Capture by Goblins
The Capture by Goblins marks the first major catastrophe of the dwarves' quest and the moment when the company's fortunes shift from weary travel to mortal peril. After days of climbing the Misty Mountains, the party is caught in a thunder-battle of such ferocity that stone-giants are seen hurling rocks at one another for sport. Seeking shelter, Fili and Kili discover a dry cave, and the entire company—dwarves, hobbit, ponies, and all their baggage—squeezes inside. Gandalf, wary, lights his wand and explores the cave from end to end; it seems a fair size, with a dry floor and comfortable nooks, and the dwarves spread out their wet things, light their pipes, and talk of the treasure until they fall asleep one by one. That night, Bilbo cannot sleep for a long while, and when he does, he has very nasty dreams: a crack in the wall at the back of the cave grows bigger and bigger, and the floor gives way, and he is slipping down, down. He wakes with a horrible start to find that part of his dream is true—a crack has opened at the back of the cave and is already a wide passage, and he is just in time to see the last of the ponies' tails disappearing into it.
The Ambush and the Descent into Goblin-town
Bilbo's yell wakes Gandalf, but it is too late to prevent the capture. Out jump the goblins—big goblins, great ugly-looking goblins, lots of them—before anyone can say "rocks and blocks." There are six to each dwarf, at least, and two even for Bilbo; they are all grabbed and carried through the crack. Gandalf, however, is not taken: Bilbo's yell has wakened him in a splintered second, and when goblins come to grab him, there is a terrific flash like lightning in the cave, a smell like gunpowder, and several of them fall dead. The crack closes with a snap, and Bilbo and the dwarves are on the wrong side of it. The goblins seize them and hurry them along through deep, dark, tangled passages that only goblins can see through, going down and down into the heart of the mountain. The goblins are very rough, pinching unmercifully and chuckling in their horrible stony voices; Bilbo wishes again and again for his nice bright hobbit-hole. They come to a glimmer of red light, and the goblins begin to sing a terrifying song—"Clap! Snap! the black crack! Grip, grab! Pinch, nab! And down down to Goblin-town you go, my lad!"—while taking out whips and setting the prisoners running before them. More than one of the dwarves are yammering and bleating as they stumble into a big cavern lit by a great red fire and torches, full of goblins who laugh and stamp and clap their hands. The ponies are already there, huddled in a corner, and all the baggage is being rummaged and quarrelled over. The goblins chain the prisoners' hands behind their backs, link them together in a line, and drag them to the far end of the cavern, with little Bilbo tugging at the end of the row.
The Great Goblin and the Discovery of Orcrist
There, in the shadows on a large flat stone, sits a tremendous goblin with a huge head, surrounded by armed guards carrying axes and bent swords. The Great Goblin demands to know who the prisoners are and what they were doing in the mountains. Thorin, speaking for the company, gives a polite but evasive answer about visiting relatives on the East side of the mountains. But one of the drivers reveals that several goblins were struck by lightning in the cave and are dead, and then holds out the sword Thorin had worn—the sword from the trolls' lair. The Great Goblin gives a truly awful howl of rage when he sees it; all his soldiers gnash their teeth, clash their shields, and stamp. They know the sword at once: it is Orcrist, the Goblin-cleaver, which had killed hundreds of goblins in its time when the fair elves of Gondolin hunted them. The goblins call it simply Biter, and they hate it and hate worse anyone who carries it. The Great Goblin shouts, "Murderers and elf-friends! Slash them! Beat them! Bite them! Gnash them! Take them away to dark holes full of snakes, and never let them see the light again!" In his rage he jumps off his seat and rushes at Thorin with his mouth open.
Gandalf's Rescue and the Escape
Just at that moment, all the lights in the cavern go out, and the great fire goes off poof! into a tower of blue glowing smoke that scatters piercing white sparks among the goblins. The yells and yammering, croaking, jibbering, and jabbering that follow are beyond description. A sword flashes in its own light, and Bilbo sees it go right through the Great Goblin, who stands dumbfounded in the middle of his rage. He falls dead, and the goblin soldiers flee before the sword, shrieking into the darkness. The sword goes back into its sheath, and a voice—Gandalf's—commands, "Follow me quick!" Before Bilbo understands what has happened, he is trotting along again at the end of the line, down more dark passages with the yells of the goblin-hall growing fainter behind him. Dori, a decent fellow, makes the hobbit scramble onto his shoulders as best he can with his tied hands, and off they all go at a run, with a clink-clink of chains and many a stumble. Not for a long while do they stop, and by that time they must be right down in the very mountain's heart. Gandalf lights up his wand—it is Gandalf, of course—and takes out his sword, Glamdring the Foe-hammer, which burns with a rage that makes it gleam if goblins are about. It cuts through the goblin-chains and sets all the prisoners free. Gandalf has also brought Orcrist, snatching it from one of the terrified guards. He counts the company: thirteen dwarves and Mr. Baggins—fourteen. "Well, well!" he says. "It might be worse, and then again it might be a good deal better. No ponies, and no food, and no knowing quite where we are, and hordes of angry goblins just behind! On we go!"
The Pursuit and Bilbo's Separation
They hear goblin noises and horrible cries far behind in the passages, and that sends them on faster than ever. Poor Bilbo cannot go half as fast as the dwarves, so they take it in turn to carry him on their backs. But goblins go faster than dwarves, and these goblins know the way better and are madly angry; the cries and howls get closer and closer, and soon they can hear the flap of goblin feet and see the blink of red torches behind them. Gandalf and Thorin turn a sharp corner and draw their swords; the goblins come scurrying round and find Goblin-cleaver and Foe-hammer shining cold and bright in their astonished eyes. The ones in front drop their torches and are killed; the ones behind yell and leap back, knocking over those running after them, shrieking "Biter and Beater!" It is quite a while before any goblin dares to turn that corner. By then the dwarves have gone on a long way into the dark tunnels. But the goblins choose their very quickest runners with the sharpest ears and eyes, who run forward as swift as weasels in the dark with hardly any more noise than bats. Gandalf is letting his wand give out a faint light to help the dwarves, and the goblins see them. Quite suddenly, Dori—now at the back again, carrying Bilbo—is grabbed from behind in the dark. He shouts and falls, and the hobbit rolls off his shoulders into the blackness, bumps his head on hard rock, and remembers nothing more. When Bilbo opens his eyes, he is alone in the dark, and the great adventure of the Riddles in the Dark is about to begin.
