"
He spoke so solemnly that I was conscious of overmastering curiosity,
not unmixed with awe. Again the way was abbreviated. Amroth took me by
the hand and bade me close my eyes. The breeze beat upon my face for a
moment. When I opened my eyes, we were on a bare hillside, full of
stones, in a kind of grey and chilly haze which filled the air. Just
ahead of us were some rough enclosures of stone, overlooked by a sort of
tower. They were like the big sheepfolds which I have seen on northern
wolds, into which the sheep of a whole hillside can be driven for
shelter. We went round the wall, which was high and strong, and came to
the entrance of the tower, the door of which stood open. There seemed to
be no one about, no sign of life; the only sound a curious wailing note,
which came at intervals from one of the enclosures, like the crying of a
prisoned beast. We went up into the tower; the staircase ended in a bare
room, with four apertures, one in each wall, each leading into a kind of
balcony. Amroth led the way into one of the balconies, and pointed
downwards. We were looking down into one of the enclosures which lay
just at our feet, not very far below.
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