El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-10-22

water. Straight toward me sped one
but I might have been an ant in a
mans path. 1t strobe through the
river and lowered above Shepperton-
Then six hidden guns belched
together. One shell struck the hood
and there was a horrible confusion
Of flesh and blood and metal Some
thing drove the uncontrolled machine
on, crashing through the village
ltoppling over the church tower, col
rushed to the spot and the air was
filled with Kissing Of heat rays
and cracking Of fires Skep-
perton leaped into flame. I staggered
to the shore and when I looked up,
the things were bearing away the
smashed machine
stumbled on, panic stricken,
6azed. The world was doomed These
monsters could slay with heat rays
beyond the range Of our biggest guns
Not aga IN could we kill one Of them
by surprise Terror stalked through
London. To the horror Of heat rays
{ had been added the black smoke. a
cloud Of poison that blighted all liv-
ing things So London streamed IN
flight, 100000 people roaring out
along the highways until they were
like rivers in flood
I fen into a doze under a hedge
and there the curate Joined me He
was half mad with fright and chung
TO me. We plOdoed on TO q suburb
where we sought refuge IN z deserted
house. At midnight came blind
ing fash. When day broke We peered
through peep hole and in the garden
was Marian. Embedded IN the
earth was another glowing cylinder
Tor I 3 DAYS 7 was penned there SO
I saw more Of the monsters than any
other man now living watched
their intricate machines-the auto
matte digger, the sensitive handling
machine like a metallic spider-so
flexible and so swiftly sure thar
they seemed centuries In advance OF
our rigid machinery could stlcL
too the Marian habits learned
that evolution had made them al
brain. cold. remOrseless intelligeuees
unsWayed by emotion They. neither
silent nor ate- they were sexleSS and
their young we're budded off. like the
young Of corals- Most horrible 70
me was the fact that they Injected
mems blood into their veins for nour-
ishment
It was this that drove me 70 act as
Z did when the curlte went raNin g
mad. 7 knew that his shouts would
warn the Martiaus Of our presence
and I tried TO silence him He broke
away ana I caught him in the kitchen
Where fellsd him with meat
chopper He dropped stunned and
then 7 saw two dark eyes AZ the
window. fled TO the coal cellar
and above me ] heard q tapping. tap
nfue. and then the noise Of heavy
body being dragged across the 1loor-
piled wood and coal over ne
when Z heard that tapping AT the
cellar door. Through crevices
eorId see the terrible arm Of a
handling machine. waving, feeling
examining. Once # ran across the
heel Of nv boot and nearly
screamed. Then It went away
A week passed before / dared LOOK
out. About the peep hole was nnassea
Quantities Of the red weed that me
lrartians had brought - evidently
vegetation on Mars is red. pushed
It aside and gazed out The garden
was deserted.
I crent into a desolate world About
me was q smashed VILLAGE. struseisu
IN through the outskirts Of London
and not until reached Vim bledon
Common did 7 meet man he mao
food and drink and plans for the
future. visions OF a people living n
the great drains until they had
science enough to conquer their con-
auerors. I stayed with him until
had regained nv strength and tnen
walked into dead london
The metropolis was stllled o. al
rs humming life. Here and there
we're heans OF dead, withered oy
black smoke: here and there wee
sirus Of destruction but II was nl-le
CHANGED except for the horrible GuieL
I was near South Kensirgton Wnen
7 heard the mournful bowling, "a "a.
ulaar' Nor until the next DAY dld
see the hood Of the giant thar ~