Властелин колец: Братство кольца
A Knife in the Dark
TheywerefarbeyondthebordersoftheBree-land,outinthepathlesswilderness,anddrawingneartotheMidgewaterMarshes.
Thegroundnowbecamedamp,andinplacesboggyandhereandtheretheycameuponpools,andwidestretchesofreedsandrushesfilledwiththewarblingoflittlehiddenbirds.Theyhadtopicktheirwaycarefullytokeepbothdry-footedandontheirpropercourse.Atfirsttheymadefairprogress,butastheywenton,theirpassagebecameslowerandmoredangerous.Themarsheswerebewilderingandtreacherous,andtherewasnopermanenttrailevenforRangerstofindthroughtheirshiftingquagmires.Thefliesbegantotormentthem,andtheairwasfullofcloudsoftinymidgesthatcreptuptheirsleevesandbreechesandintotheirhair.
‘Iambeingeatenalive!’criedPippin.‘Midgewater!Therearemoremidgesthanwater!’
‘Whatdotheyliveonwhentheycan’tgethobbit?’askedSam,scratchinghisneck.
Theyspentamiserabledayinthislonelyandunpleasantcountry.Theircamping-placewasdamp,cold,anduncomfortable;andthebitinginsectswouldnotletthemsleep.Therewerealsoabominablecreatureshauntingthereedsandtussocksthatfromthesoundofthemwereevilrelativesofthecricket.Therewerethousandsofthem,andtheysqueakedallround,neek-breek,breek-neek,unceasinglyallthenight,untilthehobbitswerenearlyfrantic.
Thenextday,thefourth,waslittlebetter,andthenightalmostascomfortless.ThoughtheNeekerbreekers(asSamcalledthem)hadbeenleftbehind,themidgesstillpursuedthem.
