The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells
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portion of_its sloping floor . it widened out as it receded from_us, and its roof came down and hid the remoter portion altogether . and lying in a line along its length, vanishing at last far away in_that tremendous perspective, were a number of huge shapes, huge pallid hulls, upon_which the Selenites were busy . at first they seemed big white cylinders of vague import . then I noted the heads upon them lying towards us, eyeless and skinless like the heads of sheep at a butcher's, and perceived they were the carcasses of mooncalves being cut up, much as_the crew of a whaler might cut up a moored whale . they were cutting off the flesh in strips, and on some_of_the farther trunks the white ribs were showing . it was_the sound of_their hatchets that made that chid, chid . some way away a thing like a trolley cable, drawn and loaded with chunks of lax meat, was running up the slope of_the cavern floor . this enormous long avenue of hulls that were destined to_be food, gave_us a sense of_the vast populousness of_the moon world second only to_the effect of_our first glimpse down the shaft .

it seemed to_me at first that_the Selenites must_be standing on trestle- supported planks, and then I_saw that_the planks and supports and their hatchets were really of_the same leaden hue as my fetters had seemed - before white light came to bear on them .a number of very thick- looking crowbars lay about_the floor, and had apparently assisted to_turn the dead mooncalf over on its side . they were perhaps six feet long, with shaped handles, very tempting- looking weapons . the whole place was lit by three transverse streams of_the blue fluid .

[ I_do_not remember seeing any wooden things on_the moon; doors tables, everything corresponding to our terrestrial joinery was_made of metal, and I believe for_the most part of gold, which as a metal would, of_course, naturally recommend itself - other things being equal - on account of_the ease in working it, and its toughness and durability .]

we lay for_a_long_time noting all these things in silence ." well ? " said Cavor at last .

I crouched over and turned to him .I had come upon a brilliant idea ." unless they lowered those bodies by a crane," I_said, " we_must_be nearer the surface than i_thought ."

" why ? "

" the mooncalf doesn't hop, and it hasn't got wings ."

he peered over the edge of_the hollow again ."I wonder now .. ." he began ." after all, we_have never gone far from_the surface - "

I stopped him by a grip on_his arm .I had heard a noise from_the cleft below us !

we twisted ourselves about, and lay as still as death, with every sense alert . in a little while I_did_not doubt that something was quietly ascending the cleft . very slowly and quite noiselessly I assured myself of a good grip on my chain, and waited for_that something to appear .

" just look at those chaps with_the hatchets again," I_said .

" they're all right," said Cavor .

i_took a sort of provisional aim at_the gap in_the grating . I_could hear now quite distinctly the soft twittering of_the ascending Selenites, the dab of_their hands against the rock, and_the falling of dust from their grips as_they clambered .

then I could_see that there_was something moving dimly in_the blackness below the grating, but what it might_be I_could_not distinguish . the whole thing I seemed to hang fire just for a moment - then smash ! I had sprung to my feet, struck savagely at something that had flashed out at me . it was_the keen point of a spear . I_have thought since that its length in_the narrowness of_the cleft must_have prevented its being sloped to reach me .Anyhow, it shot out from_the grating like the tongue of a snake, and missed and flew back and flashed again . but the second time I snatched and caught it, and wrenched it away, but not before another had darted ineffectually at me .

I shouted with triumph as I_felt the hold of_the selenite resist my pull for a moment and give, and then i_was jabbing down through_the bars, amidst squeals from_the darkness, and Cavor had snapped off the other spear, and was leaping and flourishing it beside me, and making inefficient jabs . clang, clang, came up through_the grating, and then an axe hurtled through_the air and whacked against the rocks beyond, to remind me of_the fleshers at_the carcasses up the cavern .

I turned, and_they were all coming towards us in open order waving their axes . they were short, thick, little beggars, with long arms, strikingly different from_the ones we had seen before . if_they had_not heard of us before, they_must_have realised the situation with incredible swiftness .I stared at them for a moment, spear in hand ." guard that grating, Cavor," I cried, howled to intimidate them, and rushed to meet them . two of_them missed with their hatchets, and_the rest fled incontinently . then the two also were sprinting away up the cavern, with hands clenched and heads down .I never saw men run like them !

I_knew the spear I had was no good for_me . it_was thin and flimsy, only effectual for a thrust, and too long for a quick recover . so I only chased the Selenites as far as_the first carcass, and stopped there and picked up one_of_the crowbars that were lying about . it felt comfortingly heavy, and equal to smashing any number of Selenites .I threw away my spear, and picked up a second crowbar for_the other hand . I_felt five times better than I had with_the spear .I shook the two threateningly at_the Selenites, who had come to a halt in a little crowd far away up the cavern, and then turned about to look at Cavor .

he_was leaping from side to side of_the grating, making threatening jabs with_his broken spear . that was all right . it would keep the Selenites down - for a time at any rate .I looked up the cavern again . what on earth were we going to_do now ?

we were cornered in a sort of way already . but these butchers up the cavern had_been surprised, they were probably scared, and_they had no special weapons, only those little hatchets of theirs . and_that way lay escape . their sturdy little forms - ever so_much shorter and thicker than_the mooncalf herds - were scattered up the slope in a way that was eloquent of indecision .I had the moral advantage of a mad bull in a street . but for all that, there seemed a tremendous crowd of_them . very probably there_was . those Selenites down the cleft had certainly some infernally long spears . it might_be they had other surprises for_us .. .. but, confound it ! if_we charged up the cave we_should let them up behind us, and if_we didn't those little brutes up the cave would probably get reinforced . heaven alone knew what tremendous engines of warfare - guns, bombs, terrestrial torpedoes - this unknown world below our feet, this vaster world of_which we had only pricked the outer cuticle, might_not presently send up_to our destruction . it became clear the_only_thing to_do was to_charge ! it became clearer as_the legs of a number of fresh Selenites appeared running down the cavern towards us .

" Bedford ! " cried Cavor, and behold ! he_was halfway between me and_the grating .

" go back ! " I cried ." what_are you doing -"

" they've got - it's like a gun ! "

and struggling in_the grating between those defensive spears appeared the head and shoulders of a singularly lean and angular selenite, bearing some complicated apparatus .

I realised Cavor's utter incapacity for_the fight we had in hand . for a moment I hesitated . then I rushed past him whirling my crowbars, and shouting to confound the aim of_the selenite . he_was aiming in_the queerest way with_the thing against his stomach ."Chuzz ! " the thing wasn't a gun; it went off like cross- bow more, and dropped me in_the middle of a leap .

I didn't fall down, I simply came down a little shorter than i_should_have done if I hadn't been hit, and from_the feel of_my shoulder the thing might_have tapped me and glanced off . then my left_hand hit again the shaft, and I perceived there_was a sort of spear sticking half through my shoulder . the moment after I got home with_the crowbar in my right hand, and hit the selenite fair and square . he collapsed - he crushed and crumpled - his head smashed like an egg .

I dropped a crowbar, pulled the spear out of_my shoulder, and began to jab it down the grating into_the darkness . at each jab came a shriek and twitter . finally I hurled the spear down upon them with all my strength, leapt up, picked up the crowbar again, and started for_the multitude up the cavern .

" Bedford ! " cried Cavor ." Bedford ! " as I flew past him .

I seem to remember his footsteps coming on behind me .

step, leap .. . whack, step, leap .. .. each leap seemed to last ages . with each, the cave opened out and_the number of Selenites visible increased . at first they seemed all running about like ants in a disturbed ant- hill, one_or_two waving hatchets and coming to meet me, more running away, some bolting sideways into_the avenue of carcasses, then presently others came in sight carrying spears, and then others . I_saw a most extraordinary thing, all hands and feet, bolting for cover . the cavern grew darker farther up .

flick ! something flew over my head . flick ! as I soared in mid- stride I_saw a spear hit and quiver in one_of_the carcasses to my left . then, as I_came down, one hit the ground before me, and I heard the remote chuzz ! with_which their things were fired . flick, flick ! for a moment it_was a shower . they were volleying !

I stopped dead .

I don't think i_thought clearly then .I seem to remember a kind of stereotyped phrase running through my mind: " zone of fire, seek cover ! " I_know I_made a dash for_the space between two ~ the carcasses, and stood there panting and feeling very wicked .

I looked round for Cavor, and for a moment it seemed as_if he had vanished from_the world . then he_came out_of_the darkness between_the row of_the carcasses and_the rocky wall of_the cavern . I_saw his little face, dark and blue, and shining with perspiration and emotion .

he_was saying something, but what it_was I_did_not heed .I had realised that we_might work from mooncalf to mooncalf up the cave until we were near enough to_charge home . it_was charge or nothing ." come on ! " I_said, and led the way .

" Bedford ! " he cried unavailingly .

my mind was busy as_we went up that narrow alley between_the dead bodies and_the wall of_the cavern . the rocks curved about - they_could_not enfilade us . though in_that narrow space we_could_not leap, yet with_our earth- born strength we were still able to_go very_much faster than_the Selenites .I reckoned we_should presently come right among them . once we were on them, they_would_be nearly as formidable as black beetles . only - there would first of all be a volley . i_thought of a stratagem .I whipped off my flannel jacket as I ran .

" Bedford ! " panted Cavor behind me .

I glanced back ." what ? " said I .

he_was pointing upward over the carcasses ." white light ! " he_said ." white light again ! "

I looked, and it_was even so, a faint white ghost of light in_the remoter cavern roof . that seemed to_give_me double strength .

" keep close," I_said .a flat, long selenite dashed out_of_the darkness, and squealed and fled .I halted, and stopped Cavor with my hand .I hung my jacket over my crowbar, ducked round the next carcass, dropped jacket and crowbar, showed myself, and darted back .

"Chuzz- flick," just one arrow came . we were close on_the Selenites, and_they were standing in a crowd, broad, short, and tall together, with a little battery of_their shooting implements pointing down the cave . three or four other arrows followed the first, then their fire ceased .

I stuck out my head, and escaped by a hair's- breadth . this_time I drew a dozen shots or more, and heard the Selenites shouting and twittering as_if with excitement as_they shot .I picked up jacket and crowbar again .

" now ! " said I, and thrust out the jacket .

"Chuzz-zz-zz-zz ! Chuzz ! " in an instant my jacket had grown a thick beard of arrows, and_they were quivering all over the carcass behind us . instantly I slipped the crowbar out_of_the jacket, dropped the jacket - for all I_know to_the contrary it_is lying up there in_the moon now - and rushed out upon them .

for a minute perhaps it_was massacre . i_was too fierce to discriminate, and_the Selenites were probably too scared to fight . at any rate they made no sort of fight against me . I_saw scarlet, as_the saying is .I remember I seemed to_be wading among those leathery, thin things as a man wades through tall grass, mowing and hitting, first right, then left; smash . little drops of moisture flew about .I trod on things that crushed and piped and went slippery . the crowd seemed to open and close and flow like water . they seemed to_have no combined plan whatever . there were spears flew about me, i_was grazed over the ear by one . i_was stabbed once in_the arm and once in_the cheek, but I only found that out afterwards, when_the blood had had time to run and cool and feel wet .

what Cavor did I_do_not know . for a space it seemed that_this fighting had lasted for an age, and

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