“I have been picking out bear-tracks,” he said at last. “There must
have been a regular bears’ meeting outside here last night. I soon saw
that Beorn could not have made them all: there were far too many of
them, and they were of various sizes too. I should say there were
little bears, large bears, ordinary bears, and gigantic big bears, all
dancing outside from dark to nearly dawn. They came from almost every
direction, except from the west over the river, from the Mountains. In
that direction only one set of footprints led-none coming, only ones
going away from here.
     I followed these as far as the Carrock. There they disappeared into
the river, but the water was too deep and
     It is easy enough, as you remember, to get from this bank to the
Carrock by the ford, but on the other side is a cliff standing up from
a swirling channel. I had to walk miles before I found a place where
the river was wide and shallow enough for me to wade and swim, and
then
     They went straight off in the direction of the pine-woods on the east
side of the Misty Mountains, where we had our pleasant little party
with the Wargs the night before last. And now I think I have answered
your first question, too,” ended Gandalf, and he sat a long while