I whispered to Mine Own that we go with all our speed;
for, indeed, I knew not whether that our nearness had waked that
Monster, or whether that it had but waked by chance. And truly, I was
utter eager that we be gone from that place, so swift as we might.

And we went on then through all of the sixth hour that we did be in the
Slug part of the Gorge, as I named it unto myself. And in all that hour,
there did nothing harmful come anigh; only, as I did know presently,
there came an unease upon our spirits, but yet to be very little at that
time, and we to be scarce knowing of it. And alway, as we went, there
did be darkness for the most, and odd-whiles a vague murmuring of the
night far above, as it did seem; and presently the dull glare of a
fire-pit to shine out far off below us in the Gorge, and to seem very
dim and unreal unto us, by reason of the smokes and the fumes that made
a haze and a distaste in the Gorge.

And presently, the murmuring of the night to grow somewhat, and,
afterward, the sound of the muttering of the fire-pit to come unto us;
and the murmuring to die unto our ears that did be hearing now only the
dull muttering, and so we to know that the murmuring of the night did be
truly the far-off muttering of the fire-holes, and our eyes to guide our
hearing, and our reason to explain and knit the sounds; and so we to
pass by the fire-hole with a great quiet and caution and ever with
watchfulness, as you shall suppose. And afterward again into the dark;
and presently again the murmuring, to tell that we came unto another of
the fire-pits, that was yet afar off in the Gorge, and made dim echoes
in the night.

And alway we went very watchful, and in grim fear; but with
steadfastness and good intention to win forth out of that desolation and
horror, and having alway so great a speed as the darkness and the
dangers and the trouble of the way did allow.

And in this place I will make explanation why that I speak somewhiles of
fire-pits and otherwhiles of fire-holes; for the holes did be those
fires that burned nigh to the brim of the holes; but the pits were those
places where the fire was deeply in the earth. And this thing I give for
your enlightenment, even on a small matter; so that you shall have a
clear knowledge to abide with me all the way; and you to agree of this
for wisdom, and I to be pleased that you so agree.

And here also, I should tell that there did not come a muttering from
all of the f