Reading Help War of the worlds by H. G. Wells. Book 1
coming to the calf. They told me no one was allowed over the canal, `
` and, looking along 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 who had authorised the movements of the `
` troops; their idea was that a dispute had arisen at the Horse Guards. `
` The ordinary sapper is a great deal better educated than the common `
` soldier, and they discussed the peculiar conditions of the possible `
` fight with some acuteness. I described the Heat-Ray to them, and they `
` began to argue among themselves. `
` `
` "Crawl up under cover and rush 'em, say I," said one. `
` `
` "Get aht!" said another. "What's cover against this 'ere 'eat? `
` Sticks to cook yer! What we got to do is to go as near as the `
` ground'll let us, and then drive a trench." `
` `
` "Blow yer trenches! You always want trenches; you ought to ha' `
` been born a rabbit Snippy." `
` `
` "Ain't they got any necks, then?" said a third, abruptly--a little, `
` contemplative, dark man, smoking a pipe. `
` `
` I repeated my description. `
` `
` "Octopuses," said he, "that's what I calls 'em. Talk about fishers `
` of men--fighters of fish it is this time!" `
` `
` "It ain't no murder killing beasts like that," said the first `
` speaker. `
` `
` "Why not shell the darned things strite off and finish 'em?" said `
` the little dark man. "You carn tell what they might do." `
` `
` "Where's your shells?" said the first speaker. "There ain't no `
` time. Do it in a rush, that's my tip, and do it at once." `
` `
` So they discussed it. After a while I left them, and went on to `
` the railway station to get as many morning papers as I could. `
` `
` But I will not weary the reader with a description of that long `
` morning and of the longer afternoon. I did not succeed in getting a `
` glimpse of the common, for even Horsell and Chobham church towers were `
` in 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 `
` military, and I heard for the first time from Marshall, the `
` tobacconist, that his son was among the dead on the common. The `
` soldiers had made the people on the outskirts of Horsell lock up and `
` leave their houses. `
` `
` I got back to lunch about two, very tired for, as I have said, the `
` day was extremely hot and dull; and in order to refresh myself I took `
` a cold bath in the afternoon. About half past four I went up to the `
` railway station to get an evening paper, for the morning papers had `
` contained only a very inaccurate 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 getting ready `
` for a struggle. "Fresh attempts have been made to signal, but without `
` success," was the stereotyped formula of the papers. A sapper told me `
` it was done by a man in a ditch with a flag on a long pole. The `
` Martians took as much notice of such advances as we should of the `
` lowing of a cow. `
` `
` I must confess the sight of all this armament, all this `
` preparation, greatly excited me. My imagination became belligerent, `
` and defeated the invaders in a dozen striking ways; something of my `
` schoolboy dreams of battle and heroism came back. It hardly seemed a `
` fair fight to me at that time. They seemed very helpless in that pit `
` of theirs. `
` `
` About three o'clock there began the thud of a gun at measured `
` intervals from Chertsey or Addlestone. I learned that the smouldering `
` pine wood into which the second cylinder had fallen was being shelled, `
` in the hope of destroying that object before it opened. It was only `
` about five, however, that a field gun reached Chobham for use against `
` the first body of Martians. `
` `
` About six in the evening, as I sat at tea with my wife in the `
` summerhouse talking vigorously about the battle that was lowering upon `
` us, I heard a muffled detonation from the common, and immediately `
` after a gust of firing. Close on the heels of that came a violent `
` rattling crash, 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 roof line of the college itself looked as `
` if a hundred-ton gun had been at work upon it. One of our chimneys `
` cracked as if a shot had hit it, flew, and a piece of it came `
` clattering down the tiles and made a heap of broken red fragments upon `
` the flower bed by my study window. `
` `
` I and my wife stood amazed. Then I realised that the crest of `
` Maybury Hill must be within range of the Martians' Heat-Ray now that `
` the college was cleared out of the way. `
` `
` At that I gripped my wife's arm, and without ceremony ran her out `
` into the road. Then I fetched out the servant, telling her I would go `
` upstairs myself for the box she was clamouring for. `
` `
` "We can't possibly stay here," I said; and as I spoke the firing `
` reopened for a moment upon the common. `
` `
` "But where are we to go?" said my wife in terror. `
` `
` I thought perplexed. Then I remembered her cousins at Leatherhead. `
` `
` "Leatherhead!" I shouted above the sudden noise. `
` `
` She looked away from me downhill. The people were coming out of `
` their houses, astonished. `
` `
` "How are we to get to Leatherhead?" she said. `
` `
` Down the hill I saw a bevy of hussars ride under the railway `
` bridge; three galloped through the open gates of the Oriental College; `
` two others dismounted, and began running from house to house. The `
` sun, shining through the smoke that drove up from the tops of the `
` trees, seemed blood red, and threw an unfamiliar lurid light upon `
` everything. `
` `
` "Stop here," said I; "you are safe here"; and I started off at once `
` for the Spotted Dog, for I knew the landlord had a horse and dog cart. `
` I ran, for I perceived that in a moment everyone upon this side of the `
` hill would be moving. I found him in his bar, quite unaware of what `
` was going on behind his house. A man stood with his back to me, `
` talking to him. `
` `
` "I must have a pound," said the landlord, "and I've no one to drive `
` it." `
` `
` "I'll give you two," said I, over the stranger's shoulder. `
` `
` "What for?" `
` `
` "And I'll bring it back by midnight," I said. `
` `
` "Lord!" said the landlord; "what's the hurry? I'm selling my bit `
` of a pig. Two pounds, and you bring it back? What's going on now?" `
` `
` I explained hastily that I had to leave my home, and so secured the `
` dog cart. At the time it did not seem to me nearly so urgent that the `
` landlord should leave his. I took care to have the cart there and `
` then, drove it off down the road, and, 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 was occupied in this way, one of the dismounted hussars came `
` running up. He was going from house to house, warning people to `
` leave. He was going on as I came out of my front door, lugging my `
` treasures, done up in a tablecloth. I shouted after him: `
` `
` "What news?" `
` `
` He turned, stared, bawled something about "crawling out in a thing `
` like a dish cover," and ran on to the gate of the house at the crest. `
` A sudden whirl of black smoke driving across the road hid him for a `
` moment. I ran to my neighbour's 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 on the tail `
` of the dog cart, and then caught the reins and jumped up into the `
` driver's seat beside my wife. In another moment we were clear of the `
` smoke and noise, and spanking down the opposite slope of Maybury Hill `
` towards Old Woking. `
` `
` In front was a quiet sunny landscape, a wheat field ahead on either `
` side of the road, and the Maybury Inn with its swinging sign. I saw `
` the doctor's cart ahead of me. At the bottom of the hill I turned my `
` head to look at the hillside I was leaving. Thick streamers of black `
` smoke 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 running towards us. And very faint now, but very distinct `
` through the hot, quiet air, one heard the whirr of a machine-gun that `
` was presently stilled, and an intermittent cracking of rifles. `
` Apparently the Martians were setting fire to everything within range `
` of their Heat-Ray. `
` `
` I am not an expert driver, and I had immediately to turn my `
` attention to the horse. When I looked back again the second hill had `
` hidden the black smoke. I slashed the horse with the whip, and gave `
` him a loose rein until Woking and Send lay between us and that `
` quivering tumult. I overtook and passed the doctor between Woking and `
` Send. `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER TEN `
` `
` IN THE STORM `
` `
` `
` Leatherhead is about twelve miles from Maybury Hill. The scent of `
` hay was in the air through the lush meadows beyond Pyrford, and the `
` hedges on either side were sweet and gay with multitudes of dog-roses. `
`
` and, looking along 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 who had authorised the movements of the `
` troops; their idea was that a dispute had arisen at the Horse Guards. `
` The ordinary sapper is a great deal better educated than the common `
` soldier, and they discussed the peculiar conditions of the possible `
` fight with some acuteness. I described the Heat-Ray to them, and they `
` began to argue among themselves. `
` `
` "Crawl up under cover and rush 'em, say I," said one. `
` `
` "Get aht!" said another. "What's cover against this 'ere 'eat? `
` Sticks to cook yer! What we got to do is to go as near as the `
` ground'll let us, and then drive a trench." `
` `
` "Blow yer trenches! You always want trenches; you ought to ha' `
` been born a rabbit Snippy." `
` `
` "Ain't they got any necks, then?" said a third, abruptly--a little, `
` contemplative, dark man, smoking a pipe. `
` `
` I repeated my description. `
` `
` "Octopuses," said he, "that's what I calls 'em. Talk about fishers `
` of men--fighters of fish it is this time!" `
` `
` "It ain't no murder killing beasts like that," said the first `
` speaker. `
` `
` "Why not shell the darned things strite off and finish 'em?" said `
` the little dark man. "You carn tell what they might do." `
` `
` "Where's your shells?" said the first speaker. "There ain't no `
` time. Do it in a rush, that's my tip, and do it at once." `
` `
` So they discussed it. After a while I left them, and went on to `
` the railway station to get as many morning papers as I could. `
` `
` But I will not weary the reader with a description of that long `
` morning and of the longer afternoon. I did not succeed in getting a `
` glimpse of the common, for even Horsell and Chobham church towers were `
` in 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 `
` military, and I heard for the first time from Marshall, the `
` tobacconist, that his son was among the dead on the common. The `
` soldiers had made the people on the outskirts of Horsell lock up and `
` leave their houses. `
` `
` I got back to lunch about two, very tired for, as I have said, the `
` day was extremely hot and dull; and in order to refresh myself I took `
` a cold bath in the afternoon. About half past four I went up to the `
` railway station to get an evening paper, for the morning papers had `
` contained only a very inaccurate 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 getting ready `
` for a struggle. "Fresh attempts have been made to signal, but without `
` success," was the stereotyped formula of the papers. A sapper told me `
` it was done by a man in a ditch with a flag on a long pole. The `
` Martians took as much notice of such advances as we should of the `
` lowing of a cow. `
` `
` I must confess the sight of all this armament, all this `
` preparation, greatly excited me. My imagination became belligerent, `
` and defeated the invaders in a dozen striking ways; something of my `
` schoolboy dreams of battle and heroism came back. It hardly seemed a `
` fair fight to me at that time. They seemed very helpless in that pit `
` of theirs. `
` `
` About three o'clock there began the thud of a gun at measured `
` intervals from Chertsey or Addlestone. I learned that the smouldering `
` pine wood into which the second cylinder had fallen was being shelled, `
` in the hope of destroying that object before it opened. It was only `
` about five, however, that a field gun reached Chobham for use against `
` the first body of Martians. `
` `
` About six in the evening, as I sat at tea with my wife in the `
` summerhouse talking vigorously about the battle that was lowering upon `
` us, I heard a muffled detonation from the common, and immediately `
` after a gust of firing. Close on the heels of that came a violent `
` rattling crash, 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 roof line of the college itself looked as `
` if a hundred-ton gun had been at work upon it. One of our chimneys `
` cracked as if a shot had hit it, flew, and a piece of it came `
` clattering down the tiles and made a heap of broken red fragments upon `
` the flower bed by my study window. `
` `
` I and my wife stood amazed. Then I realised that the crest of `
` Maybury Hill must be within range of the Martians' Heat-Ray now that `
` the college was cleared out of the way. `
` `
` At that I gripped my wife's arm, and without ceremony ran her out `
` into the road. Then I fetched out the servant, telling her I would go `
` upstairs myself for the box she was clamouring for. `
` `
` "We can't possibly stay here," I said; and as I spoke the firing `
` reopened for a moment upon the common. `
` `
` "But where are we to go?" said my wife in terror. `
` `
` I thought perplexed. Then I remembered her cousins at Leatherhead. `
` `
` "Leatherhead!" I shouted above the sudden noise. `
` `
` She looked away from me downhill. The people were coming out of `
` their houses, astonished. `
` `
` "How are we to get to Leatherhead?" she said. `
` `
` Down the hill I saw a bevy of hussars ride under the railway `
` bridge; three galloped through the open gates of the Oriental College; `
` two others dismounted, and began running from house to house. The `
` sun, shining through the smoke that drove up from the tops of the `
` trees, seemed blood red, and threw an unfamiliar lurid light upon `
` everything. `
` `
` "Stop here," said I; "you are safe here"; and I started off at once `
` for the Spotted Dog, for I knew the landlord had a horse and dog cart. `
` I ran, for I perceived that in a moment everyone upon this side of the `
` hill would be moving. I found him in his bar, quite unaware of what `
` was going on behind his house. A man stood with his back to me, `
` talking to him. `
` `
` "I must have a pound," said the landlord, "and I've no one to drive `
` it." `
` `
` "I'll give you two," said I, over the stranger's shoulder. `
` `
` "What for?" `
` `
` "And I'll bring it back by midnight," I said. `
` `
` "Lord!" said the landlord; "what's the hurry? I'm selling my bit `
` of a pig. Two pounds, and you bring it back? What's going on now?" `
` `
` I explained hastily that I had to leave my home, and so secured the `
` dog cart. At the time it did not seem to me nearly so urgent that the `
` landlord should leave his. I took care to have the cart there and `
` then, drove it off down the road, and, 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 was occupied in this way, one of the dismounted hussars came `
` running up. He was going from house to house, warning people to `
` leave. He was going on as I came out of my front door, lugging my `
` treasures, done up in a tablecloth. I shouted after him: `
` `
` "What news?" `
` `
` He turned, stared, bawled something about "crawling out in a thing `
` like a dish cover," and ran on to the gate of the house at the crest. `
` A sudden whirl of black smoke driving across the road hid him for a `
` moment. I ran to my neighbour's 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 on the tail `
` of the dog cart, and then caught the reins and jumped up into the `
` driver's seat beside my wife. In another moment we were clear of the `
` smoke and noise, and spanking down the opposite slope of Maybury Hill `
` towards Old Woking. `
` `
` In front was a quiet sunny landscape, a wheat field ahead on either `
` side of the road, and the Maybury Inn with its swinging sign. I saw `
` the doctor's cart ahead of me. At the bottom of the hill I turned my `
` head to look at the hillside I was leaving. Thick streamers of black `
` smoke 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 running towards us. And very faint now, but very distinct `
` through the hot, quiet air, one heard the whirr of a machine-gun that `
` was presently stilled, and an intermittent cracking of rifles. `
` Apparently the Martians were setting fire to everything within range `
` of their Heat-Ray. `
` `
` I am not an expert driver, and I had immediately to turn my `
` attention to the horse. When I looked back again the second hill had `
` hidden the black smoke. I slashed the horse with the whip, and gave `
` him a loose rein until Woking and Send lay between us and that `
` quivering tumult. I overtook and passed the doctor between Woking and `
` Send. `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER TEN `
` `
` IN THE STORM `
` `
` `
` Leatherhead is about twelve miles from Maybury Hill. The scent of `
` hay was in the air through the lush meadows beyond Pyrford, and the `
` hedges on either side were sweet and gay with multitudes of dog-roses. `
`