My back was turned towards the distant Hulks as I walked on, and, though I could see the old lights away on the spits of sand, I saw them over my shoulder.

I knew the limekiln as well as I knew the old Battery, but they were miles apart; so that, if a light had been burning at each point that night, there would have been a long strip of the blank horizon between the two bright specks.
At first, I had to shut some gates after me, and now and then to stand still while the cattle that were lying in the banked-up pathway arose and blundered down among the grass and reeds.

But after a little while I seemed to have the whole flats to myself.
It was another half-hour before I drew near to the kiln.

The lime was burning with a sluggish stifling smell, but the fires were made up and left, and no workmen were visible.

Hard by was a small stone-quarry.