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What Had Happened in Surrey

           Inthelatteraimtheycertainlysucceeded. Sundaynightwastheendoftheorganisedoppositiontotheirmovements. Afterthatnobodyofmenwouldstandagainstthem,sohopelesswastheenterprise. Eventhecrewsofthetorpedo-boatsanddestroyersthathadbroughttheirquick-firersuptheThamesrefusedtostop,mutinied,andwentdownagain. Theonlyoffensiveoperationmenventureduponafterthatnightwasthepreparationofminesandpitfalls,andeveninthattheirenergieswerefranticandspasmodic. 

           Onehastoimagine,aswellasonemay,thefateofthosebatteriestowardsEsher,waitingsotenselyinthetwilight. Survivorstherewerenone. Onemaypicturetheorderlyexpectation,theofficersalertandwatchful,thegunnersready,theammunitionpiledtohand,thelimbergunnerswiththeirhorsesandwaggons,thegroupsofcivilianspectatorsstandingasnearastheywerepermitted,theeveningstillness,theambulancesandhospitaltentswiththeburnedandwoundedfromWeybridge; thenthedullresonanceoftheshotstheMartiansfired,andtheclumsyprojectilewhirlingoverthetreesandhousesandsmashingamidtheneighbouringfields. 

           Onemaypicture,too,thesuddenshiftingoftheattention,theswiftlyspreadingcoilsandbellyingsofthatblacknessadvancingheadlong,toweringheavenward,turningthetwilighttoapalpabledarkness, astrangeandhorribleantagonistofvapourstridinguponitsvictims,menandhorsesnearitseendimly,running,shrieking,fallingheadlong,shoutsofdismay,thegunssuddenlyabandoned,menchokingandwrithingontheground,andtheswiftbroadening-outoftheopaqueconeofsmoke. Andthennightandextinctionnothingbutasilentmassofimpenetrablevapourhidingitsdead. 

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