I've always taken Aragorn laying his ear to the ground as something akin to that old Indian trick that the likes of Chingachgook and Tonto used to pull -- he's reading the vibrations of the earth to see if he can determine the bearing and distance of their enemies, not listening to the whisperings of some sod-spirit. The "groan under their hated feet" is just a bit of poetic license, in my estimation. The rest of the quote you mention is:
Quote:
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'The rumour of the earth is dim and confused,' he said. 'Nothing walks upon it for many miles about us. Faint and far are the feet of our enemies. But loud are the hoofs of the horses. It comes to my mind that I heard them, even as I lay on the ground in sleep, and they troubled my dreams: horses galloping, passing in the West. But now they are drawing ever further from us, riding northward. I wonder what is happening in this land!'
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[ September 04, 2002: Message edited by: Mister Underhill ]