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the grey havens 1337
than some, he needed a lot of feeding up before he could
look the part of Mayor; so Frodo agreed to act as his Deputy,
until Mr. Whitfoot was in shape again. The only thing that
he did as Deputy Mayor was to reduce the Shirriffs to their
proper functions and numbers. The task of hunting out the
last remnant of the ruffians was left to Merry and Pippin,
and it was soon done. The southern gangs, after hearing the
news of the Battle of Bywater, fled out of the land and offered
little resistance to the Thain. Before the Year’s End the few
survivors were rounded up in the woods, and those that
surrendered were shown to the borders.
Meanwhile the labour of repair went on apace, and Sam
was kept very busy. Hobbits can work like bees when the
mood and the need comes on them. Now there were thousands
of willing hands of all ages, from the small but nimble
ones of the hobbit lads and lasses to the well-worn and horny
ones of the gaffers and gammers. Before Yule not a brick was
left standing of the new Shirriff-houses or of anything that
had been built by ‘Sharkey’s Men’; but the bricks were used
to repair many an old hole, to make it snugger and drier.
Great stores of goods and food, and beer, were found that
had been hidden away by the ruffians in sheds and barns
and deserted holes, and especially in the tunnels at Michel
Delving and in the old quarries at Scary; so that there was a
great deal better cheer that Yule than anyone had hoped for.
One of the first things done in Hobbiton, before even the
removal of the new mill, was the clearing of the Hill and Bag
End, and the restoration of Bagshot Row. The front of the
new sand-pit was all levelled and made into a large sheltered
garden, and new holes were dug in the southward face, back
into the Hill, and they were lined with brick. The Gaffer was
restored to Number Three; and he said often and did not
care who heard it:
‘It’s an ill wind as blows nobody no good, as I always say.
And All’s well as ends Better!’
There was some discussion of the name that the new row
should be given. Battle Gardens was thought of, or Better