and though it was drier under them, the wind shook the rain off the
leaves, and the drip, drip, was most
     Also the mischief seemed to have got into the fire. Dwarves can make a
fire almost anywhere out of almost anything, wind or no wind; but they
could not do it that night, not even Oin and Gloin, who were
     Then one of the ponies took fright at nothing and bolted. He got into
the river before they could catch him; and before they could get him
out again, Fili and Kili were nearly drowned, and all the baggage that
he carried was washed away off him. Of course it was mostly food, and
there was mighty little left for supper, and less for breakfast. There
they all sat glum and wet and muttering, while Oin and Gloin went on
trying to light the fire, and quarrelling about it. Bilbo was sadly
reflecting that adventures are not all pony-rides in May-sunshine,
when Balin, who was always their look-out man, said: “There’s a light
over there!” There was a hill some way off with trees on it, pretty
thick in parts. Out of the dark mass of the trees they could now see a
light shining, a reddish comfortable-looking light, as it might be a
fire or torches twinkling. When they had looked at it for some while,
they fell to arguing. Some said “no” and some said “yes.” Some said
they could but go and see, and anything was better than little supper,