It's out on Horsell Common now."

Good Lord!" said Henderson. "Fallen meteorite! That's good."

But it's something more than a meteorite. It's a cylinder--an

artificial cylinder, man! And there's something inside."

Henderson stood up with his spade in his hand.

What's that?" he said. He was deaf in one ear.

Ogilvy told him all that he had seen. Henderson was a minute or so

taking it in. Then he dropped his spade, snatched up his jacket, and

came out into the road. The two men hurried back at once to the

common, and found the cylinder still lying in the same position. But

now the sounds inside had ceased, and a thin circle of bright metal

showed between the top and the body of the cylinder. Air was either

entering or escaping at the rim with a thin, sizzling sound.

They listened, rapped on the scaly burnt metal with a stick, and,

meeting with no response, they both concluded the man or men inside

must be insensible or dead.

Of course the two were quite unable to do anything. They shouted

consolation and promises, and went off back to the town again to get

The War of the Worlds