Barrels Out of Bond

           ThedayafterthebattlewiththespidersBilboandthedwarvesmadeonelastdespairingefforttofindawayoutbeforetheydiedofhungerandthirst.Theygotupandstaggeredoninthedirectionwhicheightoutofthethirteenofthemguessedtobetheoneinwhichthepathlay;buttheyneverfoundoutiftheywereright.Suchdayasthereeverwasintheforestwasfadingoncemoreintotheblacknessofnight,whensuddenlyoutsprangthelightofmanytorchesallroundthem,likehundredsofredstars.OutleapedWood-elveswiththeirbowsandspearsandcalledthedwarvestohalt.Therewasnothoughtofafight.Evenifthedwarveshadnotbeeninsuchastatethattheywereactuallygladtobecaptured,theirsmallknives,theonlyweaponstheyhad,wouldhavebeenofnouseagainstthearrowsoftheelvesthatcouldhitabird’seyeinthedark.Sotheysimplystoppeddeadandsatdownandwaited-allexceptBilbo,whopoppedonhisringandslippedquicklytooneside.

           Thatiswhy,whentheelvesboundthedwarvesinalongline,onebehindtheother,andcountedthem,theyneverfoundorcountedthehobbit.Nordidtheyhearorfeelhimtrottingalongwellbehindtheirtorch-lightastheyledofftheirprisonersintotheforest.Eachdwarfwasblindfold,butthatdidnotmakemuchdifference,forevenBilbowiththeuseofhiseyescouldnotseewheretheyweregoing,andneitherhenortheothersknewwheretheyhadstartedfromanyway.