no
one
would
have
believed
in
the
last
years
of
the
nineteenth
century
that
this
world
was
being
watched
keenly
and
closely
by
intelligences
greater
than
man's
and
yet
as
mortal
as
his
own
that
as
men
busied
themselves
about
their
various
concerns
they
were
scrutinised
and
studied
perhaps
almost
as
narrowly
as
a
man
with
a
microscope
might
scrutinise
the
transient
creatures
that
swarm
and
multiply
in
a
drop
of
water
with
infinite
complacency
men
went
to
and
fro
over
this
globe
about
their
little
affairs
serene
in
their
assurance
of
their
empire
over
matter
it
is
possible
that
the
infusoria
under
the
microscope
do
the
same
no
one
gave
a
thought
to
the
older
worlds
of
space
as
sources
of
human
danger
or
thought
of
them
only
to
dismiss
the
idea
of
life
upon
them
as
impossible
or
improbable
it
is
curious
to
recall
some
of
the
mental
habits
of
those
departed
days
at
most
terrestrial
men
fancied
there
might
be
other
men
upon
mars
perhaps
inferior
to
themselves
and
ready
to
welcome
a
missionary
enterprise
yet
across
the
gulf
of
space
minds
that
are
to
our
minds
as
ours
are
to
those
of
the
beasts
that
perish
intellects
vast
and
cool
and
unsympathetic
regarded
this
earth
with
envious
eyes
and
slowly
and
surely
drew
their
plans
against
us
and
early
in
the
twentieth
century
came
the
great
disillusionment
the
planet
mars
i
scarcely
need
remind
the
reader
revolves
about
the
sun
at
a
mean
distance
of
miles
and
the
light
and
heat
it
receives
from
the
sun
is
barely
half
of
that
received
by
this
world
it
must
be
if
the
nebular
hypothesis
has
any
truth
older
than
our
world
and
long
before
this
earth
ceased
to
be
molten
life
upon
its
surface
must
have
begun
its
course
the
fact
that
it
is
scarcely
one
seventh
of
the
volume
of
the
earth
must
have
accelerated
its
cooling
to
the
temperature
at
which
life
could
begin
it
has
air
and
water
and
all
that
is
necessary
for
the
support
of
animated
existence
yet
so
vain
is
man
and
so
blinded
by
his
vanity
that
no
writer
up
to
the
very
end
of
the
nineteenth
century
expressed
any
idea
that
intelligent
life
might
have
developed
there
far
or
indeed
at
all
beyond
its
earthly
level
nor
was
it
generally
understood
that
since
mars
is
older
than
our
earth
with
scarcely
a
quarter
of
the
superficial
area
and
remoter
from
the
sun
it
necessarily
follows
that
it
is
not
only
more
distant
from
time's
beginning
but
nearer
its
end
the
secular
cooling
that
must
someday
overtake
our
planet
has
already
gone
far
indeed
with
our
neighbour
its
physical
condition
is
still
largely
a
mystery
but
we
know
now
that
even
in
its
equatorial
region
the
midday
temperature
barely
approaches
that
of
our
coldest
winter
its
air
is
much
more
attenuated
than
ours
its
oceans
have
shrunk
until
they
cover
but
a
third
of
its
surface
and
as
its
slow
seasons
change
huge
snowcaps
gather
and
melt
about
either
pole
and
periodically
inundate
its
temperate
zones
that
last
stage
of
exhaustion
which
to
us
is
still
incredibly
remote
has
become
a
present
day
problem
for
the
inhabitants
of
mars
the
immediate
pressure
of
necessity
has
brightened
their
intellects
enlarged
their
powers
and
hardened
their
hearts
and
looking
across
space
with
instruments
and
intelligences
such
as
we
have
scarcely
dreamed
of
they
see
at
its
nearest
distance
only
of
miles
sunward
of
them
a
morning
star
of
hope
our
own
warmer
planet
green
with
vegetation
and
grey
with
water
with
a
cloudy
atmosphere
eloquent
of
fertility
with
glimpses
through
its
drifting
cloud
wisps
of
broad
stretches
of
populous
country
and
narrow
navy
crowded
seas
and
we
men
the
creatures
who
inhabit
this
earth
must
be
to
them
at
least
as
alien
and
lowly
as
are
the
monkeys
and
lemurs
to
us
the
intellectual
side
of
man
already
admits
that
life
is
an
incessant
struggle
for
existence
and
it
would
seem
that
this
too
is
the
belief
of
the
minds
upon
mars
their
world
is
far
gone
in
its
cooling
and
this
world
is
still
crowded
with
life
but
crowded
only
with
what
they
regard
as
inferior
animals
to
carry
warfare
sunward
is
indeed
their
only
escape
from
the
destruction
that
generation
after
generation
creeps
upon
them
and
before
we
judge
of
them
too
harshly
we
must
remember
what
ruthless
and
utter
destruction
our
own
species
has
wrought
not
only
upon
animals
such
as
the
vanished
bison
and
the
dodo
but
upon
its
inferior
races
the
tasmanians
in
spite
of
their
human
likeness
were
entirely
swept
out
of
existence
in
a
war
of
extermination
waged
by
european
immigrants
in
the
space
of
fifty
years
are
we
such
apostles
of
mercy
as
to
complain
if
the
martians
warred
in
the
same
spirit
the
martians
seem
to
have
calculated
their
descent
with
amazing
subtlety
their
mathematical
learning
is
evidently
far
in
excess
of
ours
and
to
have
carried
out
their
preparations
with
a
well
nigh
perfect
unanimity
had
our
instruments
permitted
it
we
might
have
seen
the
gathering
trouble
far
back
in
the
nineteenth
century
men
like
schiaparelli
watched
the
red
planet
it
is
odd
by
the
bye
that
for
countless
centuries
mars
has
been
the
star
of
war
but
failed
to
interpret
the
fluctuating
appearances
of
the
markings
they
mapped
so
well
all
that
time
the
martians
must
have
been
getting
ready
during
the
opposition
of
a
great
light
was
seen
on
the
illuminated
part
of
the
disk
first
at
the
lick
observatory
then
by
perrotin
of
nice
and
then
by
other
observers
english
readers
heard
of
it
first
in
the
issue
of
nature
dated
august
i
am
inclined
to
think
that
this
blaze
may
have
been
the
casting
of
the
huge
gun
in
the
vast
pit
sunk
into
their
planet
from
which
their
shots
were
fired
at
us
peculiar
markings
as
yet
unexplained
were
seen
near
the
site
of
that
outbreak
during
the
next
two
oppositions
the
storm
burst
upon
us
six
years
ago
now
as
mars
approached
opposition
lavelle
of
java
set
the
wires
of
the
astronomical
exchange
palpitating
with
the
amazing
intelligence
of
a
huge
outbreak
of
incandescent
gas
upon
the
planet
it
had
occurred
towards
midnight
of
the
twelfth
and
the
spectroscope
to
which
he
had
at
once
resorted
indicated
a
mass
of
flaming
gas
chiefly
hydrogen
moving
with
an
enormous
velocity
towards
this
earth
this
jet
of
fire
had
become
invisible
about
a
quarter
past
twelve
he
compared
it
to
a
colossal
puff
of
flame
suddenly
and
violently
squirted
out
of
the
planet
as
flaming
gases
rushed
out
of
a
gun
a
singularly
appropriate
phrase
it
proved
yet
the
next
day
there
was
nothing
of
this
in
the
papers
except
a
little
note
in
the
daily
telegraph
and
the
world
went
in
ignorance
of
one
of
the
gravest
dangers
that
ever
threatened
the
human
race
i
might
not
have
heard
of
the
eruption
at
all
had
i
not
met
ogilvy
the
well
known
astronomer
at
ottershaw
he
was
immensely
excited
at
the
news
and
in
the
excess
of
his
feelings
invited
me
up
to
take
a
turn
with
him
that
night
in
a
scrutiny
of
the
red
planet
in
spite
of
all
that
has
happened
since
i
still
remember
that
vigil
very
distinctly
the
black
and
silent
observatory
the
shadowed
lantern
throwing
a
feeble
glow
upon
the
floor
in
the
corner
the
steady
ticking
of
the
clockwork
of
the
telescope
the
little
slit
in
the
roof
an
oblong
profundity
with
the
stardust
streaked
across
it
ogilvy
moved
about
invisible
but
audible
looking
through
the
telescope
one
saw
a
circle
of
deep
blue
and
the
little
round
planet
swimming
in
the
field
it
seemed
such
a
little
thing
so
bright
and
small
and
still
faintly
marked
with
transverse
stripes
and
slightly
flattened
from
the
perfect
round
but
so
little
it
was
so
silvery
warm
a
pin's
head
of
light
it
was
as
if
it
quivered
but
really
this
was
the
telescope
vibrating
with
the
activity
of
the
clockwork
that
kept
the
planet
in
view
as
i
watched
the
planet
seemed
to
grow
larger
and
smaller
and
to
advance
and
recede
but
that
was
simply
that
my
eye
was
tired
forty
millions
of
miles
it
was
from
us
more
than
forty
millions
of
miles
of
void
few
people
realise
the
immensity
of
vacancy
in
which
the
dust
of
the
material
universe
swims
near
it
in
the
field
i
remember
were
three
faint
points
of
light
three
telescopic
stars
infinitely
remote
and
all
around
it
was
the
unfathomable
darkness
of
empty
space
you
know
how
that
blackness
looks
on
a
frosty
starlight
night
in
a
telescope
it
seems
far
profounder
and
invisible
to
me
because
it
was
so
remote
and
small
flying
swiftly
and
steadily
towards
me
across
that
incredible
distance
drawing
nearer
every
minute
by
so
many
thousands
of
miles
came
the
thing
they
were
sending
us
the
thing
that
was
to
bring
so
much
struggle
and
calamity
and
death
to
the
earth
i
never
dreamed
of
it
then
as
i
watched
no
one
on
earth
dreamed
of
that
unerring
missile
that
night
too
there
was
another
jetting
out
of
gas
from
the
distant
planet
i
saw
it
a
reddish
flash
at
the
edge
the
slightest
projection
of
the
outline
just
as
the
chronometer
struck
midnight
and
at
that
i
told
ogilvy
and
he
took
my
place
the
night
was
warm
and
i
was
thirsty
and
i
went
stretching
my
legs
clumsily
and
feeling
my
way
in
the
darkness
to
the
little
table
where
the
siphon
stood
while
ogilvy
exclaimed
at
the
streamer
of
gas
that
came
out
towards
us
that
night
another
invisible
missile
started
on
its
way
to
the
earth
from
mars
just
a
second
or
so
under
twenty
four
hours
after
the
first
one
i
remember
how
i
sat
on
the
table
there
in
the
blackness
with
patches
of
green
and
crimson
swimming
before
my
eyes
i
wished
i
had
a
light
to
smoke
by
little
suspecting
the
meaning
of
the
minute
gleam
i
had
seen
and
all
that
it
would
presently
bring
me
ogilvy
watched
till
one
and
then
gave
it
up
and
we
lit
the
lantern
and
walked
over
to
his
house
down
below
in
the
darkness
were
ottershaw
and
chertsey
and
all
their
hundreds
of
people
sleeping
in
peace
he
was
full
of
speculation
that
night
about
the
condition
of
mars
and
scoffed
at
the
vulgar
idea
of
its
having
inhabitants
who
were
signalling
us
his
idea
was
that
meteorites
might
be
falling
in
a
heavy
shower
upon
the
planet
or
that
a
huge
volcanic
explosion
was
in
progress
he
pointed
out
to
me
how
unlikely
it
was
that
organic
evolution
had
taken
the
same
direction
in
the
two
adjacent
planets
the
chances
against
anything
manlike
on
mars
are
a
million
to
one
he
said
hundreds
of
observers
saw
the
flame
that
night
and
the
night
after
about
midnight
and
again
the
night
after
and
so
for
ten
nights
a
flame
each
night
why
the
shots
ceased
after
the
tenth
no
one
on
earth
has
attempted
to
explain
it
may
be
the
gases
of
the
firing
caused
the
martians
inconvenience
dense
clouds
of
smoke
or
dust
visible
through
a
powerful
telescope
on
earth
as
little
grey
fluctuating
patches
spread
through
the
clearness
of
the
planet's
atmosphere
and
obscured
its
more
familiar
features
even
the
daily
papers
woke
up
to
the
disturbances
at
last
and
popular
notes
appeared
here
there
and
everywhere
concerning
the
volcanoes
upon
mars
the
seriocomic
periodical
punch
i
remember
made
a
happy
use
of
it
in
the
political
cartoon
and
all
unsuspected
those
missiles
the
martians
had
fired
at
us
drew
earthward
rushing
now
at
a
pace
of
many
miles
a
second
through
the
empty
gulf
of
space
hour
by
hour
and
day
by
day
nearer
and
nearer
it
seems
to
me
now
almost
incredibly
wonderful
that
with
that
swift
fate
hanging
over
us
men
could
go
about
their
petty
concerns
as
they
did
i
remember
how
jubilant
markham
was
at
securing
a
new
photograph
of
the
planet
for
the
illustrated
paper
he
edited
in
those
days
people
in
these
latter
times
scarcely
realise
the
abundance
and
enterprise
of
our
nineteenth
century
papers
for
my
own
part
i
was
much
occupied
in
learning
to
ride
the
bicycle
and
busy
upon
a
series
of
papers
discussing
the
probable
developments
of
moral
ideas
as
civilisation
progressed
one
night
the
first
missile
then
could
scarcely
have
been
miles
away
i
went
for
a
walk
with
my
wife
it
was
starlight
and
i
explained
the
signs
of
the
zodiac
to
her
and
pointed
out
mars
a
bright
dot
of
light
creeping
zenithward
towards
which
so
many
telescopes
were
pointed
it
was
a
warm
night
coming
home
a
party
of
excursionists
from
chertsey
or
isleworth
passed
us
singing
and
playing
music
there
were
lights
in
the
upper
windows
of
the
houses
as
the
people
went
to
bed
from
the
railway
station
in
the
distance
came
the
sound
of
shunting
trains
ringing
and
rumbling
softened
almost
into
melody
by
the
distance
my
wife
pointed
out
to
me
the
brightness
of
the
red
green
and
yellow
signal
lights
hanging
in
a
framework
against
the
sky
it
seemed
so
safe
and
tranquil
then
came
the
night
of
the
first
falling
star
it
was
seen
early
in
the
morning
rushing
over
winchester
eastward
a
line
of
flame
high
in
the
atmosphere
hundreds
must
have
seen
it
and
taken
it
for
an
ordinary
falling
star
albin
described
it
as
leaving
a
greenish
streak
behind
it
that
glowed
for
some
seconds
denning
our
greatest
authority
on
meteorites
stated
that
the
height
of
its
first
appearance
was
about
ninety
or
one
hundred
miles
it
seemed
to
him
that
it
fell
to
earth
about
one
hundred
miles
east
of
him
i
was
at
home
at
that
hour
and
writing
in
my
study
and
although
my
french
windows
face
towards
ottershaw
and
the
blind
was
up
for
i
loved
in
those
days
to
look
up
at
the
night
sky
i
saw
nothing
of
it
yet
this
strangest
of
all
things
that
ever
came
to
earth
from
outer
space
must
have
fallen
while
i
was
sitting
there
visible
to
me
had
i
only
looked
up
as
it
passed
some
of
those
who
saw
its
flight
say
it
travelled
with
a
hissing
sound
i
myself
heard
nothing
of
that
many
people
in
berkshire
surrey
and
middlesex
must
have
seen
the
fall
of
it
and
at
most
have
thought
that
another
meteorite
had
descended
no
one
seems
to
have
troubled
to
look
for
the
fallen
mass
that
night
but
very
early
in
the
morning
poor
ogilvy
who
had
seen
the
shooting
star
and
who
was
persuaded
that
a
meteorite
lay
somewhere
on
the
common
between
horsell
ottershaw
and
woking
rose
early
with
the
idea
of
finding
it
find
it
he
did
soon
after
dawn
and
not
far
from
the
sand
pits
an
enormous
hole
had
been
made
by
the
impact
of
the
projectile
and
the
sand
and
gravel
had
been
flung
violently
in
every
direction
over
the
heath
forming
heaps
visible
a
mile
and
a
half
away
the
heather
was
on
fire
eastward
and
a
thin
blue
smoke
rose
against
the
dawn
the
thing
itself
lay
almost
entirely
buried
in
sand
amidst
the
scattered
splinters
of
a
fir
tree
it
had
shivered
to
fragments
in
its
descent
the
uncovered
part
had
the
appearance
of
a
huge
cylinder
caked
over
and
its
outline
softened
by
a
thick
scaly
dun
coloured
incrustation
it
had
a
diameter
of
about
thirty
yards
he
approached
the
mass
surprised
at
the
size
and
more
so
at
the
shape
since
most
meteorites
are
rounded
more
or
less
completely
it
was
however
still
so
hot
from
its
flight
through
the
air
as
to
forbid
his
near
approach
a
stirring
noise
within
its
cylinder
he
ascribed
to
the
unequal
cooling
of
its
surface
for
at
that
time
it
had
not
occurred
to
him
that
it
might
be
hollow
he
remained
standing
at
the
edge
of
the
pit
that
the
thing
had
made
for
itself
staring
at
its
strange
appearance
astonished
chiefly
at
its
unusual
shape
and
colour
and
dimly
perceiving
even
then
some
evidence
of
design
in
its
arrival
the
early
morning
was
wonderfully
still
and
the
sun
just
clearing
the
pine
trees
towards
weybridge
was
already
warm
he
did
not
remember
hearing
any
birds
that
morning
there
was
certainly
no
breeze
stirring
and
the
only
sounds
were
the
faint
movements
from
within
the
cindery
cylinder
he
was
all
alone
on
the
common
then
suddenly
he
noticed
with
a
start
that
some
of
the
grey
clinker
the
ashy
incrustation
that
covered
the
meteorite
was
falling
off
the
circular
edge
of
the
end
it
was
dropping
off
in
flakes
and
raining
down
upon
the
sand
a
large
piece
suddenly
came
off
and
fell
with
a
sharp
noise
that
brought
his
heart
into
his
mouth
for
a
minute
he
scarcely
realised
what
this
meant
and
although
the
heat
was
excessive
he
clambered
down
into
the
pit
close
to
the
bulk
to
see
the
thing
more
clearly
he
fancied
even
then
that
the
cooling
of
the
body
might
account
for
this
but
what
disturbed
that
idea
was
the
fact
that
the
ash
was
falling
only
from
the
end
of
the
cylinder
and
then
he
perceived
that
very
slowly
the
circular
top
of
the
cylinder
was
rotating
on
its
body
it
was
such
a
gradual
movement
that
he
discovered
it
only
through
noticing
that
a
black
mark
that
had
been
near
him
five
minutes
ago
was
now
at
the
other
side
of
the
circumference
even
then
he
scarcely
understood
what
this
indicated
until
he
heard
a
muffled
grating
sound
and
saw
the
black
mark
jerk
forward
an
inch
or
so
then
the
thing
came
upon
him
in
a
flash
the
cylinder
was
artificial
hollow
with
an
end
that
screwed
out
something
within
the
cylinder
was
unscrewing
the
top
good
heavens
said
ogilvy
there's
a
man
in
it
men
in
it
half
roasted
to
death
trying
to
escape
at
once
with
a
quick
mental
leap
he
linked
the
thing
with
the
flash
upon
mars
the
thought
of
the
confined
creature
was
so
dreadful
to
him
that
he
forgot
the
heat
and
went
forward
to
the
cylinder
to
help
turn
but
luckily
the
dull
radiation
arrested
him
before
he
could
burn
his
hands
on
the
still
glowing
metal
at
that
he
stood
irresolute
for
a
moment
then
turned
scrambled
out
of
the
pit
and
set
off
running
wildly
into
woking
the
time
then
must
have
been
somewhere
about
six
o'clock
he
met
a
waggoner
and
tried
to
make
him
understand
but
the
tale
he
told
and
his
appearance
were
so
wild
his
hat
had
fallen
off
in
the
pit
that
the
man
simply
drove
on
he
was
equally
unsuccessful
with
the
potman
who
was
just
unlocking
the
doors
of
the
public
house
by
horsell
bridge
the
fellow
thought
he
was
a
lunatic
at
large
and
made
an
unsuccessful
attempt
to
shut
him
into
the
taproom
that
sobered
him
a
little
and
when
he
saw
henderson
the
london
journalist
in
his
garden
he
called
over
the
palings
and
made
himself
understood
henderson
he
called
you
saw
that
shooting
star
last
night
well
said
henderson
it's
out
on
horsell
common
now
good
lord
said
henderson
fallen
meteorite
that's
good
but
it's
something
more
than
a
meteorite
it's
a
cylinder
an
artificial
cylinder
man
and
there's
something
inside
henderson
stood
up
with
his
spade
in
his
hand
what's
that
he
said
he
was
deaf
in
one
ear
ogilvy
told
him
all
that
he
had
seen
henderson
was
a
minute
or
so
taking
it
in
then
he
dropped
his
spade
snatched
up
his
jacket
and
came
out
into
the
road
the
two
men
hurried
back
at
once
to
the
common
and
found
the
cylinder
still
lying
in
the
same
position
but
now
the
sounds
inside
had
ceased
and
a
thin
circle
of
bright
metal
showed
between
the
top
and
the
body
of
the
cylinder
air
was
either
entering
or
escaping
at
the
rim
with
a
thin
sizzling
sound
they
listened
rapped
on
the
scaly
burnt
metal
with
a
stick
and
meeting
with
no
response
they
both
concluded
the
man
or
men
inside
must
be
insensible
or
dead
of
course
the
two
were
quite
unable
to
do
anything
they
shouted
consolation
and
promises
and
went
off
back
to
the
town
again
to
get
help
one
can
imagine
them
covered
with
sand
excited
and
disordered
running
up
the
little
street
in
the
bright
sunlight
just
as
the
shop
folks
were
taking
down
their
shutters
and
people
were
opening
their
bedroom
windows
henderson
went
into
the
railway
station
at
once
in
order
to
telegraph
the
news
to
london
the
newspaper
articles
had
prepared
men's
minds
for
the
reception
of
the
idea
by
eight
o'clock
a
number
of
boys
and
unemployed
men
had
already
started
for
the
common
to
see
the
dead
men
from
mars
that
was
the
form
the
story
took
i
heard
of
it
first
from
my
newspaper
boy
about
a
quarter
to
nine
when
i
went
out
to
get
my
daily
chronicle
i
was
naturally
startled
and
lost
no
time
in
going
out
and
across
the
ottershaw
bridge
to
the
sand
pits
i
found
a
little
crowd
of
perhaps
twenty
people
surrounding
the
huge
hole
in
which
the
cylinder
lay
i
have
already
described
the
appearance
of
that
colossal
bulk
embedded
in
the
ground
the
turf
and
gravel
about
it
seemed
charred
as
if
by
a
sudden
explosion
no
doubt
its
impact
had
caused
a
flash
of
fire
henderson
and
ogilvy
were
not
there
i
think
they
perceived
that
nothing
was
to
be
done
for
the
present
and
had
gone
away
to
breakfast
at
henderson's
house
there
were
four
or
five
boys
sitting
on
the
edge
of
the
pit
with
their
feet
dangling
and
amusing
themselves
until
i
stopped
them
by
throwing
stones
at
the
giant
mass
after
i
had
spoken
to
them
about
it
they
began
playing
at
touch
in
and
out
of
the
group
of
bystanders
among
these
were
a
couple
of
cyclists
a
jobbing
gardener
i
employed
sometimes
a
girl
carrying
a
baby
gregg
the
butcher
and
his
little
boy
and
two
or
three
loafers
and
golf
caddies
who
were
accustomed
to
hang
about
the
railway
station
there
was
very
little
talking
few
of
the
common
people
in
england
had
anything
but
the
vaguest
astronomical
ideas
in
those
days
most
of
them
were
staring
quietly
at
the
big
tablelike
end
of
the
cylinder
which
was
still
as
ogilvy
and
henderson
had
left
it
i
fancy
the
popular
expectation
of
a
heap
of
charred
corpses
was
disappointed
at
this
inanimate
bulk
some
went
away
while
i
was
there
and
other
people
came
i
clambered
into
the
pit
and
fancied
i
heard
a
faint
movement
under
my
feet
the
top
had
certainly
ceased
to
rotate
it
was
only
when
i
got
thus
close
to
it
that
the
strangeness
of
this
object
was
at
all
evident
to
me
at
the
first
glance
it
was
really
no
more
exciting
than
an
overturned
carriage
or
a
tree
blown
across
the
road
not
so
much
so
indeed
it
looked
like
a
rusty
gas
float
it
required
a
certain
amount
of
scientific
education
to
perceive
that
the
grey
scale
of
the
thing
was
no
common
oxide
that
the
yellowish
white
metal
that
gleamed
in
the
crack
between
the
lid
and
the
cylinder
had
an
unfamiliar
hue
extra
terrestrial
had
no
meaning
for
most
of
the
onlookers
at
that
time
it
was
quite
clear
in
my
own
mind
that
the
thing
had
come
from
the
planet
mars
but
i
judged
it
improbable
that
it
contained
any
living
creature
i
thought
the
unscrewing
might
be
automatic
in
spite
of
ogilvy
i
still
believed
that
there
were
men
in
mars
my
mind
ran
fancifully
on
the
possibilities
of
its
containing
manuscript
on
the
difficulties
in
translation
that
might
arise
whether
we
should
find
coins
and
models
in
it
and
so
forth
yet
it
was
a
little
too
large
for
assurance
on
this
idea
i
felt
an
impatience
to
see
it
opened
about
eleven
as
nothing
seemed
happening
i
walked
back
full
of
such
thought
to
my
home
in
maybury
but
i
found
it
difficult
to
get
to
work
upon
my
abstract
investigations
in
the
afternoon
the
appearance
of
the
common
had
altered
very
much
the
early
editions
of
the
evening
papers
had
startled
london
with
enormous
headlines
a
message
received
from
mars
remarkable
story
from
woking
and
so
forth
in
addition
ogilvy's
wire
to
the
astronomical
exchange
had
roused
every
observatory
in
the
three
kingdoms
there
were
half
a
dozen
flies
or
more
from
the
woking
station
standing
in
the
road
by
the
sand
pits
a
basket
chaise
from
chobham
and
a
rather
lordly
carriage
besides
that
there
was
quite
a
heap
of
bicycles
in
addition
a
large
number
of
people
must
have
walked
in
spite
of
the
heat
of
the
day
from
woking
and
chertsey
so
that
there
was
altogether
quite
a
considerable
crowd
one
or
two
gaily
dressed
ladies
among
the
others
it
was
glaringly
hot
not
a
cloud
in
the
sky
nor
a
breath
of
wind
and
the
only
shadow
was
that
of
the
few
scattered
pine
trees
the
burning
heather
had
been
extinguished
but
the
level
ground
towards
ottershaw
was
blackened
as
far
as
one
could
see
and
still
giving
off
vertical
streamers
of
smoke
an
enterprising
sweet
stuff
dealer
in
the
chobham
road
had
sent
up
his
son
with
a
barrow
load
of
green
apples
and
ginger
beer
going
to
the
edge
of
the
pit
i
found
it
occupied
by
a
group
of
about
half
a
dozen
men
henderson
ogilvy
and
a
tall
fair
haired
man
that
i
afterwards
learned
was
stent
the
astronomer
royal
with
several
workmen
wielding
spades
and
pickaxes
stent
was
giving
directions
in
a
clear
high
pitched
voice
he
was
standing
on
the
cylinder
which
was
now
evidently
much
cooler
his
face
was
crimson
and
streaming
with
perspiration
and
something
seemed
to
have
irritated
him
a
large
portion
of
the
cylinder
had
been
uncovered
though
its
lower
end
was
still
embedded
as
soon
as
ogilvy
saw
me
among
the
staring
crowd
on
the
edge
of
the
pit
he
called
to
me
to
come
down
and
asked
me
if
i
would
mind
going
over
to
see
lord
hilton
the
lord
of
the
manor
the
growing
crowd
he
said
was
becoming
a
serious
impediment
to
their
excavations
especially
the
boys
they
wanted
a
light
railing
put
up
and
help
to
keep
the
people
back
he
told
me
that
a
faint
stirring
was
occasionally
still
audible
within
the
case
but
that
the
workmen
had
failed
to
unscrew
the
top
as
it
afforded
no
grip
to
them
the
case
appeared
to
be
enormously
thick
and
it
was
possible
that
the
faint
sounds
we
heard
represented
a
noisy
tumult
in
the
interior
i
was
very
glad
to
do
as
he
asked
and
so
become
one
of
the
privileged
spectators
within
the
contemplated
enclosure
i
failed
to
find
lord
hilton
at
his
house
but
i
was
told
he
was
expected
from
london
by
the
six
o'clock
train
from
waterloo
and
as
it
was
then
about
a
quarter
past
five
i
went
home
had
some
tea
and
walked
up
to
the
station
to
waylay
him
when
i
returned
to
the
common
the
sun
was
setting
scattered
groups
were
hurrying
from
the
direction
of
woking
and
one
or
two
persons
were
returning
the
crowd
about
the
pit
had
increased
and
stood
out
black
against
the
lemon
yellow
of
the
sky
a
couple
of
hundred
people
perhaps
there
were
raised
voices
and
some
sort
of
struggle
appeared
to
be
going
on
about
the
pit
strange
imaginings
passed
through
my
mind
as
i
drew
nearer
i
heard
stent's
voice
keep
back
keep
back
a
boy
came
running
towards
me
it's
a
movin'
he
said
to
me
as
he
passed
a
screwin'
and
a
screwin'
out
i
don't
like
it
i'm
a
goin'
'ome
i
am
i
went
on
to
the
crowd
there
were
really
i
should
think
two
or
three
hundred
people
elbowing
and
jostling
one
another
the
one
or
two
ladies
there
being
by
no
means
the
least
active
he's
fallen
in
the
pit
cried
some
one
keep
back
said
several
the
crowd
swayed
a
little
and
i
elbowed
my
way
through
every
one
seemed
greatly
excited
i
heard
a
peculiar
humming
sound
from
the
pit
i
say
said
ogilvy
help
keep
these
idiots
back
we
don't
know
what's
in
the
confounded
thing
you
know
i
saw
a
young
man
a
shop
assistant
in
woking
i
believe
he
was
standing
on
the
cylinder
and
trying
to
scramble
out
of
the
hole
again
the
crowd
had
pushed
him
in
the
end
of
the
cylinder
was
being
screwed
out
from
within
nearly
two
feet
of
shining
screw
projected
somebody
blundered
against
me
and
i
narrowly
missed
being
pitched
onto
the
top
of
the
screw
i
turned
and
as
i
did
so
the
screw
must
have
come
out
for
the
lid
of
the
cylinder
fell
upon
the
gravel
with
a
ringing
concussion
i
stuck
my
elbow
into
the
person
behind
me
and
turned
my
head
towards
the
thing
again
for
a
moment
that
circular
cavity
seemed
perfectly
black
i
had
the
sunset
in
my
eyes
i
think
everyone
expected
to
see
a
man
emerge
possibly
something
a
little
unlike
us
terrestrial
men
but
in
all
essentials
a
man
i
know
i
did
but
looking
i
presently
saw
something
stirring
within
the
shadow
greyish
billowy
movements
one
above
another
and
then
two
luminous
disks
like
eyes
then
something
resembling
a
little
grey
snake
about
the
thickness
of
a
walking
stick
coiled
up
out
of
the
writhing
middle
and
wriggled
in
the
air
towards
me
and
then
another
a
sudden
chill
came
over
me
there
was
a
loud
shriek
from
a
woman
behind
i
half
turned
keeping
my
eyes
fixed
upon
the
cylinder
still
from
which
other
tentacles
were
now
projecting
and
began
pushing
my
way
back
from
the
edge
of
the
pit
i
saw
astonishment
giving
place
to
horror
on
the
faces
of
the
people
about
me
i
heard
inarticulate
exclamations
on
all
sides
there
was
a
general
movement
backwards
i
saw
the
shopman
struggling
still
on
the
edge
of
the
pit
i
found
myself
alone
and
saw
the
people
on
the
other
side
of
the
pit
running
off
stent
among
them
i
looked
again
at
the
cylinder
and
ungovernable
terror
gripped
me
i
stood
petrified
and
staring
a
big
greyish
rounded
bulk
the
size
perhaps
of
a
bear
was
rising
slowly
and
painfully
out
of
the
cylinder
as
it
bulged
up
and
caught
the
light
it
glistened
like
wet
leather
two
large
dark
coloured
eyes
were
regarding
me
steadfastly
the
mass
that
framed
them
the
head
of
the
thing
was
rounded
and
had
one
might
say
a
face
there
was
a
mouth
under
the
eyes
the
lipless
brim
of
which
quivered
and
panted
and
dropped
saliva
the
whole
creature
heaved
and
pulsated
convulsively
a
lank
tentacular
appendage
gripped
the
edge
of
the
cylinder
another
swayed
in
the
air
those
who
have
never
seen
a
living
martian
can
scarcely
imagine
the
strange
horror
of
its
appearance
the
peculiar
v
shaped
mouth
with
its
pointed
upper
lip
the
absence
of
brow
ridges
the
absence
of
a
chin
beneath
the
wedgelike
lower
lip
the
incessant
quivering
of
this
mouth
the
gorgon
groups
of
tentacles
the
tumultuous
breathing
of
the
lungs
in
a
strange
atmosphere
the
evident
heaviness
and
painfulness
of
movement
due
to
the
greater
gravitational
energy
of
the
earth
above
all
the
extraordinary
intensity
of
the
immense
eyes
were
at
once
vital
intense
inhuman
crippled
and
monstrous
there
was
something
fungoid
in
the
oily
brown
skin
something
in
the
clumsy
deliberation
of
the
tedious
movements
unspeakably
nasty
even
at
this
first
encounter
this
first
glimpse
i
was
overcome
with
disgust
and
dread
suddenly
the
monster
vanished
it
had
toppled
over
the
brim
of
the
cylinder
and
fallen
into
the
pit
with
a
thud
like
the
fall
of
a
great
mass
of
leather
i
heard
it
give
a
peculiar
thick
cry
and
forthwith
another
of
these
creatures
appeared
darkly
in
the
deep
shadow
of
the
aperture
i
turned
and
running
madly
made
for
the
first
group
of
trees
perhaps
a
hundred
yards
away
but
i
ran
slantingly
and
stumbling
for
i
could
not
avert
my
face
from
these
things
there
among
some
young
pine
trees
and
furze
bushes
i
stopped
panting
and
waited
further
developments
the
common
round
the
sand
pits
was
dotted
with
people
standing
like
myself
in
a
half
fascinated
terror
staring
at
these
creatures
or
rather
at
the
heaped
gravel
at
the
edge
of
the
pit
in
which
they
lay
and
then
with
a
renewed
horror
i
saw
a
round
black
object
bobbing
up
and
down
on
the
edge
of
the
pit
it
was
the
head
of
the
shopman
who
had
fallen
in
but
showing
as
a
little
black
object
against
the
hot
western
sun
now
he
got
his
shoulder
and
knee
up
and
again
he
seemed
to
slip
back
until
only
his
head
was
visible
suddenly
he
vanished
and
i
could
have
fancied
a
faint
shriek
had
reached
me
i
had
a
momentary
impulse
to
go
back
and
help
him
that
my
fears
overruled
everything
was
then
quite
invisible
hidden
by
the
deep
pit
and
the
heap
of
sand
that
the
fall
of
the
cylinder
had
made
anyone
coming
along
the
road
from
chobham
or
woking
would
have
been
amazed
at
the
sight
a
dwindling
multitude
of
perhaps
a
hundred
people
or
more
standing
in
a
great
irregular
circle
in
ditches
behind
bushes
behind
gates
and
hedges
saying
little
to
one
another
and
that
in
short
excited
shouts
and
staring
staring
hard
at
a
few
heaps
of
sand
the
barrow
of
ginger
beer
stood
a
queer
derelict
black
against
the
burning
sky
and
in
the
sand
pits
was
a
row
of
deserted
vehicles
with
their
horses
feeding
out
of
nosebags
or
pawing
the
ground
after
the
glimpse
i
had
had
of
the
martians
emerging
from
the
cylinder
in
which
they
had
come
to
the
earth
from
their
planet
a
kind
of
fascination
paralysed
my
actions
i
remained
standing
knee
deep
in
the
heather
staring
at
the
mound
that
hid
them
i
was
a
battleground
of
fear
and
curiosity
i
did
not
dare
to
go
back
towards
the
pit
but
i
felt
a
passionate
longing
to
peer
into
it
i
began
walking
therefore
in
a
big
curve
seeking
some
point
of
vantage
and
continually
looking
at
the
sand
heaps
that
hid
these
new
comers
to
our
earth
once
a
leash
of
thin
black
whips
like
the
arms
of
an
octopus
flashed
across
the
sunset
and
was
immediately
withdrawn
and
afterwards
a
thin
rod
rose
up
joint
by
joint
bearing
at
its
apex
a
circular
disk
that
spun
with
a
wobbling
motion
what
could
be
going
on
there
most
of
the
spectators
had
gathered
in
one
or
two
groups
one
a
little
crowd
towards
woking
the
other
a
knot
of
people
in
the
direction
of
chobham
evidently
they
shared
my
mental
conflict
there
were
few
near
me
one
man
i
approached
he
was
i
perceived
a
neighbour
of
mine
though
i
did
not
know
his
name
and
accosted
but
it
was
scarcely
a
time
for
articulate
conversation
what
ugly
brutes
he
said
good
god
what
ugly
brutes
he
repeated
this
over
and
over
again
did
you
see
a
man
in
the
pit
i
said
but
he
made
no
answer
to
that
we
became
silent
and
stood
watching
for
a
time
side
by
side
deriving
i
fancy
a
certain
comfort
in
one
another's
company
then
i
shifted
my
position
to
a
little
knoll
that
gave
me
the
advantage
of
a
yard
or
more
of
elevation
and
when
i
looked
for
him
presently
he
was
walking
towards
woking
the
sunset
faded
to
twilight
before
anything
further
happened
the
crowd
far
away
on
the
left
towards
woking
seemed
to
grow
and
i
heard
now
a
faint
murmur
from
it
the
little
knot
of
people
towards
chobham
dispersed
there
was
scarcely
an
intimation
of
movement
from
the
pit
it
was
this
as
much
as
anything
that
gave
people
courage
and
i
suppose
the
new
arrivals
from
woking
also
helped
to
restore
confidence
at
any
rate
as
the
dusk
came
on
a
slow
intermittent
movement
upon
the
sand
pits
began
a
movement
that
seemed
to
gather
force
as
the
stillness
of
the
evening
about
the
cylinder
remained
unbroken
vertical
black
figures
in
twos
and
threes
would
advance
stop
watch
and
advance
again
spreading
out
as
they
did
so
in
a
thin
irregular
crescent
that
promised
to
enclose
the
pit
in
its
attenuated
horns
i
too
on
my
side
began
to
move
towards
the
pit
then
i
saw
some
cabmen
and
others
had
walked
boldly
into
the
sand
pits
and
heard
the
clatter
of
hoofs
and
the
gride
of
wheels
i
saw
a
lad
trundling
off
the
barrow
of
apples
and
then
within
thirty
yards
of
the
pit
advancing
from
the
direction
of
horsell
i
noted
a
little
black
knot
of
men
the
foremost
of
whom
was
waving
a
white
flag
this
was
the
deputation
there
had
been
a
hasty
consultation
and
since
the
martians
were
evidently
in
spite
of
their
repulsive
forms
intelligent
creatures
it
had
been
resolved
to
show
them
by
approaching
them
with
signals
that
we
too
were
intelligent
flutter
flutter
went
the
flag
first
to
the
right
then
to
the
left
it
was
too
far
for
me
to
recognise
anyone
there
but
afterwards
i
learned
that
ogilvy
stent
and
henderson
were
with
others
in
this
attempt
at
communication
this
little
group
had
in
its
advance
dragged
inward
so
to
speak
the
circumference
of
the
now
almost
complete
circle
of
people
and
a
number
of
dim
black
figures
followed
it
at
discreet
distances
suddenly
there
was
a
flash
of
light
and
a
quantity
of
luminous
greenish
smoke
came
out
of
the
pit
in
three
distinct
puffs
which
drove
up
one
after
the
other
straight
into
the
still
air
this
smoke
or
flame
perhaps
would
be
the
better
word
for
it
was
so
bright
that
the
deep
blue
sky
overhead
and
the
hazy
stretches
of
brown
common
towards
chertsey
set
with
black
pine
trees
seemed
to
darken
abruptly
as
these
puffs
arose
and
to
remain
the
darker
after
their
dispersal
at
the
same
time
a
faint
hissing
sound
became
audible
beyond
the
pit
stood
the
little
wedge
of
people
with
the
white
flag
at
its
apex
arrested
by
these
phenomena
a
little
knot
of
small
vertical
black
shapes
upon
the
black
ground
as
the
green
smoke
arose
their
faces
flashed
out
pallid
green
and
faded
again
as
it
vanished
then
slowly
the
hissing
passed
into
a
humming
into
a
long
loud
droning
noise
slowly
a
humped
shape
rose
out
of
the
pit
and
the
ghost
of
a
beam
of
light
seemed
to
flicker
out
from
it
forthwith
flashes
of
actual
flame
a
bright
glare
leaping
from
one
to
another
sprang
from
the
scattered
group
of
men
it
was
as
if
some
invisible
jet
impinged
upon
them
and
flashed
into
white
flame
it
was
as
if
each
man
were
suddenly
and
momentarily
turned
to
fire
then
by
the
light
of
their
own
destruction
i
saw
them
staggering
and
falling
and
their
supporters
turning
to
run
i
stood
staring
not
as
yet
realising
that
this
was
death
leaping
from
man
to
man
in
that
little
distant
crowd
all
i
felt
was
that
it
was
something
very
strange
an
almost
noiseless
and
blinding
flash
of
light
and
a
man
fell
headlong
and
lay
still
and
as
the
unseen
shaft
of
heat
passed
over
them
pine
trees
burst
into
fire
and
every
dry
furze
bush
became
with
one
dull
thud
a
mass
of
flames
and
far
away
towards
knaphill
i
saw
the
flashes
of
trees
and
hedges
and
wooden
buildings
suddenly
set
alight
it
was
sweeping
round
swiftly
and
steadily
this
flaming
death
this
invisible
inevitable
sword
of
heat
i
perceived
it
coming
towards
me
by
the
flashing
bushes
it
touched
and
was
too
astounded
and
stupefied
to
stir
i
heard
the
crackle
of
fire
in
the
sand
pits
and
the
sudden
squeal
of
a
horse
that
was
as
suddenly
stilled
then
it
was
as
if
an
invisible
yet
intensely
heated
finger
were
drawn
through
the
heather
between
me
and
the
martians
and
all
along
a
curving
line
beyond
the
sand
pits
the
dark
ground
smoked
and
crackled
something
fell
with
a
crash
far
away
to
the
left
where
the
road
from
woking
station
opens
out
on
the
common
forthwith
the
hissing
and
humming
ceased
and
the
black
dome
like
object
sank
slowly
out
of
sight
into
the
pit
all
this
had
happened
with
such
swiftness
that
i
had
stood
motionless
dumbfounded
and
dazzled
by
the
flashes
of
light
had
that
death
swept
through
a
full
circle
it
must
inevitably
have
slain
me
in
my
surprise
but
it
passed
and
spared
me
and
left
the
night
about
me
suddenly
dark
and
unfamiliar
the
undulating
common
seemed
now
dark
almost
to
blackness
except
where
its
roadways
lay
grey
and
pale
under
the
deep
blue
sky
of
the
early
night
it
was
dark
and
suddenly
void
of
men
overhead
the
stars
were
mustering
and
in
the
west
the
sky
was
still
a
pale
bright
almost
greenish
blue
the
tops
of
the
pine
trees
and
the
roofs
of
horsell
came
out
sharp
and
black
against
the
western
afterglow
the
martians
and
their
appliances
were
altogether
invisible
save
for
that
thin
mast
upon
which
their
restless
mirror
wobbled
patches
of
bush
and
isolated
trees
here
and
there
smoked
and
glowed
still
and
the
houses
towards
woking
station
were
sending
up
spires
of
flame
into
the
stillness
of
the
evening
air
nothing
was
changed
save
for
that
and
a
terrible
astonishment
the
little
group
of
black
specks
with
the
flag
of
white
had
been
swept
out
of
existence
and
the
stillness
of
the
evening
so
it
seemed
to
me
had
scarcely
been
broken
it
came
to
me
that
i
was
upon
this
dark
common
helpless
unprotected
and
alone
suddenly
like
a
thing
falling
upon
me
from
without
came
fear
with
an
effort
i
turned
and
began
a
stumbling
run
through
the
heather
the
fear
i
felt
was
no
rational
fear
but
a
panic
terror
not
only
of
the
martians
but
of
the
dusk
and
stillness
all
about
me
such
an
extraordinary
effect
in
unmanning
me
it
had
that
i
ran
weeping
silently
as
a
child
might
do
once
i
had
turned
i
did
not
dare
to
look
back
i
remember
i
felt
an
extraordinary
persuasion
that
i
was
being
played
with
that
presently
when
i
was
upon
the
very
verge
of
safety
this
mysterious
death
as
swift
as
the
passage
of
light
would
leap
after
me
from
the
pit
about
the
cylinder
and
strike
me
down
it
is
still
a
matter
of
wonder
how
the
martians
are
able
to
slay
men
so
swiftly
and
so
silently
many
think
that
in
some
way
they
are
able
to
generate
an
intense
heat
in
a
chamber
of
practically
absolute
non
conductivity
this
intense
heat
they
project
in
a
parallel
beam
against
any
object
they
choose
by
means
of
a
polished
parabolic
mirror
of
unknown
composition
much
as
the
parabolic
mirror
of
a
lighthouse
projects
a
beam
of
light
but
no
one
has
absolutely
proved
these
details
however
it
is
done
it
is
certain
that
a
beam
of
heat
is
the
essence
of
the
matter
heat
and
invisible
instead
of
visible
light
whatever
is
combustible
flashes
into
flame
at
its
touch
lead
runs
like
water
it
softens
iron
cracks
and
melts
glass
and
when
it
falls
upon
water
incontinently
that
explodes
into
steam
that
night
nearly
forty
people
lay
under
the
starlight
about
the
pit
charred
and
distorted
beyond
recognition
and
all
night
long
the
common
from
horsell
to
maybury
was
deserted
and
brightly
ablaze
the
news
of
the
massacre
probably
reached
chobham
woking
and
ottershaw
about
the
same
time
in
woking
the
shops
had
closed
when
the
tragedy
happened
and
a
number
of
people
shop
people
and
so
forth
attracted
by
the
stories
they
had
heard
were
walking
over
the
horsell
bridge
and
along
the
road
between
the
hedges
that
runs
out
at
last
upon
the
common
you
may
imagine
the
young
people
brushed
up
after
the
labours
of
the
day
and
making
this
novelty
as
they
would
make
any
novelty
the
excuse
for
walking
together
and
enjoying
a
trivial
flirtation
you
may
figure
to
yourself
the
hum
of
voices
along
the
road
in
the
gloaming
as
yet
of
course
few
people
in
woking
even
knew
that
the
cylinder
had
opened
though
poor
henderson
had
sent
a
messenger
on
a
bicycle
to
the
post
office
with
a
special
wire
to
an
evening
paper
as
these
folks
came
out
by
twos
and
threes
upon
the
open
they
found
little
knots
of
people
talking
excitedly
and
peering
at
the
spinning
mirror
over
the
sand
pits
and
the
new
comers
were
no
doubt
soon
infected
by
the
excitement
of
the
occasion
by
half
past
eight
when
the
deputation
was
destroyed
there
may
have
been
a
crowd
of
three
hundred
people
or
more
at
this
place
besides
those
who
had
left
the
road
to
approach
the
martians
nearer
there
were
three
policemen
too
one
of
whom
was
mounted
doing
their
best
under
instructions
from
stent
to
keep
the
people
back
and
deter
them
from
approaching
the
cylinder
there
was
some
booing
from
those
more
thoughtless
and
excitable
souls
to
whom
a
crowd
is
always
an
occasion
for
noise
and
horse
play
stent
and
ogilvy
anticipating
some
possibilities
of
a
collision
had
telegraphed
from
horsell
to
the
barracks
as
soon
as
the
martians
emerged
for
the
help
of
a
company
of
soldiers
to
protect
these
strange
creatures
from
violence
after
that
they
returned
to
lead
that
ill
fated
advance
the
description
of
their
death
as
it
was
seen
by
the
crowd
tallies
very
closely
with
my
own
impressions
the
three
puffs
of
green
smoke
the
deep
humming
note
and
the
flashes
of
flame
but
that
crowd
of
people
had
a
far
narrower
escape
than
mine
only
the
fact
that
a
hummock
of
heathery
sand
intercepted
the
lower
part
of
the
heat
ray
saved
them
had
the
elevation
of
the
parabolic
mirror
been
a
few
yards
higher
none
could
have
lived
to
tell
the
tale
they
saw
the
flashes
and
the
men
falling
and
an
invisible
hand
as
it
were
lit
the
bushes
as
it
hurried
towards
them
through
the
twilight
then
with
a
whistling
note
that
rose
above
the
droning
of
the
pit
the
beam
swung
close
over
their
heads
lighting
the
tops
of
the
beech
trees
that
line
the
road
and
splitting
the
bricks
smashing
the
windows
firing
the
window
frames
and
bringing
down
in
crumbling
ruin
a
portion
of
the
gable
of
the
house
nearest
the
corner
in
the
sudden
thud
hiss
and
glare
of
the
igniting
trees
the
panic
stricken
crowd
seems
to
have
swayed
hesitatingly
for
some
moments
sparks
and
burning
twigs
began
to
fall
into
the
road
and
single
leaves
like
puffs
of
flame
hats
and
dresses
caught
fire
then
came
a
crying
from
the
common
there
were
shrieks
and
shouts
and
suddenly
a
mounted
policeman
came
galloping
through
the
confusion
with
his
hands
clasped
over
his
head
screaming
they're
coming
a
woman
shrieked
and
incontinently
everyone
was
turning
and
pushing
at
those
behind
in
order
to
clear
their
way
to
woking
again
they
must
have
bolted
as
blindly
as
a
flock
of
sheep
where
the
road
grows
narrow
and
black
between
the
high
banks
the
crowd
jammed
and
a
desperate
struggle
occurred
all
that
crowd
did
not
escape
three
persons
at
least
two
women
and
a
little
boy
were
crushed
and
trampled
there
and
left
to
die
amid
the
terror
and
the
darkness
for
my
own
part
i
remember
nothing
of
my
flight
except
the
stress
of
blundering
against
trees
and
stumbling
through
the
heather
all
about
me
gathered
the
invisible
terrors
of
the
martians
that
pitiless
sword
of
heat
seemed
whirling
to
and
fro
flourishing
overhead
before
it
descended
and
smote
me
out
of
life
i
came
into
the
road
between
the
crossroads
and
horsell
and
ran
along
this
to
the
crossroads
at
last
i
could
go
no
further
i
was
exhausted
with
the
violence
of
my
emotion
and
of
my
flight
and
i
staggered
and
fell
by
the
wayside
that
was
near
the
bridge
that
crosses
the
canal
by
the
gasworks
i
fell
and
lay
still
i
must
have
remained
there
some
time
i
sat
up
strangely
perplexed
for
a
moment
perhaps
i
could
not
clearly
understand
how
i
came
there
my
terror
had
fallen
from
me
like
a
garment
my
hat
had
gone
and
my
collar
had
burst
away
from
its
fastener
a
few
minutes
before
there
had
only
been
three
real
things
before
me
the
immensity
of
the
night
and
space
and
nature
my
own
feebleness
and
anguish
and
the
near
approach
of
death
now
it
was
as
if
something
turned
over
and
the
point
of
view
altered
abruptly
there
was
no
sensible
transition
from
one
state
of
mind
to
the
other
i
was
immediately
the
self
of
every
day
again
a
decent
ordinary
citizen
the
silent
common
the
impulse
of
my
flight
the
starting
flames
were
as
if
they
had
been
in
a
dream
i
asked
myself
had
these
latter
things
indeed
happened
i
could
not
credit
it
i
rose
and
walked
unsteadily
up
the
steep
incline
of
the
bridge
my
mind
was
blank
wonder
my
muscles
and
nerves
seemed
drained
of
their
strength
i
dare
say
i
staggered
drunkenly
a
head
rose
over
the
arch
and
the
figure
of
a
workman
carrying
a
basket
appeared
beside
him
ran
a
little
boy
he
passed
me
wishing
me
good
night
i
was
minded
to
speak
to
him
but
did
not
i
answered
his
greeting
with
a
meaningless
mumble
and
went
on
over
the
bridge
over
the
maybury
arch
a
train
a
billowing
tumult
of
white
firelit
smoke
and
a
long
caterpillar
of
lighted
windows
went
flying
south
clatter
clatter
clap
rap
and
it
had
gone
a
dim
group
of
people
talked
in
the
gate
of
one
of
the
houses
in
the
pretty
little
row
of
gables
that
was
called
oriental
terrace
it
was
all
so
real
and
so
familiar
and
that
behind
me
it
was
frantic
fantastic
such
things
i
told
myself
could
not
be
perhaps
i
am
a
man
of
exceptional
moods
i
do
not
know
how
far
my
experience
is
common
at
times
i
suffer
from
the
strangest
sense
of
detachment
from
myself
and
the
world
about
me
i
seem
to
watch
it
all
from
the
outside
from
somewhere
inconceivably
remote
out
of
time
out
of
space
out
of
the
stress
and
tragedy
of
it
all
this
feeling
was
very
strong
upon
me
that
night
here
was
another
side
to
my
dream
but
the
trouble
was
the
blank
incongruity
of
this
serenity
and
the
swift
death
flying
yonder
not
two
miles
away
there
was
a
noise
of
business
from
the
gasworks
and
the
electric
lamps
were
all
alight
i
stopped
at
the
group
of
people
what
news
from
the
common
said
i
there
were
two
men
and
a
woman
at
the
gate
eh
said
one
of
the
men
turning
what
news
from
the
common
i
said
'ain't
yer
just
been
there
asked
the
men
people
seem
fair
silly
about
the
common
said
the
woman
over
the
gate
what's
it
all
abart
haven't
you
heard
of
the
men
from
mars
said
i
the
creatures
from
mars
quite
enough
said
the
woman
over
the
gate
thenks
and
all
three
of
them
laughed
i
felt
foolish
and
angry
i
tried
and
found
i
could
not
tell
them
what
i
had
seen
they
laughed
again
at
my
broken
sentences
you'll
hear
more
yet
i
said
and
went
on
to
my
home
i
startled
my
wife
at
the
doorway
so
haggard
was
i
i
went
into
the
dining
room
sat
down
drank
some
wine
and
so
soon
as
i
could
collect
myself
sufficiently
i
told
her
the
things
i
had
seen
the
dinner
which
was
a
cold
one
had
already
been
served
and
remained
neglected
on
the
table
while
i
told
my
story
there
is
one
thing
i
said
to
allay
the
fears
i
had
aroused
they
are
the
most
sluggish
things
i
ever
saw
crawl
they
may
keep
the
pit
and
kill
people
who
come
near
them
but
they
cannot
get
out
of
it
but
the
horror
of
them
don't
dear
said
my
wife
knitting
her
brows
and
putting
her
hand
on
mine
poor
ogilvy
i
said
to
think
he
may
be
lying
dead
there
my
wife
at
least
did
not
find
my
experience
incredible
when
i
saw
how
deadly
white
her
face
was
i
ceased
abruptly
they
may
come
here
she
said
again
and
again
i
pressed
her
to
take
wine
and
tried
to
reassure
her
they
can
scarcely
move
i
said
i
began
to
comfort
her
and
myself
by
repeating
all
that
ogilvy
had
told
me
of
the
impossibility
of
the
martians
establishing
themselves
on
the
earth
in
particular
i
laid
stress
on
the
gravitational
difficulty
on
the
surface
of
the
earth
the
force
of
gravity
is
three
times
what
it
is
on
the
surface
of
mars
a
martian
therefore
would
weigh
three
times
more
than
on
mars
albeit
his
muscular
strength
would
be
the
same
his
own
body
would
be
a
cope
of
lead
to
him
that
indeed
was
the
general
opinion
both
the
times
and
the
daily
telegraph
for
instance
insisted
on
it
the
next
morning
and
both
overlooked
just
as
i
did
two
obvious
modifying
influences
the
atmosphere
of
the
earth
we
now
know
contains
far
more
oxygen
or
far
less
argon
whichever
way
one
likes
to
put
it
than
does
mars
the
invigorating
influences
of
this
excess
of
oxygen
upon
the
martians
indisputably
did
much
to
counterbalance
the
increased
weight
of
their
bodies
and
in
the
second
place
we
all
overlooked
the
fact
that
such
mechanical
intelligence
as
the
martian
possessed
was
quite
able
to
dispense
with
muscular
exertion
at
a
pinch
but
i
did
not
consider
these
points
at
the
time
and
so
my
reasoning
was
dead
against
the
chances
of
the
invaders
with
wine
and
food
the
confidence
of
my
own
table
and
the
necessity
of
reassuring
my
wife
i
grew
by
insensible
degrees
courageous
and
secure
they
have
done
a
foolish
thing
said
i
fingering
my
wineglass
they
are
dangerous
because
no
doubt
they
are
mad
with
terror
perhaps
they
expected
to
find
no
living
things
certainly
no
intelligent
living
things
a
shell
in
the
pit
said
i
if
the
worst
comes
to
the
worst
will
kill
them
all
the
intense
excitement
of
the
events
had
no
doubt
left
my
perceptive
powers
in
a
state
of
erethism
i
remember
that
dinner
table
with
extraordinary
vividness
even
now
my
dear
wife's
sweet
anxious
face
peering
at
me
from
under
the
pink
lamp
shade
the
white
cloth
with
its
silver
and
glass
table
furniture
for
in
those
days
even
philosophical
writers
had
many
little
luxuries
the
crimson
purple
wine
in
my
glass
are
photographically
distinct
at
the
end
of
it
i
sat
tempering
nuts
with
a
cigarette
regretting
ogilvy's
rashness
and
denouncing
the
shortsighted
timidity
of
the
martians
so
some
respectable
dodo
in
the
mauritius
might
have
lorded
it
in
his
nest
and
discussed
the
arrival
of
that
shipful
of
pitiless
sailors
in
want
of
animal
food
we
will
peck
them
to
death
tomorrow
my
dear
i
did
not
know
it
but
that
was
the
last
civilised
dinner
i
was
to
eat
for
very
many
strange
and
terrible
days
the
most
extraordinary
thing
to
my
mind
of
all
the
strange
and
wonderful
things
that
happened
upon
that
friday
was
the
dovetailing
of
the
commonplace
habits
of
our
social
order
with
the
first
beginnings
of
the
series
of
events
that
was
to
topple
that
social
order
headlong
if
on
friday
night
you
had
taken
a
pair
of
compasses
and
drawn
a
circle
with
a
radius
of
five
miles
round
the
woking
sand
pits
i
doubt
if
you
would
have
had
one
human
being
outside
it
unless
it
were
some
relation
of
stent
or
of
the
three
or
four
cyclists
or
london
people
lying
dead
on
the
common
whose
emotions
or
habits
were
at
all
affected
by
the
new
comers
many
people
had
heard
of
the
cylinder
of
course
and
talked
about
it
in
their
leisure
but
it
certainly
did
not
make
the
sensation
that
an
ultimatum
to
germany
would
have
done
in
london
that
night
poor
henderson's
telegram
describing
the
gradual
unscrewing
of
the
shot
was
judged
to
be
a
canard
and
his
evening
paper
after
wiring
for
authentication
from
him
and
receiving
no
reply
the
man
was
killed
decided
not
to
print
a
special
edition
even
within
the
five
mile
circle
the
great
majority
of
people
were
inert
i
have
already
described
the
behaviour
of
the
men
and
women
to
whom
i
spoke
all
over
the
district
people
were
dining
and
supping
working
men
were
gardening
after
the
labours
of
the
day
children
were
being
put
to
bed
young
people
were
wandering
through
the
lanes
love
making
students
sat
over
their
books
maybe
there
was
a
murmur
in
the
village
streets
a
novel
and
dominant
topic
in
the
public
houses
and
here
and
there
a
messenger
or
even
an
eye
witness
of
the
later
occurrences
caused
a
whirl
of
excitement
a
shouting
and
a
running
to
and
fro
but
for
the
most
part
the
daily
routine
of
working
eating
drinking
sleeping
went
on
as
it
had
done
for
countless
years
as
though
no
planet
mars
existed
in
the
sky
even
at
woking
station
and
horsell
and
chobham
that
was
the
case
in
woking
junction
until
a
late
hour
trains
were
stopping
and
going
on
others
were
shunting
on
the
sidings
passengers
were
alighting
and
waiting
and
everything
was
proceeding
in
the
most
ordinary
way
a
boy
from
the
town
trenching
on
smith's
monopoly
was
selling
papers
with
the
afternoon's
news
the
ringing
impact
of
trucks
the
sharp
whistle
of
the
engines
from
the
junction
mingled
with
their
shouts
of
men
from
mars
excited
men
came
into
the
station
about
nine
o'clock
with
incredible
tidings
and
caused
no
more
disturbance
than
drunkards
might
have
done
people
rattling
londonwards
peered
into
the
darkness
outside
the
carriage
windows
and
saw
only
a
rare
flickering
vanishing
spark
dance
up
from
the
direction
of
horsell
a
red
glow
and
a
thin
veil
of
smoke
driving
across
the
stars
and
thought
that
nothing
more
serious
than
a
heath
fire
was
happening
it
was
only
round
the
edge
of
the
common
that
any
disturbance
was
perceptible
there
were
half
a
dozen
villas
burning
on
the
woking
border
there
were
lights
in
all
the
houses
on
the
common
side
of
the
three
villages
and
the
people
there
kept
awake
till
dawn
a
curious
crowd
lingered
restlessly
people
coming
and
going
but
the
crowd
remaining
both
on
the
chobham
and
horsell
bridges
one
or
two
adventurous
souls
it
was
afterwards
found
went
into
the
darkness
and
crawled
quite
near
the
martians
but
they
never
returned
for
now
and
again
a
light
ray
like
the
beam
of
a
warship's
searchlight
swept
the
common
and
the
heat
ray
was
ready
to
follow
save
for
such
that
big
area
of
common
was
silent
and
desolate
and
the
charred
bodies
lay
about
on
it
all
night
under
the
stars
and
all
the
next
day
a
noise
of
hammering
from
the
pit
was
heard
by
many
people
so
you
have
the
state
of
things
on
friday
night
in
the
centre
sticking
into
the
skin
of
our
old
planet
earth
like
a
poisoned
dart
was
this
cylinder
but
the
poison
was
scarcely
working
yet
around
it
was
a
patch
of
silent
common
smouldering
in
places
and
with
a
few
dark
dimly
seen
objects
lying
in
contorted
attitudes
here
and
there
here
and
there
was
a
burning
bush
or
tree
beyond
was
a
fringe
of
excitement
and
farther
than
that
fringe
the
inflammation
had
not
crept
as
yet
in
the
rest
of
the
world
the
stream
of
life
still
flowed
as
it
had
flowed
for
immemorial
years
the
fever
of
war
that
would
presently
clog
vein
and
artery
deaden
nerve
and
destroy
brain
had
still
to
develop
all
night
long
the
martians
were
hammering
and
stirring
sleepless
indefatigable
at
work
upon
the
machines
they
were
making
ready
and
ever
and
again
a
puff
of
greenish
white
smoke
whirled
up
to
the
starlit
sky
about
eleven
a
company
of
soldiers
came
through
horsell
and
deployed
along
the
edge
of
the
common
to
form
a
cordon
later
a
second
company
marched
through
chobham
to
deploy
on
the
north
side
of
the
common
several
officers
from
the
inkerman
barracks
had
been
on
the
common
earlier
in
the
day
and
one
major
eden
was
reported
to
be
missing
the
colonel
of
the
regiment
came
to
the
chobham
bridge
and
was
busy
questioning
the
crowd
at
midnight
the
military
authorities
were
certainly
alive
to
the
seriousness
of
the
business
about
eleven
the
next
morning's
papers
were
able
to
say
a
squadron
of
hussars
two
maxims
and
about
four
hundred
men
of
the
cardigan
regiment
started
from
aldershot
a
few
seconds
after
midnight
the
crowd
in
the
chertsey
road
woking
saw
a
star
fall
from
heaven
into
the
pine
woods
to
the
northwest
it
had
a
greenish
colour
and
caused
a
silent
brightness
like
summer
lightning
this
was
the
second
cylinder
saturday
lives
in
my
memory
as
a
day
of
suspense
it
was
a
day
of
lassitude
too
hot
and
close
with
i
am
told
a
rapidly
fluctuating
barometer
i
had
slept
but
little
though
my
wife
had
succeeded
in
sleeping
and
i
rose
early
i
went
into
my
garden
before
breakfast
and
stood
listening
but
towards
the
common
there
was
nothing
stirring
but
a
lark
the
milkman
came
as
usual
i
heard
the
rattle
of
his
chariot
and
i
went
round
to
the
side
gate
to
ask
the
latest
news
he
told
me
that
during
the
night
the
martians
had
been
surrounded
by
troops
and
that
guns
were
expected
then
a
familiar
reassuring
note
i
heard
a
train
running
towards
woking
they
aren't
to
be
killed
said
the
milkman
if
that
can
possibly
be
avoided
i
saw
my
neighbour
gardening
chatted
with
him
for
a
time
and
then
strolled
in
to
breakfast
it
was
a
most
unexceptional
morning
my
neighbour
was
of
opinion
that
the
troops
would
be
able
to
capture
or
to
destroy
the
martians
during
the
day
it's
a
pity
they
make
themselves
so
unapproachable
he
said
it
would
be
curious
to
know
how
they
live
on
another
planet
we
might
learn
a
thing
or
two
he
came
up
to
the
fence
and
extended
a
handful
of
strawberries
for
his
gardening
was
as
generous
as
it
was
enthusiastic
at
the
same
time
he
told
me
of
the
burning
of
the
pine
woods
about
the
byfleet
golf
links
they
say
said
he
that
there's
another
of
those
blessed
things
fallen
there
number
two
but
one's
enough
surely
this
lot'll
cost
the
insurance
people
a
pretty
penny
before
everything's
settled
he
laughed
with
an
air
of
the
greatest
good
humour
as
he
said
this
the
woods
he
said
were
still
burning
and
pointed
out
a
haze
of
smoke
to
me
they
will
be
hot
under
foot
for
days
on
account
of
the
thick
soil
of
pine
needles
and
turf
he
said
and
then
grew
serious
over
poor
ogilvy
after
breakfast
instead
of
working
i
decided
to
walk
down
towards
the
common
under
the
railway
bridge
i
found
a
group
of
soldiers
sappers
i
think
men
in
small
round
caps
dirty
red
jackets
unbuttoned
and
showing
their
blue
shirts
dark
trousers
and
boots
coming
to
the
calf
they
told
me
no
one
was
allowed
over
the
canal
and
looking
along
the
road
towards
the
bridge
i
saw
one
of
the
cardigan
men
standing
sentinel
there
i
talked
with
these
soldiers
for
a
time
i
told
them
of
my
sight
of
the
martians
on
the
previous
evening
none
of
them
had
seen
the
martians
and
they
had
but
the
vaguest
ideas
of
them
so
that
they
plied
me
with
questions
they
said
that
they
did
not
know
who
had
authorised
the
movements
of
the
troops
their
idea
was
that
a
dispute
had
arisen
at
the
horse
guards
the
ordinary
sapper
is
a
great
deal
better
educated
than
the
common
soldier
and
they
discussed
the
peculiar
conditions
of
the
possible
fight
with
some
acuteness
i
described
the
heat
ray
to
them
and
they
began
to
argue
among
themselves
crawl
up
under
cover
and
rush
'em
say
i
said
one
get
aht
said
another
what's
cover
against
this
'ere
'eat
sticks
to
cook
yer
what
we
got
to
do
is
to
go
as
near
as
the
ground'll
let
us
and
then
drive
a
trench
blow
yer
trenches
you
always
want
trenches
you
ought
to
ha
been
born
a
rabbit
snippy
'ain't
they
got
any
necks
then
said
a
third
abruptly
a
little
contemplative
dark
man
smoking
a
pipe
i
repeated
my
description
octopuses
said
he
that's
what
i
calls
'em
talk
about
fishers
of
men
fighters
of
fish
it
is
this
time
it
ain't
no
murder
killing
beasts
like
that
said
the
first
speaker
why
not
shell
the
darned
things
strite
off
and
finish
'em
said
the
little
dark
man
you
carn
tell
what
they
might
do
where's
your
shells
said
the
first
speaker
there
ain't
no
time
do
it
in
a
rush
that's
my
tip
and
do
it
at
once
so
they
discussed
it
after
a
while
i
left
them
and
went
on
to
the
railway
station
to
get
as
many
morning
papers
as
i
could
but
i
will
not
weary
the
reader
with
a
description
of
that
long
morning
and
of
the
longer
afternoon
i
did
not
succeed
in
getting
a
glimpse
of
the
common
for
even
horsell
and
chobham
church
towers
were
in
the
hands
of
the
military
authorities
the
soldiers
i
addressed
didn't
know
anything
the
officers
were
mysterious
as
well
as
busy
i
found
people
in
the
town
quite
secure
again
in
the
presence
of
the
military
and
i
heard
for
the
first
time
from
marshall
the
tobacconist
that
his
son
was
among
the
dead
on
the
common
the
soldiers
had
made
the
people
on
the
outskirts
of
horsell
lock
up
and
leave
their
houses
i
got
back
to
lunch
about
two
very
tired
for
as
i
have
said
the
day
was
extremely
hot
and
dull
and
in
order
to
refresh
myself
i
took
a
cold
bath
in
the
afternoon
about
half
past
four
i
went
up
to
the
railway
station
to
get
an
evening
paper
for
the
morning
papers
had
contained
only
a
very
inaccurate
description
of
the
killing
of
stent
henderson
ogilvy
and
the
others
but
there
was
little
i
didn't
know
the
martians
did
not
show
an
inch
of
themselves
they
seemed
busy
in
their
pit
and
there
was
a
sound
of
hammering
and
an
almost
continuous
streamer
of
smoke
apparently
they
were
busy
getting
ready
for
a
struggle
fresh
attempts
have
been
made
to
signal
but
without
success
was
the
stereotyped
formula
of
the
papers
a
sapper
told
me
it
was
done
by
a
man
in
a
ditch
with
a
flag
on
a
long
pole
the
martians
took
as
much
notice
of
such
advances
as
we
should
of
the
lowing
of
a
cow
i
must
confess
the
sight
of
all
this
armament
all
this
preparation
greatly
excited
me
my
imagination
became
belligerent
and
defeated
the
invaders
in
a
dozen
striking
ways
something
of
my
schoolboy
dreams
of
battle
and
heroism
came
back
it
hardly
seemed
a
fair
fight
to
me
at
that
time
they
seemed
very
helpless
in
that
pit
of
theirs
about
three
o'clock
there
began
the
thud
of
a
gun
at
measured
intervals
from
chertsey
or
addlestone
i
learned
that
the
smouldering
pine
wood
into
which
the
second
cylinder
had
fallen
was
being
shelled
in
the
hope
of
destroying
that
object
before
it
opened
it
was
only
about
five
however
that
a
field
gun
reached
chobham
for
use
against
the
first
body
of
martians
about
six
in
the
evening
as
i
sat
at
tea
with
my
wife
in
the
summerhouse
talking
vigorously
about
the
battle
that
was
lowering
upon
us
i
heard
a
muffled
detonation
from
the
common
and
immediately
after
a
gust
of
firing
close
on
the
heels
of
that
came
a
violent
rattling
crash
quite
close
to
us
that
shook
the
ground
and
starting
out
upon
the
lawn
i
saw
the
tops
of
the
trees
about
the
oriental
college
burst
into
smoky
red
flame
and
the
tower
of
the
little
church
beside
it
slide
down
into
ruin
the
pinnacle
of
the
mosque
had
vanished
and
the
roof
line
of
the
college
itself
looked
as
if
a
hundred
ton
gun
had
been
at
work
upon
it
one
of
our
chimneys
cracked
as
if
a
shot
had
hit
it
flew
and
a
piece
of
it
came
clattering
down
the
tiles
and
made
a
heap
of
broken
red
fragments
upon
the
flower
bed
by
my
study
window
i
and
my
wife
stood
amazed
then
i
realised
that
the
crest
of
maybury
hill
must
be
within
range
of
the
martians
heat
ray
now
that
the
college
was
cleared
out
of
the
way
at
that
i
gripped
my
wife's
arm
and
without
ceremony
ran
her
out
into
the
road
then
i
fetched
out
the
servant
telling
her
i
would
go
upstairs
myself
for
the
box
she
was
clamouring
for
we
can't
possibly
stay
here
i
said
and
as
i
spoke
the
firing
reopened
for
a
moment
upon
the
common
but
where
are
we
to
go
said
my
wife
in
terror
i
thought
perplexed
then
i
remembered
her
cousins
at
leatherhead
leatherhead
i
shouted
above
the
sudden
noise
she
looked
away
from
me
downhill
the
people
were
coming
out
of
their
houses
astonished
how
are
we
to
get
to
leatherhead
she
said
down
the
hill
i
saw
a
bevy
of
hussars
ride
under
the
railway
bridge
three
galloped
through
the
open
gates
of
the
oriental
college
two
others
dismounted
and
began
running
from
house
to
house
the
sun
shining
through
the
smoke
that
drove
up
from
the
tops
of
the
trees
seemed
blood
red
and
threw
an
unfamiliar
lurid
light
upon
everything
stop
here
said
i
you
are
safe
here
and
i
started
off
at
once
for
the
spotted
dog
for
i
knew
the
landlord
had
a
horse
and
dog
cart
i
ran
for
i
perceived
that
in
a
moment
everyone
upon
this
side
of
the
hill
would
be
moving
i
found
him
in
his
bar
quite
unaware
of
what
was
going
on
behind
his
house
a
man
stood
with
his
back
to
me
talking
to
him
i
must
have
a
pound
said
the
landlord
and
i've
no
one
to
drive
it
i'll
give
you
two
said
i
over
the
stranger's
shoulder
what
for
and
i'll
bring
it
back
by
midnight
i
said
lord
said
the
landlord
what's
the
hurry
i'm
selling
my
bit
of
a
pig
two
pounds
and
you
bring
it
back
what's
going
on
now
i
explained
hastily
that
i
had
to
leave
my
home
and
so
secured
the
dog
cart
at
the
time
it
did
not
seem
to
me
nearly
so
urgent
that
the
landlord
should
leave
his
i
took
care
to
have
the
cart
there
and
then
drove
it
off
down
the
road
and
leaving
it
in
charge
of
my
wife
and
servant
rushed
into
my
house
and
packed
a
few
valuables
such
plate
as
we
had
and
so
forth
the
beech
trees
below
the
house
were
burning
while
i
did
this
and
the
palings
up
the
road
glowed
red
while
i
was
occupied
in
this
way
one
of
the
dismounted
hussars
came
running
up
he
was
going
from
house
to
house
warning
people
to
leave
he
was
going
on
as
i
came
out
of
my
front
door
lugging
my
treasures
done
up
in
a
tablecloth
i
shouted
after
him
what
news
he
turned
stared
bawled
something
about
crawling
out
in
a
thing
like
a
dish
cover
and
ran
on
to
the
gate
of
the
house
at
the
crest
a
sudden
whirl
of
black
smoke
driving
across
the
road
hid
him
for
a
moment
i
ran
to
my
neighbour's
door
and
rapped
to
satisfy
myself
of
what
i
already
knew
that
his
wife
had
gone
to
london
with
him
and
had
locked
up
their
house
i
went
in
again
according
to
my
promise
to
get
my
servant's
box
lugged
it
out
clapped
it
beside
her
on
the
tail
of
the
dog
cart
and
then
caught
the
reins
and
jumped
up
into
the
driver's
seat
beside
my
wife
in
another
moment
we
were
clear
of
the
smoke
and
noise
and
spanking
down
the
opposite
slope
of
maybury
hill
towards
old
woking
in
front
was
a
quiet
sunny
landscape
a
wheat
field
ahead
on
either
side
of
the
road
and
the
maybury
inn
with
its
swinging
sign
i
saw
the
doctor's
cart
ahead
of
me
at
the
bottom
of
the
hill
i
turned
my
head
to
look
at
the
hillside
i
was
leaving
thick
streamers
of
black
smoke
shot
with
threads
of
red
fire
were
driving
up
into
the
still
air
and
throwing
dark
shadows
upon
the
green
treetops
eastward
the
smoke
already
extended
far
away
to
the
east
and
west
to
the
byfleet
pine
woods
eastward
and
to
woking
on
the
west
the
road
was
dotted
with
people
running
towards
us
and
very
faint
now
but
very
distinct
through
the
hot
quiet
air
one
heard
the
whirr
of
a
machine
gun
that
was
presently
stilled
and
an
intermittent
cracking
of
rifles
apparently
the
martians
were
setting
fire
to
everything
within
range
of
their
heat
ray
i
am
not
an
expert
driver
and
i
had
immediately
to
turn
my
attention
to
the
horse
when
i
looked
back
again
the
second
hill
had
hidden
the
black
smoke
i
slashed
the
horse
with
the
whip
and
gave
him
a
loose
rein
until
woking
and
send
lay
between
us
and
that
quivering
tumult
i
overtook
and
passed
the
doctor
between
woking
and
send
leatherhead
is
about
twelve
miles
from
maybury
hill
the
scent
of
hay
was
in
the
air
through
the
lush
meadows
beyond
pyrford
and
the
hedges
on
either
side
were
sweet
and
gay
with
multitudes
of
dog
roses
the
heavy
firing
that
had
broken
out
while
we
were
driving
down
maybury
hill
ceased
as
abruptly
as
it
began
leaving
the
evening
very
peaceful
and
still
we
got
to
leatherhead
without
misadventure
about
nine
o'clock
and
the
horse
had
an
hour's
rest
while
i
took
supper
with
my
cousins
and
commended
my
wife
to
their
care
my
wife
was
curiously
silent
throughout
the
drive
and
seemed
oppressed
with
forebodings
of
evil
i
talked
to
her
reassuringly
pointing
out
that
the
martians
were
tied
to
the
pit
by
sheer
heaviness
and
at
the
utmost
could
but
crawl
a
little
out
of
it
but
she
answered
only
in
monosyllables
had
it
not
been
for
my
promise
to
the
innkeeper
she
would
i
think
have
urged
me
to
stay
in
leatherhead
that
night
would
that
i
had
her
face
i
remember
was
very
white
as
we
parted
for
my
own
part
i
had
been
feverishly
excited
all
day
something
very
like
the
war
fever
that
occasionally
runs
through
a
civilised
community
had
got
into
my
blood
and
in
my
heart
i
was
not
so
very
sorry
that
i
had
to
return
to
maybury
that
night
i
was
even
afraid
that
that
last
fusillade
i
had
heard
might
mean
the
extermination
of
our
invaders
from
mars
i
can
best
express
my
state
of
mind
by
saying
that
i
wanted
to
be
in
at
the
death
it
was
nearly
eleven
when
i
started
to
return
the
night
was
unexpectedly
dark
to
me
walking
out
of
the
lighted
passage
of
my
cousins'
house
it
seemed
indeed
black
and
it
was
as
hot
and
close
as
the
day
overhead
the
clouds
were
driving
fast
albeit
not
a
breath
stirred
the
shrubs
about
us
my
cousins'
man
lit
both
lamps
happily
i
knew
the
road
intimately
my
wife
stood
in
the
light
of
the
doorway
and
watched
me
until
i
jumped
up
into
the
dog
cart
then
abruptly
she
turned
and
went
in
leaving
my
cousins
side
by
side
wishing
me
good
hap
i
was
a
little
depressed
at
first
with
the
contagion
of
my
wife's
fears
but
very
soon
my
thoughts
reverted
to
the
martians
at
that
time
i
was
absolutely
in
the
dark
as
to
the
course
of
the
evening's
fighting
i
did
not
know
even
the
circumstances
that
had
precipitated
the
conflict
as
i
came
through
ockham
for
that
was
the
way
i
returned
and
not
through
send
and
old
woking
i
saw
along
the
western
horizon
a
blood
red
glow
which
as
i
drew
nearer
crept
slowly
up
the
sky
the
driving
clouds
of
the
gathering
thunderstorm
mingled
there
with
masses
of
black
and
red
smoke
ripley
street
was
deserted
and
except
for
a
lighted
window
or
so
the
village
showed
not
a
sign
of
life
but
i
narrowly
escaped
an
accident
at
the
corner
of
the
road
to
pyrford
where
a
knot
of
people
stood
with
their
backs
to
me
they
said
nothing
to
me
as
i
passed
i
do
not
know
what
they
knew
of
the
things
happening
beyond
the
hill
nor
do
i
know
if
the
silent
houses
i
passed
on
my
way
were
sleeping
securely
or
deserted
and
empty
or
harassed
and
watching
against
the
terror
of
the
night
from
ripley
until
i
came
through
pyrford
i
was
in
the
valley
of
the
wey
and
the
red
glare
was
hidden
from
me
as
i
ascended
the
little
hill
beyond
pyrford
church
the
glare
came
into
view
again
and
the
trees
about
me
shivered
with
the
first
intimation
of
the
storm
that
was
upon
me
then
i
heard
midnight
pealing
out
from
pyrford
church
behind
me
and
then
came
the
silhouette
of
maybury
hill
with
its
treetops
and
roofs
black
and
sharp
against
the
red
even
as
i
beheld
this
a
lurid
green
glare
lit
the
road
about
me
and
showed
the
distant
woods
towards
addlestone
i
felt
a
tug
at
the
reins
i
saw
that
the
driving
clouds
had
been
pierced
as
it
were
by
a
thread
of
green
fire
suddenly
lighting
their
confusion
and
falling
into
the
field
to
my
left
it
was
the
third
falling
star
close
on
its
apparition
and
blindingly
violet
by
contrast
danced
out
the
first
lightning
of
the
gathering
storm
and
the
thunder
burst
like
a
rocket
overhead
the
horse
took
the
bit
between
his
teeth
and
bolted
a
moderate
incline
runs
towards
the
foot
of
maybury
hill
and
down
this
we
clattered
once
the
lightning
had
begun
it
went
on
in
as
rapid
a
succession
of
flashes
as
i
have
ever
seen
the
thunderclaps
treading
one
on
the
heels
of
another
and
with
a
strange
crackling
accompaniment
sounded
more
like
the
working
of
a
gigantic
electric
machine
than
the
usual
detonating
reverberations
the
flickering
light
was
blinding
and
confusing
and
a
thin
hail
smote
gustily
at
my
face
as
i
drove
down
the
slope
at
first
i
regarded
little
but
the
road
before
me
and
then
abruptly
my
attention
was
arrested
by
something
that
was
moving
rapidly
down
the
opposite
slope
of
maybury
hill
at
first
i
took
it
for
the
wet
roof
of
a
house
but
one
flash
following
another
showed
it
to
be
in
swift
rolling
movement
it
was
an
elusive
vision
a
moment
of
bewildering
darkness
and
then
in
a
flash
like
daylight
the
red
masses
of
the
orphanage
near
the
crest
of
the
hill
the
green
tops
of
the
pine
trees
and
this
problematical
object
came
out
clear
and
sharp
and
bright
and
this
thing
i
saw
how
can
i
describe
it
a
monstrous
tripod
higher
than
many
houses
striding
over
the
young
pine
trees
and
smashing
them
aside
in
its
career
a
walking
engine
of
glittering
metal
striding
now
across
the
heather
articulate
ropes
of
steel
dangling
from
it
and
the
clattering
tumult
of
its
passage
mingling
with
the
riot
of
the
thunder
a
flash
and
it
came
out
vividly
heeling
over
one
way
with
two
feet
in
the
air
to
vanish
and
reappear
almost
instantly
as
it
seemed
with
the
next
flash
a
hundred
yards
nearer
can
you
imagine
a
milking
stool
tilted
and
bowled
violently
along
the
ground
that
was
the
impression
those
instant
flashes
gave
but
instead
of
a
milking
stool
imagine
it
a
great
body
of
machinery
on
a
tripod
stand
then
suddenly
the
trees
in
the
pine
wood
ahead
of
me
were
parted
as
brittle
reeds
are
parted
by
a
man
thrusting
through
them
they
were
snapped
off
and
driven
headlong
and
a
second
huge
tripod
appeared
rushing
as
it
seemed
headlong
towards
me
and
i
was
galloping
hard
to
meet
it
at
the
sight
of
the
second
monster
my
nerve
went
altogether
not
stopping
to
look
again
i
wrenched
the
horse's
head
hard
round
to
the
right
and
in
another
moment
the
dog
cart
had
heeled
over
upon
the
horse
the
shafts
smashed
noisily
and
i
was
flung
sideways
and
fell
heavily
into
a
shallow
pool
of
water
i
crawled
out
almost
immediately
and
crouched
my
feet
still
in
the
water
under
a
clump
of
furze
the
horse
lay
motionless
his
neck
was
broken
poor
brute
and
by
the
lightning
flashes
i
saw
the
black
bulk
of
the
overturned
dog
cart
and
the
silhouette
of
the
wheel
still
spinning
slowly
in
another
moment
the
colossal
mechanism
went
striding
by
me
and
passed
uphill
towards
pyrford
seen
nearer
the
thing
was
incredibly
strange
for
it
was
no
mere
insensate
machine
driving
on
its
way
machine
it
was
with
a
ringing
metallic
pace
and
long
flexible
glittering
tentacles
one
of
which
gripped
a
young
pine
tree
swinging
and
rattling
about
its
strange
body
it
picked
its
road
as
it
went
striding
along
and
the
brazen
hood
that
surmounted
it
moved
to
and
fro
with
the
inevitable
suggestion
of
a
head
looking
about
behind
the
main
body
was
a
huge
mass
of
white
metal
like
a
gigantic
fisherman's
basket
and
puffs
of
green
smoke
squirted
out
from
the
joints
of
the
limbs
as
the
monster
swept
by
me
and
in
an
instant
it
was
gone
so
much
i
saw
then
all
vaguely
for
the
flickering
of
the
lightning
in
blinding
highlights
and
dense
black
shadows
as
it
passed
it
set
up
an
exultant
deafening
howl
that
drowned
the
thunder
aloo
aloo
and
in
another
minute
it
was
with
its
companion
half
a
mile
away
stooping
over
something
in
the
field
i
have
no
doubt
this
thing
in
the
field
was
the
third
of
the
ten
cylinders
they
had
fired
at
us
from
mars
for
some
minutes
i
lay
there
in
the
rain
and
darkness
watching
by
the
intermittent
light
these
monstrous
beings
of
metal
moving
about
in
the
distance
over
the
hedge
tops
a
thin
hail
was
now
beginning
and
as
it
came
and
went
their
figures
grew
misty
and
then
flashed
into
clearness
again
now
and
then
came
a
gap
in
the
lightning
and
the
night
swallowed
them
up
i
was
soaked
with
hail
above
and
puddle
water
below
it
was
some
time
before
my
blank
astonishment
would
let
me
struggle
up
the
bank
to
a
drier
position
or
think
at
all
of
my
imminent
peril
not
far
from
me
was
a
little
one
roomed
squatter's
hut
of
wood
surrounded
by
a
patch
of
potato
garden
i
struggled
to
my
feet
at
last
and
crouching
and
making
use
of
every
chance
of
cover
i
made
a
run
for
this
i
hammered
at
the
door
but
i
could
not
make
the
people
hear
if
there
were
any
people
inside
and
after
a
time
i
desisted
and
availing
myself
of
a
ditch
for
the
greater
part
of
the
way
succeeded
in
crawling
unobserved
by
these
monstrous
machines
into
the
pine
woods
towards
maybury
under
cover
of
this
i
pushed
on
wet
and
shivering
now
towards
my
own
house
i
walked
among
the
trees
trying
to
find
the
footpath
it
was
very
dark
indeed
in
the
wood
for
the
lightning
was
now
becoming
infrequent
and
the
hail
which
was
pouring
down
in
a
torrent
fell
in
columns
through
the
gaps
in
the
heavy
foliage
if
i
had
fully
realised
the
meaning
of
all
the
things
i
had
seen
i
should
have
immediately
worked
my
way
round
through
byfleet
to
street
cobham
and
so
gone
back
to
rejoin
my
wife
at
leatherhead
but
that
night
the
strangeness
of
things
about
me
and
my
physical
wretchedness
prevented
me
for
i
was
bruised
weary
wet
to
the
skin
deafened
and
blinded
by
the
storm
i
had
a
vague
idea
of
going
on
to
my
own
house
and
that
was
as
much
motive
as
i
had
i
staggered
through
the
trees
fell
into
a
ditch
and
bruised
my
knees
against
a
plank
and
finally
splashed
out
into
the
lane
that
ran
down
from
the
college
arms
i
say
splashed
for
the
storm
water
was
sweeping
the
sand
down
the
hill
in
a
muddy
torrent
there
in
the
darkness
a
man
blundered
into
me
and
sent
me
reeling
back
he
gave
a
cry
of
terror
sprang
sideways
and
rushed
on
before
i
could
gather
my
wits
sufficiently
to
speak
to
him
so
heavy
was
the
stress
of
the
storm
just
at
this
place
that
i
had
the
hardest
task
to
win
my
way
up
the
hill
i
went
close
up
to
the
fence
on
the
left
and
worked
my
way
along
its
palings
near
the
top
i
stumbled
upon
something
soft
and
by
a
flash
of
lightning
saw
between
my
feet
a
heap
of
black
broadcloth
and
a
pair
of
boots
before
i
could
distinguish
clearly
how
the
man
lay
the
flicker
of
light
had
passed
i
stood
over
him
waiting
for
the
next
flash
when
it
came
i
saw
that
he
was
a
sturdy
man
cheaply
but
not
shabbily
dressed
his
head
was
bent
under
his
body
and
he
lay
crumpled
up
close
to
the
fence
as
though
he
had
been
flung
violently
against
it
overcoming
the
repugnance
natural
to
one
who
had
never
before
touched
a
dead
body
i
stooped
and
turned
him
over
to
feel
for
his
heart
he
was
quite
dead
apparently
his
neck
had
been
broken
the
lightning
flashed
for
a
third
time
and
his
face
leaped
upon
me
i
sprang
to
my
feet
it
was
the
landlord
of
the
spotted
dog
whose
conveyance
i
had
taken
i
stepped
over
him
gingerly
and
pushed
on
up
the
hill
i
made
my
way
by
the
police
station
and
the
college
arms
towards
my
own
house
nothing
was
burning
on
the
hillside
though
from
the
common
there
still
came
a
red
glare
and
a
rolling
tumult
of
ruddy
smoke
beating
up
against
the
drenching
hail
so
far
as
i
could
see
by
the
flashes
the
houses
about
me
were
mostly
uninjured
by
the
college
arms
a
dark
heap
lay
in
the
road
down
the
road
towards
maybury
bridge
there
were
voices
and
the
sound
of
feet
but
i
had
not
the
courage
to
shout
or
to
go
to
them
i
let
myself
in
with
my
latchkey
closed
locked
and
bolted
the
door
staggered
to
the
foot
of
the
staircase
and
sat
down
my
imagination
was
full
of
those
striding
metallic
monsters
and
of
the
dead
body
smashed
against
the
fence
i
crouched
at
the
foot
of
the
staircase
with
my
back
to
the
wall
shivering
violently
i
have
already
said
that
my
storms
of
emotion
have
a
trick
of
exhausting
themselves
after
a
time
i
discovered
that
i
was
cold
and
wet
and
with
little
pools
of
water
about
me
on
the
stair
carpet
i
got
up
almost
mechanically
went
into
the
dining
room
and
drank
some
whiskey
and
then
i
was
moved
to
change
my
clothes
after
i
had
done
that
i
went
upstairs
to
my
study
but
why
i
did
so
i
do
not
know
the
window
of
my
study
looks
over
the
trees
and
the
railway
towards
horsell
common
in
the
hurry
of
our
departure
this
window
had
been
left
open
the
passage
was
dark
and
by
contrast
with
the
picture
the
window
frame
enclosed
the
side
of
the
room
seemed
impenetrably
dark
i
stopped
short
in
the
doorway
the
thunderstorm
had
passed
the
towers
of
the
oriental
college
and
the
pine
trees
about
it
had
gone
and
very
far
away
lit
by
a
vivid
red
glare
the
common
about
the
sand
pits
was
visible
across
the
light
huge
black
shapes
grotesque
and
strange
moved
busily
to
and
fro
it
seemed
indeed
as
if
the
whole
country
in
that
direction
was
on
fire
a
broad
hillside
set
with
minute
tongues
of
flame
swaying
and
writhing
with
the
gusts
of
the
dying
storm
and
throwing
a
red
reflection
upon
the
cloud
scud
above
every
now
and
then
a
haze
of
smoke
from
some
nearer
conflagration
drove
across
the
window
and
hid
the
martian
shapes
i
could
not
see
what
they
were
doing
nor
the
clear
form
of
them
nor
recognise
the
black
objects
they
were
busied
upon
neither
could
i
see
the
nearer
fire
though
the
reflections
of
it
danced
on
the
wall
and
ceiling
of
the
study
a
sharp
resinous
tang
of
burning
was
in
the
air
i
closed
the
door
noiselessly
and
crept
towards
the
window
as
i
did
so
the
view
opened
out
until
on
the
one
hand
it
reached
to
the
houses
about
woking
station
and
on
the
other
to
the
charred
and
blackened
pine
woods
of
byfleet
there
was
a
light
down
below
the
hill
on
the
railway
near
the
arch
and
several
of
the
houses
along
the
maybury
road
and
the
streets
near
the
station
were
glowing
ruins
the
light
upon
the
railway
puzzled
me
at
first
there
were
a
black
heap
and
a
vivid
glare
and
to
the
right
of
that
a
row
of
yellow
oblongs
then
i
perceived
this
was
a
wrecked
train
the
fore
part
smashed
and
on
fire
the
hinder
carriages
still
upon
the
rails
between
these
three
main
centres
of
light
the
houses
the
train
and
the
burning
county
towards
chobham
stretched
irregular
patches
of
dark
country
broken
here
and
there
by
intervals
of
dimly
glowing
and
smoking
ground
it
was
the
strangest
spectacle
that
black
expanse
set
with
fire
it
reminded
me
more
than
anything
else
of
the
potteries
at
night
at
first
i
could
distinguish
no
people
at
all
though
i
peered
intently
for
them
later
i
saw
against
the
light
of
woking
station
a
number
of
black
figures
hurrying
one
after
the
other
across
the
line
and
this
was
the
little
world
in
which
i
had
been
living
securely
for
years
this
fiery
chaos
what
had
happened
in
the
last
seven
hours
i
still
did
not
know
nor
did
i
know
though
i
was
beginning
to
guess
the
relation
between
these
mechanical
colossi
and
the
sluggish
lumps
i
had
seen
disgorged
from
the
cylinder
with
a
queer
feeling
of
impersonal
interest
i
turned
my
desk
chair
to
the
window
sat
down
and
stared
at
the
blackened
country
and
particularly
at
the
three
gigantic
black
things
that
were
going
to
and
fro
in
the
glare
about
the
sand
pits
they
seemed
amazingly
busy
i
began
to
ask
myself
what
they
could
be
were
they
intelligent
mechanisms
such
a
thing
i
felt
was
impossible
or
did
a
martian
sit
within
each
ruling
directing
using
much
as
a
man's
brain
sits
and
rules
in
his
body
i
began
to
compare
the
things
to
human
machines
to
ask
myself
for
the
first
time
in
my
life
how
an
ironclad
or
a
steam
engine
would
seem
to
an
intelligent
lower
animal
the
storm
had
left
the
sky
clear
and
over
the
smoke
of
the
burning
land
the
little
fading
pinpoint
of
mars
was
dropping
into
the
west
when
a
soldier
came
into
my
garden
i
heard
a
slight
scraping
at
the
fence
and
rousing
myself
from
the
lethargy
that
had
fallen
upon
me
i
looked
down
and
saw
him
dimly
clambering
over
the
palings
at
the
sight
of
another
human
being
my
torpor
passed
and
i
leaned
out
of
the
window
eagerly
hist
said
i
in
a
whisper
he
stopped
astride
of
the
fence
in
doubt
then
he
came
over
and
across
the
lawn
to
the
corner
of
the
house
he
bent
down
and
stepped
softly
who's
there
he
said
also
whispering
standing
under
the
window
and
peering
up
where
are
you
going
i
asked
god
knows
are
you
trying
to
hide
that's
it
come
into
the
house
i
said
i
went
down
unfastened
the
door
and
let
him
in
and
locked
the
door
again
i
could
not
see
his
face
he
was
hatless
and
his
coat
was
unbuttoned
my
god
he
said
as
i
drew
him
in
what
has
happened
i
asked
what
hasn't
in
the
obscurity
i
could
see
he
made
a
gesture
of
despair
they
wiped
us
out
simply
wiped
us
out
he
repeated
again
and
again
he
followed
me
almost
mechanically
into
the
dining
room
take
some
whiskey
i
said
pouring
out
a
stiff
dose
he
drank
it
then
abruptly
he
sat
down
before
the
table
put
his
head
on
his
arms
and
began
to
sob
and
weep
like
a
little
boy
in
a
perfect
passion
of
emotion
while
i
with
a
curious
forgetfulness
of
my
own
recent
despair
stood
beside
him
wondering
it
was
a
long
time
before
he
could
steady
his
nerves
to
answer
my
questions
and
then
he
answered
perplexingly
and
brokenly
he
was
a
driver
in
the
artillery
and
had
only
come
into
action
about
seven
at
that
time
firing
was
going
on
across
the
common
and
it
was
said
the
first
party
of
martians
were
crawling
slowly
towards
their
second
cylinder
under
cover
of
a
metal
shield
later
this
shield
staggered
up
on
tripod
legs
and
became
the
first
of
the
fighting
machines
i
had
seen
the
gun
he
drove
had
been
unlimbered
near
horsell
in
order
to
command
the
sand
pits
and
its
arrival
it
was
that
had
precipitated
the
action
as
the
limber
gunners
went
to
the
rear
his
horse
trod
in
a
rabbit
hole
and
came
down
throwing
him
into
a
depression
of
the
ground
at
the
same
moment
the
gun
exploded
behind
him
the
ammunition
blew
up
there
was
fire
all
about
him
and
he
found
himself
lying
under
a
heap
of
charred
dead
men
and
dead
horses
i
lay
still
he
said
scared
out
of
my
wits
with
the
fore
quarter
of
a
horse
atop
of
me
we'd
been
wiped
out
and
the
smell
good
god
like
burnt
meat
i
was
hurt
across
the
back
by
the
fall
of
the
horse
and
there
i
had
to
lie
until
i
felt
better
just
like
parade
it
had
been
a
minute
before
then
stumble
bang
swish
wiped
out
he
said
he
had
hid
under
the
dead
horse
for
a
long
time
peeping
out
furtively
across
the
common
the
cardigan
men
had
tried
a
rush
in
skirmishing
order
at
the
pit
simply
to
be
swept
out
of
existence
then
the
monster
had
risen
to
its
feet
and
had
begun
to
walk
leisurely
to
and
fro
across
the
common
among
the
few
fugitives
with
its
headlike
hood
turning
about
exactly
like
the
head
of
a
cowled
human
being
a
kind
of
arm
carried
a
complicated
metallic
case
about
which
green
flashes
scintillated
and
out
of
the
funnel
of
this
there
smoked
the
heat
ray
in
a
few
minutes
there
was
so
far
as
the
soldier
could
see
not
a
living
thing
left
upon
the
common
and
every
bush
and
tree
upon
it
that
was
not
already
a
blackened
skeleton
was
burning
the
hussars
had
been
on
the
road
beyond
the
curvature
of
the
ground
and
he
saw
nothing
of
them
he
heard
the
martians
rattle
for
a
time
and
then
become
still
the
giant
saved
woking
station
and
its
cluster
of
houses
until
the
last
then
in
a
moment
the
heat
ray
was
brought
to
bear
and
the
town
became
a
heap
of
fiery
ruins
then
the
thing
shut
off
the
heat
ray
and
turning
its
back
upon
the
artilleryman
began
to
waddle
away
towards
the
smouldering
pine
woods
that
sheltered
the
second
cylinder
as
it
did
so
a
second
glittering
titan
built
itself
up
out
of
the
pit
the
second
monster
followed
the
first
and
at
that
the
artilleryman
began
to
crawl
very
cautiously
across
the
hot
heather
ash
towards
horsell
he
managed
to
get
alive
into
the
ditch
by
the
side
of
the
road
and
so
escaped
to
woking
there
his
story
became
ejaculatory
the
place
was
impassable
it
seems
there
were
a
few
people
alive
there
frantic
for
the
most
part
and
many
burned
and
scalded
he
was
turned
aside
by
the
fire
and
hid
among
some
almost
scorching
heaps
of
broken
wall
as
one
of
the
martian
giants
returned
he
saw
this
one
pursue
a
man
catch
him
up
in
one
of
its
steely
tentacles
and
knock
his
head
against
the
trunk
of
a
pine
tree
at
last
after
nightfall
the
artilleryman
made
a
rush
for
it
and
got
over
the
railway
embankment
since
then
he
had
been
skulking
along
towards
maybury
in
the
hope
of
getting
out
of
danger
londonward
people
were
hiding
in
trenches
and
cellars
and
many
of
the
survivors
had
made
off
towards
woking
village
and
send
he
had
been
consumed
with
thirst
until
he
found
one
of
the
water
mains
near
the
railway
arch
smashed
and
the
water
bubbling
out
like
a
spring
upon
the
road
that
was
the
story
i
got
from
him
bit
by
bit
he
grew
calmer
telling
me
and
trying
to
make
me
see
the
things
he
had
seen
he
had
eaten
no
food
since
midday
he
told
me
early
in
his
narrative
and
i
found
some
mutton
and
bread
in
the
pantry
and
brought
it
into
the
room
we
lit
no
lamp
for
fear
of
attracting
the
martians
and
ever
and
again
our
hands
would
touch
upon
bread
or
meat
as
he
talked
things
about
us
came
darkly
out
of
the
darkness
and
the
trampled
bushes
and
broken
rose
trees
outside
the
window
grew
distinct
it
would
seem
that
a
number
of
men
or
animals
had
rushed
across
the
lawn
i
began
to
see
his
face
blackened
and
haggard
as
no
doubt
mine
was
also
when
we
had
finished
eating
we
went
softly
upstairs
to
my
study
and
i
looked
again
out
of
the
open
window
in
one
night
the
valley
had
become
a
valley
of
ashes
the
fires
had
dwindled
now
where
flames
had
been
there
were
now
streamers
of
smoke
but
the
countless
ruins
of
shattered
and
gutted
houses
and
blasted
and
blackened
trees
that
the
night
had
hidden
stood
out
now
gaunt
and
terrible
in
the
pitiless
light
of
dawn
yet
here
and
there
some
object
had
had
the
luck
to
escape
a
white
railway
signal
here
the
end
of
a
greenhouse
there
white
and
fresh
amid
the
wreckage
never
before
in
the
history
of
warfare
had
destruction
been
so
indiscriminate
and
so
universal
and
shining
with
the
growing
light
of
the
east
three
of
the
metallic
giants
stood
about
the
pit
their
cowls
rotating
as
though
they
were
surveying
the
desolation
they
had
made
it
seemed
to
me
that
the
pit
had
been
enlarged
and
ever
and
again
puffs
of
vivid
green
vapour
streamed
up
and
out
of
it
towards
the
brightening
dawn
streamed
up
whirled
broke
and
vanished
beyond
were
the
pillars
of
fire
about
chobham
they
became
pillars
of
bloodshot
smoke
at
the
first
touch
of
day
of
weybridge
and
shepperton
as
the
dawn
grew
brighter
we
withdrew
from
the
window
from
which
we
had
watched
the
martians
and
went
very
quietly
downstairs
the
artilleryman
agreed
with
me
that
the
house
was
no
place
to
stay
in
he
proposed
he
said
to
make
his
way
londonward
and
thence
rejoin
his
battery
no
of
the
horse
artillery
my
plan
was
to
return
at
once
to
leatherhead
and
so
greatly
had
the
strength
of
the
martians
impressed
me
that
i
had
determined
to
take
my
wife
to
newhaven
and
go
with
her
out
of
the
country
forthwith
for
i
already
perceived
clearly
that
the
country
about
london
must
inevitably
be
the
scene
of
a
disastrous
struggle
before
such
creatures
as
these
could
be
destroyed
between
us
and
leatherhead
however
lay
the
third
cylinder
with
its
guarding
giants
had
i
been
alone
i
think
i
should
have
taken
my
chance
and
struck
across
country
but
the
artilleryman
dissuaded
me
it's
no
kindness
to
the
right
sort
of
wife
he
said
to
make
her
a
widow
and
in
the
end
i
agreed
to
go
with
him
under
cover
of
the
woods
northward
as
far
as
street
cobham
before
i
parted
with
him
thence
i
would
make
a
big
detour
by
epsom
to
reach
leatherhead
i
should
have
started
at
once
but
my
companion
had
been
in
active
service
and
he
knew
better
than
that
he
made
me
ransack
the
house
for
a
flask
which
he
filled
with
whiskey
and
we
lined
every
available
pocket
with
packets
of
biscuits
and
slices
of
meat
then
we
crept
out
of
the
house
and
ran
as
quickly
as
we
could
down
the
ill
made
road
by
which
i
had
come
overnight
the
houses
seemed
deserted
in
the
road
lay
a
group
of
three
charred
bodies
close
together
struck
dead
by
the
heat
ray
and
here
and
there
were
things
that
people
had
dropped
a
clock
a
slipper
a
silver
spoon
and
the
like
poor
valuables
at
the
corner
turning
up
towards
the
post
office
a
little
cart
filled
with
boxes
and
furniture
and
horseless
heeled
over
on
a
broken
wheel
a
cash
box
had
been
hastily
smashed
open
and
thrown
under
the
debris
except
the
lodge
at
the
orphanage
which
was
still
on
fire
none
of
the
houses
had
suffered
very
greatly
here
the
heat
ray
had
shaved
the
chimney
tops
and
passed
yet
save
ourselves
there
did
not
seem
to
be
a
living
soul
on
maybury
hill
the
majority
of
the
inhabitants
had
escaped
i
suppose
by
way
of
the
old
woking
road
the
road
i
had
taken
when
i
drove
to
leatherhead
or
they
had
hidden
we
went
down
the
lane
by
the
body
of
the
man
in
black
sodden
now
from
the
overnight
hail
and
broke
into
the
woods
at
the
foot
of
the
hill
we
pushed
through
these
towards
the
railway
without
meeting
a
soul
the
woods
across
the
line
were
but
the
scarred
and
blackened
ruins
of
woods
for
the
most
part
the
trees
had
fallen
but
a
certain
proportion
still
stood
dismal
grey
stems
with
dark
brown
foliage
instead
of
green
on
our
side
the
fire
had
done
no
more
than
scorch
the
nearer
trees
it
had
failed
to
secure
its
footing
in
one
place
the
woodmen
had
been
at
work
on
saturday
trees
felled
and
freshly
trimmed
lay
in
a
clearing
with
heaps
of
sawdust
by
the
sawing
machine
and
its
engine
hard
by
was
a
temporary
hut
deserted
there
was
not
a
breath
of
wind
this
morning
and
everything
was
strangely
still
even
the
birds
were
hushed
and
as
we
hurried
along
i
and
the
artilleryman
talked
in
whispers
and
looked
now
and
again
over
our
shoulders
once
or
twice
we
stopped
to
listen
after
a
time
we
drew
near
the
road
and
as
we
did
so
we
heard
the
clatter
of
hoofs
and
saw
through
the
tree
stems
three
cavalry
soldiers
riding
slowly
towards
woking
we
hailed
them
and
they
halted
while
we
hurried
towards
them
it
was
a
lieutenant
and
a
couple
of
privates
of
the
hussars
with
a
stand
like
a
theodolite
which
the
artilleryman
told
me
was
a
heliograph
you
are
the
first
men
i've
seen
coming
this
way
this
morning
said
the
lieutenant
what's
brewing
his
voice
and
face
were
eager
the
men
behind
him
stared
curiously
the
artilleryman
jumped
down
the
bank
into
the
road
and
saluted
gun
destroyed
last
night
sir
have
been
hiding
trying
to
rejoin
battery
sir
you'll
come
in
sight
of
the
martians
i
expect
about
half
a
mile
along
this
road
what
the
dickens
are
they
like
asked
the
lieutenant
giants
in
armour
sir
hundred
feet
high
three
legs
and
a
body
like
'luminium
with
a
mighty
great
head
in
a
hood
sir
get
out
said
the
lieutenant
what
confounded
nonsense
you'll
see
sir
they
carry
a
kind
of
box
sir
that
shoots
fire
and
strikes
you
dead
what
d'ye
mean
a
gun
no
sir
and
the
artilleryman
began
a
vivid
account
of
the
heat
ray
halfway
through
the
lieutenant
interrupted
him
and
looked
up
at
me
i
was
still
standing
on
the
bank
by
the
side
of
the
road
it's
perfectly
true
i
said
well
said
the
lieutenant
i
suppose
it's
my
business
to
see
it
too
look
here
to
the
artilleryman
we're
detailed
here
clearing
people
out
of
their
houses
you'd
better
go
along
and
report
yourself
to
brigadier
general
marvin
and
tell
him
all
you
know
he's
at
weybridge
know
the
way
i
do
i
said
and
he
turned
his
horse
southward
again
half
a
mile
you
say
said
he
at
most
i
answered
and
pointed
over
the
treetops
southward
he
thanked
me
and
rode
on
and
we
saw
them
no
more
farther
along
we
came
upon
a
group
of
three
women
and
two
children
in
the
road
busy
clearing
out
a
labourer's
cottage
they
had
got
hold
of
a
little
hand
truck
and
were
piling
it
up
with
unclean
looking
bundles
and
shabby
furniture
they
were
all
too
assiduously
engaged
to
talk
to
us
as
we
passed
by
byfleet
station
we
emerged
from
the
pine
trees
and
found
the
country
calm
and
peaceful
under
the
morning
sunlight
we
were
far
beyond
the
range
of
the
heat
ray
there
and
had
it
not
been
for
the
silent
desertion
of
some
of
the
houses
the
stirring
movement
of
packing
in
others
and
the
knot
of
soldiers
standing
on
the
bridge
over
the
railway
and
staring
down
the
line
towards
woking
the
day
would
have
seemed
very
like
any
other
sunday
several
farm
waggons
and
carts
were
moving
creakily
along
the
road
to
addlestone
and
suddenly
through
the
gate
of
a
field
we
saw
across
a
stretch
of
flat
meadow
six
twelve
pounders
standing
neatly
at
equal
distances
pointing
towards
woking
the
gunners
stood
by
the
guns
waiting
and
the
ammunition
waggons
were
at
a
business
like
distance
the
men
stood
almost
as
if
under
inspection
that's
good
said
i
they
will
get
one
fair
shot
at
any
rate
the
artilleryman
hesitated
at
the
gate
i
shall
go
on
he
said
farther
on
towards
weybridge
just
over
the
bridge
there
were
a
number
of
men
in
white
fatigue
jackets
throwing
up
a
long
rampart
and
more
guns
behind
it's
bows
and
arrows
against
the
lightning
anyhow
said
the
artilleryman
they
'aven't
seen
that
fire
beam
yet
the
officers
who
were
not
actively
engaged
stood
and
stared
over
the
treetops
southwestward
and
the
men
digging
would
stop
every
now
and
again
to
stare
in
the
same
direction
byfleet
was
in
a
tumult
people
packing
and
a
score
of
hussars
some
of
them
dismounted
some
on
horseback
were
hunting
them
about
three
or
four
black
government
waggons
with
crosses
in
white
circles
and
an
old
omnibus
among
other
vehicles
were
being
loaded
in
the
village
street
there
were
scores
of
people
most
of
them
sufficiently
sabbatical
to
have
assumed
their
best
clothes
the
soldiers
were
having
the
greatest
difficulty
in
making
them
realise
the
gravity
of
their
position
we
saw
one
shrivelled
old
fellow
with
a
huge
box
and
a
score
or
more
of
flower
pots
containing
orchids
angrily
expostulating
with
the
corporal
who
would
leave
them
behind
i
stopped
and
gripped
his
arm
do
you
know
what's
over
there
i
said
pointing
at
the
pine
tops
that
hid
the
martians
eh
said
he
turning
i
was
explainin
these
is
vallyble
death
i
shouted
death
is
coming
death
and
leaving
him
to
digest
that
if
he
could
i
hurried
on
after
the
artilleryman
at
the
corner
i
looked
back
the
soldier
had
left
him
and
he
was
still
standing
by
his
box
with
the
pots
of
orchids
on
the
lid
of
it
and
staring
vaguely
over
the
trees
no
one
in
weybridge
could
tell
us
where
the
headquarters
were
established
the
whole
place
was
in
such
confusion
as
i
had
never
seen
in
any
town
before
carts
carriages
everywhere
the
most
astonishing
miscellany
of
conveyances
and
horseflesh
the
respectable
inhabitants
of
the
place
men
in
golf
and
boating
costumes
wives
prettily
dressed
were
packing
river
side
loafers
energetically
helping
children
excited
and
for
the
most
part
highly
delighted
at
this
astonishing
variation
of
their
sunday
experiences
in
the
midst
of
it
all
the
worthy
vicar
was
very
pluckily
holding
an
early
celebration
and
his
bell
was
jangling
out
above
the
excitement
i
and
the
artilleryman
seated
on
the
step
of
the
drinking
fountain
made
a
very
passable
meal
upon
what
we
had
brought
with
us
patrols
of
soldiers
here
no
longer
hussars
but
grenadiers
in
white
were
warning
people
to
move
now
or
to
take
refuge
in
their
cellars
as
soon
as
the
firing
began
we
saw
as
we
crossed
the
railway
bridge
that
a
growing
crowd
of
people
had
assembled
in
and
about
the
railway
station
and
the
swarming
platform
was
piled
with
boxes
and
packages
the
ordinary
traffic
had
been
stopped
i
believe
in
order
to
allow
of
the
passage
of
troops
and
guns
to
chertsey
and
i
have
heard
since
that
a
savage
struggle
occurred
for
places
in
the
special
trains
that
were
put
on
at
a
later
hour
we
remained
at
weybridge
until
midday
and
at
that
hour
we
found
ourselves
at
the
place
near
shepperton
lock
where
the
wey
and
thames
join
part
of
the
time
we
spent
helping
two
old
women
to
pack
a
little
cart
the
wey
has
a
treble
mouth
and
at
this
point
boats
are
to
be
hired
and
there
was
a
ferry
across
the
river
on
the
shepperton
side
was
an
inn
with
a
lawn
and
beyond
that
the
tower
of
shepperton
church
it
has
been
replaced
by
a
spire
rose
above
the
trees
here
we
found
an
excited
and
noisy
crowd
of
fugitives
as
yet
the
flight
had
not
grown
to
a
panic
but
there
were
already
far
more
people
than
all
the
boats
going
to
and
fro
could
enable
to
cross
people
came
panting
along
under
heavy
burdens
one
husband
and
wife
were
even
carrying
a
small
outhouse
door
between
them
with
some
of
their
household
goods
piled
thereon
one
man
told
us
he
meant
to
try
to
get
away
from
shepperton
station
there
was
a
lot
of
shouting
and
one
man
was
even
jesting
the
idea
people
seemed
to
have
here
was
that
the
martians
were
simply
formidable
human
beings
who
might
attack
and
sack
the
town
to
be
certainly
destroyed
in
the
end
every
now
and
then
people
would
glance
nervously
across
the
wey
at
the
meadows
towards
chertsey
but
everything
over
there
was
still
across
the
thames
except
just
where
the
boats
landed
everything
was
quiet
in
vivid
contrast
with
the
surrey
side
the
people
who
landed
there
from
the
boats
went
tramping
off
down
the
lane
the
big
ferryboat
had
just
made
a
journey
three
or
four
soldiers
stood
on
the
lawn
of
the
inn
staring
and
jesting
at
the
fugitives
without
offering
to
help
the
inn
was
closed
as
it
was
now
within
prohibited
hours
what's
that
cried
a
boatman
and
shut
up
you
fool
said
a
man
near
me
to
a
yelping
dog
then
the
sound
came
again
this
time
from
the
direction
of
chertsey
a
muffled
thud
the
sound
of
a
gun
the
fighting
was
beginning
almost
immediately
unseen
batteries
across
the
river
to
our
right
unseen
because
of
the
trees
took
up
the
chorus
firing
heavily
one
after
the
other
a
woman
screamed
everyone
stood
arrested
by
the
sudden
stir
of
battle
near
us
and
yet
invisible
to
us
nothing
was
to
be
seen
save
flat
meadows
cows
feeding
unconcernedly
for
the
most
part
and
silvery
pollard
willows
motionless
in
the
warm
sunlight
the
sojers'll
stop
'em
said
a
woman
beside
me
doubtfully
a
haziness
rose
over
the
treetops
then
suddenly
we
saw
a
rush
of
smoke
far
away
up
the
river
a
puff
of
smoke
that
jerked
up
into
the
air
and
hung
and
forthwith
the
ground
heaved
under
foot
and
a
heavy
explosion
shook
the
air
smashing
two
or
three
windows
in
the
houses
near
and
leaving
us
astonished
here
they
are
shouted
a
man
in
a
blue
jersey
yonder
d'yer
see
them
yonder
quickly
one
after
the
other
one
two
three
four
of
the
armoured
martians
appeared
far
away
over
the
little
trees
across
the
flat
meadows
that
stretched
towards
chertsey
and
striding
hurriedly
towards
the
river
little
cowled
figures
they
seemed
at
first
going
with
a
rolling
motion
and
as
fast
as
flying
birds
then
advancing
obliquely
towards
us
came
a
fifth
their
armoured
bodies
glittered
in
the
sun
as
they
swept
swiftly
forward
upon
the
guns
growing
rapidly
larger
as
they
drew
nearer
one
on
the
extreme
left
the
remotest
that
is
flourished
a
huge
case
high
in
the
air
and
the
ghostly
terrible
heat
ray
i
had
already
seen
on
friday
night
smote
towards
chertsey
and
struck
the
town
at
sight
of
these
strange
swift
and
terrible
creatures
the
crowd
near
the
water's
edge
seemed
to
me
to
be
for
a
moment
horror
struck
there
was
no
screaming
or
shouting
but
a
silence
then
a
hoarse
murmur
and
a
movement
of
feet
a
splashing
from
the
water
a
man
too
frightened
to
drop
the
portmanteau
he
carried
on
his
shoulder
swung
round
and
sent
me
staggering
with
a
blow
from
the
corner
of
his
burden
a
woman
thrust
at
me
with
her
hand
and
rushed
past
me
i
turned
with
the
rush
of
the
people
but
i
was
not
too
terrified
for
thought
the
terrible
heat
ray
was
in
my
mind
to
get
under
water
that
was
it
get
under
water
i
shouted
unheeded
i
faced
about
again
and
rushed
towards
the
approaching
martian
rushed
right
down
the
gravelly
beach
and
headlong
into
the
water
others
did
the
same
a
boatload
of
people
putting
back
came
leaping
out
as
i
rushed
past
the
stones
under
my
feet
were
muddy
and
slippery
and
the
river
was
so
low
that
i
ran
perhaps
twenty
feet
scarcely
waist
deep
then
as
the
martian
towered
overhead
scarcely
a
couple
of
hundred
yards
away
i
flung
myself
forward
under
the
surface
the
splashes
of
the
people
in
the
boats
leaping
into
the
river
sounded
like
thunderclaps
in
my
ears
people
were
landing
hastily
on
both
sides
of
the
river
but
the
martian
machine
took
no
more
notice
for
the
moment
of
the
people
running
this
way
and
that
than
a
man
would
of
the
confusion
of
ants
in
a
nest
against
which
his
foot
has
kicked
when
half
suffocated
i
raised
my
head
above
water
the
martian's
hood
pointed
at
the
batteries
that
were
still
firing
across
the
river
and
as
it
advanced
it
swung
loose
what
must
have
been
the
generator
of
the
heat
ray
in
another
moment
it
was
on
the
bank
and
in
a
stride
wading
halfway
across
the
knees
of
its
foremost
legs
bent
at
the
farther
bank
and
in
another
moment
it
had
raised
itself
to
its
full
height
again
close
to
the
village
of
shepperton
forthwith
the
six
guns
which
unknown
to
anyone
on
the
right
bank
had
been
hidden
behind
the
outskirts
of
that
village
fired
simultaneously
the
sudden
near
concussion
the
last
close
upon
the
first
made
my
heart
jump
the
monster
was
already
raising
the
case
generating
the
heat
ray
as
the
first
shell
burst
six
yards
above
the
hood
i
gave
a
cry
of
astonishment
i
saw
and
thought
nothing
of
the
other
four
martian
monsters
my
attention
was
riveted
upon
the
nearer
incident
simultaneously
two
other
shells
burst
in
the
air
near
the
body
as
the
hood
twisted
round
in
time
to
receive
but
not
in
time
to
dodge
the
fourth
shell
the
shell
burst
clean
in
the
face
of
the
thing
the
hood
bulged
flashed
was
whirled
off
in
a
dozen
tattered
fragments
of
red
flesh
and
glittering
metal
hit
shouted
i
with
something
between
a
scream
and
a
cheer
i
heard
answering
shouts
from
the
people
in
the
water
about
me
i
could
have
leaped
out
of
the
water
with
that
momentary
exultation
the
decapitated
colossus
reeled
like
a
drunken
giant
but
it
did
not
fall
over
it
recovered
its
balance
by
a
miracle
and
no
longer
heeding
its
steps
and
with
the
camera
that
fired
the
heat
ray
now
rigidly
upheld
it
reeled
swiftly
upon
shepperton
the
living
intelligence
the
martian
within
the
hood
was
slain
and
splashed
to
the
four
winds
of
heaven
and
the
thing
was
now
but
a
mere
intricate
device
of
metal
whirling
to
destruction
it
drove
along
in
a
straight
line
incapable
of
guidance
it
struck
the
tower
of
shepperton
church
smashing
it
down
as
the
impact
of
a
battering
ram
might
have
done
swerved
aside
blundered
on
and
collapsed
with
tremendous
force
into
the
river
out
of
my
sight
a
violent
explosion
shook
the
air
and
a
spout
of
water
steam
mud
and
shattered
metal
shot
far
up
into
the
sky
as
the
camera
of
the
heat
ray
hit
the
water
the
latter
had
immediately
flashed
into
steam
in
another
moment
a
huge
wave
like
a
muddy
tidal
bore
but
almost
scaldingly
hot
came
sweeping
round
the
bend
upstream
i
saw
people
struggling
shorewards
and
heard
their
screaming
and
shouting
faintly
above
the
seething
and
roar
of
the
martian's
collapse
for
a
moment
i
heeded
nothing
of
the
heat
forgot
the
patent
need
of
self
preservation
i
splashed
through
the
tumultuous
water
pushing
aside
a
man
in
black
to
do
so
until
i
could
see
round
the
bend
half
a
dozen
deserted
boats
pitched
aimlessly
upon
the
confusion
of
the
waves
the
fallen
martian
came
into
sight
downstream
lying
across
the
river
and
for
the
most
part
submerged
thick
clouds
of
steam
were
pouring
off
the
wreckage
and
through
the
tumultuously
whirling
wisps
i
could
see
intermittently
and
vaguely
the
gigantic
limbs
churning
the
water
and
flinging
a
splash
and
spray
of
mud
and
froth
into
the
air
the
tentacles
swayed
and
struck
like
living
arms
and
save
for
the
helpless
purposelessness
of
these
movements
it
was
as
if
some
wounded
thing
were
struggling
for
its
life
amid
the
waves
enormous
quantities
of
a
ruddy
brown
fluid
were
spurting
up
in
noisy
jets
out
of
the
machine
my
attention
was
diverted
from
this
death
flurry
by
a
furious
yelling
like
that
of
the
thing
called
a
siren
in
our
manufacturing
towns
a
man
knee
deep
near
the
towing
path
shouted
inaudibly
to
me
and
pointed
looking
back
i
saw
the
other
martians
advancing
with
gigantic
strides
down
the
riverbank
from
the
direction
of
chertsey
the
shepperton
guns
spoke
this
time
unavailingly
at
that
i
ducked
at
once
under
water
and
holding
my
breath
until
movement
was
an
agony
blundered
painfully
ahead
under
the
surface
as
long
as
i
could
the
water
was
in
a
tumult
about
me
and
rapidly
growing
hotter
when
for
a
moment
i
raised
my
head
to
take
breath
and
throw
the
hair
and
water
from
my
eyes
the
steam
was
rising
in
a
whirling
white
fog
that
at
first
hid
the
martians
altogether
the
noise
was
deafening
then
i
saw
them
dimly
colossal
figures
of
grey
magnified
by
the
mist
they
had
passed
by
me
and
two
were
stooping
over
the
frothing
tumultuous
ruins
of
their
comrade
the
third
and
fourth
stood
beside
him
in
the
water
one
perhaps
two
hundred
yards
from
me
the
other
towards
laleham
the
generators
of
the
heat
rays
waved
high
and
the
hissing
beams
smote
down
this
way
and
that
the
air
was
full
of
sound
a
deafening
and
confusing
conflict
of
noises
the
clangorous
din
of
the
martians
the
crash
of
falling
houses
the
thud
of
trees
fences
sheds
flashing
into
flame
and
the
crackling
and
roaring
of
fire
dense
black
smoke
was
leaping
up
to
mingle
with
the
steam
from
the
river
and
as
the
heat
ray
went
to
and
fro
over
weybridge
its
impact
was
marked
by
flashes
of
incandescent
white
that
gave
place
at
once
to
a
smoky
dance
of
lurid
flames
the
nearer
houses
still
stood
intact
awaiting
their
fate
shadowy
faint
and
pallid
in
the
steam
with
the
fire
behind
them
going
to
and
fro
for
a
moment
perhaps
i
stood
there
breast
high
in
the
almost
boiling
water
dumbfounded
at
my
position
hopeless
of
escape
through
the
reek
i
could
see
the
people
who
had
been
with
me
in
the
river
scrambling
out
of
the
water
through
the
reeds
like
little
frogs
hurrying
through
grass
from
the
advance
of
a
man
or
running
to
and
fro
in
utter
dismay
on
the
towing
path
then
suddenly
the
white
flashes
of
the
heat
ray
came
leaping
towards
me
the
houses
caved
in
as
they
dissolved
at
its
touch
and
darted
out
flames
the
trees
changed
to
fire
with
a
roar
the
ray
flickered
up
and
down
the
towing
path
licking
off
the
people
who
ran
this
way
and
that
and
came
down
to
the
water's
edge
not
fifty
yards
from
where
i
stood
it
swept
across
the
river
to
shepperton
and
the
water
in
its
track
rose
in
a
boiling
weal
crested
with
steam
i
turned
shoreward
in
another
moment
the
huge
wave
well
nigh
at
the
boiling
point
had
rushed
upon
me
i
screamed
aloud
and
scalded
half
blinded
agonised
i
staggered
through
the
leaping
hissing
water
towards
the
shore
had
my
foot
stumbled
it
would
have
been
the
end
i
fell
helplessly
in
full
sight
of
the
martians
upon
the
broad
bare
gravelly
spit
that
runs
down
to
mark
the
angle
of
the
wey
and
thames
i
expected
nothing
but
death
i
have
a
dim
memory
of
the
foot
of
a
martian
coming
down
within
a
score
of
yards
of
my
head
driving
straight
into
the
loose
gravel
whirling
it
this
way
and
that
and
lifting
again
of
a
long
suspense
and
then
of
the
four
carrying
the
debris
of
their
comrade
between
them
now
clear
and
then
presently
faint
through
a
veil
of
smoke
receding
interminably
as
it
seemed
to
me
across
a
vast
space
of
river
and
meadow
and
then
very
slowly
i
realised
that
by
a
miracle
i
had
escaped
after
getting
this
sudden
lesson
in
the
power
of
terrestrial
weapons
the
martians
retreated
to
their
original
position
upon
horsell
common
and
in
their
haste
and
encumbered
with
the
debris
of
their
smashed
companion
they
no
doubt
overlooked
many
such
a
stray
and
negligible
victim
as
myself
had
they
left
their
comrade
and
pushed
on
forthwith
there
was
nothing
at
that
time
between
them
and
london
but
batteries
of
twelve
pounder
guns
and
they
would
certainly
have
reached
the
capital
in
advance
of
the
tidings
of
their
approach
as
sudden
dreadful
and
destructive
their
advent
would
have
been
as
the
earthquake
that
destroyed
lisbon
a
century
ago
but
they
were
in
no
hurry
cylinder
followed
cylinder
on
its
interplanetary
flight
every
twenty
four
hours
brought
them
reinforcement
and
meanwhile
the
military
and
naval
authorities
now
fully
alive
to
the
tremendous
power
of
their
antagonists
worked
with
furious
energy
every
minute
a
fresh
gun
came
into
position
until
before
twilight
every
copse
every
row
of
suburban
villas
on
the
hilly
slopes
about
kingston
and
richmond
masked
an
expectant
black
muzzle
and
through
the
charred
and
desolated
area
perhaps
twenty
square
miles
altogether
that
encircled
the
martian
encampment
on
horsell
common
through
charred
and
ruined
villages
among
the
green
trees
through
the
blackened
and
smoking
arcades
that
had
been
but
a
day
ago
pine
spinneys
crawled
the
devoted
scouts
with
the
heliographs
that
were
presently
to
warn
the
gunners
of
the
martian
approach
but
the
martians
now
understood
our
command
of
artillery
and
the
danger
of
human
proximity
and
not
a
man
ventured
within
a
mile
of
either
cylinder
save
at
the
price
of
his
life
it
would
seem
that
these
giants
spent
the
earlier
part
of
the
afternoon
in
going
to
and
fro
transferring
everything
from
the
second
and
third
cylinders
the
second
in
addlestone
golf
links
and
the
third
at
pyrford
to
their
original
pit
on
horsell
common
over
that
above
the
blackened
heather
and
ruined
buildings
that
stretched
far
and
wide
stood
one
as
sentinel
while
the
rest
abandoned
their
vast
fighting
machines
and
descended
into
the
pit
they
were
hard
at
work
there
far
into
the
night
and
the
towering
pillar
of
dense
green
smoke
that
rose
therefrom
could
be
seen
from
the
hills
about
merrow
and
even
it
is
said
from
banstead
and
epsom
downs
and
while
the
martians
behind
me
were
thus
preparing
for
their
next
sally
and
in
front
of
me
humanity
gathered
for
the
battle
i
made
my
way
with
infinite
pains
and
labour
from
the
fire
and
smoke
of
burning
weybridge
towards
london
i
saw
an
abandoned
boat
very
small
and
remote
drifting
down
stream
and
throwing
off
the
most
of
my
sodden
clothes
i
went
after
it
gained
it
and
so
escaped
out
of
that
destruction
there
were
no
oars
in
the
boat
but
i
contrived
to
paddle
as
well
as
my
parboiled
hands
would
allow
down
the
river
towards
halliford
and
walton
going
very
tediously
and
continually
looking
behind
me
as
you
may
well
understand
i
followed
the
river
because
i
considered
that
the
water
gave
me
my
best
chance
of
escape
should
these
giants
return
the
hot
water
from
the
martian's
overthrow
drifted
downstream
with
me
so
that
for
the
best
part
of
a
mile
i
could
see
little
of
either
bank
once
however
i
made
out
a
string
of
black
figures
hurrying
across
the
meadows
from
the
direction
of
weybridge
halliford
it
seemed
was
deserted
and
several
of
the
houses
facing
the
river
were
on
fire
it
was
strange
to
see
the
place
quite
tranquil
quite
desolate
under
the
hot
blue
sky
with
the
smoke
and
little
threads
of
flame
going
straight
up
into
the
heat
of
the
afternoon
never
before
had
i
seen
houses
burning
without
the
accompaniment
of
an
obstructive
crowd
a
little
farther
on
the
dry
reeds
up
the
bank
were
smoking
and
glowing
and
a
line
of
fire
inland
was
marching
steadily
across
a
late
field
of
hay
for
a
long
time
i
drifted
so
painful
and
weary
was
i
after
the
violence
i
had
been
through
and
so
intense
the
heat
upon
the
water
then
my
fears
got
the
better
of
me
again
and
i
resumed
my
paddling
the
sun
scorched
my
bare
back
at
last
as
the
bridge
at
walton
was
coming
into
sight
round
the
bend
my
fever
and
faintness
overcame
my
fears
and
i
landed
on
the
middlesex
bank
and
lay
down
deadly
sick
amid
the
long
grass
i
suppose
the
time
was
then
about
four
or
five
o'clock
i
got
up
presently
walked
perhaps
half
a
mile
without
meeting
a
soul
and
then
lay
down
again
in
the
shadow
of
a
hedge
i
seem
to
remember
talking
wanderingly
to
myself
during
that
last
spurt
i
was
also
very
thirsty
and
bitterly
regretful
i
had
drunk
no
more
water
it
is
a
curious
thing
that
i
felt
angry
with
my
wife
i
cannot
account
for
it
but
my
impotent
desire
to
reach
leatherhead
worried
me
excessively
i
do
not
clearly
remember
the
arrival
of
the
curate
so
that
probably
i
dozed
i
became
aware
of
him
as
a
seated
figure
in
soot
smudged
shirt
sleeves
and
with
his
upturned
clean
shaven
face
staring
at
a
faint
flickering
that
danced
over
the
sky
the
sky
was
what
is
called
a
mackerel
sky
rows
and
rows
of
faint
down
plumes
of
cloud
just
tinted
with
the
midsummer
sunset
i
sat
up
and
at
the
rustle
of
my
motion
he
looked
at
me
quickly
have
you
any
water
i
asked
abruptly
he
shook
his
head
you
have
been
asking
for
water
for
the
last
hour
he
said
for
a
moment
we
were
silent
taking
stock
of
each
other
i
dare
say
he
found
me
a
strange
enough
figure
naked
save
for
my
water
soaked
trousers
and
socks
scalded
and
my
face
and
shoulders
blackened
by
the
smoke
his
face
was
a
fair
weakness
his
chin
retreated
and
his
hair
lay
in
crisp
almost
flaxen
curls
on
his
low
forehead
his
eyes
were
rather
large
pale
blue
and
blankly
staring
he
spoke
abruptly
looking
vacantly
away
from
me
what
does
it
mean
he
said
what
do
these
things
mean
i
stared
at
him
and
made
no
answer
he
extended
a
thin
white
hand
and
spoke
in
almost
a
complaining
tone
why
are
these
things
permitted
what
sins
have
we
done
the
morning
service
was
over
i
was
walking
through
the
roads
to
clear
my
brain
for
the
afternoon
and
then
fire
earthquake
death
as
if
it
were
sodom
and
gomorrah
all
our
work
undone
all
the
work
what
are
these
martians
what
are
we
i
answered
clearing
my
throat
he
gripped
his
knees
and
turned
to
look
at
me
again
for
half
a
minute
perhaps
he
stared
silently
i
was
walking
through
the
roads
to
clear
my
brain
he
said
and
suddenly
fire
earthquake
death
he
relapsed
into
silence
with
his
chin
now
sunken
almost
to
his
knees
presently
he
began
waving
his
hand
all
the
work
all
the
sunday
schools
what
have
we
done
what
has
weybridge
done
everything
gone
everything
destroyed
the
church
we
rebuilt
it
only
three
years
ago
gone
swept
out
of
existence
why
another
pause
and
he
broke
out
again
like
one
demented
the
smoke
of
her
burning
goeth
up
for
ever
and
ever
he
shouted
his
eyes
flamed
and
he
pointed
a
lean
finger
in
the
direction
of
weybridge
by
this
time
i
was
beginning
to
take
his
measure
the
tremendous
tragedy
in
which
he
had
been
involved
it
was
evident
he
was
a
fugitive
from
weybridge
had
driven
him
to
the
very
verge
of
his
reason
are
we
far
from
sunbury
i
said
in
a
matter
of
fact
tone
what
are
we
to
do
he
asked
are
these
creatures
everywhere
has
the
earth
been
given
over
to
them
are
we
far
from
sunbury
only
this
morning
i
officiated
at
early
celebration
things
have
changed
i
said
quietly
you
must
keep
your
head
there
is
still
hope
hope
yes
plentiful
hope
for
all
this
destruction
i
began
to
explain
my
view
of
our
position
he
listened
at
first
but
as
i
went
on
the
interest
dawning
in
his
eyes
gave
place
to
their
former
stare
and
his
regard
wandered
from
me
this
must
be
the
beginning
of
the
end
he
said
interrupting
me
the
end
the
great
and
terrible
day
of
the
lord
when
men
shall
call
upon
the
mountains
and
the
rocks
to
fall
upon
them
and
hide
them
hide
them
from
the
face
of
him
that
sitteth
upon
the
throne
i
began
to
understand
the
position
i
ceased
my
laboured
reasoning
struggled
to
my
feet
and
standing
over
him
laid
my
hand
on
his
shoulder
be
a
man
said
i
you
are
scared
out
of
your
wits
what
good
is
religion
if
it
collapses
under
calamity
think
of
what
earthquakes
and
floods
wars
and
volcanoes
have
done
before
to
men
did
you
think
god
had
exempted
weybridge
he
is
not
an
insurance
agent
for
a
time
he
sat
in
blank
silence
but
how
can
we
escape
he
asked
suddenly
they
are
invulnerable
they
are
pitiless
neither
the
one
nor
perhaps
the
other
i
answered
and
the
mightier
they
are
the
more
sane
and
wary
should
we
be
one
of
them
was
killed
yonder
not
three
hours
ago
killed
he
said
staring
about
him
how
can
god's
ministers
be
killed
i
saw
it
happen
i
proceeded
to
tell
him
we
have
chanced
to
come
in
for
the
thick
of
it
said
i
and
that
is
all
what
is
that
flicker
in
the
sky
he
asked
abruptly
i
told
him
it
was
the
heliograph
signalling
that
it
was
the
sign
of
human
help
and
effort
in
the
sky
we
are
in
the
midst
of
it
i
said
quiet
as
it
is
that
flicker
in
the
sky
tells
of
the
gathering
storm
yonder
i
take
it
are
the
martians
and
londonward
where
those
hills
rise
about
richmond
and
kingston
and
the
trees
give
cover
earthworks
are
being
thrown
up
and
guns
are
being
placed
presently
the
martians
will
be
coming
this
way
again
and
even
as
i
spoke
he
sprang
to
his
feet
and
stopped
me
by
a
gesture
listen
he
said
from
beyond
the
low
hills
across
the
water
came
the
dull
resonance
of
distant
guns
and
a
remote
weird
crying
then
everything
was
still
a
cockchafer
came
droning
over
the
hedge
and
past
us
high
in
the
west
the
crescent
moon
hung
faint
and
pale
above
the
smoke
of
weybridge
and
shepperton
and
the
hot
still
splendour
of
the
sunset
we
had
better
follow
this
path
i
said
northward
my
younger
brother
was
in
london
when
the
martians
fell
at
woking
he
was
a
medical
student
working
for
an
imminent
examination
and
he
heard
nothing
of
the
arrival
until
saturday
morning
the
morning
papers
on
saturday
contained
in
addition
to
lengthy
special
articles
on
the
planet
mars
on
life
in
the
planets
and
so
forth
a
brief
and
vaguely
worded
telegram
all
the
more
striking
for
its
brevity
the
martians
alarmed
by
the
approach
of
a
crowd
had
killed
a
number
of
people
with
a
quick
firing
gun
so
the
story
ran
the
telegram
concluded
with
the
words
formidable
as
they
seem
to
be
the
martians
have
not
moved
from
the
pit
into
which
they
have
fallen
and
indeed
seem
incapable
of
doing
so
probably
this
is
due
to
the
relative
strength
of
the
earth's
gravitational
energy
on
that
last
text
their
leader
writer
expanded
very
comfortingly
of
course
all
the
students
in
the
crammer's
biology
class
to
which
my
brother
went
that
day
were
intensely
interested
but
there
were
no
signs
of
any
unusual
excitement
in
the
streets
the
afternoon
papers
puffed
scraps
of
news
under
big
headlines
they
had
nothing
to
tell
beyond
the
movements
of
troops
about
the
common
and
the
burning
of
the
pine
woods
between
woking
and
weybridge
until
eight
then
the
st
james's
gazette
in
an
extra
special
edition
announced
the
bare
fact
of
the
interruption
of
telegraphic
communication
this
was
thought
to
be
due
to
the
falling
of
burning
pine
trees
across
the
line
nothing
more
of
the
fighting
was
known
that
night
the
night
of
my
drive
to
leatherhead
and
back
my
brother
felt
no
anxiety
about
us
as
he
knew
from
the
description
in
the
papers
that
the
cylinder
was
a
good
two
miles
from
my
house
he
made
up
his
mind
to
run
down
that
night
to
me
in
order
as
he
says
to
see
the
things
before
they
were
killed
he
despatched
a
telegram
which
never
reached
me
about
four
o'clock
and
spent
the
evening
at
a
music
hall
in
london
also
on
saturday
night
there
was
a
thunderstorm
and
my
brother
reached
waterloo
in
a
cab
on
the
platform
from
which
the
midnight
train
usually
starts
he
learned
after
some
waiting
that
an
accident
prevented
trains
from
reaching
woking
that
night
the
nature
of
the
accident
he
could
not
ascertain
indeed
the
railway
authorities
did
not
clearly
know
at
that
time
there
was
very
little
excitement
in
the
station
as
the
officials
failing
to
realise
that
anything
further
than
a
breakdown
between
byfleet
and
woking
junction
had
occurred
were
running
the
theatre
trains
which
usually
passed
through
woking
round
by
virginia
water
or
guildford
they
were
busy
making
the
necessary
arrangements
to
alter
the
route
of
the
southampton
and
portsmouth
sunday
league
excursions
a
nocturnal
newspaper
reporter
mistaking
my
brother
for
the
traffic
manager
to
whom
he
bears
a
slight
resemblance
waylaid
and
tried
to
interview
him
few
people
excepting
the
railway
officials
connected
the
breakdown
with
the
martians
i
have
read
in
another
account
of
these
events
that
on
sunday
morning
all
london
was
electrified
by
the
news
from
woking
as
a
matter
of
fact
there
was
nothing
to
justify
that
very
extravagant
phrase
plenty
of
londoners
did
not
hear
of
the
martians
until
the
panic
of
monday
morning
those
who
did
took
some
time
to
realise
all
that
the
hastily
worded
telegrams
in
the
sunday
papers
conveyed
the
majority
of
people
in
london
do
not
read
sunday
papers
the
habit
of
personal
security
moreover
is
so
deeply
fixed
in
the
londoner's
mind
and
startling
intelligence
so
much
a
matter
of
course
in
the
papers
that
they
could
read
without
any
personal
tremors
about
seven
o'clock
last
night
the
martians
came
out
of
the
cylinder
and
moving
about
under
an
armour
of
metallic
shields
have
completely
wrecked
woking
station
with
the
adjacent
houses
and
massacred
an
entire
battalion
of
the
cardigan
regiment
no
details
are
known
maxims
have
been
absolutely
useless
against
their
armour
the
field
guns
have
been
disabled
by
them
flying
hussars
have
been
galloping
into
chertsey
the
martians
appear
to
be
moving
slowly
towards
chertsey
or
windsor
great
anxiety
prevails
in
west
surrey
and
earthworks
are
being
thrown
up
to
check
the
advance
londonward
that
was
how
the
sunday
sun
put
it
and
a
clever
and
remarkably
prompt
handbook
article
in
the
referee
compared
the
affair
to
a
menagerie
suddenly
let
loose
in
a
village
no
one
in
london
knew
positively
of
the
nature
of
the
armoured
martians
and
there
was
still
a
fixed
idea
that
these
monsters
must
be
sluggish
crawling
creeping
painfully
such
expressions
occurred
in
almost
all
the
earlier
reports
none
of
the
telegrams
could
have
been
written
by
an
eyewitness
of
their
advance
the
sunday
papers
printed
separate
editions
as
further
news
came
to
hand
some
even
in
default
of
it
but
there
was
practically
nothing
more
to
tell
people
until
late
in
the
afternoon
when
the
authorities
gave
the
press
agencies
the
news
in
their
possession
it
was
stated
that
the
people
of
walton
and
weybridge
and
all
the
district
were
pouring
along
the
roads
londonward
and
that
was
all
my
brother
went
to
church
at
the
foundling
hospital
in
the
morning
still
in
ignorance
of
what
had
happened
on
the
previous
night
there
he
heard
allusions
made
to
the
invasion
and
a
special
prayer
for
peace
coming
out
he
bought
a
referee
he
became
alarmed
at
the
news
in
this
and
went
again
to
waterloo
station
to
find
out
if
communication
were
restored
the
omnibuses
carriages
cyclists
and
innumerable
people
walking
in
their
best
clothes
seemed
scarcely
affected
by
the
strange
intelligence
that
the
news
venders
were
disseminating
people
were
interested
or
if
alarmed
alarmed
only
on
account
of
the
local
residents
at
the
station
he
heard
for
the
first
time
that
the
windsor
and
chertsey
lines
were
now
interrupted
the
porters
told
him
that
several
remarkable
telegrams
had
been
received
in
the
morning
from
byfleet
and
chertsey
stations
but
that
these
had
abruptly
ceased
my
brother
could
get
very
little
precise
detail
out
of
them
there's
fighting
going
on
about
weybridge
was
the
extent
of
their
information
the
train
service
was
now
very
much
disorganised
quite
a
number
of
people
who
had
been
expecting
friends
from
places
on
the
south
western
network
were
standing
about
the
station
one
grey
headed
old
gentleman
came
and
abused
the
south
western
company
bitterly
to
my
brother
it
wants
showing
up
he
said
one
or
two
trains
came
in
from
richmond
putney
and
kingston
containing
people
who
had
gone
out
for
a
day's
boating
and
found
the
locks
closed
and
a
feeling
of
panic
in
the
air
a
man
in
a
blue
and
white
blazer
addressed
my
brother
full
of
strange
tidings
there's
hosts
of
people
driving
into
kingston
in
traps
and
carts
and
things
with
boxes
of
valuables
and
all
that
he
said
they
come
from
molesey
and
weybridge
and
walton
and
they
say
there's
been
guns
heard
at
chertsey
heavy
firing
and
that
mounted
soldiers
have
told
them
to
get
off
at
once
because
the
martians
are
coming
we
heard
guns
firing
at
hampton
court
station
but
we
thought
it
was
thunder
what
the
dickens
does
it
all
mean
the
martians
can't
get
out
of
their
pit
can
they
my
brother
could
not
tell
him
afterwards
he
found
that
the
vague
feeling
of
alarm
had
spread
to
the
clients
of
the
underground
railway
and
that
the
sunday
excursionists
began
to
return
from
all
over
the
south
western
lung
barnes
wimbledon
richmond
park
kew
and
so
forth
at
unnaturally
early
hours
but
not
a
soul
had
anything
more
than
vague
hearsay
to
tell
of
everyone
connected
with
the
terminus
seemed
ill
tempered
about
five
o'clock
the
gathering
crowd
in
the
station
was
immensely
excited
by
the
opening
of
the
line
of
communication
which
is
almost
invariably
closed
between
the
south
eastern
and
the
south
western
stations
and
the
passage
of
carriage
trucks
bearing
huge
guns
and
carriages
crammed
with
soldiers
these
were
the
guns
that
were
brought
up
from
woolwich
and
chatham
to
cover
kingston
there
was
an
exchange
of
pleasantries
you'll
get
eaten
we're
the
beast
tamers
and
so
forth
a
little
while
after
that
a
squad
of
police
came
into
the
station
and
began
to
clear
the
public
off
the
platforms
and
my
brother
went
out
into
the
street
again
the
church
bells
were
ringing
for
evensong
and
a
squad
of
salvation
army
lassies
came
singing
down
waterloo
road
on
the
bridge
a
number
of
loafers
were
watching
a
curious
brown
scum
that
came
drifting
down
the
stream
in
patches
the
sun
was
just
setting
and
the
clock
tower
and
the
houses
of
parliament
rose
against
one
of
the
most
peaceful
skies
it
is
possible
to
imagine
a
sky
of
gold
barred
with
long
transverse
stripes
of
reddish
purple
cloud
there
was
talk
of
a
floating
body
one
of
the
men
there
a
reservist
he
said
he
was
told
my
brother
he
had
seen
the
heliograph
flickering
in
the
west
in
wellington
street
my
brother
met
a
couple
of
sturdy
roughs
who
had
just
been
rushed
out
of
fleet
street
with
still
wet
newspapers
and
staring
placards
dreadful
catastrophe
they
bawled
one
to
the
other
down
wellington
street
fight
ing
at
weybridge
full
description
repulse
of
the
martians
london
in
danger
he
had
to
give
threepence
for
a
copy
of
that
paper
then
it
was
and
then
only
that
he
realised
something
of
the
full
power
and
terror
of
these
monsters
he
learned
that
they
were
not
merely
a
handful
of
small
sluggish
creatures
but
that
they
were
minds
swaying
vast
mechanical
bodies
and
that
they
could
move
swiftly
and
smite
with
such
power
that
even
the
mightiest
guns
could
not
stand
against
them
they
were
described
as
vast
spiderlike
machines
nearly
a
hundred
feet
high
capable
of
the
speed
of
an
express
train
and
able
to
shoot
out
a
beam
of
intense
heat
masked
batteries
chiefly
of
field
guns
had
been
planted
in
the
country
about
horsell
common
and
especially
between
the
woking
district
and
london
five
of
the
machines
had
been
seen
moving
towards
the
thames
and
one
by
a
happy
chance
had
been
destroyed
in
the
other
cases
the
shells
had
missed
and
the
batteries
had
been
at
once
annihilated
by
the
heat
rays
heavy
losses
of
soldiers
were
mentioned
but
the
tone
of
the
despatch
was
optimistic
the
martians
had
been
repulsed
they
were
not
invulnerable
they
had
retreated
to
their
triangle
of
cylinders
again
in
the
circle
about
woking
signallers
with
heliographs
were
pushing
forward
upon
them
from
all
sides
guns
were
in
rapid
transit
from
windsor
portsmouth
aldershot
woolwich
even
from
the
north
among
others
long
wire
guns
of
ninety
five
tons
from
woolwich
altogether
one
hundred
and
sixteen
were
in
position
or
being
hastily
placed
chiefly
covering
london
never
before
in
england
had
there
been
such
a
vast
or
rapid
concentration
of
military
material
any
further
cylinders
that
fell
it
was
hoped
could
be
destroyed
at
once
by
high
explosives
which
were
being
rapidly
manufactured
and
distributed
no
doubt
ran
the
report
the
situation
was
of
the
strangest
and
gravest
description
but
the
public
was
exhorted
to
avoid
and
discourage
panic
no
doubt
the
martians
were
strange
and
terrible
in
the
extreme
but
at
the
outside
there
could
not
be
more
than
twenty
of
them
against
our
millions
the
authorities
had
reason
to
suppose
from
the
size
of
the
cylinders
that
at
the
outside
there
could
not
be
more
than
five
in
each
cylinder
fifteen
altogether
and
one
at
least
was
disposed
of
perhaps
more
the
public
would
be
fairly
warned
of
the
approach
of
danger
and
elaborate
measures
were
being
taken
for
the
protection
of
the
people
in
the
threatened
southwestern
suburbs
and
so
with
reiterated
assurances
of
the
safety
of
london
and
the
ability
of
the
authorities
to
cope
with
the
difficulty
this
quasi
proclamation
closed
this
was
printed
in
enormous
type
on
paper
so
fresh
that
it
was
still
wet
and
there
had
been
no
time
to
add
a
word
of
comment
it
was
curious
my
brother
said
to
see
how
ruthlessly
the
usual
contents
of
the
paper
had
been
hacked
and
taken
out
to
give
this
place
all
down
wellington
street
people
could
be
seen
fluttering
out
the
pink
sheets
and
reading
and
the
strand
was
suddenly
noisy
with
the
voices
of
an
army
of
hawkers
following
these
pioneers
men
came
scrambling
off
buses
to
secure
copies
certainly
this
news
excited
people
intensely
whatever
their
previous
apathy
the
shutters
of
a
map
shop
in
the
strand
were
being
taken
down
my
brother
said
and
a
man
in
his
sunday
raiment
lemon
yellow
gloves
even
was
visible
inside
the
window
hastily
fastening
maps
of
surrey
to
the
glass
going
on
along
the
strand
to
trafalgar
square
the
paper
in
his
hand
my
brother
saw
some
of
the
fugitives
from
west
surrey
there
was
a
man
with
his
wife
and
two
boys
and
some
articles
of
furniture
in
a
cart
such
as
greengrocers
use
he
was
driving
from
the
direction
of
westminster
bridge
and
close
behind
him
came
a
hay
waggon
with
five
or
six
respectable
looking
people
in
it
and
some
boxes
and
bundles
the
faces
of
these
people
were
haggard
and
their
entire
appearance
contrasted
conspicuously
with
the
sabbath
best
appearance
of
the
people
on
the
omnibuses
people
in
fashionable
clothing
peeped
at
them
out
of
cabs
they
stopped
at
the
square
as
if
undecided
which
way
to
take
and
finally
turned
eastward
along
the
strand
some
way
behind
these
came
a
man
in
workday
clothes
riding
one
of
those
old
fashioned
tricycles
with
a
small
front
wheel
he
was
dirty
and
white
in
the
face
my
brother
turned
down
towards
victoria
and
met
a
number
of
such
people
he
had
a
vague
idea
that
he
might
see
something
of
me
he
noticed
an
unusual
number
of
police
regulating
the
traffic
some
of
the
refugees
were
exchanging
news
with
the
people
on
the
omnibuses
one
was
professing
to
have
seen
the
martians
boilers
on
stilts
i
tell
you
striding
along
like
men
most
of
them
were
excited
and
animated
by
their
strange
experience
beyond
victoria
the
public
houses
were
doing
a
lively
trade
with
these
arrivals
at
all
the
street
corners
groups
of
people
were
reading
papers
talking
excitedly
or
staring
at
these
unusual
sunday
visitors
they
seemed
to
increase
as
night
drew
on
until
at
last
the
roads
my
brother
said
were
like
epsom
high
street
on
a
derby
day
my
brother
addressed
several
of
these
fugitives
and
got
unsatisfactory
answers
from
most
none
of
them
could
tell
him
any
news
of
woking
except
one
man
who
assured
him
that
woking
had
been
entirely
destroyed
on
the
previous
night
i
come
from
byfleet
he
said
man
on
a
bicycle
came
through
the
place
in
the
early
morning
and
ran
from
door
to
door
warning
us
to
come
away
then
came
soldiers
we
went
out
to
look
and
there
were
clouds
of
smoke
to
the
south
nothing
but
smoke
and
not
a
soul
coming
that
way
then
we
heard
the
guns
at
chertsey
and
folks
coming
from
weybridge
so
i've
locked
up
my
house
and
come
on
at
the
time
there
was
a
strong
feeling
in
the
streets
that
the
authorities
were
to
blame
for
their
incapacity
to
dispose
of
the
invaders
without
all
this
inconvenience
about
eight
o'clock
a
noise
of
heavy
firing
was
distinctly
audible
all
over
the
south
of
london
my
brother
could
not
hear
it
for
the
traffic
in
the
main
thoroughfares
but
by
striking
through
the
quiet
back
streets
to
the
river
he
was
able
to
distinguish
it
quite
plainly
he
walked
from
westminster
to
his
apartments
near
regent's
park
about
two
he
was
now
very
anxious
on
my
account
and
disturbed
at
the
evident
magnitude
of
the
trouble
his
mind
was
inclined
to
run
even
as
mine
had
run
on
saturday
on
military
details
he
thought
of
all
those
silent
expectant
guns
of
the
suddenly
nomadic
countryside
he
tried
to
imagine
boilers
on
stilts
a
hundred
feet
high
there
were
one
or
two
cartloads
of
refugees
passing
along
oxford
street
and
several
in
the
marylebone
road
but
so
slowly
was
the
news
spreading
that
regent
street
and
portland
place
were
full
of
their
usual
sunday
night
promenaders
albeit
they
talked
in
groups
and
along
the
edge
of
regent's
park
there
were
as
many
silent
couples
walking
out
together
under
the
scattered
gas
lamps
as
ever
there
had
been
the
night
was
warm
and
still
and
a
little
oppressive
the
sound
of
guns
continued
intermittently
and
after
midnight
there
seemed
to
be
sheet
lightning
in
the
south
he
read
and
re
read
the
paper
fearing
the
worst
had
happened
to
me
he
was
restless
and
after
supper
prowled
out
again
aimlessly
he
returned
and
tried
in
vain
to
divert
his
attention
to
his
examination
notes
he
went
to
bed
a
little
after
midnight
and
was
awakened
from
lurid
dreams
in
the
small
hours
of
monday
by
the
sound
of
door
knockers
feet
running
in
the
street
distant
drumming
and
a
clamour
of
bells
red
reflections
danced
on
the
ceiling
for
a
moment
he
lay
astonished
wondering
whether
day
had
come
or
the
world
gone
mad
then
he
jumped
out
of
bed
and
ran
to
the
window
his
room
was
an
attic
and
as
he
thrust
his
head
out
up
and
down
the
street
there
were
a
dozen
echoes
to
the
noise
of
his
window
sash
and
heads
in
every
kind
of
night
disarray
appeared
enquiries
were
being
shouted
they
are
coming
bawled
a
policeman
hammering
at
the
door
the
martians
are
coming
and
hurried
to
the
next
door
the
sound
of
drumming
and
trumpeting
came
from
the
albany
street
barracks
and
every
church
within
earshot
was
hard
at
work
killing
sleep
with
a
vehement
disorderly
tocsin
there
was
a
noise
of
doors
opening
and
window
after
window
in
the
houses
opposite
flashed
from
darkness
into
yellow
illumination
up
the
street
came
galloping
a
closed
carriage
bursting
abruptly
into
noise
at
the
corner
rising
to
a
clattering
climax
under
the
window
and
dying
away
slowly
in
the
distance
close
on
the
rear
of
this
came
a
couple
of
cabs
the
forerunners
of
a
long
procession
of
flying
vehicles
going
for
the
most
part
to
chalk
farm
station
where
the
north
western
special
trains
were
loading
up
instead
of
coming
down
the
gradient
into
euston
for
a
long
time
my
brother
stared
out
of
the
window
in
blank
astonishment
watching
the
policemen
hammering
at
door
after
door
and
delivering
their
incomprehensible
message
then
the
door
behind
him
opened
and
the
man
who
lodged
across
the
landing
came
in
dressed
only
in
shirt
trousers
and
slippers
his
braces
loose
about
his
waist
his
hair
disordered
from
his
pillow
what
the
devil
is
it
he
asked
a
fire
what
a
devil
of
a
row
they
both
craned
their
heads
out
of
the
window
straining
to
hear
what
the
policemen
were
shouting
people
were
coming
out
of
the
side
streets
and
standing
in
groups
at
the
corners
talking
what
the
devil
is
it
all
about
said
my
brother's
fellow
lodger
my
brother
answered
him
vaguely
and
began
to
dress
running
with
each
garment
to
the
window
in
order
to
miss
nothing
of
the
growing
excitement
and
presently
men
selling
unnaturally
early
newspapers
came
bawling
into
the
street
london
in
danger
of
suffocation
the
kingston
and
richmond
defences
forced
fearful
massacres
in
the
thames
valley
and
all
about
him
in
the
rooms
below
in
the
houses
on
each
side
and
across
the
road
and
behind
in
the
park
terraces
and
in
the
hundred
other
streets
of
that
part
of
marylebone
and
the
westbourne
park
district
and
st
pancras
and
westward
and
northward
in
kilburn
and
st
john's
wood
and
hampstead
and
eastward
in
shoreditch
and
highbury
and
haggerston
and
hoxton
and
indeed
through
all
the
vastness
of
london
from
ealing
to
east
ham
people
were
rubbing
their
eyes
and
opening
windows
to
stare
out
and
ask
aimless
questions
dressing
hastily
as
the
first
breath
of
the
coming
storm
of
fear
blew
through
the
streets
it
was
the
dawn
of
the
great
panic
london
which
had
gone
to
bed
on
sunday
night
oblivious
and
inert
was
awakened
in
the
small
hours
of
monday
morning
to
a
vivid
sense
of
danger
unable
from
his
window
to
learn
what
was
happening
my
brother
went
down
and
out
into
the
street
just
as
the
sky
between
the
parapets
of
the
houses
grew
pink
with
the
early
dawn
the
flying
people
on
foot
and
in
vehicles
grew
more
numerous
every
moment
black
smoke
he
heard
people
crying
and
again
black
smoke
the
contagion
of
such
a
unanimous
fear
was
inevitable
as
my
brother
hesitated
on
the
door
step
he
saw
another
news
vender
approaching
and
got
a
paper
forthwith
the
man
was
running
away
with
the
rest
and
selling
his
papers
for
a
shilling
each
as
he
ran
a
grotesque
mingling
of
profit
and
panic
and
from
this
paper
my
brother
read
that
catastrophic
despatch
of
the
commander
in
chief
the
martians
are
able
to
discharge
enormous
clouds
of
a
black
and
poisonous
vapour
by
means
of
rockets
they
have
smothered
our
batteries
destroyed
richmond
kingston
and
wimbledon
and
are
advancing
slowly
towards
london
destroying
everything
on
the
way
it
is
impossible
to
stop
them
there
is
no
safety
from
the
black
smoke
but
in
instant
flight
that
was
all
but
it
was
enough
the
whole
population
of
the
great
six
million
city
was
stirring
slipping
running
presently
it
would
be
pouring
en
masse
northward
black
smoke
the
voices
cried
fire
the
bells
of
the
neighbouring
church
made
a
jangling
tumult
a
cart
carelessly
driven
smashed
amid
shrieks
and
curses
against
the
water
trough
up
the
street
sickly
yellow
lights
went
to
and
fro
in
the
houses
and
some
of
the
passing
cabs
flaunted
unextinguished
lamps
and
overhead
the
dawn
was
growing
brighter
clear
and
steady
and
calm
he
heard
footsteps
running
to
and
fro
in
the
rooms
and
up
and
down
stairs
behind
him
his
landlady
came
to
the
door
loosely
wrapped
in
dressing
gown
and
shawl
her
husband
followed
ejaculating
as
my
brother
began
to
realise
the
import
of
all
these
things
he
turned
hastily
to
his
own
room
put
all
his
available
money
some
ten
pounds
altogether
into
his
pockets
and
went
out
again
into
the
streets
it
was
while
the
curate
had
sat
and
talked
so
wildly
to
me
under
the
hedge
in
the
flat
meadows
near
halliford
and
while
my
brother
was
watching
the
fugitives
stream
over
westminster
bridge
that
the
martians
had
resumed
the
offensive
so
far
as
one
can
ascertain
from
the
conflicting
accounts
that
have
been
put
forth
the
majority
of
them
remained
busied
with
preparations
in
the
horsell
pit
until
nine
that
night
hurrying
on
some
operation
that
disengaged
huge
volumes
of
green
smoke
but
three
certainly
came
out
about
eight
o'clock
and
advancing
slowly
and
cautiously
made
their
way
through
byfleet
and
pyrford
towards
ripley
and
weybridge
and
so
came
in
sight
of
the
expectant
batteries
against
the
setting
sun
these
martians
did
not
advance
in
a
body
but
in
a
line
each
perhaps
a
mile
and
a
half
from
his
nearest
fellow
they
communicated
with
one
another
by
means
of
sirenlike
howls
running
up
and
down
the
scale
from
one
note
to
another
it
was
this
howling
and
firing
of
the
guns
at
ripley
and
st
george's
hill
that
we
had
heard
at
upper
halliford
the
ripley
gunners
unseasoned
artillery
volunteers
who
ought
never
to
have
been
placed
in
such
a
position
fired
one
wild
premature
ineffectual
volley
and
bolted
on
horse
and
foot
through
the
deserted
village
while
the
martian
without
using
his
heat
ray
walked
serenely
over
their
guns
stepped
gingerly
among
them
passed
in
front
of
them
and
so
came
unexpectedly
upon
the
guns
in
painshill
park
which
he
destroyed
the
st
george's
hill
men
however
were
better
led
or
of
a
better
mettle
hidden
by
a
pine
wood
as
they
were
they
seem
to
have
been
quite
unsuspected
by
the
martian
nearest
to
them
they
laid
their
guns
as
deliberately
as
if
they
had
been
on
parade
and
fired
at
about
a
thousand
yards'
range
the
shells
flashed
all
round
him
and
he
was
seen
to
advance
a
few
paces
stagger
and
go
down
everybody
yelled
together
and
the
guns
were
reloaded
in
frantic
haste
the
overthrown
martian
set
up
a
prolonged
ululation
and
immediately
a
second
glittering
giant
answering
him
appeared
over
the
trees
to
the
south
it
would
seem
that
a
leg
of
the
tripod
had
been
smashed
by
one
of
the
shells
the
whole
of
the
second
volley
flew
wide
of
the
martian
on
the
ground
and
simultaneously
both
his
companions
brought
their
heat
rays
to
bear
on
the
battery
the
ammunition
blew
up
the
pine
trees
all
about
the
guns
flashed
into
fire
and
only
one
or
two
of
the
men
who
were
already
running
over
the
crest
of
the
hill
escaped
after
this
it
would
seem
that
the
three
took
counsel
together
and
halted
and
the
scouts
who
were
watching
them
report
that
they
remained
absolutely
stationary
for
the
next
half
hour
the
martian
who
had
been
overthrown
crawled
tediously
out
of
his
hood
a
small
brown
figure
oddly
suggestive
from
that
distance
of
a
speck
of
blight
and
apparently
engaged
in
the
repair
of
his
support
about
nine
he
had
finished
for
his
cowl
was
then
seen
above
the
trees
again
it
was
a
few
minutes
past
nine
that
night
when
these
three
sentinels
were
joined
by
four
other
martians
each
carrying
a
thick
black
tube
a
similar
tube
was
handed
to
each
of
the
three
and
the
seven
proceeded
to
distribute
themselves
at
equal
distances
along
a
curved
line
between
st
george's
hill
weybridge
and
the
village
of
send
southwest
of
ripley
a
dozen
rockets
sprang
out
of
the
hills
before
them
so
soon
as
they
began
to
move
and
warned
the
waiting
batteries
about
ditton
and
esher
at
the
same
time
four
of
their
fighting
machines
similarly
armed
with
tubes
crossed
the
river
and
two
of
them
black
against
the
western
sky
came
into
sight
of
myself
and
the
curate
as
we
hurried
wearily
and
painfully
along
the
road
that
runs
northward
out
of
halliford
they
moved
as
it
seemed
to
us
upon
a
cloud
for
a
milky
mist
covered
the
fields
and
rose
to
a
third
of
their
height
at
this
sight
the
curate
cried
faintly
in
his
throat
and
began
running
but
i
knew
it
was
no
good
running
from
a
martian
and
i
turned
aside
and
crawled
through
dewy
nettles
and
brambles
into
the
broad
ditch
by
the
side
of
the
road
he
looked
back
saw
what
i
was
doing
and
turned
to
join
me
the
two
halted
the
nearer
to
us
standing
and
facing
sunbury
the
remoter
being
a
grey
indistinctness
towards
the
evening
star
away
towards
staines
the
occasional
howling
of
the
martians
had
ceased
they
took
up
their
positions
in
the
huge
crescent
about
their
cylinders
in
absolute
silence
it
was
a
crescent
with
twelve
miles
between
its
horns
never
since
the
devising
of
gun
powder
was
the
beginning
of
a
battle
so
still
to
us
and
to
an
observer
about
ripley
it
would
have
had
precisely
the
same
effect
the
martians
seemed
in
solitary
possession
of
the
darkling
night
lit
only
as
it
was
by
the
slender
moon
the
stars
the
afterglow
of
the
daylight
and
the
ruddy
glare
from
st
george's
hill
and
the
woods
of
painshill
but
facing
that
crescent
everywhere
at
staines
hounslow
ditton
esher
ockham
behind
hills
and
woods
south
of
the
river
and
across
the
flat
grass
meadows
to
the
north
of
it
wherever
a
cluster
of
trees
or
village
houses
gave
sufficient
cover
the
guns
were
waiting
the
signal
rockets
burst
and
rained
their
sparks
through
the
night
and
vanished
and
the
spirit
of
all
those
watching
batteries
rose
to
a
tense
expectation
the
martians
had
but
to
advance
into
the
line
of
fire
and
instantly
those
motionless
black
forms
of
men
those
guns
glittering
so
darkly
in
the
early
night
would
explode
into
a
thunderous
fury
of
battle
no
doubt
the
thought
that
was
uppermost
in
a
thousand
of
those
vigilant
minds
even
as
it
was
uppermost
in
mine
was
the
riddle
how
much
they
understood
of
us
did
they
grasp
that
we
in
our
millions
were
organized
disciplined
working
together
or
did
they
interpret
our
spurts
of
fire
the
sudden
stinging
of
our
shells
our
steady
investment
of
their
encampment
as
we
should
the
furious
unanimity
of
onslaught
in
a
disturbed
hive
of
bees
did
they
dream
they
might
exterminate
us
at
that
time
no
one
knew
what
food
they
needed
a
hundred
such
questions
struggled
together
in
my
mind
as
i
watched
that
vast
sentinel
shape
and
in
the
back
of
my
mind
was
the
sense
of
all
the
huge
unknown
and
hidden
forces
londonward
had
they
prepared
pitfalls
were
the
powder
mills
at
hounslow
ready
as
a
snare
would
the
londoners
have
the
heart
and
courage
to
make
a
greater
moscow
of
their
mighty
province
of
houses
then
after
an
interminable
time
as
it
seemed
to
us
crouching
and
peering
through
the
hedge
came
a
sound
like
the
distant
concussion
of
a
gun
another
nearer
and
then
another
and
then
the
martian
beside
us
raised
his
tube
on
high
and
discharged
it
gunwise
with
a
heavy
report
that
made
the
ground
heave
the
one
towards
staines
answered
him
there
was
no
flash
no
smoke
simply
that
loaded
detonation
i
was
so
excited
by
these
heavy
minute
guns
following
one
another
that
i
so
far
forgot
my
personal
safety
and
my
scalded
hands
as
to
clamber
up
into
the
hedge
and
stare
towards
sunbury
as
i
did
so
a
second
report
followed
and
a
big
projectile
hurtled
overhead
towards
hounslow
i
expected
at
least
to
see
smoke
or
fire
or
some
such
evidence
of
its
work
but
all
i
saw
was
the
deep
blue
sky
above
with
one
solitary
star
and
the
white
mist
spreading
wide
and
low
beneath
and
there
had
been
no
crash
no
answering
explosion
the
silence
was
restored
the
minute
lengthened
to
three
what
has
happened
said
the
curate
standing
up
beside
me
heaven
knows
said
i
a
bat
flickered
by
and
vanished
a
distant
tumult
of
shouting
began
and
ceased
i
looked
again
at
the
martian
and
saw
he
was
now
moving
eastward
along
the
riverbank
with
a
swift
rolling
motion
every
moment
i
expected
the
fire
of
some
hidden
battery
to
spring
upon
him
but
the
evening
calm
was
unbroken
the
figure
of
the
martian
grew
smaller
as
he
receded
and
presently
the
mist
and
the
gathering
night
had
swallowed
him
up
by
a
common
impulse
we
clambered
higher
towards
sunbury
was
a
dark
appearance
as
though
a
conical
hill
had
suddenly
come
into
being
there
hiding
our
view
of
the
farther
country
and
then
remoter
across
the
river
over
walton
we
saw
another
such
summit
these
hill
like
forms
grew
lower
and
broader
even
as
we
stared
moved
by
a
sudden
thought
i
looked
northward
and
there
i
perceived
a
third
of
these
cloudy
black
kopjes
had
risen
everything
had
suddenly
become
very
still
far
away
to
the
southeast
marking
the
quiet
we
heard
the
martians
hooting
to
one
another
and
then
the
air
quivered
again
with
the
distant
thud
of
their
guns
but
the
earthly
artillery
made
no
reply
now
at
the
time
we
could
not
understand
these
things
but
later
i
was
to
learn
the
meaning
of
these
ominous
kopjes
that
gathered
in
the
twilight
each
of
the
martians
standing
in
the
great
crescent
i
have
described
had
discharged
by
means
of
the
gunlike
tube
he
carried
a
huge
canister
over
whatever
hill
copse
cluster
of
houses
or
other
possible
cover
for
guns
chanced
to
be
in
front
of
him
some
fired
only
one
of
these
some
two
as
in
the
case
of
the
one
we
had
seen
the
one
at
ripley
is
said
to
have
discharged
no
fewer
than
five
at
that
time
these
canisters
smashed
on
striking
the
ground
they
did
not
explode
and
incontinently
disengaged
an
enormous
volume
of
heavy
inky
vapour
coiling
and
pouring
upward
in
a
huge
and
ebony
cumulus
cloud
a
gaseous
hill
that
sank
and
spread
itself
slowly
over
the
surrounding
country
and
the
touch
of
that
vapour
the
inhaling
of
its
pungent
wisps
was
death
to
all
that
breathes
it
was
heavy
this
vapour
heavier
than
the
densest
smoke
so
that
after
the
first
tumultuous
uprush
and
outflow
of
its
impact
it
sank
down
through
the
air
and
poured
over
the
ground
in
a
manner
rather
liquid
than
gaseous
abandoning
the
hills
and
streaming
into
the
valleys
and
ditches
and
watercourses
even
as
i
have
heard
the
carbonic
acid
gas
that
pours
from
volcanic
clefts
is
wont
to
do
and
where
it
came
upon
water
some
chemical
action
occurred
and
the
surface
would
be
instantly
covered
with
a
powdery
scum
that
sank
slowly
and
made
way
for
more
the
scum
was
absolutely
insoluble
and
it
is
a
strange
thing
seeing
the
instant
effect
of
the
gas
that
one
could
drink
without
hurt
the
water
from
which
it
had
been
strained
the
vapour
did
not
diffuse
as
a
true
gas
would
do
it
hung
together
in
banks
flowing
sluggishly
down
the
slope
of
the
land
and
driving
reluctantly
before
the
wind
and
very
slowly
it
combined
with
the
mist
and
moisture
of
the
air
and
sank
to
the
earth
in
the
form
of
dust
save
that
an
unknown
element
giving
a
group
of
four
lines
in
the
blue
of
the
spectrum
is
concerned
we
are
still
entirely
ignorant
of
the
nature
of
this
substance
once
the
tumultuous
upheaval
of
its
dispersion
was
over
the
black
smoke
clung
so
closely
to
the
ground
even
before
its
precipitation
that
fifty
feet
up
in
the
air
on
the
roofs
and
upper
stories
of
high
houses
and
on
great
trees
there
was
a
chance
of
escaping
its
poison
altogether
as
was
proved
even
that
night
at
street
cobham
and
ditton
the
man
who
escaped
at
the
former
place
tells
a
wonderful
story
of
the
strangeness
of
its
coiling
flow
and
how
he
looked
down
from
the
church
spire
and
saw
the
houses
of
the
village
rising
like
ghosts
out
of
its
inky
nothingness
for
a
day
and
a
half
he
remained
there
weary
starving
and
sun
scorched
the
earth
under
the
blue
sky
and
against
the
prospect
of
the
distant
hills
a
velvet
black
expanse
with
red
roofs
green
trees
and
later
black
veiled
shrubs
and
gates
barns
out
houses
and
walls
rising
here
and
there
into
the
sunlight
but
that
was
at
street
cobham
where
the
black
vapour
was
allowed
to
remain
until
it
sank
of
its
own
accord
into
the
ground
as
a
rule
the
martians
when
it
had
served
its
purpose
cleared
the
air
of
it
again
by
wading
into
it
and
directing
a
jet
of
steam
upon
it
this
they
did
with
the
vapour
banks
near
us
as
we
saw
in
the
starlight
from
the
window
of
a
deserted
house
at
upper
halliford
whither
we
had
returned
from
there
we
could
see
the
searchlights
on
richmond
hill
and
kingston
hill
going
to
and
fro
and
about
eleven
the
windows
rattled
and
we
heard
the
sound
of
the
huge
siege
guns
that
had
been
put
in
position
there
these
continued
intermittently
for
the
space
of
a
quarter
of
an
hour
sending
chance
shots
at
the
invisible
martians
at
hampton
and
ditton
and
then
the
pale
beams
of
the
electric
light
vanished
and
were
replaced
by
a
bright
red
glow
then
the
fourth
cylinder
fell
a
brilliant
green
meteor
as
i
learned
afterwards
in
bushey
park
before
the
guns
on
the
richmond
and
kingston
line
of
hills
began
there
was
a
fitful
cannonade
far
away
in
the
southwest
due
i
believe
to
guns
being
fired
haphazard
before
the
black
vapour
could
overwhelm
the
gunners
so
setting
about
it
as
methodically
as
men
might
smoke
out
a
wasps'
nest
the
martians
spread
this
strange
stifling
vapour
over
the
londonward
country
the
horns
of
the
crescent
slowly
moved
apart
until
at
last
they
formed
a
line
from
hanwell
to
coombe
and
malden
all
night
through
their
destructive
tubes
advanced
never
once
after
the
martian
at
st
george's
hill
was
brought
down
did
they
give
the
artillery
the
ghost
of
a
chance
against
them
wherever
there
was
a
possibility
of
guns
being
laid
for
them
unseen
a
fresh
canister
of
the
black
vapour
was
discharged
and
where
the
guns
were
openly
displayed
the
heat
ray
was
brought
to
bear
by
midnight
the
blazing
trees
along
the
slopes
of
richmond
park
and
the
glare
of
kingston
hill
threw
their
light
upon
a
network
of
black
smoke
blotting
out
the
whole
valley
of
the
thames
and
extending
as
far
as
the
eye
could
reach
and
through
this
two
martians
slowly
waded
and
turned
their
hissing
steam
jets
this
way
and
that
they
were
sparing
of
the
heat
ray
that
night
either
because
they
had
but
a
limited
supply
of
material
for
its
production
or
because
they
did
not
wish
to
destroy
the
country
but
only
to
crush
and
overawe
the
opposition
they
had
aroused
in
the
latter
aim
they
certainly
succeeded
sunday
night
was
the
end
of
the
organised
opposition
to
their
movements
after
that
no
body
of
men
would
stand
against
them
so
hopeless
was
the
enterprise
even
the
crews
of
the
torpedo
boats
and
destroyers
that
had
brought
their
quick
firers
up
the
thames
refused
to
stop
mutinied
and
went
down
again
the
only
offensive
operation
men
ventured
upon
after
that
night
was
the
preparation
of
mines
and
pitfalls
and
even
in
that
their
energies
were
frantic
and
spasmodic
one
has
to
imagine
as
well
as
one
may
the
fate
of
those
batteries
towards
esher
waiting
so
tensely
in
the
twilight
survivors
there
were
none
one
may
picture
the
orderly
expectation
the
officers
alert
and
watchful
the
gunners
ready
the
ammunition
piled
to
hand
the
limber
gunners
with
their
horses
and
waggons
the
groups
of
civilian
spectators
standing
as
near
as
they
were
permitted
the
evening
stillness
the
ambulances
and
hospital
tents
with
the
burned
and
wounded
from
weybridge
then
the
dull
resonance
of
the
shots
the
martians
fired
and
the
clumsy
projectile
whirling
over
the
trees
and
houses
and
smashing
amid
the
neighbouring
fields
one
may
picture
too
the
sudden
shifting
of
the
attention
the
swiftly
spreading
coils
and
bellyings
of
that
blackness
advancing
headlong
towering
heavenward
turning
the
twilight
to
a
palpable
darkness
a
strange
and
horrible
antagonist
of
vapour
striding
upon
its
victims
men
and
horses
near
it
seen
dimly
running
shrieking
falling
headlong
shouts
of
dismay
the
guns
suddenly
abandoned
men
choking
and
writhing
on
the
ground
and
the
swift
broadening
out
of
the
opaque
cone
of
smoke
and
then
night
and
extinction
nothing
but
a
silent
mass
of
impenetrable
vapour
hiding
its
dead
before
dawn
the
black
vapour
was
pouring
through
the
streets
of
richmond
and
the
disintegrating
organism
of
government
was
with
a
last
expiring
effort
rousing
the
population
of
london
to
the
necessity
of
flight
so
you
understand
the
roaring
wave
of
fear
that
swept
through
the
greatest
city
in
the
world
just
as
monday
was
dawning
the
stream
of
flight
rising
swiftly
to
a
torrent
lashing
in
a
foaming
tumult
round
the
railway
stations
banked
up
into
a
horrible
struggle
about
the
shipping
in
the
thames
and
hurrying
by
every
available
channel
northward
and
eastward
by
ten
o'clock
the
police
organisation
and
by
midday
even
the
railway
organisations
were
losing
coherency
losing
shape
and
efficiency
guttering
softening
running
at
last
in
that
swift
liquefaction
of
the
social
body
all
the
railway
lines
north
of
the
thames
and
the
south
eastern
people
at
cannon
street
had
been
warned
by
midnight
on
sunday
and
trains
were
being
filled
people
were
fighting
savagely
for
standing
room
in
the
carriages
even
at
two
o'clock
by
three
people
were
being
trampled
and
crushed
even
in
bishopsgate
street
a
couple
of
hundred
yards
or
more
from
liverpool
street
station
revolvers
were
fired
people
stabbed
and
the
policemen
who
had
been
sent
to
direct
the
traffic
exhausted
and
infuriated
were
breaking
the
heads
of
the
people
they
were
called
out
to
protect
and
as
the
day
advanced
and
the
engine
drivers
and
stokers
refused
to
return
to
london
the
pressure
of
the
flight
drove
the
people
in
an
ever
thickening
multitude
away
from
the
stations
and
along
the
northward
running
roads
by
midday
a
martian
had
been
seen
at
barnes
and
a
cloud
of
slowly
sinking
black
vapour
drove
along
the
thames
and
across
the
flats
of
lambeth
cutting
off
all
escape
over
the
bridges
in
its
sluggish
advance
another
bank
drove
over
ealing
and
surrounded
a
little
island
of
survivors
on
castle
hill
alive
but
unable
to
escape
after
a
fruitless
struggle
to
get
aboard
a
north
western
train
at
chalk
farm
the
engines
of
the
trains
that
had
loaded
in
the
goods
yard
there
ploughed
through
shrieking
people
and
a
dozen
stalwart
men
fought
to
keep
the
crowd
from
crushing
the
driver
against
his
furnace
my
brother
emerged
upon
the
chalk
farm
road
dodged
across
through
a
hurrying
swarm
of
vehicles
and
had
the
luck
to
be
foremost
in
the
sack
of
a
cycle
shop
the
front
tire
of
the
machine
he
got
was
punctured
in
dragging
it
through
the
window
but
he
got
up
and
off
notwithstanding
with
no
further
injury
than
a
cut
wrist
the
steep
foot
of
haverstock
hill
was
impassable
owing
to
several
overturned
horses
and
my
brother
struck
into
belsize
road
so
he
got
out
of
the
fury
of
the
panic
and
skirting
the
edgware
road
reached
edgware
about
seven
fasting
and
wearied
but
well
ahead
of
the
crowd
along
the
road
people
were
standing
in
the
roadway
curious
wondering
he
was
passed
by
a
number
of
cyclists
some
horsemen
and
two
motor
cars
a
mile
from
edgware
the
rim
of
the
wheel
broke
and
the
machine
became
unridable
he
left
it
by
the
roadside
and
trudged
through
the
village
there
were
shops
half
opened
in
the
main
street
of
the
place
and
people
crowded
on
the
pavement
and
in
the
doorways
and
windows
staring
astonished
at
this
extraordinary
procession
of
fugitives
that
was
beginning
he
succeeded
in
getting
some
food
at
an
inn
for
a
time
he
remained
in
edgware
not
knowing
what
next
to
do
the
flying
people
increased
in
number
many
of
them
like
my
brother
seemed
inclined
to
loiter
in
the
place
there
was
no
fresh
news
of
the
invaders
from
mars
at
that
time
the
road
was
crowded
but
as
yet
far
from
congested
most
of
the
fugitives
at
that
hour
were
mounted
on
cycles
but
there
were
soon
motor
cars
hansom
cabs
and
carriages
hurrying
along
and
the
dust
hung
in
heavy
clouds
along
the
road
to
st
albans
it
was
perhaps
a
vague
idea
of
making
his
way
to
chelmsford
where
some
friends
of
his
lived
that
at
last
induced
my
brother
to
strike
into
a
quiet
lane
running
eastward
presently
he
came
upon
a
stile
and
crossing
it
followed
a
footpath
northeastward
he
passed
near
several
farmhouses
and
some
little
places
whose
names
he
did
not
learn
he
saw
few
fugitives
until
in
a
grass
lane
towards
high
barnet
he
happened
upon
two
ladies
who
became
his
fellow
travellers
he
came
upon
them
just
in
time
to
save
them
he
heard
their
screams
and
hurrying
round
the
corner
saw
a
couple
of
men
struggling
to
drag
them
out
of
the
little
pony
chaise
in
which
they
had
been
driving
while
a
third
with
difficulty
held
the
frightened
pony's
head
one
of
the
ladies
a
short
woman
dressed
in
white
was
simply
screaming
the
other
a
dark
slender
figure
slashed
at
the
man
who
gripped
her
arm
with
a
whip
she
held
in
her
disengaged
hand
my
brother
immediately
grasped
the
situation
shouted
and
hurried
towards
the
struggle
one
of
the
men
desisted
and
turned
towards
him
and
my
brother
realising
from
his
antagonist's
face
that
a
fight
was
unavoidable
and
being
an
expert
boxer
went
into
him
forthwith
and
sent
him
down
against
the
wheel
of
the
chaise
it
was
no
time
for
pugilistic
chivalry
and
my
brother
laid
him
quiet
with
a
kick
and
gripped
the
collar
of
the
man
who
pulled
at
the
slender
lady's
arm
he
heard
the
clatter
of
hoofs
the
whip
stung
across
his
face
a
third
antagonist
struck
him
between
the
eyes
and
the
man
he
held
wrenched
himself
free
and
made
off
down
the
lane
in
the
direction
from
which
he
had
come
partly
stunned
he
found
himself
facing
the
man
who
had
held
the
horse's
head
and
became
aware
of
the
chaise
receding
from
him
down
the
lane
swaying
from
side
to
side
and
with
the
women
in
it
looking
back
the
man
before
him
a
burly
rough
tried
to
close
and
he
stopped
him
with
a
blow
in
the
face
then
realising
that
he
was
deserted
he
dodged
round
and
made
off
down
the
lane
after
the
chaise
with
the
sturdy
man
close
behind
him
and
the
fugitive
who
had
turned
now
following
remotely
suddenly
he
stumbled
and
fell
his
immediate
pursuer
went
headlong
and
he
rose
to
his
feet
to
find
himself
with
a
couple
of
antagonists
again
he
would
have
had
little
chance
against
them
had
not
the
slender
lady
very
pluckily
pulled
up
and
returned
to
his
help
it
seems
she
had
had
a
revolver
all
this
time
but
it
had
been
under
the
seat
when
she
and
her
companion
were
attacked
she
fired
at
six
yards'
distance
narrowly
missing
my
brother
the
less
courageous
of
the
robbers
made
off
and
his
companion
followed
him
cursing
his
cowardice
they
both
stopped
in
sight
down
the
lane
where
the
third
man
lay
insensible
take
this
said
the
slender
lady
and
she
gave
my
brother
her
revolver
go
back
to
the
chaise
said
my
brother
wiping
the
blood
from
his
split
lip
she
turned
without
a
word
they
were
both
panting
and
they
went
back
to
where
the
lady
in
white
struggled
to
hold
back
the
frightened
pony
the
robbers
had
evidently
had
enough
of
it
when
my
brother
looked
again
they
were
retreating
i'll
sit
here
said
my
brother
if
i
may
and
he
got
upon
the
empty
front
seat
the
lady
looked
over
her
shoulder
give
me
the
reins
she
said
and
laid
the
whip
along
the
pony's
side
in
another
moment
a
bend
in
the
road
hid
the
three
men
from
my
brother's
eyes
so
quite
unexpectedly
my
brother
found
himself
panting
with
a
cut
mouth
a
bruised
jaw
and
bloodstained
knuckles
driving
along
an
unknown
lane
with
these
two
women
he
learned
they
were
the
wife
and
the
younger
sister
of
a
surgeon
living
at
stanmore
who
had
come
in
the
small
hours
from
a
dangerous
case
at
pinner
and
heard
at
some
railway
station
on
his
way
of
the
martian
advance
he
had
hurried
home
roused
the
women
their
servant
had
left
them
two
days
before
packed
some
provisions
put
his
revolver
under
the
seat
luckily
for
my
brother
and
told
them
to
drive
on
to
edgware
with
the
idea
of
getting
a
train
there
he
stopped
behind
to
tell
the
neighbours
he
would
overtake
them
he
said
at
about
half
past
four
in
the
morning
and
now
it
was
nearly
nine
and
they
had
seen
nothing
of
him
they
could
not
stop
in
edgware
because
of
the
growing
traffic
through
the
place
and
so
they
had
come
into
this
side
lane
that
was
the
story
they
told
my
brother
in
fragments
when
presently
they
stopped
again
nearer
to
new
barnet
he
promised
to
stay
with
them
at
least
until
they
could
determine
what
to
do
or
until
the
missing
man
arrived
and
professed
to
be
an
expert
shot
with
the
revolver
a
weapon
strange
to
him
in
order
to
give
them
confidence
they
made
a
sort
of
encampment
by
the
wayside
and
the
pony
became
happy
in
the
hedge
he
told
them
of
his
own
escape
out
of
london
and
all
that
he
knew
of
these
martians
and
their
ways
the
sun
crept
higher
in
the
sky
and
after
a
time
their
talk
died
out
and
gave
place
to
an
uneasy
state
of
anticipation
several
wayfarers
came
along
the
lane
and
of
these
my
brother
gathered
such
news
as
he
could
every
broken
answer
he
had
deepened
his
impression
of
the
great
disaster
that
had
come
on
humanity
deepened
his
persuasion
of
the
immediate
necessity
for
prosecuting
this
flight
he
urged
the
matter
upon
them
we
have
money
said
the
slender
woman
and
hesitated
her
eyes
met
my
brother's
and
her
hesitation
ended
so
have
i
said
my
brother
she
explained
that
they
had
as
much
as
thirty
pounds
in
gold
besides
a
five
pound
note
and
suggested
that
with
that
they
might
get
upon
a
train
at
st
albans
or
new
barnet
my
brother
thought
that
was
hopeless
seeing
the
fury
of
the
londoners
to
crowd
upon
the
trains
and
broached
his
own
idea
of
striking
across
essex
towards
harwich
and
thence
escaping
from
the
country
altogether
mrs
elphinstone
that
was
the
name
of
the
woman
in
white
would
listen
to
no
reasoning
and
kept
calling
upon
george
but
her
sister
in
law
was
astonishingly
quiet
and
deliberate
and
at
last
agreed
to
my
brother's
suggestion
so
designing
to
cross
the
great
north
road
they
went
on
towards
barnet
my
brother
leading
the
pony
to
save
it
as
much
as
possible
as
the
sun
crept
up
the
sky
the
day
became
excessively
hot
and
under
foot
a
thick
whitish
sand
grew
burning
and
blinding
so
that
they
travelled
only
very
slowly
the
hedges
were
grey
with
dust
and
as
they
advanced
towards
barnet
a
tumultuous
murmuring
grew
stronger
they
began
to
meet
more
people
for
the
most
part
these
were
staring
before
them
murmuring
indistinct
questions
jaded
haggard
unclean
one
man
in
evening
dress
passed
them
on
foot
his
eyes
on
the
ground
they
heard
his
voice
and
looking
back
at
him
saw
one
hand
clutched
in
his
hair
and
the
other
beating
invisible
things
his
paroxysm
of
rage
over
he
went
on
his
way
without
once
looking
back
as
my
brother's
party
went
on
towards
the
crossroads
to
the
south
of
barnet
they
saw
a
woman
approaching
the
road
across
some
fields
on
their
left
carrying
a
child
and
with
two
other
children
and
then
passed
a
man
in
dirty
black
with
a
thick
stick
in
one
hand
and
a
small
portmanteau
in
the
other
then
round
the
corner
of
the
lane
from
between
the
villas
that
guarded
it
at
its
confluence
with
the
high
road
came
a
little
cart
drawn
by
a
sweating
black
pony
and
driven
by
a
sallow
youth
in
a
bowler
hat
grey
with
dust
there
were
three
girls
east
end
factory
girls
and
a
couple
of
little
children
crowded
in
the
cart
this'll
tike
us
rahnd
edgware
asked
the
driver
wild
eyed
white
faced
and
when
my
brother
told
him
it
would
if
he
turned
to
the
left
he
whipped
up
at
once
without
the
formality
of
thanks
my
brother
noticed
a
pale
grey
smoke
or
haze
rising
among
the
houses
in
front
of
them
and
veiling
the
white
facade
of
a
terrace
beyond
the
road
that
appeared
between
the
backs
of
the
villas
mrs
elphinstone
suddenly
cried
out
at
a
number
of
tongues
of
smoky
red
flame
leaping
up
above
the
houses
in
front
of
them
against
the
hot
blue
sky
the
tumultuous
noise
resolved
itself
now
into
the
disorderly
mingling
of
many
voices
the
gride
of
many
wheels
the
creaking
of
waggons
and
the
staccato
of
hoofs
the
lane
came
round
sharply
not
fifty
yards
from
the
crossroads
good
heavens
cried
mrs
elphinstone
what
is
this
you
are
driving
us
into
my
brother
stopped
for
the
main
road
was
a
boiling
stream
of
people
a
torrent
of
human
beings
rushing
northward
one
pressing
on
another
a
great
bank
of
dust
white
and
luminous
in
the
blaze
of
the
sun
made
everything
within
twenty
feet
of
the
ground
grey
and
indistinct
and
was
perpetually
renewed
by
the
hurrying
feet
of
a
dense
crowd
of
horses
and
of
men
and
women
on
foot
and
by
the
wheels
of
vehicles
of
every
description
way
my
brother
heard
voices
crying
make
way
it
was
like
riding
into
the
smoke
of
a
fire
to
approach
the
meeting
point
of
the
lane
and
road
the
crowd
roared
like
a
fire
and
the
dust
was
hot
and
pungent
and
indeed
a
little
way
up
the
road
a
villa
was
burning
and
sending
rolling
masses
of
black
smoke
across
the
road
to
add
to
the
confusion
two
men
came
past
them
then
a
dirty
woman
carrying
a
heavy
bundle
and
weeping
a
lost
retriever
dog
with
hanging
tongue
circled
dubiously
round
them
scared
and
wretched
and
fled
at
my
brother's
threat
so
much
as
they
could
see
of
the
road
londonward
between
the
houses
to
the
right
was
a
tumultuous
stream
of
dirty
hurrying
people
pent
in
between
the
villas
on
either
side
the
black
heads
the
crowded
forms
grew
into
distinctness
as
they
rushed
towards
the
corner
hurried
past
and
merged
their
individuality
again
in
a
receding
multitude
that
was
swallowed
up
at
last
in
a
cloud
of
dust
go
on
go
on
cried
the
voices
way
way
one
man's
hands
pressed
on
the
back
of
another
my
brother
stood
at
the
pony's
head
irresistibly
attracted
he
advanced
slowly
pace
by
pace
down
the
lane
edgware
had
been
a
scene
of
confusion
chalk
farm
a
riotous
tumult
but
this
was
a
whole
population
in
movement
it
is
hard
to
imagine
that
host
it
had
no
character
of
its
own
the
figures
poured
out
past
the
corner
and
receded
with
their
backs
to
the
group
in
the
lane
along
the
margin
came
those
who
were
on
foot
threatened
by
the
wheels
stumbling
in
the
ditches
blundering
into
one
another
the
carts
and
carriages
crowded
close
upon
one
another
making
little
way
for
those
swifter
and
more
impatient
vehicles
that
darted
forward
every
now
and
then
when
an
opportunity
showed
itself
of
doing
so
sending
the
people
scattering
against
the
fences
and
gates
of
the
villas
push
on
was
the
cry
push
on
they
are
coming
in
one
cart
stood
a
blind
man
in
the
uniform
of
the
salvation
army
gesticulating
with
his
crooked
fingers
and
bawling
eternity
eternity
his
voice
was
hoarse
and
very
loud
so
that
my
brother
could
hear
him
long
after
he
was
lost
to
sight
in
the
dust
some
of
the
people
who
crowded
in
the
carts
whipped
stupidly
at
their
horses
and
quarrelled
with
other
drivers
some
sat
motionless
staring
at
nothing
with
miserable
eyes
some
gnawed
their
hands
with
thirst
or
lay
prostrate
in
the
bottoms
of
their
conveyances
the
horses
bits
were
covered
with
foam
their
eyes
bloodshot
there
were
cabs
carriages
shop
cars
waggons
beyond
counting
a
mail
cart
a
road
cleaner's
cart
marked
vestry
of
st
pancras
a
huge
timber
waggon
crowded
with
roughs
a
brewer's
dray
rumbled
by
with
its
two
near
wheels
splashed
with
fresh
blood
clear
the
way
cried
the
voices
clear
the
way
eter
nity
eter
nity
came
echoing
down
the
road
there
were
sad
haggard
women
tramping
by
well
dressed
with
children
that
cried
and
stumbled
their
dainty
clothes
smothered
in
dust
their
weary
faces
smeared
with
tears
with
many
of
these
came
men
sometimes
helpful
sometimes
lowering
and
savage
fighting
side
by
side
with
them
pushed
some
weary
street
outcast
in
faded
black
rags
wide
eyed
loud
voiced
and
foul
mouthed
there
were
sturdy
workmen
thrusting
their
way
along
wretched
unkempt
men
clothed
like
clerks
or
shopmen
struggling
spasmodically
a
wounded
soldier
my
brother
noticed
men
dressed
in
the
clothes
of
railway
porters
one
wretched
creature
in
a
nightshirt
with
a
coat
thrown
over
it
but
varied
as
its
composition
was
certain
things
all
that
host
had
in
common
there
were
fear
and
pain
on
their
faces
and
fear
behind
them
a
tumult
up
the
road
a
quarrel
for
a
place
in
a
waggon
sent
the
whole
host
of
them
quickening
their
pace
even
a
man
so
scared
and
broken
that
his
knees
bent
under
him
was
galvanised
for
a
moment
into
renewed
activity
the
heat
and
dust
had
already
been
at
work
upon
this
multitude
their
skins
were
dry
their
lips
black
and
cracked
they
were
all
thirsty
weary
and
footsore
and
amid
the
various
cries
one
heard
disputes
reproaches
groans
of
weariness
and
fatigue
the
voices
of
most
of
them
were
hoarse
and
weak
through
it
all
ran
a
refrain
way
way
the
martians
are
coming
few
stopped
and
came
aside
from
that
flood
the
lane
opened
slantingly
into
the
main
road
with
a
narrow
opening
and
had
a
delusive
appearance
of
coming
from
the
direction
of
london
yet
a
kind
of
eddy
of
people
drove
into
its
mouth
weaklings
elbowed
out
of
the
stream
who
for
the
most
part
rested
but
a
moment
before
plunging
into
it
again
a
little
way
down
the
lane
with
two
friends
bending
over
him
lay
a
man
with
a
bare
leg
wrapped
about
with
bloody
rags
he
was
a
lucky
man
to
have
friends
a
little
old
man
with
a
grey
military
moustache
and
a
filthy
black
frock
coat
limped
out
and
sat
down
beside
the
trap
removed
his
boot
his
sock
was
blood
stained
shook
out
a
pebble
and
hobbled
on
again
and
then
a
little
girl
of
eight
or
nine
all
alone
threw
herself
under
the
hedge
close
by
my
brother
weeping
i
can't
go
on
i
can't
go
on
my
brother
woke
from
his
torpor
of
astonishment
and
lifted
her
up
speaking
gently
to
her
and
carried
her
to
miss
elphinstone
so
soon
as
my
brother
touched
her
she
became
quite
still
as
if
frightened
ellen
shrieked
a
woman
in
the
crowd
with
tears
in
her
voice
ellen
and
the
child
suddenly
darted
away
from
my
brother
crying
mother
they
are
coming
said
a
man
on
horseback
riding
past
along
the
lane
out
of
the
way
there
bawled
a
coachman
towering
high
and
my
brother
saw
a
closed
carriage
turning
into
the
lane
the
people
crushed
back
on
one
another
to
avoid
the
horse
my
brother
pushed
the
pony
and
chaise
back
into
the
hedge
and
the
man
drove
by
and
stopped
at
the
turn
of
the
way
it
was
a
carriage
with
a
pole
for
a
pair
of
horses
but
only
one
was
in
the
traces
my
brother
saw
dimly
through
the
dust
that
two
men
lifted
out
something
on
a
white
stretcher
and
put
it
gently
on
the
grass
beneath
the
privet
hedge
one
of
the
men
came
running
to
my
brother
where
is
there
any
water
he
said
he
is
dying
fast
and
very
thirsty
it
is
lord
garrick
lord
garrick
said
my
brother
the
chief
justice
the
water
he
said
there
may
be
a
tap
said
my
brother
in
some
of
the
houses
we
have
no
water
i
dare
not
leave
my
people
the
man
pushed
against
the
crowd
towards
the
gate
of
the
corner
house
go
on
said
the
people
thrusting
at
him
they
are
coming
go
on
then
my
brother's
attention
was
distracted
by
a
bearded
eagle
faced
man
lugging
a
small
handbag
which
split
even
as
my
brother's
eyes
rested
on
it
and
disgorged
a
mass
of
sovereigns
that
seemed
to
break
up
into
separate
coins
as
it
struck
the
ground
they
rolled
hither
and
thither
among
the
struggling
feet
of
men
and
horses
the
man
stopped
and
looked
stupidly
at
the
heap
and
the
shaft
of
a
cab
struck
his
shoulder
and
sent
him
reeling
he
gave
a
shriek
and
dodged
back
and
a
cartwheel
shaved
him
narrowly
way
cried
the
men
all
about
him
make
way
so
soon
as
the
cab
had
passed
he
flung
himself
with
both
hands
open
upon
the
heap
of
coins
and
began
thrusting
handfuls
in
his
pocket
a
horse
rose
close
upon
him
and
in
another
moment
half
rising
he
had
been
borne
down
under
the
horse's
hoofs
stop
screamed
my
brother
and
pushing
a
woman
out
of
his
way
tried
to
clutch
the
bit
of
the
horse
before
he
could
get
to
it
he
heard
a
scream
under
the
wheels
and
saw
through
the
dust
the
rim
passing
over
the
poor
wretch's
back
the
driver
of
the
cart
slashed
his
whip
at
my
brother
who
ran
round
behind
the
cart
the
multitudinous
shouting
confused
his
ears
the
man
was
writhing
in
the
dust
among
his
scattered
money
unable
to
rise
for
the
wheel
had
broken
his
back
and
his
lower
limbs
lay
limp
and
dead
my
brother
stood
up
and
yelled
at
the
next
driver
and
a
man
on
a
black
horse
came
to
his
assistance
get
him
out
of
the
road
said
he
and
clutching
the
man's
collar
with
his
free
hand
my
brother
lugged
him
sideways
but
he
still
clutched
after
his
money
and
regarded
my
brother
fiercely
hammering
at
his
arm
with
a
handful
of
gold
go
on
go
on
shouted
angry
voices
behind
way
way
there
was
a
smash
as
the
pole
of
a
carriage
crashed
into
the
cart
that
the
man
on
horseback
stopped
my
brother
looked
up
and
the
man
with
the
gold
twisted
his
head
round
and
bit
the
wrist
that
held
his
collar
there
was
a
concussion
and
the
black
horse
came
staggering
sideways
and
the
carthorse
pushed
beside
it
a
hoof
missed
my
brother's
foot
by
a
hair's
breadth
he
released
his
grip
on
the
fallen
man
and
jumped
back
he
saw
anger
change
to
terror
on
the
face
of
the
poor
wretch
on
the
ground
and
in
a
moment
he
was
hidden
and
my
brother
was
borne
backward
and
carried
past
the
entrance
of
the
lane
and
had
to
fight
hard
in
the
torrent
to
recover
it
he
saw
miss
elphinstone
covering
her
eyes
and
a
little
child
with
all
a
child's
want
of
sympathetic
imagination
staring
with
dilated
eyes
at
a
dusty
something
that
lay
black
and
still
ground
and
crushed
under
the
rolling
wheels
let
us
go
back
he
shouted
and
began
turning
the
pony
round
we
cannot
cross
this
hell
he
said
and
they
went
back
a
hundred
yards
the
way
they
had
come
until
the
fighting
crowd
was
hidden
as
they
passed
the
bend
in
the
lane
my
brother
saw
the
face
of
the
dying
man
in
the
ditch
under
the
privet
deadly
white
and
drawn
and
shining
with
perspiration
the
two
women
sat
silent
crouching
in
their
seat
and
shivering
then
beyond
the
bend
my
brother
stopped
again
miss
elphinstone
was
white
and
pale
and
her
sister
in
law
sat
weeping
too
wretched
even
to
call
upon
george
my
brother
was
horrified
and
perplexed
so
soon
as
they
had
retreated
he
realised
how
urgent
and
unavoidable
it
was
to
attempt
this
crossing
he
turned
to
miss
elphinstone
suddenly
resolute
we
must
go
that
way
he
said
and
led
the
pony
round
again
for
the
second
time
that
day
this
girl
proved
her
quality
to
force
their
way
into
the
torrent
of
people
my
brother
plunged
into
the
traffic
and
held
back
a
cab
horse
while
she
drove
the
pony
across
its
head
a
waggon
locked
wheels
for
a
moment
and
ripped
a
long
splinter
from
the
chaise
in
another
moment
they
were
caught
and
swept
forward
by
the
stream
my
brother
with
the
cabman's
whip
marks
red
across
his
face
and
hands
scrambled
into
the
chaise
and
took
the
reins
from
her
point
the
revolver
at
the
man
behind
he
said
giving
it
to
her
if
he
presses
us
too
hard
no
point
it
at
his
horse
then
he
began
to
look
out
for
a
chance
of
edging
to
the
right
across
the
road
but
once
in
the
stream
he
seemed
to
lose
volition
to
become
a
part
of
that
dusty
rout
they
swept
through
chipping
barnet
with
the
torrent
they
were
nearly
a
mile
beyond
the
centre
of
the
town
before
they
had
fought
across
to
the
opposite
side
of
the
way
it
was
din
and
confusion
indescribable
but
in
and
beyond
the
town
the
road
forks
repeatedly
and
this
to
some
extent
relieved
the
stress
they
struck
eastward
through
hadley
and
there
on
either
side
of
the
road
and
at
another
place
farther
on
they
came
upon
a
great
multitude
of
people
drinking
at
the
stream
some
fighting
to
come
at
the
water
and
farther
on
from
a
lull
near
east
barnet
they
saw
two
trains
running
slowly
one
after
the
other
without
signal
or
order
trains
swarming
with
people
with
men
even
among
the
coals
behind
the
engines
going
northward
along
the
great
northern
railway
my
brother
supposes
they
must
have
filled
outside
london
for
at
that
time
the
furious
terror
of
the
people
had
rendered
the
central
termini
impossible
near
this
place
they
halted
for
the
rest
of
the
afternoon
for
the
violence
of
the
day
had
already
utterly
exhausted
all
three
of
them
they
began
to
suffer
the
beginnings
of
hunger
the
night
was
cold
and
none
of
them
dared
to
sleep
and
in
the
evening
many
people
came
hurrying
along
the
road
nearby
their
stopping
place
fleeing
from
unknown
dangers
before
them
and
going
in
the
direction
from
which
my
brother
had
come
had
the
martians
aimed
only
at
destruction
they
might
on
monday
have
annihilated
the
entire
population
of
london
as
it
spread
itself
slowly
through
the
home
counties
not
only
along
the
road
through
barnet
but
also
through
edgware
and
waltham
abbey
and
along
the
roads
eastward
to
southend
and
shoeburyness
and
south
of
the
thames
to
deal
and
broadstairs
poured
the
same
frantic
rout
if
one
could
have
hung
that
june
morning
in
a
balloon
in
the
blazing
blue
above
london
every
northward
and
eastward
road
running
out
of
the
tangled
maze
of
streets
would
have
seemed
stippled
black
with
the
streaming
fugitives
each
dot
a
human
agony
of
terror
and
physical
distress
i
have
set
forth
at
length
in
the
last
chapter
my
brother's
account
of
the
road
through
chipping
barnet
in
order
that
my
readers
may
realise
how
that
swarming
of
black
dots
appeared
to
one
of
those
concerned
never
before
in
the
history
of
the
world
had
such
a
mass
of
human
beings
moved
and
suffered
together
the
legendary
hosts
of
goths
and
huns
the
hugest
armies
asia
has
ever
seen
would
have
been
but
a
drop
in
that
current
and
this
was
no
disciplined
march
it
was
a
stampede
a
stampede
gigantic
and
terrible
without
order
and
without
a
goal
six
million
people
unarmed
and
unprovisioned
driving
headlong
it
was
the
beginning
of
the
rout
of
civilisation
of
the
massacre
of
mankind
directly
below
him
the
balloonist
would
have
seen
the
network
of
streets
far
and
wide
houses
churches
squares
crescents
gardens
already
derelict
spread
out
like
a
huge
map
and
in
the
southward
blotted
over
ealing
richmond
wimbledon
it
would
have
seemed
as
if
some
monstrous
pen
had
flung
ink
upon
the
chart
steadily
incessantly
each
black
splash
grew
and
spread
shooting
out
ramifications
this
way
and
that
now
banking
itself
against
rising
ground
now
pouring
swiftly
over
a
crest
into
a
new
found
valley
exactly
as
a
gout
of
ink
would
spread
itself
upon
blotting
paper
and
beyond
over
the
blue
hills
that
rise
southward
of
the
river
the
glittering
martians
went
to
and
fro
calmly
and
methodically
spreading
their
poison
cloud
over
this
patch
of
country
and
then
over
that
laying
it
again
with
their
steam
jets
when
it
had
served
its
purpose
and
taking
possession
of
the
conquered
country
they
do
not
seem
to
have
aimed
at
extermination
so
much
as
at
complete
demoralisation
and
the
destruction
of
any
opposition
they
exploded
any
stores
of
powder
they
came
upon
cut
every
telegraph
and
wrecked
the
railways
here
and
there
they
were
hamstringing
mankind
they
seemed
in
no
hurry
to
extend
the
field
of
their
operations
and
did
not
come
beyond
the
central
part
of
london
all
that
day
it
is
possible
that
a
very
considerable
number
of
people
in
london
stuck
to
their
houses
through
monday
morning
certain
it
is
that
many
died
at
home
suffocated
by
the
black
smoke
until
about
midday
the
pool
of
london
was
an
astonishing
scene
steamboats
and
shipping
of
all
sorts
lay
there
tempted
by
the
enormous
sums
of
money
offered
by
fugitives
and
it
is
said
that
many
who
swam
out
to
these
vessels
were
thrust
off
with
boathooks
and
drowned
about
one
o'clock
in
the
afternoon
the
thinning
remnant
of
a
cloud
of
the
black
vapour
appeared
between
the
arches
of
blackfriars
bridge
at
that
the
pool
became
a
scene
of
mad
confusion
fighting
and
collision
and
for
some
time
a
multitude
of
boats
and
barges
jammed
in
the
northern
arch
of
the
tower
bridge
and
the
sailors
and
lightermen
had
to
fight
savagely
against
the
people
who
swarmed
upon
them
from
the
riverfront
people
were
actually
clambering
down
the
piers
of
the
bridge
from
above
when
an
hour
later
a
martian
appeared
beyond
the
clock
tower
and
waded
down
the
river
nothing
but
wreckage
floated
above
limehouse
of
the
falling
of
the
fifth
cylinder
i
have
presently
to
tell
the
sixth
star
fell
at
wimbledon
my
brother
keeping
watch
beside
the
women
in
the
chaise
in
a
meadow
saw
the
green
flash
of
it
far
beyond
the
hills
on
tuesday
the
little
party
still
set
upon
getting
across
the
sea
made
its
way
through
the
swarming
country
towards
colchester
the
news
that
the
martians
were
now
in
possession
of
the
whole
of
london
was
confirmed
they
had
been
seen
at
highgate
and
even
it
was
said
at
neasden
but
they
did
not
come
into
my
brother's
view
until
the
morrow
that
day
the
scattered
multitudes
began
to
realise
the
urgent
need
of
provisions
as
they
grew
hungry
the
rights
of
property
ceased
to
be
regarded
farmers
were
out
to
defend
their
cattle
sheds
granaries
and
ripening
root
crops
with
arms
in
their
hands
a
number
of
people
now
like
my
brother
had
their
faces
eastward
and
there
were
some
desperate
souls
even
going
back
towards
london
to
get
food
these
were
chiefly
people
from
the
northern
suburbs
whose
knowledge
of
the
black
smoke
came
by
hearsay
he
heard
that
about
half
the
members
of
the
government
had
gathered
at
birmingham
and
that
enormous
quantities
of
high
explosives
were
being
prepared
to
be
used
in
automatic
mines
across
the
midland
counties
he
was
also
told
that
the
midland
railway
company
had
replaced
the
desertions
of
the
first
day's
panic
had
resumed
traffic
and
was
running
northward
trains
from
st
albans
to
relieve
the
congestion
of
the
home
counties
there
was
also
a
placard
in
chipping
ongar
announcing
that
large
stores
of
flour
were
available
in
the
northern
towns
and
that
within
twenty
four
hours
bread
would
be
distributed
among
the
starving
people
in
the
neighbourhood
but
this
intelligence
did
not
deter
him
from
the
plan
of
escape
he
had
formed
and
the
three
pressed
eastward
all
day
and
heard
no
more
of
the
bread
distribution
than
this
promise
nor
as
a
matter
of
fact
did
anyone
else
hear
more
of
it
that
night
fell
the
seventh
star
falling
upon
primrose
hill
it
fell
while
miss
elphinstone
was
watching
for
she
took
that
duty
alternately
with
my
brother
she
saw
it
on
wednesday
the
three
fugitives
they
had
passed
the
night
in
a
field
of
unripe
wheat
reached
chelmsford
and
there
a
body
of
the
inhabitants
calling
itself
the
committee
of
public
supply
seized
the
pony
as
provisions
and
would
give
nothing
in
exchange
for
it
but
the
promise
of
a
share
in
it
the
next
day
here
there
were
rumours
of
martians
at
epping
and
news
of
the
destruction
of
waltham
abbey
powder
mills
in
a
vain
attempt
to
blow
up
one
of
the
invaders
people
were
watching
for
martians
here
from
the
church
towers
my
brother
very
luckily
for
him
as
it
chanced
preferred
to
push
on
at
once
to
the
coast
rather
than
wait
for
food
although
all
three
of
them
were
very
hungry
by
midday
they
passed
through
tillingham
which
strangely
enough
seemed
to
be
quite
silent
and
deserted
save
for
a
few
furtive
plunderers
hunting
for
food
near
tillingham
they
suddenly
came
in
sight
of
the
sea
and
the
most
amazing
crowd
of
shipping
of
all
sorts
that
it
is
possible
to
imagine
for
after
the
sailors
could
no
longer
come
up
the
thames
they
came
on
to
the
essex
coast
to
harwich
and
walton
and
clacton
and
afterwards
to
foulness
and
shoebury
to
bring
off
the
people
they
lay
in
a
huge
sickle
shaped
curve
that
vanished
into
mist
at
last
towards
the
naze
close
inshore
was
a
multitude
of
fishing
smacks
english
scotch
french
dutch
and
swedish
steam
launches
from
the
thames
yachts
electric
boats
and
beyond
were
ships
of
large
burden
a
multitude
of
filthy
colliers
trim
merchantmen
cattle
ships
passenger
boats
petroleum
tanks
ocean
tramps
an
old
white
transport
even
neat
white
and
grey
liners
from
southampton
and
hamburg
and
along
the
blue
coast
across
the
blackwater
my
brother
could
make
out
dimly
a
dense
swarm
of
boats
chaffering
with
the
people
on
the
beach
a
swarm
which
also
extended
up
the
blackwater
almost
to
maldon
about
a
couple
of
miles
out
lay
an
ironclad
very
low
in
the
water
almost
to
my
brother's
perception
like
a
water
logged
ship
this
was
the
ram
thunder
child
it
was
the
only
warship
in
sight
but
far
away
to
the
right
over
the
smooth
surface
of
the
sea
for
that
day
there
was
a
dead
calm
lay
a
serpent
of
black
smoke
to
mark
the
next
iron
clads
of
the
channel
fleet
which
hovered
in
an
extended
line
steam
up
and
ready
for
action
across
the
thames
estuary
during
the
course
of
the
martian
conquest
vigilant
and
yet
powerless
to
prevent
it
at
the
sight
of
the
sea
mrs
elphinstone
in
spite
of
the
assurances
of
her
sister
in
law
gave
way
to
panic
she
had
never
been
out
of
england
before
she
would
rather
die
than
trust
herself
friendless
in
a
foreign
country
and
so
forth
she
seemed
poor
woman
to
imagine
that
the
french
and
the
martians
might
prove
very
similar
she
had
been
growing
increasingly
hysterical
fearful
and
depressed
during
the
two
days'
journeyings
her
great
idea
was
to
return
to
stanmore
things
had
been
always
well
and
safe
at
stanmore
they
would
find
george
at
stanmore
it
was
with
the
greatest
difficulty
they
could
get
her
down
to
the
beach
where
presently
my
brother
succeeded
in
attracting
the
attention
of
some
men
on
a
paddle
steamer
from
the
thames
they
sent
a
boat
and
drove
a
bargain
for
thirty
six
pounds
for
the
three
the
steamer
was
going
these
men
said
to
ostend
it
was
about
two
o'clock
when
my
brother
having
paid
their
fares
at
the
gangway
found
himself
safely
aboard
the
steamboat
with
his
charges
there
was
food
aboard
albeit
at
exorbitant
prices
and
the
three
of
them
contrived
to
eat
a
meal
on
one
of
the
seats
forward
there
were
already
a
couple
of
score
of
passengers
aboard
some
of