Now the Wargs thought that the dwarves were friends of the woodmen, and came to spy on them. So the Wargs were not going away until morning. They were waiting for goblin soldiers who could climb trees and kill the dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf.

But then Gandalf gathered the huge pinecones from the branches of his tree, set them on bright blue fire and threw down at the wolves. Their coats caught fire at once, and they leaped in the air, and then rushed round in anger and fright.

The dwarves and Bilbo shouted and cheered.

“What’s this noise?” said the Lord of the Eagles. He was sitting on the rock at the eastern edge of the mountains. “I hear wolves’ voices!”

Eagles were proud and strong and noble-hearted. They did not love goblins, or fear them. When they noticed them, they usually swooped on them and drove them back to their caves. Goblins hated eagles and feared them.

Tonight the Lord of the Eagles wanted to know what was happening; so he and many other eagles flew away from the mountains and came down to the ring of the wolves and the meeting-place of the goblins.

There, all round the clearing of the Wargs, fire was leaping. But the wolf-guards did not leave the trees. Then suddenly goblins came running up. They put out all the flames except the fire closest to the trees where the dwarves were. Soon they had a ring of smoke and flame all round the dwarves. Smoke was in Bilbo’s eyes. Soon the flames were under Gandalf’s tree. In a moment it spread to the others.

Just at that moment the Lord of the Eagles swept down from above, seized Gandalf in his claws, and was gone. Then other birds flew to the tree-tops and seized the dwarves. Poor little Bilbo just managed to catch hold of Dori’s legs, [40] and they went together above the trees. Some eagles stayed behind and attacked the goblins and the wolves.

Soon Bilbo saw the pale peaks of the mountains. He shut his eyes and was afraid that he could not hold on any longer. At last the flight ended. Bilbo was really exhausted. Then he saw that the Lord of the Eagles was speaking to Gandalf.

The wizard and the eagle-lord were on friendly terms. [41] Gandalf had once healed the eagle-lord from an arrow-wound. Now Gandalf asked the Great Eagle to carry the dwarves and himself and Bilbo far away across the plains below.

The Lord of the Eagles didn’t want to take them close to men. “They will shoot at us,” he said, “because they think we are after their sheep. [42] No! We will not risk ourselves.”

“Very well,” said Gandalf. “Take us as far as you can! We are already deeply grateful to you. But now we are starving. [43] ”

“I am nearly dead of it,” said Bilbo in a weak little voice that nobody heard.

“Don’t worry, we can help it,” said the Lord of the Eagles. The eagles brought rabbits, hares, and a small sheep, and the dwarves cooked dinner.

So the adventures of the Misty Mountains ended. Soon Bilbo’s stomach was full and comfortable again, and he fell asleep. But all night he dreamed of his own house.

The next morning Bilbo woke up with the early sun in his eyes. He jumped up to look at the time and to go and put his kettle on – and found he was not home at all. For breakfast he had cold mutton and rabbit. And after that he had to get ready for a start. This time he climbed on to an eagle’s back and clung between his wings. And soon fifteen great birds rose off from the mountain’s side. Bilbo shut his eyes.

After a while the eagles began to go down. Below them there were oaks and elms, and wide grass lands, and a river. Right in the path of the stream there was a great rock, almost a hill of stone.

Quickly now to the top of this rock the eagles swooped one by one and set down their passengers. And there the eagles parted with the dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf.

There was a flat space on the top of the hill of stone and a path with many steps leading down it to the river. The party crossed the river in a shallow place. There was a little cave where they stopped to discuss their plans.

“I always wanted to see you all safe over the mountains,” said the wizard, “and now I have done it. But this is not my adventure. Maybe I will see you again before it is all over, but now I have some other urgent business to do.”

The dwarves groaned and Bilbo wept.

“I am not going to disappear this very moment, [44] ” said Gandalf. “I can give you a day or two more. We have no food, and no baggage, and no ponies; and you don’t know where you are. Now I can tell you that. You are still some miles north of the right path. Very few people live in these parts. But there is somebody who lives not far away. That Somebody made the steps on the great rock – he calls it the Carrock. He does not come here often, certainly not in the daytime. We must go and find him; and if all goes well at our meeting, I think I will say good-bye to you.”