The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1894-06-09
CHAPTER ET-COntinued

But nothing that Muriel could say
| would induce the girl further to explain
her meaning. She shook her head and
looked very wise. When god come
into some BODY" she said nodding to-
ward Muriel IN mysterious way. then
him god himself; him Korong. When
the god 90 away from him, Korong no
longer; somebody else korong.
Queenie korong now: so people wor-
ship him. While him time last, peo-
pie plenty kind to him"
The day passed away, and night
came on. As it approached, heavy
clouds drifted up from eastward. Mali
busted herself with laying out a rough
bed in the hut for Muriel. and making
her pillow of soft moss and the Curl
Gus lichen-like material that hangs par
2sitlc from the trees, and Is commonly
known as the odd mans heard" AS
both Mali and Felix assured her conf
IDENTIFY no harm would come to her
within so strict a Ia 90, Muriel. worn
out with fatigue and terror, lay down
at last and slept sound Y on this native
substitute for a bedstead. She slept
without dreaming while Ma i lay at her
feet, ready at a moment call 1t was
so strange: AMI vet she was too utterly
spite of her strange and terrible sur
roundings.
Felix, too, slept for some hours, but
woke with a start in the night. 1t
was raining heavily. He could hear
the loud patter Of fierce tropical
shower on the roof of his hut. His
Shadow, at his feet, slept still un-
moved: but when Felix rose on his ell
bow, the Shadow rose on sudden. too,
and confronted him curiously. The
young man heard the rain; then he
bowed down his face with an awe
air, not visible, but audible, in the
still darkness. 1t has come he said,
with superstitiOuS terror. 1T has
come at last my lord has brought it"
After that, Felix lay awake for some
hours, hearing the ran on the roof,
and puzzled in his own head by a half
uncertain memory. WHAT was it in
his school reading that that ceremony
with the water indefinitely reminded
him of? Wasn't there some Greek or
Roman SUI ers ition ahO It shaking
your head when wafer was poured
upOn it? What could that superstition
be, and what ligh might it cast on
that mysterious ceremony? He wished
he could remember: but it was so long
since he'd read il, and he never cared
much at school for Greek or Roman
antiquities.
Suddenly. in lull of the rain, the
whole context at once came back with
a rush to him. He remembered now
he had read It. sore time or other, in
some classical dictionary. 1t was a
custom connected with Greek sacri-
fees The officiating priest pOul ed
water or wine on the head of the Sheep ,,
bullock. or other victim. If the victim
shock its head and knocked off the
drops, that was 81 IN that it was fit for
the sacaitice, and that the god ac
ccptcd it. If the victim trcmbled WISH
bly,, that was a most favOrahle Cmcn.
If it stood quite st II and didn't move
its neck, then the god elected it as
unfit for his pIrIOse. Couldn't that be
the meaning Of the ceremony per
formed on Muriel and himself in
"Heaven" that morning? We're they
merely intended As human sacrifices
Were they to be kept meanwhile and.
as it were, fed up for the slaughter?
1t was too horrible to believe; vet it
almost looked like it
He wished he knew the meaning Of
that strange word, "kOrong. Clearly.
it contained the true key to the mys-
terry
Anyhow. he had always his trusty
knife. If the worst came to the worst
the wretches should never harm his
spot,ess Muriel
For he loved her to night; he would
watch over and protect her. He would
save her at least from the deadliest of
insults