ire-holes and the fire-pits; but mayhap from this one, and
mayhap not from that one, according to the way of the fire therein. And
this shall be plain unto you.

And so shall you see us go, and the smoke and the bitterness of the
sulphur to be all about us; and oddwhiles the murmuring of a far-off
pit, and oft the utter silence; and to pass this time a lonesome
fire-hole; and afterward the utter dark, or the half-gloom, all as might
chance, according to the nearness of the fires. And upward in the
everlasting night, the grim mountains to make a roof over us, as I did
suppose.

And all this while did the unease, of which I have told, make upon us;
so that, presently, Mine Own whispered unto me the thing that already my
spirit did half to perceive, that there came after us through the night
some harmful thing, that did be surely no great way off, as I did feel
within me, and the Maid to have a likeways belief.

And, truly I thought at once upon that Brute that did wake downward in
the mighty Cavern, where did be the great inward fire-hole, as I have
told; but whether this did be true knowledge that we did be chased in
the dark by that thing, or whether there came after us some other
Monster, I could have no sureness; but only that we did be chased, and
of this I had assuredness.

And I set the Maid before me, that I have myself ready to the danger
that followed; and we made forward again then, so quick as we were
abled; and she went very wisely; for she had good wit and had noted the
ways of my leading.

And we went thus until the end of the seventh hour. And surely, in that
time, we heard the murmuring in the night which told of a fire-hole
somewise before us; and soon to have the red glare plain to our eyes,
and the noise of the murmuring to die away into the nearer mutter of
the fire; and so presently to be anigh; and we to make forward with a
good speed, because that we feared utterly the thing that made quiet
chase of us through the night.

And oft I did look backward, and smelt the air, that I know whether it
did be a monster Slug-beast that chased us; but there did be no
worseness of the smell, to tell me aught.

And alway, I did be fretted in the heart, that we could make no greater
speed; but, indeed, as you shall perceive, our going did be but a slow
thing in the dark places, and even thus we had many a sore tumbling and
bruising.

And by this, we were come almost unto the fire-hole; and immediately, I