Война миров
Under Foot
ThatpallofcinderypowdermademethinkofwhatIhadreadofthedestructionofPompeii. WegottoHamptonCourtwithoutmisadventure,ourmindsfullofstrangeandunfamiliarappearances,andatHamptonCourtoureyeswererelievedtofindapatchofgreenthathadescapedthesuffocatingdrift. WewentthroughBusheyPark,withitsdeergoingtoandfrounderthechestnuts,andsomemenandwomenhurryinginthedistancetowardsHampton,andsowecametoTwickenham. Thesewerethefirstpeoplewesaw.
AwayacrosstheroadthewoodsbeyondHamandPetershamwerestillafire. TwickenhamwasuninjuredbyeitherHeat-RayorBlackSmoke,andthereweremorepeopleabouthere,thoughnonecouldgiveusnews. Forthemostparttheywerelikeourselves,takingadvantageofalulltoshifttheirquarters. Ihaveanimpressionthatmanyofthehousesherewerestilloccupiedbyscaredinhabitants,toofrightenedevenforflight. Heretootheevidenceofahastyroutwasabundantalongtheroad. Iremembermostvividlythreesmashedbicyclesinaheap,poundedintotheroadbythewheelsofsubsequentcarts. WecrossedRichmondBridgeabouthalfpasteight. Wehurriedacrosstheexposedbridge,ofcourse,butInoticedfloatingdownthestreamanumberofredmasses,somemanyfeetacross. Ididnotknowwhatthesewere—therewasnotimeforscrutiny—andIputamorehorribleinterpretationonthemthantheydeserved. HereagainontheSurreysidewereblackdustthathadoncebeensmoke,anddeadbodies—aheapneartheapproachtothestation; butwehadnoglimpseoftheMartiansuntilweweresomewaytowardsBarnes.
Wesawintheblackeneddistanceagroupofthreepeoplerunningdownasidestreettowardstheriver,butotherwiseitseemeddeserted. UpthehillRichmondtownwasburningbriskly;outsidethetownofRichmondtherewasnotraceoftheBlackSmoke.
