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.Merryhimself slew the leader, a great squint-eyed brute like a huge orc.Then hedrew his forces off, encircling the last remnant of the Men in a wide ring ofarchers.At last all was over.Nearly seventy of the ruffians lay dead on the field, anda dozen were prisoners.Nineteen hobbits were killed, and some thirty werewounded.The dead ruffians were laden on waggons and hauled off to an oldsand-pit nearby and there buried: in the Battle Pit, as it was afterwardscalled.The fallen hobbits were laid together in a grave on the hill-side,where later a great stone was set up with a garden about it.So ended theBattle of Bywater, 1419, the last battle fought in the Shire, and the onlybattle since the Greenfields, 1147, away up in the Northfarthing.Inconsequence, though it happily cost very few lives, it has a chapter to itselfin the Red Book, and the names of all those who took part were made into aRoll, and learned by heart by Shire-historians.The very considerable rise inthe fame and fortune of the Cottons dates from this time; but at the top of theRoll in all accounts stand the names of Captains Meriadoc and Peregrin.Frodo had been in the battle, but he had not drawn sword, and his chief parthad been to prevent the hobbits in their wrath at their losses, from slayingthose of their enemies who threw down their weapons.When the fighting wasover, and the later labours were ordered, Merry, Pippin, and Sam joined him,and they rode back with the Cottons.They ate a late midday meal, and thenFrodo said with a sigh: ‘Well, I suppose it is time now that we dealt with the“Chief”.’‘Yes indeed; the sooner the better,’ said Merry.‘And don’t be too gentle! He’sresponsible for bringing in these ruffians, and for all the evil they havedone.’Farmer Cotton collected an escort of some two dozen sturdy hobbits.‘For it’sonly a guess that there is no ruffians left at Bag End,’ he said.‘We don’tknow.’ Then they set out on foot.Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin led the way.It was one of the saddest hours in their lives.The great chimney rose upbefore them; and as they drew near the old village across the Water, throughrows of new mean houses along each side of the road, they saw the new mill inall its frowning and dirty ugliness: a great brick building straddling thestream, which it fouled with a steaming and stinking overflow.All along theBywater Road every tree had been felled.As they crossed the bridge and looked up the Hill they gasped.Even Sam’svision in the Mirror had not prepared him for what they saw.The Old Grange onthe west side had been knocked down, and its place taken by rows of tarredsheds.All the chestnuts were gone.The banks and hedgerows were broken.Greatwaggons were standing in disorder in a field beaten bare of grass.Bagshot Rowwas a yawning sand and gravel quarry.Bag End up.beyond could not be seen fora clutter of large huts.‘They’ve cut it down!’ cried Sam.‘They’ve cut down the Party Tree!’ He pointedto where the tree.had stood under which Bilbo had made his Farewell Speech.Itwas lying lopped and dead in the field.As if this was the last straw Sam burstinto tears.A laugh put an end to them.There was a surly hobbit lounging over the low wallof the mill-yard.He was grimy-faced and black-handed.‘Don’t ‘ee like it,Sam?’ he sneered.‘But you always was soft.I thought you’d gone off in one o’them ships you used to prattle about, sailing, sailing.What d’you want to comeback for? We’ve work to do in the Shire now.’‘So I see,’ said Sam.‘No time for washing, but time for wall-propping.But seehere, Master Sandyman, I’ve a score to pay in this village, and don’t you makeit any longer with your jeering, or you’ll foot a bill too big for yourpurse.’Ted Sandyman spat over the wall: ‘Garn!’ he said.‘You can’t touch me.I’m afriend o’ the Boss’s.But he’ll touch you all right, if I have any more of yourmouth.’‘Don’t waste any more words on the fool, Sam!’ said Frodo.‘I hope there arenot many more hobbits that have become like this.It would be a worse troublethan all the damage the Men have done.’‘You are dirty and insolent, Sandyman,’ said Merry.‘And also very much out ofyour reckoning.We are just going up the Hill to remove your precious Boss.Wehave dealt with his Men.’Ted gaped, for at that moment he first caught sight of the escort that at asign from Merry now marched over the bridge.Dashing back into the mill he ranout with a horn and blew it loudly.‘Save your breath!’ laughed Merry.‘I’ve a better.’ Then lifting up his silverhorn he winded it, and its clear call rang over the Hill; and out of the holesand sheds and shabby houses of Hobbiton the hobbits answered, and came pouringout, and with cheers and loud cries they followed the company up the road toBag End.At the top of the lane the party halted, and Frodo and his friends went on; andthey came at last to the once beloved place.The garden was full of huts andsheds, some so near the old westward windows that they cut off all their light.There were piles of refuse everywhere.The door was scarred; the bell-chain wasdangling loose, and the bell would not ring.Knocking brought no answer.Atlength they pushed and the door yielded.They went in.The place stank and wasfull of filth and disorder: it did not appear to have been used for some time.‘Where is that miserable Lotho hiding?’ said Merry.They had searched everyroom and found no living thing save rats and mice.‘Shall we turn on the othersto search the sheds?’‘This is worse than Mordor!’ said Sam.‘Much worse in a way.It comes home toyou, as they say; because it is home, and you remember it before it was allruined.’‘Yes, this is Mordor,’ said Frodo.‘Just one of its works.Saruman was doingits work all the time, even when he thought he was working for himself.And thesame with those that Saruman tricked, like Lotho.’Merry looked round in dismay and disgust.‘Let’s get out!’ he said.‘If I hadknown all the mischief he had caused, I should have stuffed my pouch downSaruman’s throat.’‘No doubt, no doubt! But you did not, and so I am able to welcome you home.’There standing at the door was Saruman himself, looking well-fed andwell-pleased; his eyes gleamed with malice and amusement.A sudden light broke on Frodo.‘Sharkey!’ he cried.Saruman laughed.‘So you have heard the name, have you? All my people used tocall me that in Isengard, I believe.A sign of affection, possibly.«[« It was probably Orkish in origin: sharkû, 'old man'.] But evidently you didnot expect to see me here.’‘I did not,’ said Frodo.‘But I might have guessed.A little mischief in a meanway: Gandalf warned me that you were still capable of it.‘Quite capable,’ said Saruman, ‘and more than a little.You made me laugh, youhobbit-lordlings, riding along with all those great people so secure and sopleased with your little selves.You thought you had done very well out of itall, and could now just amble back and have a nice quiet time in the country.Saruman’s home could be all wrecked, and he could be turned out, but no onecould touch yours.Oh no! Gandalf would look after your affairs.’Saruman laughed again.‘Not he! When his tools have done their task he dropsthem [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]