one, and went along the wall as hurriedly as they could. It was not
long before they met Bilbo himself coming back towards them. His wits
had quickly returned soon as he saw the twinkle of their lights.
     “Only a bat and a dropped torch, nothing worse!” he said in answer to
their questions. Though they were much relieved, they were inclined to
be grumpy at being frightened for nothing; but what they would have
said, if he had told them at that moment about the Arkenstone, I don’t
know. The mere fleeting glimpses of treasure which they had caught as
they went along had rekindled all the fire of their dwarvish hearts;
and when the heart of a dwarf, even the most respectable, is wakened
by gold and by jewels, he grows suddenly bold, and he may become
fierce.
     The dwarves indeed no longer needed any urging. All were now eager to
explore the hall while they had the chance, and willing to believe
that, for the present, Smaug was away from home. Each now gripped a
lighted torch; and as they gazed, first on one side and then on
another, they forgot fear and even caution. They spoke aloud, and
cried out to one another, as they lifted old treasures from the mound
or from the wall and held them in the light caressing and fingering
them. Fili and Kili were almost in merry mood, and finding still