All page numbers are from the Douglas A Anderson Annotated Hobbit.

Chapter 6: Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire

Chapter six starts with Bilbo wandering alone on the other side of the Misty Mountains, with no food, none of his baggage etc. At first, he doesn't realize that he's on the eastern side, until he sees the sun setting behind the mountains. He doesn't know if his companions have made it to freedom, or if they are still in the Goblin's tunnels. However, just when he's ready to turn back and search for them, he hears Gandalf and the Dwarves ahead of him.

While Bilbo was prepared to go and search for the dwarves, when he finds them, he hears that they are perfectly willing to go on and leave him, presumably captured, to the Goblins. Only Gandalf objects to this plan. Bilbo had some fun by sneaking up on the group using the Ring to remain unseen. This had the added bonus of increasing his reputation.

The entire group spend some time explaining what had happened, from their various perspectives. They start off again, trying to put some distance between the group and the mountains before dark, when the Goblins will be coming out. Troubles with loose rock on the slope (this echos one of Tolkien's own trips in the Swiss Alps).

As if goblins on their trail wasn't enough of a problem, it was now getting dark and the wolves were coming out. The group took refuge in the trees, in order to get away from the wolves.

Gandalf used magical fire to try to drive off the wargs. Their refuge in the trees became a trap though, when the goblins arrived and began to use the fires Gandalf had thown down to set fire to the trees that Gandalf, the dwarves and Bilbo were hiding in. The noise of all this was enough to rouse the Eagles, who, because Gandalf had done them a favour, rescued the group and carried them out of danger.

The group spent the night on a shelf in the Mountains.

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