; for I should not be lightly waked, until that I had
slept away the tiredness of my heart, and the weariful achings from my
body. And, indeed, I should mind you how that I was not yet come perfect
from the bruising which I had gotten from the fight with the Yellow
Thing.

And presently, when I had searched but a little while, I did find that a
rock stood upward from a great clumping of the moss-bushes unto my left;
and I went over to the rock, and made a search about it. And I found
that there was a hole into the bottom part of the rock, and I thrust the
Diskos into the hole, and made the blade to spin a little, so that it
sent out a light; but there was no thing in the hole, and it did seem a
dry and safe place for my sleep.

Then I turned me about, and went into the hole with my feet that way;
and I found that it was so deep into the rock as the length of two men,
and just so wide as I could lie in it without having it to pinch me. And
there I made my bed in the hole, and went swift unto my sleep, and
scarce had but a moment even to think upon Naani; and by this thing
shall you know how utter was my weariness.

Now I waked of a sudden, and was very clear and refreshed. And I crept
to the mouth of the hole, and lookt out; but there was all a quietness
round about, and nothing to threaten.

And I found that I had slept ten hours; so that I made a haste to eat
and drink, that I should go forward swiftly upon my journey. And at that
time, as in the time when I did eat, naked, in the hollow, by the
fire-hole, I eat four of the tablets; and this you shall understand to
be rightly due unto me, in that I had gone so long fasting in that my
great journeying to come safe from the Hound, and to come past the House
of Silence. And this shall seem but a little thing to you; yet was it a
wondrous important matter unto me, that had gone so long with an empty
belly, and was never satisfied. And neither should any be, that had eat
so little as I did eat, and made to fill their belly always with a drink
of water. Yet, I doubt not but that it did keep my soul sweet and
wholesome and no useful thing to the Powers of Evil of the Land.

And when I had made an end of so great a gorging, and had ceased to be
drunken with water, I gat my gear upon me, and took the Diskos into mine
hand, and so went forth once more towards the North.

And presently, I was nigh unto the Road again; for it did curve
something Westward a space beyond. And