Book 1, Chapter 11 Summary

The story returns to the Shire, where Fatty Bolger is staying at the house Frodo purchased. Three Black Riders attack the house, but Fatty escapes from a back door and alerts everyone.

Back in Bree, Aragorn wakes the hobbits and shows them the slashed sheets and blankets in their room: The Black Riders had attacked in the night. Seeing this, Strider and the hobbits decide to leave at once.

Unfortunately, they cannot leave right away because their ponies were stolen and they have to walk. Now, instead of leaving early and unnoticed, they cannot leave until noon, towing an overpriced, underfed baggage-pony purchased from Bill Ferny.

The company leaves Bree and stays off the roads, trying to leave the Riders behind. After a few days of backtracks and winding ways, they see flashes of lightning in the distance that look as...