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WhenIreturnedtothecommonthesunwassetting.
ScatteredgroupswerehurryingfromthedirectionofWoking,andoneortwopersonswerereturning.
Thecrowdaboutthepithadincreased,andstoodoutblackagainstthelemonyellowofthesky—acoupleofhundredpeople,perhaps.
Therewereraisedvoices,andsomesortofstruggleappearedtobegoingonaboutthepit.
Strangeimaginingspassedthroughmymind.AsIdrewnearerIheardStent'svoice:
"Keepback!Keepback!"
Aboycamerunningtowardsme.
"It'sa–movin',"hesaidtomeashepassed;"a–screwin'anda–screwin'out.Idon'tlikeit.I'ma–goin''ome,Iam."
Iwentontothecrowd.Therewerereally,Ishouldthink,twoorthreehundredpeopleelbowingandjostlingoneanother,theoneortwoladiestherebeingbynomeanstheleastactive.
"He'sfalleninthepit!"criedsomeone.
"Keepback!"saidseveral.
Thecrowdswayedalittle,andIelbowedmywaythrough.Everyoneseemedgreatlyexcited.Iheardapeculiarhummingsoundfromthepit.
"Isay!"saidOgilvy;"helpkeeptheseidiotsback.Wedon'tknowwhat'sintheconfoundedthing,youknow!"
Isawayoungman,ashopassistantinWokingIbelievehewas,standingonthecylinderandtryingtoscrambleoutoftheholeagain.Thecrowdhadpushedhimin.
Theendofthecylinderwasbeingscrewedoutfromwithin.
Nearlytwofeetofshiningscrewprojected.
Somebodyblunderedagainstme,andInarrowlymissedbeingpitchedontothetopofthescrew.
Iturned,andasIdidsothescrewmusthavecomeout,forthelidofthecylinderfelluponthegravelwitharingingconcussion.
Istuckmyelbowintothepersonbehindme,andturnedmyheadtowardstheThingagain.
Foramomentthatcircularcavityseemedperfectlyblack.Ihadthesunsetinmyeyes.
Ithinkeveryoneexpectedtoseeamanemerge—possiblysomethingalittleunlikeusterrestrialmen,butinallessentialsaman.IknowIdid.
But,looking,Ipresentlysawsomethingstirringwithintheshadow:greyishbillowymovements,oneaboveanother,andthentwoluminousdisks—likeeyes.
Thensomethingresemblingalittlegreysnake,aboutthethicknessofawalkingstick,coiledupoutofthewrithingmiddle,andwriggledintheairtowardsme—andthenanother.
Asuddenchillcameoverme.Therewasaloudshriekfromawomanbehind.
Ihalfturned,keepingmyeyesfixeduponthecylinderstill,fromwhichothertentacleswerenowprojecting,andbeganpushingmywaybackfromtheedgeofthepit.
Isawastonishmentgivingplacetohorroronthefacesofthepeopleaboutme.
Iheardinarticulateexclamationsonallsides.Therewasageneralmovementbackwards.
Isawtheshopmanstrugglingstillontheedgeofthepit.
Ifoundmyselfalone,andsawthepeopleontheothersideofthepitrunningoff,Stentamongthem.
Ilookedagainatthecylinder,andungovernableterrorgrippedme.Istoodpetrifiedandstaring.
Abiggreyishroundedbulk,thesize,perhaps,ofabear,wasrisingslowlyandpainfullyoutofthecylinder.Asitbulgedupandcaughtthelight,itglistenedlikewetleather.
Twolargedark–colouredeyeswereregardingmesteadfastly.
Themassthatframedthem,theheadofthething,wasrounded,andhad,onemightsay,aface.
Therewasamouthundertheeyes,theliplessbrimofwhichquiveredandpanted,anddroppedsaliva.
Thewholecreatureheavedandpulsatedconvulsively.
Alanktentacularappendagegrippedtheedgeofthecylinder,anotherswayedintheair.
ThosewhohaveneverseenalivingMartiancanscarcelyimaginethestrangehorrorofitsappearance.
ThepeculiarV–shapedmouthwithitspointedupperlip,theabsenceofbrowridges,theabsenceofachinbeneaththewedgelikelowerlip,theincessantquiveringofthismouth,theGorgongroupsoftentacles,thetumultuousbreathingofthelungsinastrangeatmosphere,theevidentheavinessandpainfulnessofmovementduetothegreatergravitationalenergyoftheearth—aboveall,theextraordinaryintensityoftheimmenseeyes—wereatoncevital,intense,inhuman,crippledandmonstrous.
Therewassomethingfungoidintheoilybrownskin,somethingintheclumsydeliberationofthetediousmovementsunspeakablynasty.
Evenatthisfirstencounter,thisfirstglimpse,Iwasovercomewithdisgustanddread.
Suddenlythemonstervanished.Ithadtoppledoverthebrimofthecylinderandfallenintothepit,withathudlikethefallofagreatmassofleather.
Ihearditgiveapeculiarthickcry,andforthwithanotherofthesecreaturesappeareddarklyinthedeepshadowoftheaperture.
Iturnedand,runningmadly,madeforthefirstgroupoftrees,perhapsahundredyardsaway;butIranslantinglyandstumbling,forIcouldnotavertmyfacefromthesethings.
There,amongsomeyoungpinetreesandfurzebushes,Istopped,panting,andwaitedfurtherdevelopments.
Thecommonroundthesandpitswasdottedwithpeople,standinglikemyselfinahalf–fascinatedterror,staringatthesecreatures,orratherattheheapedgravelattheedgeofthepitinwhichtheylay.
Andthen,witharenewedhorror,Isawaround,blackobjectbobbingupanddownontheedgeofthepit.
Itwastheheadoftheshopmanwhohadfallenin,butshowingasalittleblackobjectagainstthehotwesternsun.
Nowhegothisshoulderandkneeup,andagainheseemedtoslipbackuntilonlyhisheadwasvisible.
Suddenlyhevanished,andIcouldhavefanciedafaintshriekhadreachedme.
Ihadamomentaryimpulsetogobackandhelphimthatmyfearsoverruled.
Everythingwasthenquiteinvisible,hiddenbythedeeppitandtheheapofsandthatthefallofthecylinderhadmade.
AnyonecomingalongtheroadfromChobhamorWokingwouldhavebeenamazedatthesight—adwindlingmultitudeofperhapsahundredpeopleormorestandinginagreatirregularcircle,inditches,behindbushes,behindgatesandhedges,sayinglittletooneanotherandthatinshort,excitedshouts,andstaring,staringhardatafewheapsofsand.
Thebarrowofgingerbeerstood,aqueerderelict,blackagainsttheburningsky,andinthesandpitswasarowofdesertedvehicleswiththeirhorsesfeedingoutofnosebagsorpawingtheground.
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