Unfinished Tales - Part Three - IV - The Hunt for the Ring

[BGreg]

I would say this chapter reveals more than it seems at first glance.
The first thing would be the detailed description of the Ringwraiths' hunt for the Ring. In most stories, including the Lord of the Rings, you don't find that many details about the mindset of the 'bad guys', they just appear when you need them the least, and ruin the day for the heroes. However, this chapter gives a remarkable insight to the logistics and movement of the Enemy.

First, we are presented with more details about the Black Riders, including Khamul and the division of the Nazgul between Minas Morgul (7) and Dol Guldur (2). Then, with the Riders' journey towards Gladden fields, through Anorien and Rohan, which led them to Anduin at Sarn Gebir, where they got their horses and uniforms via ferry (!). Afterwards they reached the Gladden fields, but found the Stoors' villages long deserted, according to the 'version A' of the story. More interesting is the 'version B', which we can see only in fragments, which claims the Stoor settlements were not yet deserted, but the Nazgul slaughtered or drove away all the remaining Stoors that have been living there. Later in the text of 'version B', when the Nazgul finally do reach the Shire, the Witch-king finds the Shire "too large for a violent onslaught such as he had made on the Stoors", which is a very interesting concept for Tolkien to consider.

After the dealings with Saruman, which were also very interesting, the Nazgul captured some of Saruman's men and obtained maps, names and further notes about Shire and the Hobbits, crucial to their understanding of the situation. Now the Witch-king divided his group into four pairs, and sent them to scatter around the Shire and its borders. The Black Captain himself stayed at Andrath, Khamul and his companion went to find Hobbiton, and the others were dispatched to various suitable locations to block the possibility of anyone's escape. This strategic positioning of Riders was very important, since Shire was a very large country for nine men to control. Here we can view things from Witch-king's perspective, and he actually seems to have done a decent job, but it turned out that unexpected circumstances prevented him from capitalising on this hunt.

Also, we learn a great deal about Saruman's character, and his treachery of both sides, which does not go unnoticed by the Dark Lord. 'Version C' is the most interesting one, but also the least probable one; Saruman is here actually considering full submission to Gandalf, as he realizes the horror of serving Mordor. Only when he learns of Gandalf's escape, he becomes himself again, arrogant and proud, and determined to claim the Ring for himself.