Page 201 - The Hobbit

flickered as it fled as if with stinging fire. Behind the arrows a thousand of their

spearmen leapt down and charged. The yells were deafening. The rocks were
stained black with goblin blood. Just as the goblins were recovering from the
onslaught and the elf-charge was halted, there rose from across the valley a deep-

throated roar. With cries of "Moria!" and "Dain, Dain!" the dwarves of the Iron
Hills plunged in, wielding their mattocks, upon the other side; and beside them
came the men of the Lake with long swords. Panic came upon the Goblins; and
even as they turned to meet this new attack, the elves charged again with renewed

numbers. Already many of the goblins were flying back down the river to escape
from the trap: and many of their own wolves were turning upon them and rending
the dead and the wounded. Victory seemed at hand, when a cry rang out on the

heights above.
Goblins had scaled the Mountain from the other side and already many were
on the slopes above the Gate, and others were streaming down recklessly, heedless
of those that fell screaming from cliff and precipice, to attack the spurs from

above. Each of these could be reached by paths that ran down from the main mass
of the Mountain in the centre; and the defenders had too few to bar the way for
long. Victory now vanished from hope. They had only stemmed the first onslaught

of the black tide.
Day drew on. The goblins gathered again in the valley. There a host of Wargs
came ravening and with them came the bodyguard of Bolg, goblins of huge size
with scimitars of steel. Soon actual darkness was coming into a stormy sky; while

still the great bats swirled about the heads and ears of elves and men, or fastened
vampire-like on the stricken. Now Bard was fighting to defend the Eastern spur,
and yet giving slowly back; and the elf-lords were at bay about their king upon the
southern arm, near to the watch-post on Ravenhill.

Suddenly there was a great shout, and from the Gate came a trumpet call.
They had forgotten Thorin! Part of the wall, moved by levers, fell outward with a
crash into the pool. Out leapt the King under the Mountain, and his companions
followed him. Hood and cloak were gone; they were in shining armour, and red

light leapt from their eyes. In the gloom the great dwarf gleamed like gold in a
dying fire.
Rocks were buried down from on high by the goblins above; but they held on.

leapt down to the falls' foot, and rushed forward to battle. Wolf and rider fell or
fled before them. Thorin wielded his axe with mighty strokes, and nothing seemed
to harm him.