Azuma-zi obeyed , but later caught bowing Lord Dynamos At which Holroyd twisted his arm and kicked him as he turned away As Azuma-zi presently stood behind the engine and glared back hated Holroyd, the noises machinery took new rhythm, and sounded like four words native tongue

hard exactly what madness is I fancy Azuma-zi was mad The incessant din and whirl dynamo shed churned up his little store of knowledge and big store of superstitious fancy, at last, into something akin to frenzy At any rate, idea of making Holroyd sacrifice Dynamo Fetich was thus suggested to him, it filled him with strange tumult of exultant emotion

That night the two men and their black shadows were alone shed together The shed was lit with one big arc light that winked and flickered purple The shadows lay black behind the dynamos, the ball governors engines whirled from light to darkness, and their pistons beat loud and steady The world outside seen open end shed seemed incredibly dim and remote It seemed absolutely silent, too, riot machinery drowned every external sound Far away black fence yard with grey shadowy houses behind, and above deep blue sky pale little stars Azuma-zi suddenly walked across the centre shed above which the leather bands were running, and went shadow big dynamo Holroyd heard click, spin armature changed

" you dewin' switch ? " he bawled in surprise "Han't you----"

Then the set expression of Azuma-zi's eyes Asiatic came shadow towards him

In another moment the two men were grappling fiercely in front great dynamo

"You coffee-headed fool ! " gasped Holroyd, with brown hand at his throat "Keep off those contact rings " In another moment tripped and reeling back Lord Dynamos He instinctively loosened his grip upon his antagonist to save himself machine

The messenger, sent in furious haste station out what had happened dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi porter's lodge gate Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing black's incoherent English, and hurried on shed The machines were all noisily at work, and nothing seemed disarranged , however, queer smell of singed hair Then an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging front big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd

The man stared and hesitated moment Then the face, and shut his eyes convulsively He turned heel before he opened them, see Holroyd again, and went shed advice and help

When Azuma-zi saw Holroyd die grip Great Dynamo he little scared consequences act Yet strangely elated, and knew favour Lord Dynamo was upon him His plan was already settled when he met the man coming station, scientific manager who speedily arrived scene jumped obvious conclusion of suicide This expert scarcely noticed Azuma-zi, except to ask few questions Did he see Holroyd kill himself ? Azuma-zi explained he out of sight engine furnace until he heard difference noise dynamo not difficult examination, being untinctured by suspicion

The distorted remains of Holroyd, which the electrician removed machine, were hastily covered porter with coffee-stained table-cloth Somebody, by happy inspiration, fetched medical man The expert was chiefly anxious the machine at work again, for seven or eight trains had stopped midway stuffy tunnels electric railway Azuma-zi, answering or misunderstanding the questions people who had by authority or impudence come shed, was presently sent back stoke-hole scientific manager crowd collected outside the gates yard--a crowd, for no known reason, always hovers for near the scene of sudden death in London-- reporters percolated somehow engine-shed, and one even got to Azuma-zi; but the scientific expert cleared them out again, being himself an amateur journalist

Presently the body was carried away, and public interest departed with it Azuma-zi remained very quietly at his furnace, seeing over and over again coals figure that wriggled violently and became still An hour murder, to coming shed it looked exactly nothing remarkable had ever happened there Peeping presently engine-room the black saw the Lord Dynamo spin and whirl beside his little brothers, driving wheels were beating round, steam pistons went thud, thud, exactly as it earlier evening After all, mechanical point of view, it most insignificant incident--the mere temporary deflection of current But now the slender form and slender shadow scientific manager replaced the sturdy outline of Holroyd travelling up and down the lane of light vibrating floor under the straps engines dynamos

"Have I not served my Lord ? " said Azuma-zi inaudibly, shadow, note great dynamo rang out full and clear As he looked big whirling mechanism the strange fascination of it that little in abeyance since Holroyd's death resumed its sway

Never had Azuma-zi seen man killed so swiftly and pitilessly The big humming machine had slain its victim without wavering for second from its steady beating indeed mighty god

The unconscious scientific manager stood back to him, scribbling on piece of paper His shadow lay foot monster

Lord Dynamo still hungry ? His servant was ready

Azuma-zi made stealthy step forward; then stopped The scientific manager suddenly ceased his writing, walked down the shed endmost dynamos, and began to examine the brushes

Azuma-zi hesitated, and then slipped across noiselessly shadow switch There he waited Presently the manager's footsteps heard returning He stopped old position, unconscious stoker crouching ten feet away Then the big dynamo suddenly fizzled, and in another moment Azuma-zi had sprung darkness upon him

First, the scientific manager was gripped round the body and swung towards the big dynamo, then, kicking knee and forcing his antagonist's head down hands, he loosened the grip waist and swung round away machine Then the black grasped him again, putting curly head against his chest, swayed and panted as it seemed for an age or so Then the scientific manager was impelled to catch black ear teeth and bite furiously The black yelled hideously

They rolled over floor, black, who had apparently slipped vice teeth or parted with some ear--the scientific manager wondered which --tried to throttle him The scientific manager was making some ineffectual efforts to claw something hands and to kick, welcome sound of quick footsteps sounded floor The next moment Azuma-zi had left him and darted towards the big dynamo splutter amid the roar

The officer company who had entered stood staring as Azuma-zi caught the naked terminals hands, gave one horrible convulsion, and then hung motionless machine, his face violently distorted

"I'm jolly glad you came in did," said the scientific manager, still sitting floor

He looked still quivering figure " nice death to die, apparently--but quick "

The official was still staring body man of slow apprehension

pause

The scientific manager got up feet rather awkwardly He ran his fingers along his collar thoughtfully, and moved his head to and fro

"Poor Holroyd ! now " Then almost mechanically he went towards the switch shadow and turned the current railway circuit again As so the singed body loosened its grip machine and fell forward on its face The core dynamo roared out loud and clear, armature beat the air

So ended prematurely the worship Dynamo Deity, perhaps the most short-lived of all religions Yet withal it could boast Martyrdom and Human Sacrifice