Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-06-28


Quand sans frayeur-"
Without waiting for more, the
Shadow seized Felix's arm in an agony
of terror. Come away" he cried
hurriedly, ''come away! What will
become of us? This is horrible, hor
rible! We have broken taboo. We
have heard the gods voice. The sky
will fall on us. If his Shadow were tc
find it out and tell my people, my peo
pie would tear us limb from limb
Quick, quick. Hide away. Let us run
fast through the forest before any man
discover it,"
The Shadows voice rang deep with
alarm. Felix felt he dare not tritie
with this superstition Profound as
was his curiosity about the mysterious
Frenchman, he was compelled to bot
tie up his eagerness and anxiety for
the moment, and patiently wait till the
Month of Birds had run its course, and
taken it's convenient taboo along with
it. These limitations were terrible.
Yet he counted much upon the infor-
nation the Frenchman could give him.
The man had been some time on the
island, it was clear, and doubtless he
understood its ways thoroughly; he
might cast some light at last upon the
KorOng mystery.
So he went back through the woods
with heart somewhat lighter.
Not far from their own huts he met
Muriel and Mali
AS thew walked home together, Fe-
lix told his companion in q very few
words the strange discovery about the
Frenchman, and the impenetrable ta-
boo by which he was at present sur
rounded. Muriel drew deep sigh.
''Oh, Felix" she said-for they were
naturally by this time very much at
home with one another, ''did you ever
know anything so dreadful as the mys-
terry of these taboos? It seems as if
we should never get really to the bot
tom of them. Mails always springing
some new one upon me. [ don't be-
hcve we shall ever be able to leave
the island-we're so hedged round with
tabOOs. Even if we were to see d ship
to-day, don't believe they'd allow us
to signal it,"
There was red sunset; lurid,
tropical, red-and-green sunset. It
BODIED mischief
They were passing by some huts at
the moment, ana over the stockade of
them a tree was hanging with small
yellow fruits, which Felix knew we'll
in Feji as wholesome and agreeable.
He broke small bunch as he passed,
and offered a couple thoughtlessly to
Muriel. She took them in her fingers,
and tasted them gingerly. They're
not so bad" she said, taking another
from the bough. "Thev're very much
like gooseberries
AT the same moment, Felix popped
one into his own mouth, and swallowed
it without thinking
Almost before they knew what had
happened, with the same extraordi-
nary raplditv as in the case of the we'd
ding, the people in the cottages ran
out, with every sign of fear and ap-
prehension, and, SEEING the branch
from Felix's hands. began upbraiding
the two Shadows for their want of at
tention.
1--WE couldn't help it," Toxic ex-
claimed, with every appearance of
guilt and horror on his face. They
were much too sharp for US. Their
hearts are black. How could we two
interfere? These gods are so quick
They HAD picked and eaten them be-
fore we ever saw them"
One OF the men raised his hand with
a threatening air-but against the
of Felix HE will be i'll" he said an
grily, pointing toward the white man;
.tand she will, too. Their hearts are
indeed black. They have sown the
seed of the wind. They have both of
them eaten of it. They will both be
ILL., You deserve to die! And what
will come now to our trees and pan
tations?"
The crowd gathered round them,
cursing low and horribly. The two
terrified Europeans skunk off to their
huts, unaware of their exact crime,
and closely followed by a scowling but
Respondent mob of natives. AS they
crossed their sacred boundary, Muriel
cried, with a sudden outburst of tears,
sob, Felix, what on earth shall we
ever do to get rid of this terrible, un-
endurable godshlp.'
The natives without set up great
shout of horror. ''See, see. she cries."
they exclaimed in indescribable panic.
'.She has eaten the storm-fruit, and
already she cries. Oh clouds, re-
strain yourselves. Oh great Queen,
mercy! Whatever will become of us
and our poor huts and gardens"
And for hours they crouched around,
beating their breasts and shrieking.
That evening, Muriel sat up late in
Felix's hut, with Mali by her side, too
alone before those angry people. And
all the time, just beyond the barrier
line, they could hear above the whistle
of the wind. around the hut, the dron-
ing voices of dozens OF natives, COVER
ing low on the ground, they seemed
to be going through some litany or
chant. as if to deprecate the result OF
this imprudent action.
What are they doing outside?'
Felix asked of the Shadow at last,
after peculiarly long wall of misery.
And the Shadow made answer, il
very solemn tones. They are trying
to propitiate your mightiness and tc
avert the omen, lest the rain should
fall, and the wind should blow, and the
storm-cloud should burst over the
island to destroy them.
Then Felix remembered suddenly o.
himself that the season when this
storm.fruit, or storm-apple, as they
called it was ripe in Fiji, was also the
season when the great Pacific cyclones
most often swept over the land in full
fury-StormS uneyampled on any other