The Cylinder Opens

When I returned to the common the sun was setting. Scattered groups were hurrying from the direction of Woking, and one or two persons were returning. The crowd about the pit had increased, and stood out black against the lemon yellow of the sky—a couple of hundred people, perhaps. There were raised voices, and some sort of struggle appeared to be going on about the pit. Strange imaginings passed through my mind. As I drew nearer I heard Stent’s voice:

When I returned to the common, the sun was setting. Scattered groups were hurrying from the direction of Woking, and one or two people were heading back. The crowd around the pit had grown, standing out black against the lemon-yellow sky. There were perhaps a couple of hundred people. Voices were raised, and some kind of struggle seemed to be going on around the pit. Strange thoughts passed through my mind. As I came closer, I heard Stent’s voice:

“Keep back! Keep back!”

“Stay back! Stay back!”

A boy came running towards me.

A boy came running toward me.

“It’s a-movin’,” he said to me as he passed; “a-screwin’ and a-screwin’ out. I don’t like it. I’m a-goin’ ’ome, I am.”

“It’s moving,” he said to me as he passed. “It keeps screwing out. I don’t like it. I’m going home.”

I went on to the crowd. There were really, I should think, two or three hundred people elbowing and jostling one another, the one or two ladies there being by no means the least active.

I went on to the crowd. I would guess there were two or three hundred people, elbowing and jostling one another. The one or two women there were among the most active.

“He’s fallen in the pit!” cried some one.

“He’s fallen into the pit!” someone cried.

“Keep back!” said several.

“Stay back!” several people said.

The crowd swayed a little, and I elbowed my way through. Every one seemed greatly excited. I heard a peculiar humming sound from the pit.

The crowd swayed a little, and I pushed my way through. Everyone seemed very excited. I heard a strange humming sound from the pit.

“I say!” said Ogilvy; “help keep these idiots back. We don’t know what’s in the confounded thing, you know!”

“Hey!” said Ogilvy. “Help keep these idiots back. We don’t know what’s in the damn thing, you know!”

I saw a young man, a shop assistant in Woking I believe he was, standing on the cylinder and trying to scramble out of the hole again. The crowd had pushed him in.

I saw a young man standing on the cylinder, trying to climb out of the hole again. I believe he was a shop assistant in Woking. The crowd had pushed him in.

The end of the cylinder was being screwed out from within. Nearly two feet of shining screw projected. Somebody blundered against me, and I narrowly missed being pitched onto the top of the screw. I turned, and as I did so the screw must have come out, for the lid of the cylinder fell upon the gravel with a ringing concussion. I stuck my elbow into the person behind me, and turned my head towards the Thing again. For a moment that circular cavity seemed perfectly black. I had the sunset in my eyes.

The end of the cylinder was being unscrewed from inside. Nearly two feet of the shining screw stuck out. Someone stumbled against me, and I nearly fell onto the top of the screw. I turned, and the screw must have come out as I did. The cylinder's lid fell onto the gravel with a ringing crash. I jabbed my elbow into the person behind me and turned my head toward the Thing again. For a moment, the circular opening seemed completely black. The setting sun was in my eyes.

I think everyone expected to see a man emerge—possibly something a little unlike us terrestrial men, but in all essentials a man. I know I did. But, looking, I presently saw something stirring within the shadow: greyish billowy movements, one above another, and then two luminous disks—like eyes. Then something resembling a little grey snake, about the thickness of a walking stick, coiled up out of the writhing middle, and wriggled in the air towards me—and then another.

I think everyone expected to see a man come out. He might have been a little different from us humans, but a man in all essential ways. I know I expected that. But as I watched, I soon saw something moving in the shadows. Gray, swelling shapes moved one above another, and then I saw two glowing disks, like eyes. Then something like a small gray snake, about as thick as a walking stick, curled up from the writhing center. It wriggled through the air toward me, and then another followed.

A sudden chill came over me. There was a loud shriek from a woman behind. I half turned, keeping my eyes fixed upon the cylinder still, from which other tentacles were now projecting, and began pushing my way back from the edge of the pit. I saw astonishment giving place to horror on the faces of the people about me. I heard inarticulate exclamations on all sides. There was a general movement backwards. I saw the shopman struggling still on the edge of the pit. I found myself alone, and saw the people on the other side of the pit running off, Stent among them. I looked again at the cylinder, and ungovernable terror gripped me. I stood petrified and staring.

A sudden chill came over me. A woman behind me shrieked loudly. I half turned, keeping my eyes on the cylinder. More tentacles were now reaching out of it. I began pushing my way back from the edge of the pit. The faces of the people around me changed from shock to horror. I heard cries all around me, but could make out no words. Everyone began moving back. I saw the shopkeeper still struggling at the edge of the pit. I found myself alone. On the other side of the pit, people were running away, including Stent. I looked at the cylinder again, and uncontrollable terror gripped me. I stood frozen, staring.

A big greyish rounded bulk, the size, perhaps, of a bear, was rising slowly and painfully out of the cylinder. As it bulged up and caught the light, it glistened like wet leather.

A large, rounded grey mass, perhaps the size of a bear, was rising slowly and painfully out of the cylinder. As it bulged up and caught the light, it shone like wet leather.

Two large dark-coloured eyes were regarding me steadfastly. The mass that framed them, the head of the thing, was rounded, and had, one might say, a face. There was a mouth under the eyes, the lipless brim of which quivered and panted, and dropped saliva. The whole creature heaved and pulsated convulsively. A lank tentacular appendage gripped the edge of the cylinder, another swayed in the air.

Two large, dark eyes stared steadily at me. The mass around them was the creature's head. It was round and had what you might call a face. Below the eyes was a mouth. Its lipless edge quivered, panted, and dripped saliva. The whole creature heaved and pulsed in spasms. One long, thin tentacle gripped the edge of the cylinder. Another swayed in the air.

Those who have never seen a living Martian can scarcely imagine the strange horror of its appearance. The peculiar V-shaped mouth with its pointed upper lip, the absence of brow ridges, the absence of a chin beneath the wedgelike lower lip, the incessant quivering of this mouth, the Gorgon groups of tentacles, the tumultuous breathing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere, the evident heaviness and painfulness of movement due to the greater gravitational energy of the earth—above all, the extraordinary intensity of the immense eyes—were at once vital, intense, inhuman, crippled and monstrous. There was something fungoid in the oily brown skin, something in the clumsy deliberation of the tedious movements unspeakably nasty. Even at this first encounter, this first glimpse, I was overcome with disgust and dread.

Anyone who has never seen a living Martian can scarcely imagine how strange and horrifying it looked. Its mouth was oddly V-shaped, with a pointed upper lip, and it had no brow ridges. Beneath its wedge-shaped lower lip, it had no chin. Its mouth quivered constantly, and its groups of tentacles resembled a Gorgon's. Its lungs heaved as it breathed the strange atmosphere. Its movements were clearly heavy and painful because of Earth's stronger gravity. Above all, its enormous eyes were extraordinarily intense. All these features made the Martian seem alive and intense, yet inhuman, crippled, and monstrous. Its oily brown skin was somehow fungus-like. There was something unspeakably nasty about the clumsy, deliberate way it moved so slowly. Even at this first encounter, this first glimpse, I was overcome with disgust and dread.

Suddenly the monster vanished. It had toppled over the brim of the cylinder and fallen into the pit, with a thud like the fall of a great mass of leather. I heard it give a peculiar thick cry, and forthwith another of these creatures appeared darkly in the deep shadow of the aperture.

Suddenly the monster vanished. It had toppled over the edge of the cylinder and fallen into the pit. It landed with a thud, like a huge mass of leather falling. I heard it give a strange, muffled cry. Immediately, another of the creatures appeared as a dark shape in the deep shadow of the opening.

I turned and, running madly, made for the first group of trees, perhaps a hundred yards away; but I ran slantingly and stumbling, for I could not avert my face from these things.

I turned and ran wildly toward the first group of trees, perhaps a hundred yards away. But I ran at an angle and stumbled, because I could not look away from these things.

There, among some young pine trees and furze bushes, I stopped, panting, and waited further developments. The common round the sand-pits was dotted with people, standing like myself in a half-fascinated terror, staring at these creatures, or rather at the heaped gravel at the edge of the pit in which they lay. And then, with a renewed horror, I saw a round, black object bobbing up and down on the edge of the pit. It was the head of the shopman who had fallen in, but showing as a little black object against the hot western sun. Now he got his shoulder and knee up, and again he seemed to slip back until only his head was visible. Suddenly he vanished, and I could have fancied a faint shriek had reached me. I had a momentary impulse to go back and help him that my fears overruled.

There, among some young pine trees and gorse bushes, I stopped, panting, and waited to see what would happen next. People were scattered across the common around the sand pits. Like me, they stood half fascinated and terrified, staring at the creatures. Or rather, they stared at the piled gravel at the edge of the pit where the creatures lay. Then, with renewed horror, I saw a round, black object bobbing up and down at the edge of the pit. It was the head of the shopkeeper who had fallen in. Against the hot western sun, his head looked like a small black object. He managed to raise his shoulder and knee, but then seemed to slip back until only his head showed. Suddenly he vanished, and I thought I might have heard a faint scream. For a moment I wanted to go back and help him, but fear stopped me.

Everything was then quite invisible, hidden by the deep pit and the heap of sand that the fall of the cylinder had made. Anyone coming along the road from Chobham or Woking would have been amazed at the sight—a dwindling multitude of perhaps a hundred people or more standing in a great irregular circle, in ditches, behind bushes, behind gates and hedges, saying little to one another and that in short, excited shouts, and staring, staring hard at a few heaps of sand. The barrow of ginger beer stood, a queer derelict, black against the burning sky, and in the sand-pits was a row of deserted vehicles with their horses feeding out of nosebags or pawing the ground.

Everything was now completely hidden by the deep pit and the heap of sand made when the cylinder fell. Anyone coming along the road from Chobham or Woking would have been amazed by the sight. A shrinking crowd of perhaps a hundred people or more stood in a large, uneven circle. They stood in ditches and behind bushes, gates, and hedges. They said little to one another, and what they did say came in short, excited shouts. They stared and stared hard at a few heaps of sand. The ginger beer cart stood abandoned, a strange sight silhouetted against the burning sky. In the sand-pits stood a row of deserted vehicles. Their horses were eating from nosebags or pawing the ground.