What Had Happened in Surrey

           ItwaswhilethecuratehadsatandtalkedsowildlytomeunderthehedgeintheflatmeadowsnearHalliford,andwhilemybrotherwaswatchingthefugitivesstreamoverWestminsterBridge,thattheMartianshadresumedtheoffensive. Sofarasonecanascertainfromtheconflictingaccountsthathavebeenputforth,themajorityofthemremainedbusiedwithpreparationsintheHorsellpituntilninethatnight,hurryingonsomeoperationthatdisengagedhugevolumesofgreensmoke. 

           Butthreecertainlycameoutabouteighto’clockand,advancingslowlyandcautiously,madetheirwaythroughByfleetandPyrfordtowardsRipleyandWeybridge,andsocameinsightoftheexpectantbatteriesagainstthesettingsun. TheseMartiansdidnotadvanceinabody,butinaline,eachperhapsamileandahalffromhisnearestfellow. Theycommunicatedwithoneanotherbymeansofsirenlikehowls,runningupanddownthescalefromonenotetoanother. 

           ItwasthishowlingandfiringofthegunsatRipleyandSt.George’sHillthatwehadheardatUpperHalliford. TheRipleygunners,unseasonedartilleryvolunteerswhooughtnevertohavebeenplacedinsuchaposition,firedonewild,premature,ineffectualvolley,andboltedonhorseandfootthroughthedesertedvillage, whiletheMartian,withoutusinghisHeat-Ray,walkedserenelyovertheirguns,steppedgingerlyamongthem,passedinfrontofthem,andsocameunexpectedlyuponthegunsinPainshillPark,whichhedestroyed. 

           TheSt.George’sHillmen,however,werebetterledorofabettermettle. Hiddenbyapinewoodastheywere,theyseemtohavebeenquiteunsuspectedbytheMartiannearesttothem. Theylaidtheirgunsasdeliberatelyasiftheyhadbeenonparade,andfiredataboutathousandyards’range.