Війна світів
What I Saw of the Destruction of Weybridge and Shepperton
"Eh?"saidhe,turning."Iwasexplainin’theseisvallyble."
"Death!"Ishouted."Deathiscoming!Death!" andleavinghimtodigestthatifhecould,Ihurriedonaftertheartillery-man. AtthecornerIlookedback. Thesoldierhadlefthim,andhewasstillstandingbyhisbox,withthepotsoforchidsonthelidofit,andstaringvaguelyoverthetrees.
NooneinWeybridgecouldtelluswheretheheadquarterswereestablished; thewholeplacewasinsuchconfusionasIhadneverseeninanytownbefore. Carts,carriageseverywhere,themostastonishingmiscellanyofconveyancesandhorseflesh. Therespectableinhabitantsoftheplace,meningolfandboatingcostumes,wivesprettilydressed,werepacking,river-sideloafersenergeticallyhelping,childrenexcited,and,forthemostpart,highlydelightedatthisastonishingvariationoftheirSundayexperiences. Inthemidstofitalltheworthyvicarwasverypluckilyholdinganearlycelebration,andhisbellwasjanglingoutabovetheexcitement.
Iandtheartilleryman,seatedonthestepofthedrinkingfountain,madeaverypassablemealuponwhatwehadbroughtwithus. Patrolsofsoldiers—herenolongerhussars,butgrenadiersinwhite—werewarningpeopletomovenowortotakerefugeintheircellarsassoonasthefiringbegan. Wesawaswecrossedtherailwaybridgethatagrowingcrowdofpeoplehadassembledinandabouttherailwaystation,andtheswarmingplatformwaspiledwithboxesandpackages. Theordinarytraffichadbeenstopped,Ibelieve,inordertoallowofthepassageoftroopsandgunstoChertsey,andIhaveheardsincethatasavagestruggleoccurredforplacesinthespecialtrainsthatwereputonatalaterhour.
