Upon that afternoon it deserted Trenchard; even his own language seemed to have left him.

His brain was cold and damp like the woods around him.
They passed through the thickets and came, to their great surprise, upon a trench occupied by soldiers.

This surprised them because they had heard that the Austrians were many versts distant.

The soldiers also seemed to wonder.

They explained their mission to a young officer who seemed at first as though he would ask them something, then checked himself, gave them permission to pass through and watched them with grave gaze.