[HairOfTheDog]

One of the two... Frodo is on a mission planned by Gandalf. He didn't imagine Gandalf would not be in charge, and when Gandalf didn't appear, he just didn't have any ideas. Merry did. Frodo takes advice from whoever gives it these days, so I am glad that Tolkien set him up with Strider before he could be led astray...

[Sam Cree]

The spies in the inn may have had instructions no more specific than to be on the lookout for the unusual or magical. Like modern spies and subversives, they may not have known the identity of their real bosses, that is, they probably didn't know who employed their employers.