Gollum looked at them....Then he came back, and slowly putting out a trembling hand, very cautiously he touched Frodo's knee - but almost the touch was a caress.

    But at the touch Frodo stirred and cried out softly in his sleep, and immediately Sam was wide awake.  The first thing  he saw was Gollum- 'pawing at master,' as he thought.

    'Hey you!' he said roughly.  'What are you up to?'

    'Nothing, nothing,' said Gollum softly.  'Nice master!'

    'I daresay,' said Sam.  'But where have you been to- sneaking off and sneaking back, you old villain?'

    Gollum withdrew himself, and a green glint flickered under his heavy lids.....'Sneaking, sneaking!' he hissed.  'Hobbits always so polite, yes.  O nice hobbits!  Smeagol brings them up secret ways that nobody else could find.  Tired he is, thirsty he is, yes thirsty; and he guides them and he searches for paths, and  they say sneak, sneak.  Very nice friends, O yes my precious, very nice.'

    Sam felt a bit remorseful, though not more trustful.  'Sorry,' he said.  'I'm sorry, but you startled me out of my sleep.  And I shouldn't have been sleeping, and that made me a bit sharp.  But Mr. Frodo, he's that tired, I asked him to have a wink; and well, that's how it is.  Sorry.  But where have you been to?'

    'Sneaking,' said Gollum, and the green glint did not leave his eyes.

    'O very well,' said Sam, 'Have your own way!  I don't suppose it's not so far from the truth.  And now we'd better all be sneaking along together.  What's the time?  Is it today or tomorrow?'

    'It's tomorrow,' said Gollum, 'or was tomorrow when hobbits went to sleep.  Very foolish, very dangerous-if poor Smeagol wasn't sneaking about to watch.'

    'I think we shall get tired of that word soon,' said Sam.  'But never mind, I'll wake master up.'  ....and bending down spoke softly to him.

    'Wake up, Mr. Frodo!   Wake up!'

    ...Frodo drew a deep breath and sat up.  'The last lap!' he said.  'Hullo, Smeagol!  Found any food?  Have you had any rest?'

    'No food, no rest, nothing for Smeagol,' said Gollum.  'He's a sneak.'

    Sam clicked his tongue, but restrained himself.

    'Don't take names to yourself, Smeagol,' said Frodo.  'It's unwise, whether they are true or false.'

    'Smeagol has to take what's given him,' answered Gollum.  'He was given that name by kind Master Samwise, the hobbit that knows so much.'