beneath the steep bank, which you may remember. The water was swollen
both with the melting of the snows at the approach of summer, and with
the daylong rain; but they crossed with some difficulty, and pressed
forward, as evening fell, on the last stage of their journey. This was
much as it had
     At each point on the road Bilbo recalled the happenings and the words
of a year ago-it seemed to him more like ten-so that, of course, he
quickly noted the place where the pony had fallen in the river, and
they had turned aside for their nasty adventure with Tom and Bert and
Bill. Not far from the road they found the gold of the trolls, which
they had buried, still hidden and untouched. “I have enough to last me
my time,” said Bilbo, when they had dug it up. “You had better take
this, Gandalf. I daresay you can find a use for it.”
     

     “Indeed I can!” said the wizard. “But share and share alike! You may
find you have more needs than you expect.”
     So they put the gold in bags and slung them on the ponies, who were
not at all pleased about it. After that their going was slower, for
most of the time they walked. But the land was green and there was