Ugluk and Gollum [Reader's Companion]
Steuard Jensen
Reader's Companion (though if anything comes close to topping
Tolkien's discussion of the events on Weathertop, I'll be amazed).
This one is a little different, because I almost feel like I was
supposed to know about it already (but I can't think of where a
reference would have been).
It turns out that in Tolkien's "latest and only complete time scheme"
for the events of LotR, we get a bit more information about what
Gollum was doing while the Company was in Lorien. He lurks near the
woods, moving slowly toward the southern borders, and then after a
week or so he is captured by Ugluk! He escapes, but only after
revealing that Hobbits of the Shire had been with Gandalf, and saying
enough to convince Ugluk that the Ring was there. Ugluk sent
messengers to Isengard about the Hobbits (but not mentioning the
Ring), but those messengers were intercepted by Grishnakh along the
way (I _think_ they then continued on to Saruman, since he proceeded
to send Ugluk reinforcements and specific orders about capturing the
Hobbits alive).
It's fascinating stuff; the relevant notes can be found in the RC
annotations for p. 384 and p. 416. (There's a lot more, about exactly
how and when news of the events in Moria reached Saruman and Sauron
and the movements of the various individuals and groups.) There's no
indication that I've seen that Gollum was ever directly in contact
with Grishnakh or the Orcs of Mordor, for what it's worth; the only
note that might give that impression is for Feb. 22: "Grishnakh's
scouts get wind of approach of Co[mpan]y", the day before the attack
on the river. But the notes on Gollum's travels only say that he left
the river around that time because he was afraid of the Orcs. So he
wasn't the snitch _after_ the Fellowship left Lorien, anyway.
Cool stuff. I'm really enjoying this book.
Steuard Jensen