No one continued to discuss this topic. They all thought of the Dark Knight, but no one was willing to voice this thought. Now, they were restless. Whether they stayed or continued to move forward, they were very afraid. But sooner or later, they would still have to walk to the open ground leading to the ferry. Within a few minutes, they had their backpacks on their shoulders again and continued their journey.
Soon, they reached the end of the forest. What appeared in front of them was a vast grassland. Only then did they realize that the direction was indeed too far south. At the end of the plain, the low hills of Buccolbury could be seen across the river. However, these hills were different from their original plan. They appeared on their left. They tiptoed out of the forest, wanting to cross the open plains as soon as possible.
After leaving the shade of the forest, they were very afraid at first. They could see the high ground where they had eaten breakfast behind them. Frodo feared that he would see the Dark Knight standing on the high ground; However, his worries did not come true. The slowly setting sun poked its head out from the clouds and began to shine on the earth again. The fear slowly faded, but everyone still felt a trace of unease. The ground under his feet became flatter and flatter, as if it had been carefully taken care of. Soon, they arrived at an area with carefully planned fields and pastures. There were fences, wooden doors, and irrigation ditches all around. Everything looked very peaceful and quiet, just like an ordinary afternoon in the Shire. They gradually relaxed. The river bank was getting closer and closer, and the Dark Knight's figure seemed to have been thrown into the forest behind him.
They came to a large turnip field and were stopped by a seemingly sturdy door. Behind the door was a path between two fences that led to distant trees. Pippin stopped.
"I recognize this Tian He and this door!”he said. "This is the land of the old farmer Maga. That grove over there must be his field.”
"Ah, it's really another wave before it's settled!”Frodo's face looked as if he had stepped into a dragon's lair. The others looked at him in surprise.
"Is Maga that scary?" Pi asked. "He is a good friend of the Strong Wine Deer Family. Of course, he was a terrifying opponent for those who had barged in rashly. Moreover, he had raised a group of vicious dogs. However, the people in this area had to be so careful because they were very close to the border.”
"I understand," said Frodo. " But I still can't get over it," he said awkwardly." I'm afraid of him and his dog. For many years I avoided his fields. I was still living in the liquor shop, a child; I was caught by him sneaking in to pull mushrooms several times. The last time, he beat me up and took me to see his dog.‘"Look, good dogs," he said,"next time this guy steps on my turf, you can eat him. Chase him away! They chased me all the way to the ferry. Although I knew that those dogs knew their limits and wouldn't really hurt me; But my fear of them is still unconquerable.”
Pippin smiled. "It's time for you to make up for it. You're going back to Buckland anyway, aren't you? Old Maga was really a good person, as long as you didn't have any ideas about his mushrooms. As long as we walk on that road, it won't be considered trespassing. If we meet him, leave it to me. He's Meryl's friend. I used to come here with him.”
※※※
They walked along the path until they saw large houses and farmhouses in the trees ahead. The Maggas and most of the Starks and the Swamps lived in houses; Maga had built his sturdy farmhouse with bricks, surrounded by a high wall. There was a wide wooden door on the wall facing the path.
As they got closer and closer, they suddenly heard a fierce bark. A guy with a loud voice shouted,"Sharp claws! Fang! Little Wolf! Good girl! Be good!"
Frodo and Sam froze, and Pippin took a few more steps forward. As soon as the door opened, three strong hounds barked and charged at the group. They didn't seem to care about Pippin, but the unlucky Sam could only lean against the wall and be sniffed suspiciously by the two large dogs, who barked wildly in return for his every movement. The largest and fiercest dog stopped in front of Frodo and barked.
At this moment, a burly Hobbit with a ruddy round face walked out from behind the door. "Hello! Hello! Where are you from? Do you need anything?”he asked.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Maga!" said Pippin.
The farmer began to size him up carefully. "I mean, this isn't the noble Pippin-er, I mean Mr. Peregrin Tucker!”His expression quickly changed from displeasure to joy. "I haven't seen you here for a long time. Fortunately, I know you. I was going to let these good dogs deal with strangers. It was not very peaceful here today. Usually, we do have some strange guys wandering around. It can't be helped. It's too close to the river." he shook his head. "But this guy's temperament is too strange. If I meet him again, I won't let him pass my land without permission.”
"Who are you talking about?" said Pippin.
"You didn't see him?" the farmer said. "He just followed this path to the fork not long ago. This guy was quite strange, and the questions he asked were even more baffling. Why don't you guys come in first? We can talk about this news more easily. Mr. Tuck, if you and your friends would like to join us, I have some good beer that I brew myself.”
It seemed that if the old farmer could talk in his own house, he might be willing to tell them more information. Hence, everyone agreed to enter the house with him. "What about these dogs?" asked Frodo nervously.
The farmer laughed. "Without my orders, they won't touch a single hair on your head. Come, sharp claws! Fang! Come here!" he shouted. "Little Wolf, come here!" Frodo and Sam breathed a sigh of relief when all three dogs moved away.
Pippin introduced the other two friends to the old farmer. "Mr. Frodo Baggins," he said. "You may not remember him, but he used to live in the Spirits Hall.”The old farmer gave a start at the name Baggins and glared at Frodo. For a moment, Frodo thought that she was thinking about stealing mushrooms many years ago, and began to worry that she would be driven out by the dogs soon. However, Farmer Maga grabbed his arm.
"Wow, what a coincidence!" he said in surprise. "Are you Mr. Baggins? Come in quickly! We have to talk."
The group walked into the farmer's kitchen and sat down in front of the stove. Mrs. Maga filled a large flagon with beer and served it to the guests. She deftly poured four large glasses. This was indeed good wine. Pippin felt that he had not lost too much because he had missed the Golden Bass Inn. Sam sipped his beer carefully. Naturally, he was suspicious of the residents of the other regions of the Shire. Of course, more importantly, he really couldn't make friends with the farmer who beat up his master so quickly. No matter how long ago it had happened, it was the same.
After chatting about the weather and harvest (which was about the same as usual), Farmer Maga put down his glass and looked at the audience.
"Well, Mr. Peregrin," he said,"where are you from, and where are you going?" Are you here to visit me? Then it's really rude of you not to inform me to pick you up.”
" No," Pippin replied. "Since you've seen through it, I'll tell you the truth. We entered your house from another direction; We took a shortcut from the side of the field. But we didn't do it on purpose. We wanted to take a shortcut to the ferry, but we got lost in the forest near the Great Wood Hall.”
" If you're in such a hurry, it's faster to take the main road," the farmer said. "But that's not what I'm really worried about. You can set foot on my land anytime you want, Mr. Peregrin. And you, Mr. Baggins; but I'll bet you still like mushrooms.”he said with a chuckle. "Ah, yes, I remember this name. Little Frodo Baggins was the worst wild boy in Buckland. However, it wasn't the mushroom that worried me. I've only just heard the name Baggins before you appeared. Guess what question that weird guy asked me?”
The group of people anxiously waited for the other party to reveal the mystery. " In the end," the farmer said calmly," he rode a big black horse to the door, which happened to be open; He just walked straight to my door. He himself was dressed in black, with his cloak and hood pulled tightly over him, as if he did not want anyone to recognize him.‘What is this guy doing in the Shire? I think this way, we are quite a distance away from the border, so we rarely see these big guys. Besides, I've never heard of such a weirdo.”
"'Good day!' I walked out and said, This was a dead end. No matter where you wanted to go, it was faster to take the main road outside.'I didn't like his outfit. When the sharp claws came out, it sniffed and let out a howl as if it had been stung by a bee. It ran away with its tail between its legs, howling miserably. The man in black sat on his horse unmoved.”
"'I'm from another city.'He pointed to the west slowly and stiffly. This guy actually dared to point at my field. This is outrageous.‘Have you met Baggins?' he said in a strange voice, bending over me. As his hood was lowered, I couldn't see his face at all. But I felt a chill down my spine. However, I still don't understand why this guy dared to intrude into my territory.”
"'Go!' I said, There was no Baggins here. You've come to the wrong place. You'd better turn back west and go to Hobbiton. This time, you can take the main road back.'
"'Baggins has left,'he said hoarsely.‘He was walking towards them. He wasn't far away. I want to find him. If he passes by, will you tell me? I'll bring you gold."
"'No, I don't need it,'I said.‘You'd better go back to your hometown quickly. If you don't leave in a minute, I'll release the dog.'”
"He made some sort of hissing sound. It could be laughter, but I'm not sure. Then he spurred his horse toward me, and I got out of his way. When I was about to call the dog over, he had already rushed to the main road like lightning. What do you think of the situation?"
Frodo looked at the fire and was silent for a moment. There was only one thought in his mind, how should he get to the ferry now? "I don't know what to think," he said at last.
" Then I'll tell you what to think," Maga said. "You shouldn't have been with the Hobbiton fellows, Mr. Frodo. Those guys over there are all weirdos." Sam moved and looked at Maga with an unfriendly gaze. "But you've always been a bold guy since you were young. When I heard that you had left the Brandydeer family to live with old Mr. Birbo, I knew you would be in trouble. Mark my words, this is all caused by Mr. Birbo's strange behavior. They say he got all his wealth in strange ways from afar. From what I've heard, perhaps someone wants to know where he buried the treasures he obtained from other places?”
Frodo said nothing. The old farmer's accurate suspicion made him feel very uneasy.
" Well, Mr. Frodo," Magga continued," I'm glad that you've finally regained your senses and returned to Buckland. My advice is: Don't leave this place! He didn't want to mingle with these foreigners either. You'll make some friends here. If these men in black come back for you, I will deal with them. I will say that you are dead or have left the Shire. As long as you give the order, it will be fine. In fact, this was not a lie, because perhaps what they wanted to know was the whereabouts of Mr. Birbo.”
" Maybe you're right," Frodo said, avoiding the farmer's eyes and looking straight at the fire.
Maga looked at him thoughtfully. " Well, I can see that you have your own ideas," he said. "I know very well that the appearance of this knight and you is not a coincidence. Perhaps you already know about the information I provided. I'm not meddling in other people's business. I want you to tell me your secret. But I can guess that you're in trouble. Perhaps you're thinking about how to get to the ferry without being discovered?”
"I was thinking about it," said Frodo. "But we can't just sit here. We have to try to get there. I'm afraid we must take our leave. Thank you very much for your generosity! Mr. Maga, I'm sorry to say this, but I've been afraid of you and your dog for thirty years. What a pity. It seems that I missed the opportunity to meet a good person back then. I'm sorry I have to leave so soon. If there is a chance, I will come back to visit you again.”
" Next time you come, I will personally welcome you," Maga said. "Please allow me to make a suggestion. It's getting dark now and we're getting ready for dinner. We usually go to bed soon after dark. If you and Mr. Peregrin and the others would like to stay and dine with us, we would be very happy!”
"Us too!" said Frodo. "But I'm afraid we must leave immediately. Even if we leave now, it will be dark by the time we reach the ferry.”
"Ah! Don't worry! I haven't finished my sentence yet, I'll drive you to the ferry after dinner. This way, you'll be much more relaxed, and you might even be able to save yourself a lot of trouble.”
Frodo accepted Magga's offer, which relieved Pippin and Sam. The sun had almost set behind the western hills, and the sky was gradually darkening. Maga's two sons and three daughters walked in, and a sumptuous dinner was laid out on the big table. Candles were lit in the kitchen, and the fire was also raised. Mrs. Magga hurried in and out. The Hobbits who lived on the nearby farms followed him into the room. Not long after, the fourteen Hobbits sat down to eat happily. Everyone could drink beer freely. In addition to the authentic dishes of the farm, there was also a large plate of mushrooms and smoked pork for everyone to eat. Three loyal dogs were lying in front of the fire, gnawing at the broken bones and pig skin.
After everyone had their fill, the farmer brought his sons to prepare the carriage with oil lamps. When the guests walked out, the courtyard was very dark. They threw their backpacks onto the carriage and climbed in. The old farmer sat in the driver's seat and spurred the two short and strong ponies forward. His wife stood on the porch to see him off.
"Maga, take care of yourself!" she shouted. "Don't quarrel with outsiders. Come back directly!”
"No problem!" He then drove out of the door. At this moment, there was no wind in the surroundings. The night seemed very quiet, and there was a slight chill in the air. They advanced slowly. After a mile or two, the path split off and opened up. After a short climb up the hill, they came to a paved road.
Maga alighted from the carriage and looked carefully at the north and south. The night sky was silent, and there was nothing suspicious. The thin river mist drifted over the ditches to the fields.
" The fog will get heavier," Magga said." But I will only light the lamp on the way back. No matter who we meet tonight, we will hear their tracks first.”
It was about five miles from Maga's path to the ferry. The hobbits were sitting comfortably, but everyone was standing upright, listening carefully for anything but the sound of wheels and hooves. It seemed to Frodo that the carriage was moving slower than a snail. Pippin dozed off beside him, while the alert Sam watched the fog gathering ahead.
They finally reached the fork in the ferry. Two white pillars suddenly appeared on their right. The old farmer Maga pulled the pony, and the carriage came to a stop with a creak. Just as they hurriedly jumped out of the carriage, a voice that made them extremely afraid sounded. There was the clear sound of horses neighing on the road ahead. The voice came towards them.
Maga jumped off the carriage and held the reins with one hand. He looked nervously at the fog ahead. The knight got closer and closer. In this still fog, the sound of horse hooves was deafening.
" Mr. Frodo, you'd better hide quickly," Sam said nervously.
"Hurry up and hide in the carriage. Cover yourself with a blanket. We will trick the knight into going somewhere else!”He climbed out of the carriage and stood beside the old farmer. The Dark Knight had to pass through him to get close to the carriage.
"Kada, Kada." The knight kept approaching.
"Hello!" shouted the old farmer Maga. The approaching horse hooves stopped. Through the fog, they could vaguely make out a cloaked black figure a few yards away.
"Wait!" The old farmer handed the reins to Sam and strode forward. "Don't come any closer! What do you want? Where are you going?"
"I'm looking for Mr. Baggins. Did you see him?" said a muffled voice. Fortunately, it was Meryl Brandybuck's voice. Meryl lifted the cover of an oil lamp, and the light shone on the surprised old farmer's face.
"Mr. Meryl!" he shouted.
"Of course it's me! Who else did you think it was?" Meryl continued walking forward. When he walked out of the fog, everyone's fear subsided. The huge shadow had also turned into the size of a normal hobbit. He rode the pony, his neck and mouth covered with a scarf to avoid the humidity of the fog.
Frodo jumped out of the carriage to meet him. "You've finally appeared!" said Meryl. "I was just about to ask if you wouldn't come today. I was just about to go back for dinner! When the fog starts, I'll ride in the direction of the Starks and see if you've rolled down the hill. I really didn't expect you to appear like this. Mr. Maga, where did you find them? A pond for raising ducks?"
"No, I found them sneaking into my land," said the farmer."I almost let the dogs chase them away; I think they'll tell you the details. Mr. Mayley, Mr. Frodo, and everyone, if you'll excuse me, I'd better get home. The darker it was, the more worried Mrs. Magga would be.”
He retreated the carriage into a small path and turned around. "Good night," he said. "Today is really unusual. Fortunately, it all came to a successful conclusion; ah, perhaps it should wait until everyone was safely home. I'll be very happy when I get home.”He lit his oil lamp and walked into the carriage. He produced a large basket from under his seat. "I almost forgot," he said. "Mrs. Magga made it especially for Mr. Baggins, as a token of her appreciation.”He handed the basket to Frodo and left, to the gratitude and goodnight of the crowd.
They watched as the carriage's lights faded into the hazy mist. Frodo laughed suddenly: the aroma of mushrooms wafted from the basket he was holding.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。