The Treason of Isengard Read Free Page B

noted here that the attack on Crickhollow should be told on the night of The Prancing Pony (whence the 'doubled' opening of FR Chapter 11, 'A Knife in the Dark'). In D the placing of Frodo's 'vision of Gandalf' or 'Dream of the Tower' hesitates between the night he spent with the Elves, the night at Crickhollow, and the first night at Bombadil's house. - For the remarkable history of the dream see pp. 33-6.
    The mention in A and B of Gandalf's meeting with Peregrin Boffin (Perry) at Hobbiton after his escape belongs with the addition made to the 'final decisions' given in $3 above: 'Peregrin stays at Hobbiton and tells Gandalf.' This was a short-lived idea - indeed already in the 'New Plot' ($4) my father scribbled in here 'news from Gaffer': a reference to the story that will appear in the next phase of work on 'The Council of Elrond' (p. 135; FR p. 276).
    Scheme A makes no mention of what happened at Crickhollow, but the 'New Plot' that precedes it begins with the statement that only Hamilcar Bolger was there, and that the horses of the Riders bolted when he blew a horn: which presumably means that the attack took place before Gandalf arrived. An addition to B (contradicting the chronology of that scheme) says that

    The Black Riders creep into Buckland, but too late to see Frodo depart. They track him to Crickhollow and guard it, and see Gandalf enter. But Gandalf (and Ham pretending to be Frodo) burst out on night of Sept. 29.
    Journeys of Gandalf.
    A
    Sun. Escapes from Tower.
    Sept. 25.

    Tues.
    Sept. 27
    Wed. Reaches Hobbiton; sees.
    Sept. 28 Perry Boffin.
    Thurs. Crickhollow.

    Sept. 29

    Fri. Leaves Crickhollow,
    Sept. 30 goes to Bombadil.

    Sat. Leaves Bombadil;
    Oct. 1 reaches Bree.
    Sun. Leaves Bree in morning.
    Oct. 2
    Mon.
    Oct. 3

    Tues. Breaks through Riders.
    Oct. 4 and reaches.
    Weathertop.
    B.

    Escapes from Tower at
    dawn.

    Reaches Hobbiton; sees
    Perry Boffin (morning).

    Reaches Crickhollow
    late.

    Leaves Crickhollow
    early, goes to Bombadil.

    Leaves Bombadil,
    reaches Bree late, 'very
    tired'.

    Leaves Bree early.

    Reaches Weathertop
    late.

    Pursued by Riders
    leaves Weathertop early.
    C.

    Leaves White Tower at
    dawn.

    Reaches Hobbiton.

    Reaches Crickhollow
    via Bridge, evening.
    Riders attack at night.

    Dawn: breaks out with
    Ham and 'rides off' to
    Bombadil.
    Reaches Bree in evening.

    Leaves Bree.

    Reaches Weathertop in
    evening. Leaves during
    night.
    D.

    Returns to Shire.

    Riders attack
    Crickhollow; carry off
    Ham, pursued by
    Gandalf (midnight).
    Early morning: rescues
    Ham, goes to Bombadil.

    Leaves Bombadil early,
    reaches Bree.

    Leaves Bree with Ham

    early.

    Reaches Weathertop in
    evening. Holds out
    during night.

    Flies from Weathertop
    pursued by Riders.

    With this d. the addition to $3 above: 'Ham drops off at Crickhollow, but is picked up by Gandalf and used as a decoy.' Scheme C says that it was at dawn on the 30th (the morning on which the hobbits left Bree with Trotter after the attack on the inn) that 'Gandalf broke out with Ham'; he then 'rode off to Tom' (which way did he go?).
    A different story is seen in D, in which it is told that at midnight on the 29th/30th Black Riders crossed the Brandywine by the Ferry, attacked the house at Crickhollow, and carried off Ham, 'pursued by Gandalf'; and that in the early morning of the 30th Gandalf rescued Ham, the Black Riders fled in terror to their King, and Gandalf went on to visit Tom.
    For narrative drafts reflecting these versions of the events at Crickhollow see pp. 53-6, 68-70.
    All the schemes agree that Gandalf went from Buckland to visit Tom Bombadil; cf. the original version of 'The Council of Elrond', VI.401, where Gandalf says that 'when I had chased the Riders from Crickhollow I turned back to visit him.'
    Scheme D has a note that 'Trotter reaches the Shire border Sept. 14
    and hears ill news on morning of 25th from Elves.' This scheme also provides an account of the movements of the individual Riders, who are