Властелин колец: Братство кольца
A Short Cut to Mushrooms
Hesoonfoundthatthethicketwascloserandmoretangledthanithadappeared.Therewerenopathsintheundergrowth,andtheydidnotgetonveryfast.Whentheyhadstruggledtothebottomofthebank,theyfoundastreamrunningdownfromthehilsbehindinadeeplydugbedwithsteepslipperysidesoverhungwithbrambles.Mostinconvenientlyitcutacrossthelinetheyhadchosen.Theycouldnotjumpoverit,norindeedgetacrossitatallwithoutgettingwet,scratched,andmuddy.Theyhalted,wonderingwhattodo."Firstcheck!"saidPippin,smilinggrimly.
SamGamgeelookedback.Throughanopeninginthetreeshecaughtaglimpseofthetopofthegreenbankfromwhichtheyhadclimbeddown.
"Look!"hesaid,clutchingFrodobythearm.Theyalllooked,andontheedgehighabovethemtheysawagainsttheskyahorsestanding.Besideitstoopedablackfigure.
Theyatoncegaveupanyideaofgoingback.Frodoledtheway,andplungedquicklyintothethickbushesbesidethestream."Whew!"hesaidtoPippin."Wewerebothright!Theshortcuthasgonecrookedalready;butwegotundercoveronlyjustintime.You’vegotsharpears,Sam:canyouhearanythingcoming?"
Theystoodstill,almostholdingtheirbreathastheylistened;buttherewasnosoundofpursuit."Idon’tfancyhewouldtrybringinghishorsedownthatbank,"saidSam."ButIguessheknowswecamedownit.Wehadbetterbegoingon."
Goingonwasnotaltogethereasy.Theyhadpackstocarry,andthebushesandbrambleswerereluctanttoletthemthrough.Theywerecutofffromthewindbytheridgebehind,andtheairwasstillandstuffy.
