As he struggled on beside me, I felt a shadow pass over me. Like.as if,
oh, I don't know how to explain it. It was almost as if someone had passed
through me. I shivered and it passed right up and down my spine. Frodo
must've felt it too because he stopped and I felt him quake in my hand.
"Did you feel that, Sam?" he said, voice dry. It sounded like peeling paint and it only reminded me of my own burning thirst.
"Yes. But it's passed now, Mister Frodo. We're still safe."
"I am not so sure, " said Frodo, "Perhaps. But I would like to get something between the mountain and me. It does not feel safe yet."
I couldn't tell if he meant he felt something else. By then, I had no idea what terrible nightmares twisted in my master's mind. I wanted to keep going. Put as much distance behind us. But Frodo had never been wrong and a slight haze had come across his eyes. I could almost hear the ringing shriek in my ears as the darkness chased.
"We'll hide," I said quickly, "In that groove under that small bramble over yonder. And then you can rest, master."
I did not like to stop. If Gollum returned.well, I wasn't going to let it happen. For once, I scolded myself, you're going to keep yourself awake. The Gaffer always told me I was a right ninnyhammer and I may be nought better but I'll try to be a ninnyhammer that stays awake!
We crouched beneath the thistles, waiting for something that never came. I managed to get Frodo to eat half of the waybread. I saved the rest. I thought that perhaps eating would slow my mind. And now was the time for me to stay alert. Mister Frodo went to sleep instantly. I fixed my eye on the horizon and waited. All my cooking stuff was gone. And the foul orc clothes, though they stank and were cruel to wear, had warmed me. But now we had nothing but our packs and the last of the bread. How long I could go without water I didn't know and as for Frodo, he looked as though he would break if a breath of air touched him. I flinched. There was a sound. A faint slapping and dragging. And long before he came into sight, I knew it was Gollum.
"Yes, yes, we'll find it, my precious, " he muttered, Stinker rising once more, "It's here. We feels it. Yes, precious, we is close now."
I sprang and fell on my face. Nothing but a fool! I groped about on the ground and felt something clutch at my wrist. This is it, I thought. I'll never be able to face Gollum again. Even with a blade I had failed. Oh why had Mister Frodo not killed the wretched creature before? So many chances and now.
"Hush, Sam. He's gone. He did not see you."
I strained my ears to hear over Frodo's gasping breaths. How he got to me so fast, I hadn't the faintest idea. The slap drag slap slap drag faded away as Gollum wandered out over the smoking plains, muttering away to himself.
"Oh, Mister Frodo, " I whispered, "I thought that wretch had me then."
"You were brave, Sam, " he replied, "But I am afraid bravery can no longer save us. Come, let us go on."
And then where? I thought. Go on is easy to say. But to take that first step.I don't know how either of us managed to do it. With that choked landscape rolled out like a tongue before us. And Mount Doom looming up. A great roaring beast. I'll always hear it. No matter how silent the world outside. Mount Doom and that time is scorched into my mind.
"Did you feel that, Sam?" he said, voice dry. It sounded like peeling paint and it only reminded me of my own burning thirst.
"Yes. But it's passed now, Mister Frodo. We're still safe."
"I am not so sure, " said Frodo, "Perhaps. But I would like to get something between the mountain and me. It does not feel safe yet."
I couldn't tell if he meant he felt something else. By then, I had no idea what terrible nightmares twisted in my master's mind. I wanted to keep going. Put as much distance behind us. But Frodo had never been wrong and a slight haze had come across his eyes. I could almost hear the ringing shriek in my ears as the darkness chased.
"We'll hide," I said quickly, "In that groove under that small bramble over yonder. And then you can rest, master."
I did not like to stop. If Gollum returned.well, I wasn't going to let it happen. For once, I scolded myself, you're going to keep yourself awake. The Gaffer always told me I was a right ninnyhammer and I may be nought better but I'll try to be a ninnyhammer that stays awake!
We crouched beneath the thistles, waiting for something that never came. I managed to get Frodo to eat half of the waybread. I saved the rest. I thought that perhaps eating would slow my mind. And now was the time for me to stay alert. Mister Frodo went to sleep instantly. I fixed my eye on the horizon and waited. All my cooking stuff was gone. And the foul orc clothes, though they stank and were cruel to wear, had warmed me. But now we had nothing but our packs and the last of the bread. How long I could go without water I didn't know and as for Frodo, he looked as though he would break if a breath of air touched him. I flinched. There was a sound. A faint slapping and dragging. And long before he came into sight, I knew it was Gollum.
"Yes, yes, we'll find it, my precious, " he muttered, Stinker rising once more, "It's here. We feels it. Yes, precious, we is close now."
I sprang and fell on my face. Nothing but a fool! I groped about on the ground and felt something clutch at my wrist. This is it, I thought. I'll never be able to face Gollum again. Even with a blade I had failed. Oh why had Mister Frodo not killed the wretched creature before? So many chances and now.
"Hush, Sam. He's gone. He did not see you."
I strained my ears to hear over Frodo's gasping breaths. How he got to me so fast, I hadn't the faintest idea. The slap drag slap slap drag faded away as Gollum wandered out over the smoking plains, muttering away to himself.
"Oh, Mister Frodo, " I whispered, "I thought that wretch had me then."
"You were brave, Sam, " he replied, "But I am afraid bravery can no longer save us. Come, let us go on."
And then where? I thought. Go on is easy to say. But to take that first step.I don't know how either of us managed to do it. With that choked landscape rolled out like a tongue before us. And Mount Doom looming up. A great roaring beast. I'll always hear it. No matter how silent the world outside. Mount Doom and that time is scorched into my mind.