Saturday was a day of waiting. It was very hot and there was no wind. I did not sleep much that night. My wife slept well, but I woke up early. I went into my garden before breakfast and everything was quiet.
The milkman came at the usual time. I heard the rattle of his chariot (a small cart with two wheels). I went to the gate to ask for news. He said the soldiers were now around the Martians. He said the army wanted to use big guns soon.
I heard a train go toward the town of Woking. This sound made me feel safe. The milkman said the soldiers did not want to kill the Martians. They wanted to be careful. I saw my neighbor in his garden and we talked for a short time.
My neighbor thought the soldiers would catch the Martians today. He wanted to know how the Martians lived on their planet. He was a very kind man. He gave me some strawberries from his garden. Then he told me about a big fire.
He said a second cylinder (a large, heavy tube from space) fell in the woods. He laughed because the fire would cost a lot of money. Then he became serious. He was sad about his friend, Ogilvy, who died near the pit.
After breakfast, I walked toward the common. I saw a group of sappers (soldiers who build bridges and roads) under a bridge. They wore red jackets and blue shirts. They looked very dirty. They told me that I could not cross the bridge.
I talked with these soldiers for a long time. I told them about the Martians. None of these soldiers saw the Martians yet. They asked me many questions. These soldiers were very smart and they talked about the fight.
I described the Heat-Ray (a powerful beam of heat) to them. The soldiers argued about the best way to win. One soldier wanted to run at the Martians. Another soldier wanted to dig a trench (a long, deep hole in the ground) to hide in.
One small soldier smoked a pipe. He called the Martians octopuses (sea animals with eight long arms). He said it was not murder to kill these strange creatures. He wanted to use big guns to finish them quickly.
I left the soldiers and went to the railway station. I bought many newspapers. The morning and the afternoon felt very long. I could not see the common because the soldiers blocked every road.
People in the town felt safe because the army was there. But I met a man named Marshall at the shop. He was very sad because his son died on the common. The soldiers told all the people near the common to leave their houses.
I went home for lunch at two o’clock. It was a very hot and gray day. I took a cold bath to feel better. At four o’clock, I went back to the station to buy an evening newspaper.
The newspapers did not have much news. The Martians stayed inside their pit. I heard the sound of hammers from the pit. I saw a lot of smoke too. The Martians were busy and they were getting ready to fight.
The soldiers tried to talk to the Martians with a flag. The Martians did not care. They ignored the humans like a human ignores a cow. I felt very excited by the guns and the soldiers. I thought the soldiers would win easily.
At three o’clock, I heard the sound of a big gun. The soldiers fired at the second cylinder in the woods. They wanted to destroy it before it opened. At five o’clock, more guns arrived to fight the first Martians.
At six o'clock, I had tea with my wife in the garden house. We talked about the battle. Suddenly, I heard a loud explosion from the common. Then I heard many guns. There was a very loud crash near my house.
The ground shook and I ran to the grass. I saw the trees near the college catch fire. The church tower fell down and became a ruin. The top of the mosque (a religious building for Muslims) was gone. Everything was breaking.
Part of my chimney broke and fell into the flowers. I was very surprised and afraid. Then I understood the danger. The Martians used their Heat-Ray. My house was now in a dangerous place.
I grabbed the arm of my wife. We ran out to the road. I told my servant to come out too. I went back inside to get a box for the servant. The guns started firing again on the common.
My wife was very afraid. She asked me where we should go. I thought for a moment. I remembered her cousins in a town called Leatherhead. I shouted the name of the town to her.
People came out of their houses because they were surprised. I saw many hussars (soldiers who ride horses) near the bridge. The sun looked red like blood because of the smoke. Everything looked strange and scary.
I told my wife to stay in a safe place. I ran to a pub called the Spotted Dog. I knew the owner had a horse and a dog cart (a small cart pulled by a horse). I ran fast because everyone was starting to move.
I found the owner in the bar. He did not know about the danger. He wanted one pound for the cart. I offered him two pounds if I could have it now. He gave me the cart and the horse.
I drove the cart to my wife and the servant. I ran into my house and packed some expensive things in a cloth. The trees near my house were burning. The wooden fence was red from the heat.
A soldier on a horse ran from house to house. He told everyone to leave their homes now. I carried my things out of the house. I saw a cloud of black smoke on the road.
I checked my neighbor's house, but it was locked. I got the servant’s box and put it on the cart. Then I took the reins (the long leather ropes used to control a horse). I sat next to my wife and we drove away.
The land in front of us was quiet and sunny. But I looked back at the hill. I saw thick black smoke and red fire in the sky. The smoke moved toward the east and the west.
Many people were running toward us on the road. I heard the sound of guns far away. The Martians used their Heat-Ray to burn everything. I looked at the horse and drove it fast.
I am not a very good driver, so I watched the horse carefully. I looked back one more time, but the hill hid the smoke. I hit the horse to make it go faster. Finally, we were far away from the noise and the fire.