How I Fell in with the Curate

           Aftergettingthissuddenlessoninthepowerofterrestrialweapons,theMartiansretreatedtotheiroriginalpositionuponHorsellCommon; andintheirhaste,andencumberedwiththedebrisoftheirsmashedcompanion,theynodoubtoverlookedmanysuchastrayandnegligiblevictimasmyself. Hadtheylefttheircomradeandpushedonforthwith,therewasnothingatthattimebetweenthemandLondonbutbatteriesoftwelve-pounderguns,andtheywouldcertainlyhavereachedthecapitalinadvanceofthetidingsoftheirapproach; assudden,dreadful,anddestructivetheiradventwouldhavebeenastheearthquakethatdestroyedLisbonacenturyago. 

           Buttheywereinnohurry. Cylinderfollowedcylinderonitsinterplanetaryflight;everytwenty-fourhoursbroughtthemreinforcement. Andmeanwhilethemilitaryandnavalauthorities,nowfullyalivetothetremendouspoweroftheirantagonists,workedwithfuriousenergy. Everyminuteafreshguncameintopositionuntil,beforetwilight,everycopse,everyrowofsuburbanvillasonthehillyslopesaboutKingstonandRichmond,maskedanexpectantblackmuzzle. Andthroughthecharredanddesolatedarea—perhapstwentysquaremilesaltogether—thatencircledtheMartianencampmentonHorsellCommon,throughcharredandruinedvillagesamongthegreentrees,throughtheblackenedandsmokingarcadesthathadbeenbutadayagopinespinneys,crawledthedevotedscoutswiththeheliographsthatwerepresentlytowarnthegunnersoftheMartianapproach. ButtheMartiansnowunderstoodourcommandofartilleryandthedangerofhumanproximity,andnotamanventuredwithinamileofeithercylinder,saveatthepriceofhislife.