English
Saturdaylivesinmymemoryasadayofsuspense.
Itwasadayoflassitudetoo,hotandclose,with,Iamtold,arapidlyfluctuatingbarometer.
Ihadsleptbutlittle,thoughmywifehadsucceededinsleeping,andIroseearly.
Iwentintomygardenbeforebreakfastandstoodlistening,buttowardsthecommontherewasnothingstirringbutalark.
Themilkmancameasusual.IheardtherattleofhischariotandIwentroundtothesidegatetoaskthelatestnews.
HetoldmethatduringthenighttheMartianshadbeensurroundedbytroops,andthatgunswereexpected.
Then—afamiliar,reassuringnote—IheardatrainrunningtowardsWoking.
"Theyaren'ttobekilled,"saidthemilkman,"ifthatcanpossiblybeavoided."
Isawmyneighbourgardening,chattedwithhimforatime,andthenstrolledintobreakfast.Itwasamostunexceptionalmorning.
MyneighbourwasofopinionthatthetroopswouldbeabletocaptureortodestroytheMartiansduringtheday.
"It'sapitytheymakethemselvessounapproachable,"hesaid."Itwouldbecurioustoknowhowtheyliveonanotherplanet;wemightlearnathingortwo."
Hecameuptothefenceandextendedahandfulofstrawberries,forhisgardeningwasasgenerousasitwasenthusiastic.
AtthesametimehetoldmeoftheburningofthepinewoodsabouttheByfleetGolfLinks.
"Theysay,"saidhe,"thatthere'sanotherofthoseblessedthingsfallenthere—numbertwo.Butone'senough,surely.
Thislot'llcosttheinsurancepeopleaprettypennybeforeeverything'ssettled."
Helaughedwithanairofthegreatestgoodhumourashesaidthis.
Thewoods,hesaid,werestillburning,andpointedoutahazeofsmoketome.
"Theywillbehotunderfootfordays,onaccountofthethicksoilofpineneedlesandturf,"hesaid,andthengrewseriousover"poorOgilvy."
Afterbreakfast,insteadofworking,Idecidedtowalkdowntowardsthecommon.
UndertherailwaybridgeIfoundagroupofsoldiers—sappers,Ithink,meninsmallroundcaps,dirtyredjacketsunbuttoned,andshowingtheirblueshirts,darktrousers,andbootscomingtothecalf.
Theytoldmenoonewasallowedoverthecanal,and,lookingalongtheroadtowardsthebridge,IsawoneoftheCardiganmenstandingsentinelthere.
Italkedwiththesesoldiersforatime;ItoldthemofmysightoftheMartiansonthepreviousevening.
NoneofthemhadseentheMartians,andtheyhadbutthevaguestideasofthem,sothattheypliedmewithquestions.
Theysaidthattheydidnotknowwhohadauthorisedthemovementsofthetroops;theirideawasthatadisputehadarisenattheHorseGuards.
Theordinarysapperisagreatdealbettereducatedthanthecommonsoldier,andtheydiscussedthepeculiarconditionsofthepossiblefightwithsomeacuteness.
IdescribedtheHeat–Raytothem,andtheybegantoargueamongthemselves.
"Crawlupundercoverandrush'em,sayI,"saidone.
"Getaht!"saidanother."What'scoveragainstthis'ere'eat?Stickstocookyer!Whatwegottodoistogoasnearastheground'llletus,andthendriveatrench."
"Blowyertrenches!Youalwayswanttrenches;yououghttoha'beenbornarabbitSnippy."
"Ain'ttheygotanynecks,then?"saidathird,abruptly—alittle,contemplative,darkman,smokingapipe.
Irepeatedmydescription.
"Octopuses,"saidhe,"that'swhatIcalls'em.Talkaboutfishersofmen—fightersoffishitisthistime!"
"Itain'tnomurderkillingbeastslikethat,"saidthefirstspeaker.
"Whynotshellthedarnedthingsstriteoffandfinish'em?"saidthelittledarkman."Youcarntellwhattheymightdo."
"Where'syourshells?"saidthefirstspeaker."Thereain'tnotime.Doitinarush,that'smytip,anddoitatonce."
Sotheydiscussedit.AfterawhileIleftthem,andwentontotherailwaystationtogetasmanymorningpapersasIcould.
ButIwillnotwearythereaderwithadescriptionofthatlongmorningandofthelongerafternoon.
Ididnotsucceedingettingaglimpseofthecommon,forevenHorsellandChobhamchurchtowerswereinthehandsofthemilitaryauthorities.
ThesoldiersIaddresseddidn'tknowanything;theofficersweremysteriousaswellasbusy.
Ifoundpeopleinthetownquitesecureagaininthepresenceofthemilitary,andIheardforthefirsttimefromMarshall,thetobacconist,thathissonwasamongthedeadonthecommon.
ThesoldiershadmadethepeopleontheoutskirtsofHorselllockupandleavetheirhouses.
Igotbacktolunchabouttwo,verytiredfor,asIhavesaid,thedaywasextremelyhotanddull;andinordertorefreshmyselfItookacoldbathintheafternoon.
AbouthalfpastfourIwentuptotherailwaystationtogetaneveningpaper,forthemorningpapershadcontainedonlyaveryinaccuratedescriptionofthekillingofStent,Henderson,Ogilvy,andtheothers.ButtherewaslittleIdidn'tknow.
TheMartiansdidnotshowaninchofthemselves.
Theyseemedbusyintheirpit,andtherewasasoundofhammeringandanalmostcontinuousstreamerofsmoke.
Apparentlytheywerebusygettingreadyforastruggle.
"Freshattemptshavebeenmadetosignal,butwithoutsuccess,"wasthestereotypedformulaofthepapers.
Asappertoldmeitwasdonebyamaninaditchwithaflagonalongpole.
TheMartianstookasmuchnoticeofsuchadvancesasweshouldofthelowingofacow.
Imustconfessthesightofallthisarmament,allthispreparation,greatlyexcitedme.
Myimaginationbecamebelligerent,anddefeatedtheinvadersinadozenstrikingways;somethingofmyschoolboydreamsofbattleandheroismcameback.
Ithardlyseemedafairfighttomeatthattime.
Theyseemedveryhelplessinthatpitoftheirs.
Aboutthreeo'clocktherebeganthethudofagunatmeasuredintervalsfromChertseyorAddlestone.
Ilearnedthatthesmoulderingpinewoodintowhichthesecondcylinderhadfallenwasbeingshelled,inthehopeofdestroyingthatobjectbeforeitopened.
Itwasonlyaboutfive,however,thatafieldgunreachedChobhamforuseagainstthefirstbodyofMartians.
Aboutsixintheevening,asIsatatteawithmywifeinthesummerhousetalkingvigorouslyaboutthebattlethatwasloweringuponus,Iheardamuffleddetonationfromthecommon,andimmediatelyafteragustoffiring.
Closeontheheelsofthatcameaviolentrattlingcrash,quiteclosetous,thatshooktheground;and,startingoutuponthelawn,IsawthetopsofthetreesabouttheOrientalCollegeburstintosmokyredflame,andthetowerofthelittlechurchbesideitslidedownintoruin.
Thepinnacleofthemosquehadvanished,andtherooflineofthecollegeitselflookedasifahundred–tongunhadbeenatworkuponit.
Oneofourchimneyscrackedasifashothadhitit,flew,andapieceofitcameclatteringdownthetilesandmadeaheapofbrokenredfragmentsupontheflowerbedbymystudywindow.
Iandmywifestoodamazed.ThenIrealisedthatthecrestofMayburyHillmustbewithinrangeoftheMartians'Heat–Raynowthatthecollegewasclearedoutoftheway.
AtthatIgrippedmywife'sarm,andwithoutceremonyranheroutintotheroad.ThenIfetchedouttheservant,tellingherIwouldgoupstairsmyselffortheboxshewasclamouringfor.
"Wecan'tpossiblystayhere,"Isaid;andasIspokethefiringreopenedforamomentuponthecommon.
"Butwherearewetogo?"saidmywifeinterror.
Ithoughtperplexed.ThenIrememberedhercousinsatLeatherhead.
"Leatherhead!"Ishoutedabovethesuddennoise.
Shelookedawayfrommedownhill.Thepeoplewerecomingoutoftheirhouses,astonished.
"HowarewetogettoLeatherhead?"shesaid.
DownthehillIsawabevyofhussarsrideundertherailwaybridge;threegallopedthroughtheopengatesoftheOrientalCollege;twoothersdismounted,andbeganrunningfromhousetohouse.
Thesun,shiningthroughthesmokethatdroveupfromthetopsofthetrees,seemedbloodred,andthrewanunfamiliarluridlightuponeverything.
"Stophere,"saidI;"youaresafehere";andIstartedoffatoncefortheSpottedDog,forIknewthelandlordhadahorseanddogcart.
Iran,forIperceivedthatinamomenteveryoneuponthissideofthehillwouldbemoving.
Ifoundhiminhisbar,quiteunawareofwhatwasgoingonbehindhishouse.
Amanstoodwithhisbacktome,talkingtohim.
"Imusthaveapound,"saidthelandlord,"andI'venoonetodriveit."
"I'llgiveyoutwo,"saidI,overthestranger'sshoulder.
"Whatfor?"
"AndI'llbringitbackbymidnight,"Isaid.
"Lord!"saidthelandlord;"what'sthehurry?I'msellingmybitofapig.Twopounds,andyoubringitback?What'sgoingonnow?"
IexplainedhastilythatIhadtoleavemyhome,andsosecuredthedogcart.
Atthetimeitdidnotseemtomenearlysourgentthatthelandlordshouldleavehis.
Itookcaretohavethecartthereandthen,droveitoffdowntheroad,and,leavingitinchargeofmywifeandservant,rushedintomyhouseandpackedafewvaluables,suchplateaswehad,andsoforth.
ThebeechtreesbelowthehousewereburningwhileIdidthis,andthepalingsuptheroadglowedred.
WhileIwasoccupiedinthisway,oneofthedismountedhussarscamerunningup.
Hewasgoingfromhousetohouse,warningpeopletoleave.
HewasgoingonasIcameoutofmyfrontdoor,luggingmytreasures,doneupinatablecloth.Ishoutedafterhim:
"Whatnews?"
Heturned,stared,bawledsomethingabout"crawlingoutinathinglikeadishcover,"andranontothegateofthehouseatthecrest.
Asuddenwhirlofblacksmokedrivingacrosstheroadhidhimforamoment.
Irantomyneighbour'sdoorandrappedtosatisfymyselfofwhatIalreadyknew,thathiswifehadgonetoLondonwithhimandhadlockeduptheirhouse.
Iwentinagain,accordingtomypromise,togetmyservant'sbox,luggeditout,clappeditbesideheronthetailofthedogcart,andthencaughtthereinsandjumpedupintothedriver'sseatbesidemywife.
Inanothermomentwewereclearofthesmokeandnoise,andspankingdowntheoppositeslopeofMayburyHilltowardsOldWoking.
Infrontwasaquietsunnylandscape,awheatfieldaheadoneithersideoftheroad,andtheMayburyInnwithitsswingingsign.Isawthedoctor'scartaheadofme.
AtthebottomofthehillIturnedmyheadtolookatthehillsideIwasleaving.
Thickstreamersofblacksmokeshotwiththreadsofredfireweredrivingupintothestillair,andthrowingdarkshadowsuponthegreentreetopseastward.
Thesmokealreadyextendedfarawaytotheeastandwest—totheByfleetpinewoodseastward,andtoWokingonthewest.
Theroadwasdottedwithpeoplerunningtowardsus.
Andveryfaintnow,butverydistinctthroughthehot,quietair,oneheardthewhirrofamachine–gunthatwaspresentlystilled,andanintermittentcrackingofrifles.
ApparentlytheMartiansweresettingfiretoeverythingwithinrangeoftheirHeat–Ray.
Iamnotanexpertdriver,andIhadimmediatelytoturnmyattentiontothehorse.
WhenIlookedbackagainthesecondhillhadhiddentheblacksmoke.
Islashedthehorsewiththewhip,andgavehimaloosereinuntilWokingandSendlaybetweenusandthatquiveringtumult.
IovertookandpassedthedoctorbetweenWokingandSend.
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