GHTING

pidly fluctuating barometer. I had slept but little, though my wife had succeeded in sleeping, and I rose early. I we

sk the latest news. He told me that during the night the Martians had been surrounded by troops, an

" said the milkman, "if th

to breakfast. It was a most unexceptional morning. My neighbour was of opinion t

" he said. "It would be curious to know how they liv

s gardening was as generous as it was enthusiastic. At the same time h

y penny before everything's settled." He laughed with an air of the greatest good humour as he said this. The woods, he said, were still burning, and pointed out a

ong the road towards the bridge, I saw one of the Cardigan men standing sentinel there. I talked with these soldiers for a time; I told them of my sight of the Martians on the previous evening. None of them had seen the Martians, and they had but the vaguest ideas of them, so that they plied me with questions. They said that they did not know w

over and rush 'em

'eat? Sticks to cook yer! What we got to do is to go as

want trenches; you ought to h

id a third, abruptly--a little, cont

ed my de

calls 'em. Talk about fishers of me

ling beasts like that,"

off and finish 'em?" said the little dar

eaker. "There ain't no time. Do it in a

t them, and went on to the railway statio

the hands of the military authorities. The soldiers I addressed didn't know anything; the officers were mysterious as well as busy. I found people in the town quite secure again in the presence of the milit

curate description of the killing of Stent, Henderson, Ogilvy, and the others. But there was little I didn't know. The Martians did not show an inch of themselves. They seemed busy in their pit, and there was a sound of hammering and an almost continuous streamer of smoke. Apparently they were busy

lligerent, and defeated the invaders in a dozen striking ways; something of my schoolboy dreams of battle and her

ouldering pine wood into which the second cylinder had fallen was being shelled, in the hope of destroying that object bef

sh, quite close to us, that shook the ground; and, starting out upon the lawn, I saw the tops of the trees about the Oriental College burst into smoky red flame, and the tower of the little church beside it slide down into ruin. The pinnacle of the mosque had vanished, and the

st of Maybury Hill must be within range of the Martians'

out into the road. Then I fetched out the servant, telling her

aid; and as I spoke the firing reo

e to go?" said m

hen I remembered her c

shouted above t

ill. The people were coming o

get to Leatherh

Oriental College; two others dismounted, and began running from house to house. The sun, shining through the smo

horse and dog cart. I ran, for I perceived that in a moment everyone upon this side of the hill would be moving. I foun

aid the landlord, "and I

" said I, over the

at

it back by mid

y? I'm selling my bit of a pig. Two pounds,

leaving it in charge of my wife and servant, rushed into my house and packed a few valuables, such plate as we had, and so forth. The beech trees below the house were burning while I did this, and the palings up the road glowed red. While I wa

t ne

door and rapped to satisfy myself of what I already knew, that his wife had gone to London with him and had locked up their house. I went in again, according to my promise, to get my servant's box, lugged it out, clapped it beside her

shot with threads of red fire were driving up into the still air, and throwing dark shadows upon the green treetops eastward. The smoke already extended far away to the east and west--to the Byfleet pine woods eastward, and to Woking on the west. The road was dotted with people

e second hill had hidden the black smoke. I slashed the horse with the whip, and gave him a loose rein until Wo