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Show 46 THE l).\ [2K FOR [CST my cleverness. He spoke no more. We drove then in silence whilst the moon, rising high. caught colour into its dim outline. like a sciniitar nnsheathed: the trees and hedges grew, with every moment. darker. \Ve lel't the valley through which we had been driving, slowly climbing the hill, and here, on the top of the rising ground, we had our first glimpse of the outposts of the war. A cottage had been posted on the highest point of the hill; now all that remained of it was a sheet ot iron. crumpled like paper, propped in the centre by a black and solitary post, trailing thence on the ground amongst tumbled bricks and refuse. This sheet of iron was silver in the nmonlight and stood out with its solitary black support against the night sky, which was now breaking into a million stars. Behind it stretched a flat plain that reached to the horizon. "There," I said to Trenchard, "there's your first glimpse of actual warfare. What do you say to every house in your village at home like that? It's ghastly enough if you see it as I have done, still smoking, with the looking-glasses and flower-pots and pictures lying about." But Trenchard said nothing. TllE SCHOOL-HOUSE 47 fields that stirred and whispered, but no hedges, no trees, and not a house to be seen. Nikolai turned and said: "A very strong battle here, Your Honour, only three weeks back." By the side of the road stood a little cluster of wooden crosses and behind them were two large holes filled now with water upon which the moon was shining. In these holes the frogs were making a tremendous noise. "That was shell," I said to Trenchard, pointing. The frogs drowned my voice; there was something of a melan- choly triumph in their cry and their voices seemed to ho caught up and echoed by thousands upon thousands of other frogs inhabiting the plain. "'0 came then upon a trench; the ridge of it stretched like a black cord straight across the cornfield and here for a moment the road seemed lost. I got out. "Here, Trenehard. You must come and look at this. Your first Austrian trench. You may find treasure." \Ve walked along in single file for some time and then suddenly I lost him: the trench, just where we were, divided into two. I waited thinking that in a moment he would We started across the plain and at once, as with "Childe appear. There was nothing very thrilling about my trench; Roland": it was an old one and all that remained now of any life was the blackened ground where there had been cooking, tho For mark! no sooner Was I fairly fomzrl. Pledged to the plain. after a [men or two. Than, pausing to throw backward a, last view O'er the safe road, 'ticrts gone! grey plain all round: Nothing but plain, to the h-oriwnr's hound. I might go on; nought else remained to do. brown soiled cartridge-cases, and many empty tin cans. And then as I waited, leaning forward with my elbows on the earthwork, the frogs the only sound in the world, l was conscious that some one was watching me. In front of mo I could see the red light flickering and turning a little as it seemed Our "safe road" was a rough and stony track; far in front of us on the rising hill that bounded the horizon :1 red light watched us like an angry eye. There were com- behind me nothing but the starlight. I turned, looked back, and for my very life could not hold myself from calling out: |