Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-06-07
Ry GRANT Akr.@N9

|
like JAM. for no me stop and wait all
the time on missy"
1t was clear that human life was held
very cheap on the island Of Boupari.
Muriel made her scanty toilet in the
! hut as we'll as she was able, with the
calabash and water, aided by a rough
she'll comb which Mali had provided
for her. Then she breakfasted, not
| i'll. off eggs and fruit, which Mali
| cooked with some rude native skill
over the open-air fire without in the
| precincts.
After breakfast, Felix came in to in
! quire how she had passed the night IN
her new quarters. Already Muriel
telt how odd was the contrast between
the quiet pOliteness of his manner as
an English gentleman and the strange
savage surroundings in which they
| both now found themselves. Civiliza-
ton is an attribute of communities; we
necessarily leave it behind when we
find ourselves isolated among bar
barians or savages. But culture is a
personal and individual possession; we
carry it with us wherever we go: and
no circumstances of life can ever de-
prive us of it.
AS they sat there talking, with
deep and abiding sense of awe at the
change (Muriel more conscious than
ever now of how deep was her interest
| in Felix Thurstan, who represented
, for her ali that was dearest and best
| in England curious noise, as of a
discOrdant drum or tOm-tOm, beaten in
| a sort OF recurrent tune, was heard
| toward the hills: and at it's very first
sound both the Shadows, fingin9
| themselves upon their faces with every
! sign of terror, endeavored to hide
! themselves under the native mats with
which the bare little hut was roughly
carpeted.
whats the matter?" Felix cried,
in English, to Mali; for Muriel had al
ready explained to him how the girl
had picked up some knowledge of our
tongue in Queensland.
| Mali trembled in every limb, SO that
she could hardly speak. ''Tu-Kila-
Kila come" she answered, all breath
less. mo black fellow look at him.
Burn blaclfellow up. You and Missy
Korong. All right for you. Go out to
meet him.
''Tu-Kila-kila is coming" the young
man-Shadow said, in Polynesian, al
most in the same breath, and no less
TREMENDOUSLY. I'VE dare not look upon
his face lest he burn us to ashes. He
is very great Taboo. His face is fire.
But you two are gods. Step forth to
receive him.
Felix took Muriel's hand in his,
! somewhat trembling himself, and led
her forth on to the open space in front
of the huts to meet the man-gOd. She
followed him like child. She was
woman enough for that. She had i'm
| pliclt trust in him.
AS they emerged, a strange process
! sion met their eyes unawares, coming
down the zigzag path that led from
| the hills to the shore of the lagoon,
! where their huts were situated. At
| its head marched two mental,
! straight, and supple-wearing huge
| feather masks over their faces, and
beating tom-toms, decorated with long
strings of shiny cCwries. After them,
in order, came a sort of hollow square
of chiefs or warriors, surrounding
with fan-palms a central object all
shrOuded from the view with the ut
most precautiOn. This central object
was covered with a huge regal UNI
| brella, from whose edge hung rows of
small nautilus and other shells, SO as
to form kind of screen, like the Jap
anese DOrtiers now so common in En-
glish doorways. Two supporters held
it up, one on either side, in long cloaks
of feathers. Under the umbrella a
man seemed to move: and as he ap-
preached the natives, to right and
left, flew precipitately to their huts,
snatching up their naked little ones
from the ground as they went, and
crying aloud, taboo. Taboo. He
comes. ne comes. Tu-Kila-Kila! Tu-
kila-kila.'
The procession wound slowly on, I'M
needing these common creatures, till
it reached the huts Then the chiefs
back one by one, and the man under
the umbrella, with his two supporters,
came forward boldly. Felix noticed
| that they crossed without scruple the
thick white line of sand which all the
other natives so carefully respected.
| The man within the umbrella drew
aside the curtain of hanging nautilus
| shells. His face was covered with q
| thin mask of paper mulberry bark: but
| Felix knew he was the self-same per-
! son whom they had seen the day be-
fore in the central temple.
Tu-Kila-Kila's air was more insOlent
ana arrogant than even before. He
was clearly in high spirits. lyon have
done we'll, O King OF the RAIN he
said turning gayly to Felix; and you,
O Queen of the Clouds; you have done
right bravely. We have all acquitted
ourselves as our people would wish.
| We have made our showers to descend
abundantly from heaven; we have
caused the crops to grow; we have
wetted the plantain bushes See; Tu-
kila-Kila, who is so great god, has
come from his own home on the hills
to greet you"
1T has certainly rained in the night
Felix answered, dryly.
But Tu-kila-kila was not to be put
off thus. Adjusting his thin mask Or
veil of bark. so as to hide his face more
thoroughly from the inferior god, he
turned round once more to the chiefs,
who even so. hardly dared to look
| nnenly unon him Then he struck an