Uncommon Words: Low Point in Mirkwood

I’m sure your eye was caught as mine was by the extreme low point at 44,877.

UncommonGraph

[08.012] ‘Twelve yards! I should have thought it was thirty at least, but my eyes don’t see as well as they used a hundred years ago.

The company in Mirkwood is facing hunger and the effects of prolonged dimness.  They’re trying to cross the river which seems like an impossible task; it’s not their first low point, but they are certainly without time for any fancy words.  You can see that our graph leaps upward sharply right afterward?  That sudden peak comes when Thorin shoots the deer and Bombur falls in the water – hope and despair!

[08.029]  Thorin was the only one who had kept his feet and his wits. As soon as they had landed he had bent his bow and fitted an arrow in case any hidden guardian of the boat appeared. Now he sent a swift and sure shot into the leaping beast. …

[08.030] Before they could shout in praise of the shot, however, a dreadful wail from Bilbo put all thoughts of venison out of their minds. ‘Bombur has fallen in! Bombur is drowning!’ he cried.

UPDATE 2015.06.13 There was a grievous error in my method, Word Fans, as reviewed in my post on Constant Vigilance!  I’ve removed any tags from this post so that only you good folks who are reading chronologically will see this little detour into error.

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