They passed quite close beneath us, so
that I saw the bald head of one of them, who carried a sort of hook in
his hands.
When they got to the place where my climb had ended, they stopped and
examined the stones carefully: one of them clambered a few feet down the
cliff. Then he came back and seemed to make a brief report, after which
they appeared undecided what to do; they even looked up at the rock
where we lay; but while they did this, another man, very similar, came
hurriedly out of the mist, said something to the group, and they all
disappeared very quickly into the darkness the same way they had come.
Then there was a silence. I should have spoken, but Amroth put a finger
on his lips. Presently there came a sound of falling stones, and after
that there broke out among the rocks below a horrible crying, as of a
man in sore straits and instant fear. Amroth jumped quickly to his feet.
"This will not do," he said. "Stay here for me." And then leaping down
the rock, he disappeared, shouting words of help--"Hold on--I am
coming."
He came back some little time afterwards, and I saw that he was not
alone.
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