Війна світів
On horsell common
TherewerehalfadozenfliesormorefromtheWokingstationstandingintheroadbythesandpits,abasketchaisefromChobham,andaratherlordlycarriage. Besidesthat,therewasquiteaheapofbicycles. Inaddition,alargenumberofpeoplemusthavewalked,inspiteoftheheatoftheday,fromWokingandChertsey,sothattherewasaltogetherquiteaconsiderablecrowd—oneortwogailydressedladiesamongtheothers. Itwasglaringlyhot,notacloudintheskynorabreathofwind,andtheonlyshadowwasthatofthefewscatteredpinetrees. Theburningheatherhadbeenextinguished,butthelevelgroundtowardsOttershawwasblackenedasfarasonecouldsee,andstillgivingoffverticalstreamersofsmoke. Anenterprisingsweet-stuffdealerintheChobhamRoadhadsentuphissonwithabarrow-loadofgreenapplesandgingerbeer.
Goingtotheedgeofthepit,Ifounditoccupiedbyagroupofabouthalfadozenmen—Henderson,Ogilvy,andatall,fair-hairedmanthatIafterwardslearnedwasStent,theAstronomerRoyal,withseveralworkmenwieldingspadesandpickaxes. Stentwasgivingdirectionsinaclear,high-pitchedvoice. Hewasstandingonthecylinder,whichwasnowevidentlymuchcooler; hisfacewascrimsonandstreamingwithperspiration,andsomethingseemedtohaveirritatedhim.
Alargeportionofthecylinderhadbeenuncovered,thoughitslowerendwasstillembedded. AssoonasOgilvysawmeamongthestaringcrowdontheedgeofthepithecalledtometocomedown,andaskedmeifIwouldmindgoingovertoseeLordHilton,thelordofthemanor.
Thegrowingcrowd,hesaid,wasbecomingaseriousimpedimenttotheirexcavations,especiallytheboys.
