Bilbo. “You must go on and find out all about that light, and what it
is for, and if all is perfectly safe and canny,” said Thorin to the
hobbit. “Now scuttle off, and come back quick, if all is well. If not,
come back if you can! It you can’t, hoot twice like a barn-owl and
once like a screech-owl, and we will do what we can.”
     Off Bilbo had to go, before he could explain that he could not hoot
even once like any kind of owl any more than fly like a bat. But at
any rate hobbits can move quietly in woods, absolutely quietly. They
take a pride in it, and Bilbo had sniffed more than once at what he
called “all this dwarvish racket,” as they went along, though I don’t
sup-pose you or I would notice anything at all on a windy night, not
if the whole cavalcade had passed two feet off. As for Bilbo walking
primly towards the red light, I don’t suppose even a weasel would have
stirred a whisker at it. So, naturally, he got right up to the
fire-for fire it was without disturbing anyone. And this is what he
saw. Three very large persons sitting round a very large fire of
beech-
     They were toasting mutton on long spits of wood, and licking the gravy
off their fingers. There was a fine toothsome smell. Also there was a
barrel of good drink at hand, and they were drinking out of jugs. But