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Whether　because　of　Strider's　skill　or　for　some　other　reason；　they　saw　no　sign　and　heard　no　sound　of　any　other　living　thing　all　that　day：　neither　two　footed；　except　birds；　nor　fourfooted；　except　one　fox　and　a　few　squirrels。　The　next　day　they　began　to　steer　a　steady　course　eastwards；　and　still　all　was　quiet　and　peaceful。　On　the　third　day　out　from　Bree　they　came　out　of　the　Chetwood。　The　land　had　been　falling　steadily；　ever　since　they　turned　aside　from　the　Road；　and　they　now　entered　a　wide　flat　expanse　of　country；　much　more　difficult　to　manage。　They　were　far　beyond　the　borders　of　the　Breeland；　out　in　the　pathless　wilderness；　and　drawing　near　to　the　Midgewater　Marshes。

The　ground　now　became　damp；　and　in　places　boggy　and　here　and　there　they　came　upon　pools；　and　wide　stretches　of　reeds　and　rushes　filled　with　the　warbling　of　little　hidden　birds。　They　had　to　pick　their　way　carefully　to　keep　both　dryfooted　and　on　their　proper　course。　At　first　they　made　fanprogress；　but　as　they　went　on；　their　passage　became　slower　and　more　dangerous。　The　marshes　were　bewildering　and　treacherous；　and　there　was　no　permanent　trail　even　for　Rangers　to　find　through　their　shifting　quagmires。　The　flies　began　to　torment　them；　and　the　air　was　full　of　clouds　of　tiny　midges　that　crept　up　their　sleeves　and　breeches　and　into　their　hair。

'I　am　being　eaten　alive！'　cried　Pippin。　'Midgewater！　There　are　more　midges　than　water！'

'What　do　they　live　on　when　they　can't　get　hobbit？'　asked　Sam；　scratching　his　neck。

They　spent　a　miserable　day　in　this　lonely　and　unpleasant　country。　Their　campingplace　was　damp；　cold；　and　unfortable；　and　the　biting　insects　would　not　let　them　sleep。　There　were　also　abominable　creatures　haunting　the　reeds　and　tussocks　that　from　the　sound　of　them　were　evil　relatives　of　the　cricket。　There　were　thousands　of　them；　and　they　squeaked　all　round；　neekbreek；　breek　neek；　unceasingly　all　the　night；　until　the　hobbits　were　nearly　frantic。

The　next　day；　the　fourth；　was　little　better；　and　the　night　almost　as　fortless。　Though　the　Neekerbreekers　（as　Sam　called　them）　had　been　left　behind；　the　midges　still　pursued　them。

As　Frodo　lay；　tired　but　unable　to　close　his　eyes；　it　seemed　to　him　that　far　away　there　came　a　light　in　the　eastern　sky：　it　flashed　and　faded　many　times。　It　was　not　the　dawn；　for　that　was　still　some　hours　off。

'What　is　the　light？'　he　said　to　Strider；　who　had　risen；　and　was　standing；　gazing　ahead　into　the　night。

'I　do　not　know；'　Strider　answered。　'It　is　too　distant　to　make　out。　It　is　like　lightning　that　leaps　up　from　the　hilltops。'

Frodo　lay　down　again；　but　for　a　long　while　he　could　still　see　the　white　flashes；　and　against　them　the　tall　dark　figure　of　Strider；　standing　silent　and　watchful。　At　last　he　passed　into　uneasy　sleep。

They　had　not　gone　far　on　the　fifth　day　when　they　left　the　last　straggling　pools　and　reedbeds　of　the　marshes　behind　them。　The　land　before　them　began　steadily　to　rise　again。　Away　in　the　distance　eastward　they　could　now　see　a　line　of　hills。　The　highest　of　them　was　at　the　right　of　the　line　and　a　little　separated　from　the　others。　It　had　a　conical　top；　slightly　flattened　at　the　summit。

'That　is　Weathertop；'　said　Strider。　'The　Old　Road；　which　we　have　left　far　away　on　our　right；　runs　to　the　south　of　it　and　passes　not　far　from　its　foot。　We　might　reach　it　by　noon　tomorrow；　if　we　go　straight　towards　it。　I　suppose　we　had　better　do　so。'

'What　do　you　mean？'　asked　Frodo。

'I　mean：　when　we　do　get　there；　it　is　not　certain　what　we　shall　find。　It　is　close　to　the　Road。'

'But　surely　we　were　hoping　to　find　Gandalf　there？'

'Yes；　but　the　hope　is　faint。　If　he　es　this　way　at　all；　he　may　not　pass　through　Bree；　and　so　he　may　not　know　what　we　are　doing。　And　anyway；　unless　by　luck　we　arrive　almost　together；　we　shall　miss　one　another；　it　will　not　be　safe　for　him　or　for　us　to　wait　there　long。　If　the　Riders　fail　to　find　us　in　the　wilderness；　they　are　likely　to　make　for　Weathertop　themselves。　It　mands　a　wide　view　all　round。　Indeed；　there　are　many　birds　and　beasts　in　this　country　that　could　see　us；　as　we　stand　here；　from　that　hilltop。　Not　all　the　birds　are　to　be　trusted；　and　there　are　other　spies　more　evil　than　they　are。'

The　hobbits　looked　anxiously　at　the　distant　hills。　Sam　looked　up　into　the　pale　sky；　fearing　to　see　hawks　or　eagles　hovering　over　them　with　bright　unfriendly　eyes。　'You　do　make　me　feel　unfortable　and　lonesome；　Strider！'　he　said。

'What　do　you　advise　us　to　do？'　asked　Frodo。

'I　think；'　answered　Strider　slowly；　as　if　he　was　not　quite　sure；　'I　think　the　best　thing　is　to　go　as　straight　eastward　from　here　as　we　can；　to　make　for　the　line　of　hills；　not　for　Weathertop。　There　we　can　strike　a　path　I　know　that　runs　at　their　feet；　it　will　bring　us　to　Weathertop　from　the　north　and　less　openly。　Then　we　shall　see　what　we　shall　see。'

All　that　day　they　plodded　along；　until　the　cold　and　early　evening　came　down。　The　land　became　drier　and　more　barren；　but　mists　and　vapours　lay　behind　them　on　the　marshes。　A　few　melancholy　birds　were　piping　and　wailing；　until　the　round　red　sun　sank　slowly　into　the　western　shadows；　then　an　empty　silence　fell。　The　hobbits　thought　of　the　soft　light　of　sunset　glancing　through　the　cheerful　windows　of　Bag　End　far　away。

At　the　day's　end　they　came　to　a　stream　that　wandered　down　from　the　hills　to　lose　itself　in　the　stagnant　marshland；　and　they　went　up　along　its　banks　while　the　light　lasted。　It　was　already　night　when　at　last　they　halted　and　made　their　camp　under　some　stunted　aldertrees　by　the　shores　of　the　stream。　Ahead　there　loomed　now　against　the　dusky　sky　the　bleak　and　treeless　backs　of　the　hills。　That　night　they　set　a　watch；　and　Strider；　it　seemed；　did　not　sleep　at　all。　The　moon　was　waxing；　and　in　the　early　nighthours　a　cold　grey　light　lay　on　the　land。

Next　morning　they　set　out　again　soon　after　sunrise。　There　was　a　frost　in　the　air；　and　the　sky　was　a　pale　clear　blue。　The　hobbits　felt　refreshed；　as　if　they　had　had　a　night　of　unbroken　sleep。　Already　they　were　getting　used　to　much　walking　on　short　mons　。　shorter　at　any　rate　than　what　in　the　Shire　they　would　have　thought　barely　enough　to　keep　them　on　their　legs。　Pippin　declared　that　Frodo　was　looking　twice　the　hobbit　that　he　had　been。

'Very　odd；'　said　Frodo；　tightening　his　belt；　'considering　that　there　is　actually　a　good　deal　less　of　me。　I　hope　the　thinning　process　will　not　go　on　indefinitely；　or　I　shall　bee　a　wraith。'

'Do　not　speak　of　such　things！'　said　Strider　quickly；　and　with　surprising　earnestness。

The　hills　drew　nearer。　They　made　an　undulating　ridge；　often　rising　almost　to　a　thousand　feet；　and　here　and　there　falling　again　to　low　clefts　or　passes　leading　into　the　eastern　land　beyond。　Along　the　crest　of　the　ridge　the　hobbits　could　see　what　looked　to　be　the　remains　of　greengrown　walls　and　dikes；　and　in　the　clefts　there　still　stood　the　ruins　of　old　works　of　stone。　By　night　they　had　reached　the　feet　of　the　westward　slopes；　and　there　they　camped。　It　was　the　night　of　the　fifth　of　October；　and　they　were　six　days　out　from　Bree。

In　the　morning　they　found；　for　the　first　time　since　they　had　left　the　Chetwood；　a　track　plain　to　see。　They　turned　right　and　followed　it　southwards。　It　ran　cunningly；　taking　a　line　that　seemed　chosen　so　as　to　keep　as　much　hidden　as　possible　from　the　view；　both　of　the　hilltops　above　and　of　the　flats　to　the　west。　It　dived　into　dells；　and　hugged　steep　banks；　and　where　it　passed　over　flatter　and　more　open　ground　on　either　side　of　it　there　were　lines　of　large　boulders　and　hewn　stones　that　screened　the　travellers　almost　like　a　hedge。

'I　wonder　who　made　this　path；　and　what　for；'　said　Merry；　as　they　walked　along　one　of　these　avenues；　where　the　stones　were　unusually　large　and　closely　set。　'I　am　not　sure　that　I　like　it：　it　has　a　。　well；　rather　a　barrowwightish　look。　Is　there　any　barrow　on　Weathertop？'

'No。　There　is　no　barrow　on　Weathertop；　nor　on　any　of　these　hills；'　answered　Strider。　'The　Men　of　the　West　did　not　live　here；　though　in　their　latter　days　they　defended　the　hills　for　a　while　against　the　evil　that　came　out　of　Angmar。　This　path　was　made　to　serve　the　forts　along　the　walls。　But　long　before；　in　the　first　days　of　the　North　Kingdom；　they　built　a　great　watchtower　on　Weathertop；　Amon　S。l　they　called　it。　It　was　burne