The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1920-05-22

inn,,c legs Ike mn exaggerated TIL
pod driving on with an express-traIn',
speed smashing everything In thell
path. At the tops, cr0uched In meta
hoods, luy the Mnrtians.
Looking out from my windows q,
dawn, beheld an abonlnable desola
tion. a biackened world that had beer
green and FUR. struck out for Lon
don and for miles saw not living be-
ng. had reached the Thames when
| suw the Things coming. Ave Of them
I ran for the water. Straight toward
me sped one, but might have been
tn ant In mans path. II strobe
through the river and lowered above
Sheppertop. Then Fix hiddca guns
belched together. One shell struck
the hood and there was horrible
confusion Of flesh hnd blood and me.
tai. Something drove the uncontrolled
mnchlne on. crushing through the vii
nge. toppllng over the church-tower,
collnpsing In the river. Tho others
rushed to the spot and the air was
filled with kissing OF Heat Rnys aud
cracking of fires. Shcpperton lcapcd
into flame. staggered 10 the shore
and when looked M. the Things
were bearing away the smashed ma
chine.
I stumbled on, panIc-stricken. dazcd.
The world was doomed. These mon
sters could sluy with Heat Rays be-
yond the range OF our biggest guns.
Not again could we kill one OF them
by surprise. Terror stalkcd 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 strcnmed In
night. 6OO0.OOO people roaring out
along the highways until they were
rivers IA flood.
! fell into doxc under hedge and
there the curate Joined me. lie was
half-mad with fright aud chung TO me.
We pIodded on TO n suburb where we
sought refuge In a deserted house. A.
came a binding fash. When
day broke. we pcercd through a peep
hole and In the garden was n Marian.
Embedded In the earth was unother
cylinder.
For fifteen days was pcnncd there.
40 I sw more Of the monsters thnn
any other man now living. watched
their intricate machIncs--tbe auto
matte digger. the sensitive handling
like metallic spider.--so
iexible and NO swiftly sure that they
seemed centuries In advance Of our
rigid machinery. could study too
he Martlnn habits. ! learned that
evolution had made them all brain.
.old. remorseless IntellIgcnces un-
swayed by emotion. They neither
'Iept nor ate: they were scxless and
heir young were budded on. like the !
'oung Of coraIs. Most horrible 10 me
vas the fact that they injected mems |
Hood into their veins for pourlshmcnt.
II was this that drove me 10 act |
Is I did when the curnte went ruvIng
mad. ! knew that his shouts would
vnrn the MartInns Of our presence
nd tried 10 silence him. lie broke
way and caught him In she kitchen
vhere I felIed him with "a meat-chop-
'er. He dropped stunned and then
saw two dark eyes nt the window.
fed 10 the coal-celInr and above me
heard tapping. tapping. and then
be noise Of heavy body being drag
ed across the floor.
piled wood and coal over me when
heard that tapping ut the cellar
oor. Through crevlses I could see
he terrible arm NJ handling mn-
hine. waving. feeling. examining.
'nce II ran across the heel of my
GOT and I nearly screamed. Then II
'ent away.
A week passed before ! dared look
NJ. About the peep.holc was mnssed
unntities Of the red weed that The
Iartlans had brought--eyldently vege- .
itlon on Mars In red. pushed II
side aud gazed out. The garden was
eserted.
l crept Into desolnte world. About
e was smashed village. I struggled
} through the outskirts Of London and
NJ until reached Wimbledon Com
oh did meet man. lie had food
nd drink and plans for the future.
sions OF people living In the great
rains until they had science enough
J conquer their conquerors. ! stayed
lih him until had regained my
rength and then walked into dead
ondon.
The metropolis was stilled Of all Its
life. Here and there were
'aps OF dead. withered by Black
noke; here aud there were signs of
hut II was little changed
-cept for the horrible quiet. was
mr. South KenslneiOn when ! hcnrd
q monrnful bowling, "ulla. ulla p
ot until the next day did I see the
'od OF the giant that was making
Is sobblng wall. He dld not move
n did three others that saw. stand.
& strangely stiIl. Driven by fear,
solved to end II all. ! walked toward
g Thing nearest me ana saw birds
rcling about the hood. tearing at