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What We Saw From the Ruined House
Theearthallroundithadsplashedunderthattremendousimpact—"splashed"istheonlyword—andlayinheapedpilesthathidthemassesoftheadjacenthouses. Ithadbehavedexactlylikemudundertheviolentblowofahammer. Ourhousehadcollapsedbackward; thefrontportion,evenonthegroundfloor,hadbeendestroyedcompletely; byachancethekitchenandsculleryhadescaped,andstoodburiednowundersoilandruins,closedinbytonsofearthoneverysidesavetowardsthecylinder. OverthataspectwehungnowontheveryedgeofthegreatcircularpittheMartianswereengagedinmaking. Theheavybeatingsoundwasevidentlyjustbehindus,andeverandagainabrightgreenvapourdroveuplikeaveilacrossourpeephole.
Thecylinderwasalreadyopenedinthecentreofthepit,andonthefartheredgeofthepit,amidthesmashedandgravel-heapedshrubbery,oneofthegreatfighting-machines,desertedbyitsoccupant,stoodstiffandtallagainsttheeveningsky. AtfirstIscarcelynoticedthepitandthecylinder,althoughithasbeenconvenienttodescribethemfirst,onaccountoftheextraordinaryglitteringmechanismIsawbusyintheexcavation,andonaccountofthestrangecreaturesthatwerecrawlingslowlyandpainfullyacrosstheheapedmouldnearit.
Themechanismitcertainlywasthatheldmyattentionfirst. Itwasoneofthosecomplicatedfabricsthathavesincebeencalledhandling-machines,andthestudyofwhichhasalreadygivensuchanenormousimpetustoterrestrialinvention. Asitdawneduponmefirst,itpresentedasortofmetallicspiderwithfivejointed,agilelegs,andwithanextraordinarynumberofjointedlevers,bars,andreachingandclutchingtentaclesaboutitsbody.
