Война миров
The Fighting Begins
AbouthalfpastfourIwentuptotherailwaystationtogetaneveningpaper,forthemorningpapershadcontainedonlyaveryinaccuratedescriptionofthekillingofStent,Henderson,Ogilvy,andtheothers. ButtherewaslittleIdidn’tknow. TheMartiansdidnotshowaninchofthemselves. Theyseemedbusyintheirpit,andtherewasasoundofhammeringandanalmostcontinuousstreamerofsmoke. Apparentlytheywerebusygettingreadyforastruggle. "Freshattemptshavebeenmadetosignal,butwithoutsuccess,"wasthestereotypedformulaofthepapers. Asappertoldmeitwasdonebyamaninaditchwithaflagonalongpole. TheMartianstookasmuchnoticeofsuchadvancesasweshouldofthelowingofacow.
Imustconfessthesightofallthisarmament,allthispreparation,greatlyexcitedme. Myimaginationbecamebelligerent,anddefeatedtheinvadersinadozenstrikingways; somethingofmyschoolboydreamsofbattleandheroismcameback. Ithardlyseemedafairfighttomeatthattime. Theyseemedveryhelplessinthatpitoftheirs.
Aboutthreeo’clocktherebeganthethudofagunatmeasuredintervalsfromChertseyorAddlestone.Ilearnedthatthesmoulderingpinewoodintowhichthesecondcylinderhadfallenwasbeingshelled,inthehopeofdestroyingthatobjectbeforeitopened. Itwasonlyaboutfive,however,thatafieldgunreachedChobhamforuseagainstthefirstbodyofMartians.
Aboutsixintheevening,asIsatatteawithmywifeinthesummerhousetalkingvigorouslyaboutthebattlethatwasloweringuponus,Iheardamuffleddetonationfromthecommon,andimmediatelyafteragustoffiring. Closeontheheelsofthatcameaviolentrattlingcrash,quiteclosetous,thatshooktheground; and,startingoutuponthelawn,IsawthetopsofthetreesabouttheOrientalCollegeburstintosmokyredflame,andthetowerofthelittlechurchbesideitslidedownintoruin.
