[Bruce MacCulloch]

Lord of the Rings
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes)

Finding that Baggins was too absorbed for conversation, I had tossed aside the barren paper, and, leaning back in my chair I fell into a brown study. Suddenly my companion's voice broke in upon my thoughts.
"You are right, Gamgee," said he. "It does seem a very preposterous way of defeating the Dark Lord."
"Most preposterous!" I exclaimed, and then, suddenly realizing how he had echoed the inmost thought of my soul, I sat up in my chair and stared at him in blank amazement.
"What is this, Baggins?" I cried. "This is beyond anything which I could have imagined."
He laughed heartily at my perplexity.
"You remember," said he, "that some little time ago, when I read you the passage in Bilbo's book, in which Thorin follows the unspoken thoughts of his companion, you were inclined to treat the matter as a mere tour de force of the author. On my remarking that I was constantly in the habit of doing the same thing you expressed incredulity."
"Oh, no!"
"Perhaps not with your tongue, my dear Gamgee, but certainly with your eyebrows. So when I saw you throw down your paper and enter upon a train of thought, I was very happy to have the opportunity of reading it off, and eventually of breaking into it, as a proof that I had been in rapport with you."
But I was still far from satisfied. "In the example which you read to me," said I, "the reasoner drew his conclusions from the actions of the dwarf whom he observed. If I remember right, he got out of the barrel, complained of the smell of apples, and so on. But I have been seated quietly in my chair, and what clues can I have given you?"
"You do yourself an injustice. The features are given to hobbit as the means by which he shall express his emotions, and yours are faithful servants, as you are mine."
"Do you mean to say that you read my train of thoughts from my features?"
"Your features, and especially your eyes. Perhaps you cannot yourself recall how your reverie commenced?"
"No, I cannot."
"Then I will tell you. After throwing down your paper, which was the action which drew my attention to you, you sat for half a minute with a vacant expression. Then your eyes fixed themselves upon your newly framed picture of King Elessar, and I saw by the alteration in your face that a train of thought had been started. But it did not lead very far. Your eyes turned across to
the unframed portrait of Gandalf, which stands upon the top of your books. You then glanced up at the wall, and of course your meaning was obvious. You were thinking that if the portrait were framed it would just cover that bare space and correspond with Elessar's picture over there."
"You have followed me wonderfully!" I exclaimed.
"So far I could hardly have gone astray. But now your thoughts went back to Gandalf, and you looked hard across as if you were studying the character in his features. Then your eyes ceased to pucker, but you continued to look across, and your face was thoughtful. You were recalling the incidents of Gandalf's career. I was well aware that you could not do this without thinking of the mission which we undertook on behalf of the Free Peoples at the time of the War of the Rings, for I remember you expressing your passionate indignation at the way in which he was received by the more complacent of our people. You felt so strongly about it that I knew you could not think of Gandalf without thinking of that also. When a moment later I saw your eyes wander away from the picture, I suspected that your mind had now turned to Black Land, and when I observed that your lips set, your eyes sparkled, and your hands clinched, I was positive that you were indeed thinking of the gallantry which was shown by yourself that desperate mission. But then, again, your face grew sadder; you shook your head. You were dwelling upon the sadness and horror and useless waste of life on the part of the Men of Gondor and Rohan. A smile then quivered on your lips, which showed me that the ridiculous side of Hobbits defeating Sauron had forced itself upon your mind. At this point I agreed with you that it was preposterous, and was glad to find that all my deductions had been correct."
"Absolutely!" said I. "And now that you have explained it, I confess that I am as amazed as before."
"It was very superficial, my dear Gamgee, I assure you. I should not have intruded it upon your attention had you not shown some incredulity the other day. But the evening has brought a breeze with it. What do you say to a ramble through Hobbiton?"

[ February 09, 2002: Message edited by: Bruce MacCulloch ]

[ February 09, 2002: Message edited by: Bruce MacCulloch ]