[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Good thoughts on the matter! I will try to add some of my own. But first...

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

I wonder - on the next day they notice that they could not have reached the road within that one day. Was their encounter with the Wight inevitable? Did Tom realize that and allow it to happen for some reason?

I don't think it was inevitable. Remember they fell asleep - but they could have reached the road in one day! Surely, they would have to ride fast and not stop for too long. But they could have surely left the Downs before sunset. The next day, they spend a lot of time in lazing around while Tom brings back the ponies. And mainly, I believe even if they had to stop for night outside the Road, it will be far beyond the reach of most of the Barrow-Wights. Or surely not in such a horrible trap like this one was.

Anyway... I will start from the wights, when I am already speaking of it. I think it's really scary, and this time when reading it, I was really close to being scared. From the moment when Frodo sees the two "stones" in the mist and rides through them it starts to be really scary. All the following passage is just horrific. When he awakens in the dark, it's a little better (although the crawling hand... well, but it's that silly zombie-like thingy which is rather disgusting than scary).

A funny side-observation. It was only now when I realised that the words "In the dark there was a snarling noise" are from this chapter, or, from Tolkien at all. The quote appeared in my mind from time to time (like last time when I was making breakfast in the kitchen. Don't ask how the connotations came). Anyway, I was carrying this quote in my head, but until this time I had fixed that it's from the Moomintroll books by Tove Jansson. Well, a man always learns something.

And the most important thing. Has no one realised that thing at the very beginning of the chapter, when Frodo awakens in Bombadil's house?
The very starting words:

That night they heard no noises. But either in his dreams or out of them, he could not tell which, Frodo heard a sweet singing running in his mind; a song that seemed to come like a pale light behind a grey rain-curtain, and growing stronger to turn the veil all to glass and silver, until at last it was rolled back, and a far green country opened before him under a swift sunrise.

The boldened part. Don't tell me it does not remind you of something. (Okay, okay, just for the sake of being clear: I am referring to Frodo's departure from the Grey Havens where he saw exactly the same. But I believe you all know too well.)
My question would be: Why this? Why here? Bombadil's house is obviously the place for various visions and such things (Gandalf in the last chapter), but this is quite strong for a vision. Here the folks who fancy the theory of Bombadil or Goldberry or both being Maiar would surely find support. But otherwise... just a strange thing, even story-wise, why to introduce this - here? Maybe the reader does not notice now, and thus, will not remember when he sees that in the end for the second time - but the connection is there and one can see it. So, why?