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'At once！' cried Frodo。 'Why； I thought you were staying on for at leasta week。 I was looking forward to your help。'
'I did mean to – but I have had to change my mind。 I may be away for agood while； but I'll e and see you again； as soon as I can。 Expect me whenyou see me！ I shall slip in quietly。 I shan't often be visiting the Shireopenly again。 I find that I have bee rather unpopular。 They say I am anuisance and a disturber of the peace。 Some people are actually accusing me ofspiriting Bilbo away； or worse。 If you want to know； there is supposed to be aplot between you and me to get hold of his wealth。'
'Some people！' exclaimed Frodo。 'You mean Otho and Lobelia。 Howabominable！ I would give them Bag End and everything else； if I could getBilbo back and go off tramping in the country with him。 I love the Shire。 ButI begin to wish； somehow； that I had gone too。 I wonder if I shall ever seehim again。'
'So do I；' said Gandalf。 'And I wonder many other things。 Good…bye now！
Take care of yourself！ Look out for me； especially at unlikely times！ Goodbye！'
Frodo saw him to the door。 He gave a final wave of his hand； and walkedoff at a surprising pace； but Frodo thought the old wizard looked unusuallybent； almost as if he was carrying a great weight。 The evening was closing in；
and his cloaked figure quickly vanished into the twilight。 Frodo did not seehim again for a long time。
_Chapter 2_
The Shadow of the Past
The talk did not die down in nine or even ninety…nine days。 The seconddisappearance of Mr。 Bilbo Baggins was discussed in Hobbiton； and indeed allover the Shire； for a year and a day； and was remembered much longer than
that。 It became a fireside…story for young hobbits； and eventually MadBaggins； who used to vanish with a bang and a flash and reappear with bags ofjewels and gold； became a favourite character of legend and lived on longafter all the true events were forgotten。
But in the meantime； the general opinion in the neighbourhood was thatBilbo； who had always been rather cracked； had at last gone quite mad； and hadrun off into the Blue。 There he had undoubtedly fallen into a pool or a riverand e to a tragic； but hardly an untimely； end。 The blame was mostly laidon Gandalf。
'If only that dratted wizard will leave young Frodo alone； perhaps he'llsettle down and grow some hobbit…sense；' they said。 And to all appearance thewizard did leave Frodo alone； and he did settle down； but the growth ofhobbit…sense was not very noticeable。 Indeed； he at once began to carry onBilbo's reputation for oddity。 He refused to go into mourning； and the nextyear he gave a party in honour of Bilbo's hundred…and…twelfth birthday； whichhe called Hundred…weight Feast。 But that was short of the mark； for twentyguests were invited and there were several meals at which it snowed food andrained drink； as hobbits say。
Some people were rather shocked； but Frodo kept up the custom of givingBilbo's Birthday Party year after year until they got used to it。 He said thathe did not think Bilbo was dead。 When they asked： 'Where is he then？' heshrugged his shoulders。
He lived alone； as Bilbo had done； but he had a good many friends；
especially among the younger hobbits （mostly descendants of the Old Took） whohad as children been fond of Bilbo and often in and out of Bag End。 FolcoBoffin and Fredegar Bolger were two of these； but his closest friends werePeregrin Took （usually called Pippin）； and Merry Brandybuck （his real name wasMeriadoc； but that was seldom remembered）。 Frodo went tramping all over theShire with them； but more often he wandered by himself； and to the amazementof sensible folk he was sometimes seen far from home walking in the hills andwoods under the starlight。 Merry and Pippin suspected that he visited theElves at times； as Bilbo had done。
As time went on； people began to notice that Frodo also showed signs ofgood 'preservation'： outwardly he retained the appearance of a robust andenergetic hobbit just out of his tweens。 'Some folk have all the luck；' theysaid； but it was not until Frodo approached the usually more sober age offifty that they began to think it queer。
Frodo himself； after the first shock； found that being his own master and_the_ Mr。 Baggins of Bag End was rather pleasant。 For some years he was quitehappy and did not worry much about the future。 But half unknown to himself theregret that he had not gone with Bilbo was steadily growing。 He found himselfwondering at times； especially in the autumn； about the wild lands； andstrange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams。 Hebegan to say to himself： 'Perhaps I shall cross the River myself one day。' Towhich the other half of his mind always replied： 'Not yet。'
So it went on； until his forties were running out； and his fiftiethbirthday was drawing near： fifty was a number that he felt was somehowsignificant （or ominous）； it was at any rate at that age that adventure hadsuddenly befallen Bilbo。 Frodo began to feel restless； and the old pathsseemed too well…trodden。 He looked at maps； and wondered what lay beyond theiredges： maps made in the Shire showed mostly white spaces beyond its borders。
He took to wandering further afield and more often by himself； and Merry andhis other friends watched him anxiously。 Often he was seen walking and talkingwith the strange wayfarers that began at this time to appear in the Shire。
There were rumours of strange things happening in the world outside； andas Gandalf had not at that time appeared or sent any message for severalyears； Frodo gathered all the news he could。 Elves； who seldom walked in theShire； could now be seen passing westward through the woods in the evening；
passing and not returning； but they were leaving Middle…earth and were no
longer concerned with its troubles。 There were； however； dwarves on the roadin unusual numbers。 The ancient East…West Road ran through the Shire to itsend at the Grey Havens； and dwarves had always used it on their way to theirmines in the Blue Mountains。 They were the hobbits' chief source of news fromdistant parts – if they wanted any： as a rule dwarves said little and hobbitsasked no more。 But now Frodo often met strange dwarves of far countries；
seeking refuge in the West。 They were troubled； and some spoke in whispers ofthe Enemy and of the Land of Mordor。
That name the hobbits only knew in legends of the dark past； like ashadow in the background of their memories； but it was ominous anddisquieting。 It seemed that the evil power in Mirkwood had been driven out bythe White Council only to reappear in greater strength in the old strongholdsof Mordor。 The Dark Tower had been rebuilt； it was said。 From there the powerwas spreading far and wide； and away far east and south there were wars andgrowing fear。 Orcs were multiplying again in the mountains。 Trolls wereabroad； no longer dull…witted； but cunning and armed with dreadful weapons。
And there were murmured hints of creatures more terrible than all these； butthey had no name。
Little of all this； of course； reached the ears of ordinary hobbits。 Buteven the deafest and most stay…at…home began to hear queer tales； and thosewhose business took them to the borders saw strange things。 The conversationin _The Green Dragon_ at Bywater； one evening in the spring of Frodo'sfiftieth year； showed that even in the fortable heart of the Shire rumourshad been heard； though most hobbits still laughed at them。
Sam Gamgee was sitting in one corner near the fire； and opposite him wasTed Sandyman； the miller's son； and there were various other rustic hobbitslistening to their talk。
'Queer things you do hear these days； to be sure；' said Sam。
'Ah；' said Ted； 'you do； if you listen。 But I can hear fireside…tales andchildren's stories at home； if I want to。'
'No doubt you can；' retorted Sam； 'and I daresay there's more truth insome of them than you reckon。 Who invented the stories anyway？ Take dragonsnow。'
'No thank 'ee；' said Ted； 'I won't。 I heard tell of them when I was ayoungster； but there's no call to believe in them now。 There's only one Dragonin Bywater； and that's Green；' he said； getting a general laugh。
'All right；' said Sam； laughing with the rest。 'But what about theseTr