Frodo took rather more time to follow him。 He had the rope about his
waist and it was fast above； and he had shortened it so that it would pull
him up before he reached the ground； still he did not want to risk a fall；
and he had not quite Sam's faith in this slender grey line。 He found two
places； all the same； where he had to trust wholly to it： smooth surfaces
where there was no hold even for his strong hobbit fingers and the ledges
were far apart。 But at last he too was down。
‘Well！' he cried。 ‘We've done it！ We've escaped from the Emyn Muil！ And
now what next； I wonder？ Maybe we shall soon be sighing for good hard rock
under foot again。'
But Sam did not answer： he was staring back up the cliff。
‘Ninnyhammers！ ' he said。 ‘Noodles！ My beautiful rope！ There it is tied to a
stump； and we're at the bottom。 Just as nice a little stair for that
slinking Gollum as we could leave。 Better put up a signpost to say which way
we've gone！ I thought it seemed a bit too easy。'
‘If you can think of any way we could have both used the rope and yet
brought it down with us； then you can pass on to me ninnyhammer； or any
other name your Gaffer gave you；' said Frodo。 ‘Climb up and untie it and let
yourself down； if you want to！'
Sam scratched his head。 ‘No； I can't think how； begging your pardon；'
he said。 ‘But I don't like leaving it； and that's a fact。' He stroked the
rope's end and shook it gently。 ‘It goes hard parting with anything I
brought out of the Elf…country。 Made by Galadriel herself； too； maybe。
Galadriel；' he murmured nodding his head mournfully。 He looked up and gave
one last pull to the rope as if in farewell。
To the plete surprise of both the hobbits it came loose。 Sam fell
over； and the long grey coils slithered silently down on top of him。 Frodo
laughed。 ‘Who tied the rope？ ' he said。 ‘A good thing it held as long as it
did！ To think that I trusted all my weight to your knot！'
Sam did not laugh。 ‘I may not be much good at climbing； Mr。 Frodo；' he
said in injured tones； ‘but I do know something about rope and about knots。
It's in the family； as you might say。 Why； my grand…dad； and my uncle Andy
after him； him that was the Gaffer's eldest brother he had a rope…walk over
by Tighfield many a year。 And I put as fast a hitch over the stump as any
one could have done； in the Shire or out of it。'
‘Then the rope must have broken frayed on the rock…edge； I expect；'
said Frodo。
‘I bet it didn't！ ' said Sam in an even more injured voice。 He stooped
and examined the ends。 ‘Nor it hasn't neither。 Not a strand！'
'Then I'm afraid it must have been the knot；' said Frodo。
Sam shook his head and did not answer。 He was passing the rope through
his fingers thoughtfully。 ‘Have it your own way； Mr。 Frodo；' he said at
last； ‘but I think the rope came off itself when I called。' He coiled it
up and stowed it lovingly in his pack。
'It certainly came；' said Frodo； ‘and that's the chief thing。 But now
we've got to think of our next move。 Night will be on us soon。 How beautiful
the stars are； and the Moon！'
'They do cheer the heart； don't they？ ' said Sam looking up。 'Elvish
they are。 somehow。 And the Moon's growing。 We haven't seen him for a night
or two in this cloudy weather。 He's beginning to give quite a light。'
'Yes；' said Frodo； ‘but he won't be full for some days。 I don't think
we'll try the marshes by the light of half a moon。'
Under the first shadows of night they started out on the next stage of
their journey。 After a while Sam turned and looked back at the way they had
e。 The mouth of the gully was a black notch in the dim cliff。 ‘I'm glad
we've got the rope；' he said。 'We've set a little puzzle for that footpad；
anyhow。 He can try his nasty flappy feet on those ledges！'
They picked their steps away from the skirts of the cliff； among a
wilderness of boulders and rough stones； wet and slippery with the heavy
rain。 The ground still fell away sharply。 They had not gone very far when
they came upon a great fissure that yawned suddenly black before their feet。
It was not wide； but it was too wide to jump across in the dim light。 They
thought they could hear water gurgling in its depths。 It curved away on
their left northward； back towards the hills。 and so barred their road in
that direction； at any rate while darkness lasted。
'We had better try a way back southwards along the line of the cliff； I
think；' said Sam。 ‘We might find some nook there； or even a cave or
something。'
'I suppose so；' said Frodo。 'I'm tired。 and I don't think I can
scramble among stones much longer tonight though I grudge the delay。 I
wish there was a clear path in front of us： then I'd go on till my legs gave
way。'
They did not find the going any easier at the broken feet of the Emyn
Muil。 Nor did Sam find any nook or hollow to shelter in： only bare stony
slopes frowned over by the cliff； which now rose again； higher and more
sheer as they went back。 In the end； worn out； they just cast themselves on
the ground under the lee of a boulder lying not far from the foot of the
precipice。 There for some time they sat huddled mournfully together in the
cold stony night； while sleep crept upon them in spite of all they could do
to hold it off。 The moon now rode high and clear。 Its thin white light lit
up the faces of the rocks and drenched the cold frowning walls of the cliff；
turning all the wide looming darkness into a chill pale grey scored with
black shadows。
'Well！ ' said Frodo； standing up and drawing his cloak more closely
round him。 ‘You sleep for a bit Sam and take my blanket。 I'll walk up and
down on sentry for a while。' Suddenly he stiffened； and stooping he gripped
Sam by the arm。 ‘What's that？ ' he whispered。 ‘Look over there on the
cliff！'
Sam looked and breathed in sharply through his teeth。 ‘Ssss！' he said。
'That's what it is。 It's that Gollum！ Snakes and adders！ And to think that I
thought that we'd puzzle him with our bit of a climb！ Look at him！ Like a
nasty crawling spider on a wall。'
Down the face of a precipice； sheer and almost smooth it seemed in the
pale moonlight； a small black shape was moving with its thin limbs splayed
out。 Maybe its soft clinging hands and toes were finding crevices and holds
that no hobbit could ever have seen or used； but it looked as if it was just
creeping down on sticky pads； like some large prowling thing of insect…kind。
And it was ing down head first； as if it was smelling its way。 Now and
again it lifted its head slowly； turning it right back on its long skinny
neck； and the hobbits caught a glimpse of two small pale gleaming lights；
its eyes that blinked at the moon for a moment and then were quickly lidded
again。
‘Do you think he can see us？ ' said Sam。
‘I don't know；' said Frodo quietly； ‘but I think