Sofarasonecanascertainfromtheconflictingaccountsthathavebeenputforth,themajorityofthemremainedbusiedwithpreparationsintheHorsellpituntilninethatnight,hurryingonsomeoperationthatdisengagedhugevolumesofgreensmoke.
Butthreecertainlycameoutabouteighto'clockand,advancingslowlyandcautiously,madetheirwaythroughByfleetandPyrfordtowardsRipleyandWeybridge,andsocameinsightoftheexpectantbatteriesagainstthesettingsun.
TheRipleygunners,unseasonedartilleryvolunteerswhooughtnevertohavebeenplacedinsuchaposition,firedonewild,premature,ineffectualvolley,andboltedonhorseandfootthroughthedesertedvillage,whiletheMartian,withoutusinghisHeat–Ray,walkedserenelyovertheirguns,steppedgingerlyamongthem,passedinfrontofthem,andsocameunexpectedlyuponthegunsinPainshillPark,whichhedestroyed.
TheoverthrownMartiansetupaprolongedululation,andimmediatelyasecondglitteringgiant,answeringhim,appearedoverthetreestothesouth.
ThewholeofthesecondvolleyflewwideoftheMartianontheground,and,simultaneously,bothhiscompanionsbroughttheirHeat–Raystobearonthebattery.
Theammunitionblewup,thepinetreesallaboutthegunsflashedintofire,andonlyoneortwoofthemenwhowerealreadyrunningoverthecrestofthehillescaped.
Afterthisitwouldseemthatthethreetookcounseltogetherandhalted,andthescoutswhowerewatchingthemreportthattheyremainedabsolutelystationaryforthenexthalfhour.
TheMartianwhohadbeenoverthrowncrawledtediouslyoutofhishood,asmallbrownfigure,oddlysuggestivefromthatdistanceofaspeckofblight,andapparentlyengagedintherepairofhissupport.
ItwasafewminutespastninethatnightwhenthesethreesentinelswerejoinedbyfourotherMartians,eachcarryingathickblacktube.
Asimilartubewashandedtoeachofthethree,andthesevenproceededtodistributethemselvesatequaldistancesalongacurvedlinebetweenSt.George'sHill,Weybridge,andthevillageofSend,southwestofRipley.
Adozenrocketssprangoutofthehillsbeforethemsosoonastheybegantomove,andwarnedthewaitingbatteriesaboutDittonandEsher.
Atthesametimefouroftheirfightingmachines,similarlyarmedwithtubes,crossedtheriver,andtwoofthem,blackagainstthewesternsky,cameintosightofmyselfandthecurateaswehurriedwearilyandpainfullyalongtheroadthatrunsnorthwardoutofHalliford.
Atthissightthecuratecriedfaintlyinhisthroat,andbeganrunning;butIknewitwasnogoodrunningfromaMartian,andIturnedasideandcrawledthroughdewynettlesandbramblesintothebroadditchbythesideoftheroad.
Thetwohalted,thenearertousstandingandfacingSunbury,theremoterbeingagreyindistinctnesstowardstheeveningstar,awaytowardsStaines.
TheoccasionalhowlingoftheMartianshadceased;theytookuptheirpositionsinthehugecrescentabouttheircylindersinabsolutesilence.
TousandtoanobserveraboutRipleyitwouldhavehadpreciselythesameeffect—theMartiansseemedinsolitarypossessionofthedarklingnight,litonlyasitwasbytheslendermoon,thestars,theafterglowofthedaylight,andtheruddyglarefromSt.George'sHillandthewoodsofPainshill.
Butfacingthatcrescenteverywhere—atStaines,Hounslow,Ditton,Esher,Ockham,behindhillsandwoodssouthoftheriver,andacrosstheflatgrassmeadowstothenorthofit,whereveraclusteroftreesorvillagehousesgavesufficientcover—thegunswerewaiting.
Thesignalrocketsburstandrainedtheirsparksthroughthenightandvanished,andthespiritofallthosewatchingbatteriesrosetoatenseexpectation.
TheMartianshadbuttoadvanceintothelineoffire,andinstantlythosemotionlessblackformsofmen,thosegunsglitteringsodarklyintheearlynight,wouldexplodeintoathunderousfuryofbattle.
Nodoubtthethoughtthatwasuppermostinathousandofthosevigilantminds,evenasitwasuppermostinmine,wastheriddle—howmuchtheyunderstoodofus.
Ordidtheyinterpretourspurtsoffire,thesuddenstingingofourshells,oursteadyinvestmentoftheirencampment,asweshouldthefuriousunanimityofonslaughtinadisturbedhiveofbees?
AndinthebackofmymindwasthesenseofallthehugeunknownandhiddenforcesLondonward.Hadtheypreparedpitfalls?
Then,afteraninterminabletime,asitseemedtous,crouchingandpeeringthroughthehedge,cameasoundlikethedistantconcussionofagun.Anothernearer,andthenanother.
AndthentheMartianbesideusraisedhistubeonhighanddischargedit,gunwise,withaheavyreportthatmadethegroundheave.TheonetowardsStainesansweredhim.
Iwassoexcitedbytheseheavyminute–gunsfollowingoneanotherthatIsofarforgotmypersonalsafetyandmyscaldedhandsastoclamberupintothehedgeandstaretowardsSunbury.
Abatflickeredbyandvanished.Adistanttumultofshoutingbeganandceased.IlookedagainattheMartian,andsawhewasnowmovingeastwardalongtheriverbank,withaswift,rollingmotion.
ThefigureoftheMartiangrewsmallerashereceded,andpresentlythemistandthegatheringnighthadswallowedhimup.
TowardsSunburywasadarkappearance,asthoughaconicalhillhadsuddenlycomeintobeingthere,hidingourviewofthefarthercountry;andthen,remoteracrosstheriver,overWalton,wesawanothersuchsummit.
Farawaytothesoutheast,markingthequiet,weheardtheMartianshootingtooneanother,andthentheairquiveredagainwiththedistantthudoftheirguns.
Nowatthetimewecouldnotunderstandthesethings,butlaterIwastolearnthemeaningoftheseominouskopjesthatgatheredinthetwilight.
EachoftheMartians,standinginthegreatcrescentIhavedescribed,haddischarged,bymeansofthegunliketubehecarried,ahugecanisteroverwhateverhill,copse,clusterofhouses,orotherpossiblecoverforguns,chancedtobeinfrontofhim.
Somefiredonlyoneofthese,sometwo—asinthecaseoftheonewehadseen;theoneatRipleyissaidtohavedischargednofewerthanfiveatthattime.
Thesecanisterssmashedonstrikingtheground—theydidnotexplode—andincontinentlydisengagedanenormousvolumeofheavy,inkyvapour,coilingandpouringupwardinahugeandebonycumuluscloud,agaseoushillthatsankandspreaditselfslowlyoverthesurroundingcountry.
Itwasheavy,thisvapour,heavierthanthedensestsmoke,sothat,afterthefirsttumultuousuprushandoutflowofitsimpact,itsankdownthroughtheairandpouredoverthegroundinamannerratherliquidthangaseous,abandoningthehills,andstreamingintothevalleysandditchesandwatercoursesevenasIhaveheardthecarbonic–acidgasthatpoursfromvolcaniccleftsiswonttodo.
Andwhereitcameuponwatersomechemicalactionoccurred,andthesurfacewouldbeinstantlycoveredwithapowderyscumthatsankslowlyandmadewayformore.
Thescumwasabsolutelyinsoluble,anditisastrangething,seeingtheinstanteffectofthegas,thatonecoulddrinkwithouthurtthewaterfromwhichithadbeenstrained.
Ithungtogetherinbanks,flowingsluggishlydowntheslopeofthelandanddrivingreluctantlybeforethewind,andveryslowlyitcombinedwiththemistandmoistureoftheair,andsanktotheearthintheformofdust.
Savethatanunknownelementgivingagroupoffourlinesintheblueofthespectrumisconcerned,wearestillentirelyignorantofthenatureofthissubstance.
Oncethetumultuousupheavalofitsdispersionwasover,theblacksmokeclungsocloselytotheground,evenbeforeitsprecipitation,thatfiftyfeetupintheair,ontheroofsandupperstoriesofhighhousesandongreattrees,therewasachanceofescapingitspoisonaltogether,aswasprovedeventhatnightatStreetCobhamandDitton.
Themanwhoescapedattheformerplacetellsawonderfulstoryofthestrangenessofitscoilingflow,andhowhelookeddownfromthechurchspireandsawthehousesofthevillagerisinglikeghostsoutofitsinkynothingness.
Foradayandahalfheremainedthere,weary,starvingandsun–scorched,theearthundertheblueskyandagainsttheprospectofthedistanthillsavelvet–blackexpanse,withredroofs,greentrees,and,later,black–veiledshrubsandgates,barns,outhouses,andwalls,risinghereandthereintothesunlight.
ButthatwasatStreetCobham,wheretheblackvapourwasallowedtoremainuntilitsankofitsownaccordintotheground.
AsaruletheMartians,whenithadserveditspurpose,clearedtheairofitagainbywadingintoitanddirectingajetofsteamuponit.
Thistheydidwiththevapourbanksnearus,aswesawinthestarlightfromthewindowofadesertedhouseatUpperHalliford,whitherwehadreturned.
FromtherewecouldseethesearchlightsonRichmondHillandKingstonHillgoingtoandfro,andabouteleventhewindowsrattled,andweheardthesoundofthehugesiegegunsthathadbeenputinpositionthere.
Thesecontinuedintermittentlyforthespaceofaquarterofanhour,sendingchanceshotsattheinvisibleMartiansatHamptonandDitton,andthenthepalebeamsoftheelectriclightvanished,andwerereplacedbyabrightredglow.
BeforethegunsontheRichmondandKingstonlineofhillsbegan,therewasafitfulcannonadefarawayinthesouthwest,due,Ibelieve,togunsbeingfiredhaphazardbeforetheblackvapourcouldoverwhelmthegunners.
So,settingaboutitasmethodicallyasmenmightsmokeoutawasps'nest,theMartiansspreadthisstrangestiflingvapourovertheLondonwardcountry.
Neveronce,aftertheMartianatSt.George'sHillwasbroughtdown,didtheygivetheartillerytheghostofachanceagainstthem.
Wherevertherewasapossibilityofgunsbeinglaidforthemunseen,afreshcanisteroftheblackvapourwasdischarged,andwherethegunswereopenlydisplayedtheHeat–Raywasbroughttobear.
BymidnighttheblazingtreesalongtheslopesofRichmondParkandtheglareofKingstonHillthrewtheirlightuponanetworkofblacksmoke,blottingoutthewholevalleyoftheThamesandextendingasfarastheeyecouldreach.
TheyweresparingoftheHeat–Raythatnight,eitherbecausetheyhadbutalimitedsupplyofmaterialforitsproductionorbecausetheydidnotwishtodestroythecountrybutonlytocrushandoverawetheoppositiontheyhadaroused.
Eventhecrewsofthetorpedo–boatsanddestroyersthathadbroughttheirquick–firersuptheThamesrefusedtostop,mutinied,andwentdownagain.
Theonlyoffensiveoperationmenventureduponafterthatnightwasthepreparationofminesandpitfalls,andeveninthattheirenergieswerefranticandspasmodic.
Onehastoimagine,aswellasonemay,thefateofthosebatteriestowardsEsher,waitingsotenselyinthetwilight.Survivorstherewerenone.
Onemaypicturetheorderlyexpectation,theofficersalertandwatchful,thegunnersready,theammunitionpiledtohand,thelimbergunnerswiththeirhorsesandwaggons,thegroupsofcivilianspectatorsstandingasnearastheywerepermitted,theeveningstillness,theambulancesandhospitaltentswiththeburnedandwoundedfromWeybridge;thenthedullresonanceoftheshotstheMartiansfired,andtheclumsyprojectilewhirlingoverthetreesandhousesandsmashingamidtheneighbouringfields.
Onemaypicture,too,thesuddenshiftingoftheattention,theswiftlyspreadingcoilsandbellyingsofthatblacknessadvancingheadlong,toweringheavenward,turningthetwilighttoapalpabledarkness,astrangeandhorribleantagonistofvapourstridinguponitsvictims,menandhorsesnearitseendimly,running,shrieking,fallingheadlong,shoutsofdismay,thegunssuddenlyabandoned,menchokingandwrithingontheground,andtheswiftbroadening–outoftheopaqueconeofsmoke.
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