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.
We started across the plain and at once, as with "Childe Roland": _For mark! no sooner was I fairly found Pledged to the plain, after a pace or two, Than, pausing to throw backward a last view O'er the safe road, 'twas gone! grey plain all round: Nothing but plain to the horizon's bound.
I might go on; nought else remained to do._ Our "safe road" was a rough and stony track; far in front of us on the rising hill that bounded the horizon a red light watched us like an angry eye.

There were cornfields 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 melancholy triumph in their cry and their voices seemed to be caught up and echoed by thousands upon thousands of other frogs inhabiting the plain.
We 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.