Book 1: Chapter 8, Friday Night Summary

Henderson, the journalist, had sent a telegram to London reporting the unscrewing of the cylinder. The subject of the telegram was thought to be so unbelievable that after the editor tried to contact Henderson, who had been killed from the heat-ray, he did not print the report. Thus no one outside of Woking knows the gravity of what is happening in the common. Life goes on as usual. People keep on coming to the common to try to catch a glimpse of the Martians. Once in a while one or two of these people walk near to the pit but they never come back. It is predicted that the heat-ray has killed them.

A group of soldiers are deployed and they guard the edge of the common. Soon over four hundred soldiers are called. That night, the...