there he heard concerning that city of gondolin and how unstaying labour through ages of years had not sufficed to its building and adornment whereat folk ' travailed yet ; of the delv- ing of that hidden tunnel he heard , which the folk named the way of escape , and how there had been divided counsels in that matter , yet pity for the enthralled noldoli had prevailed in the end to its making ; of the guard without ceasing he was told , that was held there in arms and likewise at certain low places in the encircling mountains , and how watchers dwelt ever vigilant on the highest peaks of that range beside builded beacons ready for the fire ; for never did that folk cease to look for an onslaught of the orcs did their stronghold become known .