Sauron Defeated

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Book: Read Sauron Defeated for Free Online
Authors: J. R. R. Tolkien
Shagrat. Sam climbs warily. The stair now rises at the back of the entrance passage, and climbs right up to the Turret (the Brazen Gate enters about on a level with the courtyard?). Sam hears voices, and stalks them. The orc is pattering away up the stairs. 'Shagrat!' he calls. 'Here he is, the other spy.' Sam follows. He overhears the orc reporting to Shagrat. Shagrat is lying wounded by dead body of Gorbag. All Gorbag's men have been killed, but they have killed all Shagrat's but these two.

    An isolated slip of paper seems very likely to be the continuation of this outline, and the first sketching of the new story of the escape from the Tower. The writing declines towards the end into such a scrawl that many words and phrases are impossible to make out.

    Shagrat has in vain tried to get messages away to Baraddur.
    The Quarrel arose about the treasures. Gorbag coveted the mithril coat, but pretended that they must search for the missing spy first. He sent his men to capture wall and gate, and demanded mithril coat. But Shagrat won't agree. Frodo was thrust in chamber of turret and stripped. Shagrat gives him some medicine and begins to question him. Shagrat puts things together to send to Baraddur (Lugburz). Gorbag tries to fight way in and slay Frodo.
    Gorbag and Shagrat fight.
    When Shagrat hears news (although orc says the other spy is not a large warrior) he is frightened, as he is wounded. He makes the treasures into a bundle and tries to creep off. He must get to Lugburz. So when Sam leaps out with phial and shining sword he flees. Sam pursues; but gives up for he [?hears] Frodo
    [?crying]. He sees Shagrat far below rushing out of gate - and does not at first realize the misfortune of news getting to Lugburz. The orc left behind is tormenting Frodo. Sam rushes in and slays him.
    Scene of yielding up Ring. Frodo has lost his cloak and ....(8) He has to dress in the orc's clothes [or in orcs' clothes]. Sam does likewise but keeps cloak and Sting. Frodo has to have orc-weapons. The sword is gone.(9) He tells Sam about the fight.

    They make their plans.
    The opposition of the Watchers. The Tower seems full of evil.
    Cry goes up as they escape. And as if in answer a Nazgul comes dropping down out of the black sky, [?shining .... ?with] a fell red, and perches on the wall. Meanwhile they dash down the road, and as soon as they can leave it and climb into the shelter of the rocks near bottom of trough. They wonder what to do.
    Food.(10) Drink. They had found Frodo's sack and ..... [?in corner] rummaged - but orcs would not touch lembas. They gathered up what was left of it, in broken fragments. Orcs must drink. [?They see] [a] well in the courtyard. Sam tastes it - says Frodo not to risk it. It seems all right. They fill their water bottles. It is now 13th of March, make it 14th? They reckoned they have [?enough] for about a week with care or at a desperate pinch ten days. How far is it.
    They climb to lower ridge and find they dare not go across the plain at that point - where it is broad and full of enemies.
    The Nazgul [?explores] Tower and sees there is [??trouble]
    and flies off. Frodo thinks it best to go north to where the plain narrows - he had seen sketch of Mordor in Elrond's house -
    and away from Kirith Ungol to which [?? attention is now directed]. He bemoans fact that Shagrat had got away with tokens.
    Chapter ends with the Nazgul shining red circling over Tower
    [??and he cries as] ..... of orcs begin to search the [?pass] and the road and lands about.

    I believe that at this stage my father began the chapter again, and this was the first completed manuscript ('D'). It was numbered 'LII'
    but given a new title 'The Orc-tower'; the number was later changed to 'L' (which I cannot explain) and the title 'The Tower of Kirith Ungol' (which it had borne in the draft B) restored.
    New initial drafting begins at the point where Sam enters the gate of the Tower, but up to this point the final text was now written out

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