The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-05-22

hOOuS, lay tue MdIl iudo.
Looking out from my windows at
| dawn, I beheld an abominable desola-
ton, blackened world that had been
green and fair. l struck out for Lon
don and for miles saw not living be-
ing. I had reached the Thames when |
saw the Things coming, five OF them. |
I ran for the water. Straight toward |
me sped one, but 1 might have been |
an ant in q mans path. 1t strode
through the river and lowered above |
Shepperton. Then six hidden guns
belched together. One shell STRUCK
the hood and there was a horrlDie
confusion of flesh and blood ana me-
tai. Something drove the uncontrolled
machine on crashing through the VII
lage, topping over the church-toWer'
collapsing in the river. The others
rushed to the spot and the air was
filled with kissing of Heat Rays ana
cracking of fires. Shepperton leapeo
info fame. I staggered to the shore
and when I looked up, the Ihlngs
were bearing away the smashed ma
chine.
l stumbled on, panic-stricken, dazed.
The world was doomed These mon
STEERS could STAY with Heat Rays pc
yond the range. of our biggest guns.
Not again could we kill one of them
bv surprise. Terror stalked through
London. To the horror of Heat Rays
t had been added the Black Smoke
cloud of poison that blighted all liv-
ing things. So London streamed III
flight 100000 people roaring out
along the highways until they were
rivers In flood.
: fell into a doze under hedge ana
}, there the curate joined me. He was
! half-mad with fright and chung to me-
We nodded on to suburb where we
t sought refuge in deserted house. AT
n midnight came a binding flash. When
day broke, we peered through peep
n hole and in the garden was Marian
: Embedded in the earth was announcer
:. glowing cylinder.
: For fifteen days was penned there'
so I saw more Of the monsters thail
: anv other man now living. l watched
e the,r intricate machines-the auto
e matte digger, the sensitive handing
= machine like metallic splder,-so
d flexible and SO swiftly sure that they
n seemed centuries il advance OF our
!. rigid machinery. could STUDY too
IS the Marian habits. l learned tha'
l. evolution had made them all brain
Ell cold. remorseless intelltgences un
swayed by emotion. They neither
silent nor ate; they were sexless anc
II their young were budded off. like the
= young Of corals. Most horrible TO mt
u was the fact that they injected mems
le blood into their veins for nourishment
ie It was this that drove me to &C
- as did when the curate went ravlni
IL mad. l knew that his shouts woui'
- warn the Martians Of our presence
III and 7 tried to silence him. He brok'
- away and l caught him in The kitchen
III where felled him with meat-chop
= per. He dropped stunned and thel
saw two dark eyes at the Windo"
eo I fled to the coal-cellar and above m
ne | heard a tapping, tapping, ana the
II the noise Of a heavy body being drag
'e ged across the floor.
piled wood and coal over me VINE
Gu I heard that tapping at the cellar
ns door. Through crevices l could sc
nc the terrible arm of handling-ms
e' chine, waving, feeling, examining
on Once it ran across the heel of m
boot and l nearly screamed. Then
:, went away.
IL A week passed before I dared loo
'e out. About the peep-hole was masse
Il quantities of the red weed that TN
'ss Martians had brought-evidently veg
la' tat,on on Mars is red. I pushed
Ills aside and gazed out. The garden we
:. deserted.
II, crept into desolate world. Abo'
iiu me was a smashed village. l struggle
IN through the outskirts Of London an
ar not until reached Wimbledon Col
IL mon did meet q man. He had TOO
.ei and drink and plans for the futuT
loi visions of a people living In the gre
ny drains until they had science enout
leu 10 conquer their conquerors. l stay'
81 with. him until / had regained n
ee' strength and then walked into del
the
London.
The metropolis was stilled OF all
ing hnmming life. Here and there we
ou' heaps of dead, withered by Bla
an Smoke; here and there were signs
FIJI destruction but it was little chang
'ce except for the horrible quiet.
'us' near South Kensington when hea
"is the mournful bowling, JULIA, uila
anu Not until the next day did see I
lter hood of the giant that was MAXI
nse this sobbing wall. He did not mo
'ne nor did three others that saw, star
PIT ing strangely still. Driven by fear
resolved to end it all. walked iowa
.pu- the Thing nearest me and saw oil
hite crcling about the hood, tearing
ii'A something within.
one I scrambled hastily up great ra
' part ana below me was the MART
80 camp. They were all dead, nearly
lAe' Of them, some in their machines a
!, others prone upon the ground. III