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Under Foot
Isupposeitwasnearlyeleveno’clockbeforewegatheredcouragetostartagain,nolongerventuringintotheroad,butsneakingalonghedgerowsandthroughplantations,andwatchingkeenlythroughthedarkness,heontherightandIontheleft,fortheMartians,whoseemedtobeallaboutus. Inoneplaceweblundereduponascorchedandblackenedarea,nowcoolingandashen,andanumberofscattereddeadbodiesofmen,burnedhorriblyabouttheheadsandtrunksbutwiththeirlegsandbootsmostlyintact; andofdeadhorses,fiftyfeet,perhaps,behindalineoffourrippedgunsandsmashedguncarriages.
Sheen,itseemed,hadescapeddestruction,buttheplacewassilentanddeserted. Herewehappenedonnodead,thoughthenightwastoodarkforustoseeintothesideroadsoftheplace. InSheenmycompanionsuddenlycomplainedoffaintnessandthirst,andwedecidedtotryoneofthehouses.
Thefirsthouseweentered,afteralittledifficultywiththewindow,wasasmallsemi-detachedvilla,andIfoundnothingeatableleftintheplacebutsomemouldycheese. Therewas,however,watertodrink; andItookahatchet,whichpromisedtobeusefulinournexthouse-breaking.
WethencrossedtoaplacewheretheroadturnstowardsMortlake. Heretherestoodawhitehousewithinawalledgarden,andinthepantryofthisdomicilewefoundastoreoffood—twoloavesofbreadinapan,anuncookedsteak,andthehalfofaham. Igivethiscataloguesopreciselybecause,asithappened,weweredestinedtosubsistuponthisstoreforthenextfortnight. Bottledbeerstoodunderashelf,andthereweretwobagsofharicotbeansandsomelimplettuces. Thispantryopenedintoakindofwash-upkitchen,andinthiswasfirewood; therewasalsoacupboard,inwhichwefoundnearlyadozenofburgundy,tinnedsoupsandsalmon,andtwotinsofbiscuits.
