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Thencamethenightofthefirstfallingstar.
Itwasseenearlyinthemorning,rushingoverWinchestereastward,alineofflamehighintheatmosphere.
Hundredsmusthaveseenit,andtakenitforanordinaryfallingstar.
Albindescribeditasleavingagreenishstreakbehinditthatglowedforsomeseconds.
Denning,ourgreatestauthorityonmeteorites,statedthattheheightofitsfirstappearancewasaboutninetyoronehundredmiles.
Itseemedtohimthatitfelltoearthaboutonehundredmileseastofhim.
Iwasathomeatthathourandwritinginmystudy;andalthoughmyFrenchwindowsfacetowardsOttershawandtheblindwasup(forIlovedinthosedaystolookupatthenightsky),Isawnothingofit.
YetthisstrangestofallthingsthatevercametoearthfromouterspacemusthavefallenwhileIwassittingthere,visibletomehadIonlylookedupasitpassed.
Someofthosewhosawitsflightsayittravelledwithahissingsound.Imyselfheardnothingofthat.
ManypeopleinBerkshire,Surrey,andMiddlesexmusthaveseenthefallofit,and,atmost,havethoughtthatanothermeteoritehaddescended.
Nooneseemstohavetroubledtolookforthefallenmassthatnight.
ButveryearlyinthemorningpoorOgilvy,whohadseentheshootingstarandwhowaspersuadedthatameteoritelaysomewhereonthecommonbetweenHorsell,Ottershaw,andWoking,roseearlywiththeideaoffindingit.
Findithedid,soonafterdawn,andnotfarfromthesandpits.
Anenormousholehadbeenmadebytheimpactoftheprojectile,andthesandandgravelhadbeenflungviolentlyineverydirectionovertheheath,formingheapsvisibleamileandahalfaway.
Theheatherwasonfireeastward,andathinbluesmokeroseagainstthedawn.
TheThingitselflayalmostentirelyburiedinsand,amidstthescatteredsplintersofafirtreeithadshiveredtofragmentsinitsdescent.
Theuncoveredparthadtheappearanceofahugecylinder,cakedoveranditsoutlinesoftenedbyathickscalydun–colouredincrustation.
Ithadadiameterofaboutthirtyyards.
Heapproachedthemass,surprisedatthesizeandmoresoattheshape,sincemostmeteoritesareroundedmoreorlesscompletely.
Itwas,however,stillsohotfromitsflightthroughtheairastoforbidhisnearapproach.
Astirringnoisewithinitscylinderheascribedtotheunequalcoolingofitssurface;foratthattimeithadnotoccurredtohimthatitmightbehollow.
HeremainedstandingattheedgeofthepitthattheThinghadmadeforitself,staringatitsstrangeappearance,astonishedchieflyatitsunusualshapeandcolour,anddimlyperceivingeventhensomeevidenceofdesigninitsarrival.
Theearlymorningwaswonderfullystill,andthesun,justclearingthepinetreestowardsWeybridge,wasalreadywarm.
Hedidnotrememberhearinganybirdsthatmorning,therewascertainlynobreezestirring,andtheonlysoundswerethefaintmovementsfromwithinthecinderycylinder.Hewasallaloneonthecommon.
Thensuddenlyhenoticedwithastartthatsomeofthegreyclinker,theashyincrustationthatcoveredthemeteorite,wasfallingoffthecircularedgeoftheend.
Itwasdroppingoffinflakesandrainingdownuponthesand.
Alargepiecesuddenlycameoffandfellwithasharpnoisethatbroughthisheartintohismouth.
Foraminutehescarcelyrealisedwhatthismeant,and,althoughtheheatwasexcessive,heclambereddownintothepitclosetothebulktoseetheThingmoreclearly.
Hefanciedeventhenthatthecoolingofthebodymightaccountforthis,butwhatdisturbedthatideawasthefactthattheashwasfallingonlyfromtheendofthecylinder.
Andthenheperceivedthat,veryslowly,thecirculartopofthecylinderwasrotatingonitsbody.
Itwassuchagradualmovementthathediscovereditonlythroughnoticingthatablackmarkthathadbeennearhimfiveminutesagowasnowattheothersideofthecircumference.
Eventhenhescarcelyunderstoodwhatthisindicated,untilheheardamuffledgratingsoundandsawtheblackmarkjerkforwardaninchorso.
Thenthethingcameuponhiminaflash.
Thecylinderwasartificial—hollow—withanendthatscrewedout!
Somethingwithinthecylinderwasunscrewingthetop!
"Goodheavens!"saidOgilvy."There'samaninit—meninit!Halfroastedtodeath!Tryingtoescape!"
Atonce,withaquickmentalleap,helinkedtheThingwiththeflashuponMars.
Thethoughtoftheconfinedcreaturewassodreadfultohimthatheforgottheheatandwentforwardtothecylindertohelpturn.
Butluckilythedullradiationarrestedhimbeforehecouldburnhishandsonthestill–glowingmetal.
Atthathestoodirresoluteforamoment,thenturned,scrambledoutofthepit,andsetoffrunningwildlyintoWoking.
Thetimethenmusthavebeensomewhereaboutsixo'clock.
Hemetawaggonerandtriedtomakehimunderstand,butthetalehetoldandhisappearanceweresowild—hishathadfallenoffinthepit—thatthemansimplydroveon.
Hewasequallyunsuccessfulwiththepotmanwhowasjustunlockingthedoorsofthepublic–housebyHorsellBridge.
Thefellowthoughthewasalunaticatlargeandmadeanunsuccessfulattempttoshuthimintothetaproom.
Thatsoberedhimalittle;andwhenhesawHenderson,theLondonjournalist,inhisgarden,hecalledoverthepalingsandmadehimselfunderstood.
"Henderson,"hecalled,"yousawthatshootingstarlastnight?"
"Well?"saidHenderson.
"It'soutonHorsellCommonnow."
"GoodLord!"saidHenderson."Fallenmeteorite!That'sgood."
"Butit'ssomethingmorethanameteorite.It'sacylinder—anartificialcylinder,man!Andthere'ssomethinginside."
Hendersonstoodupwithhisspadeinhishand.
"What'sthat?"hesaid.Hewasdeafinoneear.
Ogilvytoldhimallthathehadseen.Hendersonwasaminuteorsotakingitin.
Thenhedroppedhisspade,snatcheduphisjacket,andcameoutintotheroad.
Thetwomenhurriedbackatoncetothecommon,andfoundthecylinderstilllyinginthesameposition.
Butnowthesoundsinsidehadceased,andathincircleofbrightmetalshowedbetweenthetopandthebodyofthecylinder.
Airwaseitherenteringorescapingattherimwithathin,sizzlingsound.
Theylistened,rappedonthescalyburntmetalwithastick,and,meetingwithnoresponse,theybothconcludedthemanormeninsidemustbeinsensibleordead.
Ofcoursethetwowerequiteunabletodoanything.
Theyshoutedconsolationandpromises,andwentoffbacktothetownagaintogethelp.
Onecanimaginethem,coveredwithsand,excitedanddisordered,runningupthelittlestreetinthebrightsunlightjustastheshopfolksweretakingdowntheirshuttersandpeoplewereopeningtheirbedroomwindows.
Hendersonwentintotherailwaystationatonce,inordertotelegraphthenewstoLondon.
Thenewspaperarticleshadpreparedmen'smindsforthereceptionoftheidea.
Byeighto'clockanumberofboysandunemployedmenhadalreadystartedforthecommontoseethe"deadmenfromMars."Thatwastheformthestorytook.
IheardofitfirstfrommynewspaperboyaboutaquartertoninewhenIwentouttogetmyDailyChronicle.
Iwasnaturallystartled,andlostnotimeingoingoutandacrosstheOttershawbridgetothesandpits.
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