The next morning, Frodo and Sam walked around the grounds of the Sackville Place until they found a stream at the eastern foot of the hill. This they followed around to the northern slopes, where some large boulders had fallen down to divert the stream into a deep pool. Standing upon these large rocks, they could look down to see large, brown-skinned trout swimming in the depths, and occasionally rising to the water's surface to snap at unwary insects. With shady, overhanging willow trees and flat stone surfaces warmed by the sun to sit down on, it was an ideal spot for fishing.
"If Miss Thimula does come to live here, we ought to ask if we can bring a rod or two and spend an afternoon," Sam declared as he crouched to dabble his fingertips in the water and coax one of the fish up. "We'd bring in enough for a good dinner without having to wade in after `em."
Frodo made sounds of agreement, but he was studying the muddied slopes above the pool leading up to the house; these showed traces of something heavy being dragged up not too long ago, although any distinct footprints had been obliterated. Jumping lightly from rock to rock to cross to the far side of the stream, he could see the top of the hill. Since the slope was so steep, no hedge had been planted on this side of the house, yet it could be scaled by someone who wished not to be seen entering the grounds. The window that had been forced open was immediately above this steep slope--the first one someone climbing up would reach. Frodo decided that he'd seen all he had to see.
As he and Sam passed around to the westward side of the hill, they noticed smoke rising from its top. When they reached the path, they went swiftly up to find that Thimula had built her bonfire in the garden, and was burning rubbish.
"You haven't been in the house, Miss?" asked Sam, although it was obvious. The front door to the house was wide open, and Thimula had carried out some of the filthy dust sheets and small pieces of furniture that she'd deemed beyond repair. Sam cast a wary eye toward the open door, but he didn't like to frighten Thimula by mentioning the ghost; he only added, "You might've waited, and we'd've helped you carry the heavy trash out."
"That's kind of you, Mr. Gamgee, but I didn't want to wait. I've only dragged out a few small things to begin with." She flung the leg of a broken dining-room chair into the flames. "I'll hire some local laborers to help with the heavier things. Mr. Hodberry has promised me the services of his best hired hands once they've finished bringing in the harvest. And Mrs. Hodberry is making inquiries for me to obtain maids for sweeping and scrubbing, and a plasterer to fix the walls and ceilings. Besides, I didn't know how long you'd be. Did you find your trout stream?"
"Yes, and it's lovely," Frodo answered. "Plenty of trout for poachers, big, flat rocks to fish from as well as pile up their catch on. It looks like they wrapped the catch up in canvas bundles to drag them up the far slope of the hill and in through a window. No one would see them, even if they fished by day. But they must have done their cleaning up by night. I must say, Thimula, I didn't expect to find you back here so soon. You've finished your errands already?"
"There was no difficulty at all. I asked Mrs. Hodberry about the nearest market-towns and days," Thimula reported. "I said I wanted to know where my friends and I could go to obtain a nice fish dinner. She said she and her husband weren't very partial to fish themselves, but she was as helpful as she could be. I went out first thing this morning and rode as far as Needlehole to ask around the marketplace. It isn't a market day today, but there were several shops open, and people were happy to tell me who'd been selling trout recently. They gave me names, including one I took a special interest in. I asked where I could find him, but the shopkeepers thought he was no longer in business. He stopped coming into town quite suddenly a month or so ago, and hasn't been seen since. But I expect we'll find him easily enough." She looked Frodo in the eye. "The name was Selbry Bogwater."
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