast.Butwestwouldleadthemonlyintomorelabouranddelay,backtowardstheheartofthehills;eastwouldtakethemtotheouterprecipice.
`There’snothingforitbuttoscrambledownthisgully,Sam,’saidFrodo.`Let’sseewhatitleadsto!’
’Anastydrop,I’llbet,’saidSam.
Thecleftwaslongeranddeeperthanitseemed.Somewaydowntheyfoundafewgnarledandstuntedtrees,thefirsttheyhadseenfordays:twistedbirchforthemostpart,withhereandthereafir-tree.Manyweredeadandgaunt,bittentothecorebytheeasternwinds.Onceinmilderdaystheremusthavebeenafairthicketintheravine,butnow,aftersomefiftyyards,thetreescametoanend,thougholdbrokenstumpsstraggledonalmosttothecliff’sbrink.Thebottomofthegully,whichlayalongtheedgeofarock-fault,wasroughwithbrokenstoneandslantedsteeplydown.Whentheycameatlasttotheendofit,Frodostoopedandleanedout.
