towers

808 the two towers
raised himself and began pawing at Frodo, fawning at his
knees.
‘Down! down!’ said Frodo. ‘Now speak your promise!’
‘We promises, yes I promise!’ said Gollum. ‘I will serve the
master of the Precious. Good master, good Sméagol, gollum,
gollum!’ Suddenly he began to weep and bite at his ankle
again.
‘Take the rope off, Sam!’ said Frodo.
Reluctantly Sam obeyed. At once Gollum got up and
began prancing about, like a whipped cur whose master has
patted it. From that moment a change, which lasted for some
time, came over him. He spoke with less hissing and whining,
and he spoke to his companions direct, not to his precious
self. He would cringe and flinch, if they stepped near him or
made any sudden movement, and he avoided the touch of
their elven-cloaks; but he was friendly, and indeed pitifully
anxious to please. He would cackle with laughter and caper,
if any jest was made, or even if Frodo spoke kindly to him,
and weep if Frodo rebuked him. Sam said little to him of any
sort. He suspected him more deeply than ever, and if possible
liked the new Gollum, the Sméagol, less than the old.
‘Well, Gollum, or whatever it is we’re to call you,’ he said,
‘now for it! The Moon’s gone, and the night’s going. We’d
better start.’
‘Yes, yes,’ agreed Gollum, skipping about. ‘Off we go!
There’s only one way across between the North-end and the
South-end. I found it, I did. Orcs don’t use it, Orcs don’t
know it. Orcs don’t cross the Marshes, they go round for
miles and miles. Very lucky you came this way. Very lucky
you found Sméagol, yes. Follow Sméagol!’
He took a few steps away and looked back inquiringly, like
a dog inviting them for a walk. ‘Wait a bit, Gollum!’ cried
Sam. ‘Not too far ahead now! I’m going to be at your tail,
and I’ve got the rope handy.’
‘No, no!’ said Gollum. ‘Sméagol promised.’
In the deep of night under hard clear stars they set off.
Gollum led them back northward for a while along the way