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121
But
that
crowd
of
people
had
a
far
narrower
escape
than
mine
.
Only
the
fact
that
a
hummock
of
heathery
sand
intercepted
the
lower
part
of
the
Heat-Ray
saved
them
.
Had
the
elevation
of
the
parabolic
mirror
been
a
few
yards
higher
,
none
could
have
lived
to
tell
the
tale
.
122
They
saw
the
flashes
and
the
men
falling
and
an
invisible
hand
,
as
it
were
,
lit
the
bushes
as
it
hurried
towards
them
through
the
twilight
.
Then
,
with
a
whistling
note
that
rose
above
the
droning
of
the
pit
,
the
beam
swung
close
over
their
heads
,
lighting
the
tops
of
the
beech
trees
that
line
the
road
,
and
splitting
the
bricks
,
smashing
the
windows
,
firing
the
window
frames
,
and
bringing
down
in
crumbling
ruin
a
portion
of
the
gable
of
the
house
nearest
the
corner
.
123
In
the
sudden
thud
,
hiss
,
and
glare
of
the
igniting
trees
,
the
panic-stricken
crowd
seems
to
have
swayed
hesitatingly
for
some
moments
.
Sparks
and
burning
twigs
began
to
fall
into
the
road
,
and
single
leaves
like
puffs
of
flame
.
Hats
and
dresses
caught
fire
.
Then
came
a
crying
from
the
common
.
There
were
shrieks
and
shouts
,
and
suddenly
a
mounted
policeman
came
galloping
through
the
confusion
with
his
hands
clasped
over
his
head
,
screaming
.
Отключить рекламу
124
'
They
're
coming
!
'
a
woman
shrieked
,
and
incontinently
everyone
was
turning
and
pushing
at
those
behind
,
in
order
to
clear
their
way
to
Woking
again
.
They
must
have
bolted
as
blindly
as
a
flock
of
sheep
.
Where
the
road
grows
narrow
and
black
between
the
high
banks
the
crowd
jammed
,
and
a
desperate
struggle
occurred
.
All
that
crowd
did
not
escape
;
three
persons
at
least
,
two
women
and
a
little
boy
,
were
crushed
and
trampled
there
,
and
left
to
die
amid
the
terror
and
the
darkness
.
125
For
my
own
part
,
I
remember
nothing
of
my
flight
except
the
stress
of
blundering
against
trees
and
stumbling
through
the
heather
.
All
about
me
gathered
the
invisible
terrors
of
the
Martians
;
that
pitiless
sword
of
heat
seemed
whirling
to
and
fro
,
flourishing
overhead
before
it
descended
and
smote
me
out
of
life
.
I
came
into
the
road
between
the
crossroads
and
Horsell
,
and
ran
along
this
to
the
crossroads
.
126
At
last
I
could
go
no
further
;
I
was
exhausted
with
the
violence
of
my
emotion
and
of
my
flight
,
and
I
staggered
and
fell
by
the
wayside
.
That
was
near
the
bridge
that
crosses
the
canal
by
the
gasworks
.
I
fell
and
lay
still
.
127
I
must
have
remained
there
some
time
.
Отключить рекламу
128
I
sat
up
,
strangely
perplexed
.
For
a
moment
,
perhaps
,
I
could
not
clearly
understand
how
I
came
there
.
My
terror
had
fallen
from
me
like
a
garment
.
My
hat
had
gone
,
and
my
collar
had
burst
away
from
its
fastener
.
A
few
minutes
before
,
there
had
only
been
three
real
things
before
me
--
the
immensity
of
the
night
and
space
and
nature
,
my
own
feebleness
and
anguish
,
and
the
near
approach
of
death
.
Now
it
was
as
if
something
turned
over
,
and
the
point
of
view
altered
abruptly
.
There
was
no
sensible
transition
from
one
state
of
mind
to
the
other
.
I
was
immediately
the
self
of
every
day
again
--
a
decent
,
ordinary
citizen
.
The
silent
common
,
the
impulse
of
my
flight
,
the
starting
flames
,
were
as
if
they
had
been
in
a
dream
.
I
asked
myself
had
these
latter
things
indeed
happened
?
I
could
not
credit
it
.
129
I
rose
and
walked
unsteadily
up
the
steep
incline
of
the
bridge
.
My
mind
was
blank
wonder
.
My
muscles
and
nerves
seemed
drained
of
their
strength
.
I
dare
say
I
staggered
drunkenly
.
130
A
head
rose
over
the
arch
,
and
the
figure
of
a
workman
carrying
a
basket
appeared
.
Beside
him
ran
a
little
boy
.
He
passed
me
,
wishing
me
good
night
.
I
was
minded
to
speak
to
him
,
but
did
not
.
I
answered
his
greeting
with
a
meaningless
mumble
and
went
on
over
the
bridge
.