English
Ifoundalittlecrowdofperhapstwentypeoplesurroundingthehugeholeinwhichthecylinderlay.
Ihavealreadydescribedtheappearanceofthatcolossalbulk,embeddedintheground.
Theturfandgravelaboutitseemedcharredasifbyasuddenexplosion.
Nodoubtitsimpacthadcausedaflashoffire.HendersonandOgilvywerenotthere.
Ithinktheyperceivedthatnothingwastobedoneforthepresent,andhadgoneawaytobreakfastatHenderson'shouse.
TherewerefourorfiveboyssittingontheedgeofthePit,withtheirfeetdangling,andamusingthemselves—untilIstoppedthem—bythrowingstonesatthegiantmass.
AfterIhadspokentothemaboutit,theybeganplayingat"touch"inandoutofthegroupofbystanders.
Amongthesewereacoupleofcyclists,ajobbinggardenerIemployedsometimes,agirlcarryingababy,Greggthebutcherandhislittleboy,andtwoorthreeloafersandgolfcaddieswhowereaccustomedtohangabouttherailwaystation.Therewasverylittletalking.
FewofthecommonpeopleinEnglandhadanythingbutthevaguestastronomicalideasinthosedays.
Mostofthemwerestaringquietlyatthebigtablelikeendofthecylinder,whichwasstillasOgilvyandHendersonhadleftit.
Ifancythepopularexpectationofaheapofcharredcorpseswasdisappointedatthisinanimatebulk.
SomewentawaywhileIwasthere,andotherpeoplecame.
IclamberedintothepitandfanciedIheardafaintmovementundermyfeet.Thetophadcertainlyceasedtorotate.
ItwasonlywhenIgotthusclosetoitthatthestrangenessofthisobjectwasatallevidenttome.
Atthefirstglanceitwasreallynomoreexcitingthananoverturnedcarriageoratreeblownacrosstheroad.Notsomuchso,indeed.Itlookedlikearustygasfloat.
ItrequiredacertainamountofscientificeducationtoperceivethatthegreyscaleoftheThingwasnocommonoxide,thattheyellowish–whitemetalthatgleamedinthecrackbetweenthelidandthecylinderhadanunfamiliarhue.
"Extra–terrestrial"hadnomeaningformostoftheonlookers.
AtthattimeitwasquiteclearinmyownmindthattheThinghadcomefromtheplanetMars,butIjudgeditimprobablethatitcontainedanylivingcreature.
Ithoughttheunscrewingmightbeautomatic.
InspiteofOgilvy,IstillbelievedthatthereweremeninMars.
Mymindranfancifullyonthepossibilitiesofitscontainingmanuscript,onthedifficultiesintranslationthatmightarise,whetherweshouldfindcoinsandmodelsinit,andsoforth.
Yetitwasalittletoolargeforassuranceonthisidea.Ifeltanimpatiencetoseeitopened.
Abouteleven,asnothingseemedhappening,Iwalkedback,fullofsuchthought,tomyhomeinMaybury.
ButIfounditdifficulttogettoworkuponmyabstractinvestigations.
Intheafternoontheappearanceofthecommonhadalteredverymuch.TheearlyeditionsoftheeveningpapershadstartledLondonwithenormousheadlines:
"AMESSAGERECEIVEDFROMMARS."
"REMARKABLESTORYFROMWOKING,"
andsoforth.Inaddition,Ogilvy'swiretotheAstronomicalExchangehadrousedeveryobservatoryinthethreekingdoms.
TherewerehalfadozenfliesormorefromtheWokingstationstandingintheroadbythesandpits,abasket–chaisefromChobham,andaratherlordlycarriage.
Besidesthat,therewasquiteaheapofbicycles.
Inaddition,alargenumberofpeoplemusthavewalked,inspiteoftheheatoftheday,fromWokingandChertsey,sothattherewasaltogetherquiteaconsiderablecrowd—oneortwogailydressedladiesamongtheothers.
Itwasglaringlyhot,notacloudintheskynorabreathofwind,andtheonlyshadowwasthatofthefewscatteredpinetrees.
Theburningheatherhadbeenextinguished,butthelevelgroundtowardsOttershawwasblackenedasfarasonecouldsee,andstillgivingoffverticalstreamersofsmoke.
Anenterprisingsweet–stuffdealerintheChobhamRoadhadsentuphissonwithabarrow–loadofgreenapplesandgingerbeer.
Goingtotheedgeofthepit,Ifounditoccupiedbyagroupofabouthalfadozenmen—Henderson,Ogilvy,andatall,fair–hairedmanthatIafterwardslearnedwasStent,theAstronomerRoyal,withseveralworkmenwieldingspadesandpickaxes.
Stentwasgivingdirectionsinaclear,high–pitchedvoice.
Hewasstandingonthecylinder,whichwasnowevidentlymuchcooler;hisfacewascrimsonandstreamingwithperspiration,andsomethingseemedtohaveirritatedhim.
Alargeportionofthecylinderhadbeenuncovered,thoughitslowerendwasstillembedded.
AssoonasOgilvysawmeamongthestaringcrowdontheedgeofthepithecalledtometocomedown,andaskedmeifIwouldmindgoingovertoseeLordHilton,thelordofthemanor.
Thegrowingcrowd,hesaid,wasbecomingaseriousimpedimenttotheirexcavations,especiallytheboys.
Theywantedalightrailingputup,andhelptokeepthepeopleback.
Hetoldmethatafaintstirringwasoccasionallystillaudiblewithinthecase,butthattheworkmenhadfailedtounscrewthetop,asitaffordednogriptothem.
Thecaseappearedtobeenormouslythick,anditwaspossiblethatthefaintsoundsweheardrepresentedanoisytumultintheinterior.
Iwasverygladtodoasheasked,andsobecomeoneoftheprivilegedspectatorswithinthecontemplatedenclosure.
IfailedtofindLordHiltonathishouse,butIwastoldhewasexpectedfromLondonbythesixo'clocktrainfromWaterloo;andasitwasthenaboutaquarterpastfive,Iwenthome,hadsometea,andwalkeduptothestationtowaylayhim.
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