them because of his shadow (altogether thin and wobbly as it was in
torch-light), or for fear of being bumped into and discovered. And
when he did go out, which was not very
     He did not wish to desert the dwarves, and indeed he did not know
where in the world to go without them. He could not keep up with the
hunting elves all the time they were out, so he never discovered the
ways out of the wood, and was left to wander miserably in the forest,
terrified of losing himself, until a chance came of returning. He was
hungry too outside, for he was no hunter; but inside the caves he
could pick up a living of some sort by stealing food from store or
table when no one was at hand. “I am like a burglar that can’t get
away, but must go on miserably burgling the same house day after day,”
he thought. “This is the dreariest and dullest part of all this
wretched, tiresome, uncomfortable adventure! I wish I was back in my
hobbit-hole by my own warm fireside with the lamp shining!” He often
wished, too, that he could get a message for help sent to the wizard,
but that of course was quite impossible; and he soon realized that if
anything was to be done, it would have to be done by Mr. Baggins,
alone and unaided.
     Eventually, after a week or two of this sneaking sort of life, by