Властелин колец: Братство кольца
A Conspiracy Unmasked
TheBrandybucksandtheirnumerousdependantsthenbegantoburrow,andlatertobuild,allroundabout.ThatwastheoriginofBuckland,athicklyinhabitedstripbetweentheriverandtheOldForest,asortofcolonyfromtheShire.ItschiefvilagewasBucklebury,clusteringinthebanksandslopesbehindBrandyHal.
ThepeopleintheMarishwerefriendlywiththeBucklanders,andtheauthorityoftheMasteroftheHall(astheheadoftheBrandybuckfamilywascaled)wasstillacknowledgedbythefarmersbetweenStockandRushey.ButmostofthefolkoftheoldShireregardedtheBucklandersaspeculiar,halfforeignersasitwere.Though,asamatteroffact,theywerenotverydifferentfromtheotherhobbitsoftheFourFarthings.Exceptinonepoint:theywerefondofboats,andsomeofthemcouldswim.
TheirlandwasoriginalyunprotectedfromtheEast;butonthatsidetheyhadbuiltahedge:theHighHay.Ithadbeenplantedmanygenerationsago,andwasnowthickandtail,foritwasconstantlytended.ItranallthewayfromBrandywineBridge,inabigloopcurvingawayfromtheriver,toHaysend(wheretheWithywindleflowedoutoftheForestintotheBrandywine):wellovertwentymilesfromendtoend.But,ofcourse,itwasnotacompleteprotection.TheForestdrewclosetothehedgeinmanyplaces.TheBucklanderskepttheirdoorslockedafterdark,andthatalsowasnotusualintheShire.
Theferry-boatmovedslowlyacrossthewater.TheBucklandshoredrewnearer.Samwastheonlymemberofthepartywhohadnotbeenovertheriverbefore.Hehadastrangefeelingastheslowgurglingstreamslippedby:hisoldlifelaybehindinthemists,darkadventurelayinfront.Hescratchedhishead,andforamomenthadapassingwishthatMr.FrodocouldhavegoneonlivingquietlyatBagEnd.
