last of us, had either placed something white to mark this first
infinitesimal bulging of the floor of the groove, or had smeared

it with chalk or shining pigment. I observed also what I had not
been able to see before, that a thin white line ran across the

floor, no doubt to give the precise direction of this painted
rise of rock, and that the glare of the search-light now lay

exactly over that line.
The monstrous, flaming gyroscope fashioned in Nature's

workshop, for such without doubt it was, was drawing near,
emitting as it came a tumult of sounds which, with the echoes

that they caused, almost over-whelmed our senses. Poor little
Tommy, already cowed, although he was a bold-natured beast, broke

down entirely, and I could see from his open mouth that he was
howling with terror. He stared about him, then ran to Yva and

pawed at her, evidently asking to be taken into her arms. She
thrust him away, almost fiercely, and made signs to me to lift

him up and hold him beneath my shield. This I did, reflecting
sadly that if I was to be sacrificed, Tommy must share my fate. I

even thought of passing him on to Bickley, but had no time.
Indeed I could not attract his attention, for Bickley was staring

with all his eyes at the nightmare-like spectacle which was in
progress about us. Indeed no nightmare, no wild imagination of

which the mind of man is capable, could rival the aspect of its
stupendous facts.

Think of them! The unmeasured space of blackness threaded by
those globes of ghastly incandescence that now hung a while and

now shot upwards, downwards, across, apparently without origin or
end, like a stream of meteors that had gone mad. Then the

travelling mountain, two thousand feet in height, or more, with
its enormous saucer-like rim painted round with bands of lurid

red and blue, and about its grinding foot the tulip bloom of
emitted flame. Then the fierce-faced Oro at his post, his hand

upon the rod, waiting, remorseless, to drown half of this great
world, with the lovely Yva standing calm-eyed like a saint in

hell and watching me above the edge of the shield which such a
saint might bear to turn aside the fiery darts of the wicked. And

lastly we three men flattened terror-stricken, against the wall.
Nightmare! Imagination! No, these pale before that scene which

it was given to our human eyes to witness.
And all the while, bending, bowing towards us--away from us--

making obeisance to the path in front as though in greeting, to
the path behind as though in farewell; instinct with a horrible

life, with a hideous and gigantic grace, that titanic Terror
whirled onwards to the mark of fate.

At the moment nothing could persuade me that it was not alive
and did not know its awful mission. Visions flashed across my

mind. I thought of the peoples of the world sleeping in their
beds, or going about their business, or engaged even in the work

of war. I thought of the ships upon the seas steaming steadily
towards their far-off ports. Then I thought of what presently

might happen to them, of the tremors followed by convulsions, of
the sudden crashing down of cities, such as we had seen in the

picture Yva showed us in the Temple, of the inflow of the waters
of the deep piled up in mighty waves, of the woe and desolation

as of the end of the world, and of the quiet, following death. So
I thought and in my heart prayed to the great Arch-Architect of

the Universe to stretch out His Arm to avert this fearsome ruin
of His handiwork.

Oro glared, his thin fingers tightened their grip upon the rod,
his hair and long beard seemed to bristle with furious and

delighted excitement. The purple-fringed rim of the Monster had
long overshadowed the whited patch of rock; its grinding foot was

scarce ten yards away. Oro made more signs to Yva who, beneath
the shelter of her shield, again bent down and did something that

I could not see. Then, as though her part were played, she rose,
drew the grey hood of her cloak all about her face so that her

eyes alone remained visible, took one step towards me and in the
broken English we had taught her, called into my ear.

"Humphrey, God you bless! Humphrey, we meet soon. Forget not
me!"

She stepped back again before I could attempt to answer, and
next instant with a hideous, concentrated effort, Oro bending

himself double, thrust upon the rod, as I could see from his open
mouth, shouting while he thrust.

At the same moment, with a swift spring, Yva leapt immediately
in front of the lens or window, so that the metallicshield with

which she covered herself pressed against its substance.
Simultaneously Oro flung up his arms as though in horror.

Too late! The shutter fell and from behind it there sprang out
a rush of living flame. It struck on Yva's shield and expanded to

right and left. The insulated shield and garments that she wore
seemed to resist it. For a fraction of time she stood there like

a glowing angel, wrapped in fire.
Then she was swept outwards and upwards and at a little

distance dissolved like a ghost and vanished from our sight.
Yva was ashes! Yva was gone! The sacrifice was consummated!

And not in vain! Not in vain! On her poor breast she had
received the full blast of that hellish lightning flash. Yet

whilst destroying, it turned away from her, seeking the free
paths of the air. So it came about that its obstructed strength

struck the foot of the travelling gyroscope, diffused and did not
suffice to thrust it that one necessary inch on which depended

the fate of half the world, or missing it altogether, passed away
on either side. Even so the huge, gleaming mountain rocked and

trembled. Once, twice, thrice, it bowed itself towards us as
though in majestichomage to greatness passed away. For a second,

too, its course was checked, and at the check the earth quaked
and trembled. Yes, then the world shook, and the blue globes of

fire went out, while I was thrown to the ground.
When they returned again, the flamingmonster was once more

sailing majestically upon its way and down the accustomed
left-hand path!

Indeed the sacrifice was not in vain. The world shook--but Yva
had saved the world!

Chapter XXVI
Tommy

I lay still a while, on my back as I had fallen, and beneath
the shield-like defence which Yva had given to me.

Notwithstanding the fire-resisting, metalised stuff of which it
was made, I noted that it was twisted and almost burnt through.

Doubtless the stored-up electricity or earth magnetism, or
whatever it may have been that had leapt out of that hole, being

diffused by the resistance with which it was met, had grazed me
with its outer edge, and had it not been for the shield and

cloak, I also should have been burned up. I wished, oh! how I
wished that it had been so. Then, by now all must have finished

and I should have known the truth as to what awaits us beyond the
change: sleep, or dreams, or perchance the fullest life. Also I

should not have learned alone.
Lying there thus, idly, as though in a half-sleep, I felt Tommy

licking my face, and throwing my arm about the poor little
frightened beast, I watched the great world-balance as it

retreated on its eternal journey. At one time its vast projecting
rim had overshadowed us and almost seemed to touch the cliff of

rock against which we leant. I remember that the effect of that
shining arch a thousand feet or so above our heads was wonderful.

It reminded me of a canopy of blackest thunder clouds supported
upon a framework of wheeling rainbows, while beneath it all the

children of the devil shouted together in joy. I noted this
effect only a few seconds before Yva spoke to me and leapt into