Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-09-20
CHAPTER ANVL
A RASH RESOLVE,

A Rash RESOLNE.
The rest OF that day was a time OF
profound aud intense anxiety. Felix
and Muriel remained alone in their
huts, absorbed in plans of escape, but
messengers of many sorts from chiefs
and gods kept continually coming to
them. The natives evidently regarded
il as a period of preparation. The
Eyes of Tu-Kila-Kila surrounded their
precinct: yet Felix couldn't help MOTTO
ing that they seemed in many ways
less watchful than of cd. and that they
whispered and conferred very much in
a mysterious fashion with the people of
the village. More than once Toxic
shook his head, sagely. IF only any
one dared break the Great Taboo" he
said, with some terror on his face, ''our
people would be glad. 1t would greatly
please them. They are tired of this
Tu-Kila-Kila. He has held the god in
! his breast far, far too long. They
would willingly see some other in place
of him."
Before noon. the young girls of the
village, bringing native mats and huge
strings of nautilus shells, trooped up
to the hut, like bridesmaids, with flow
ers in their hands, to deck Muriel for
her approaching wedding. Before
them they carried quantities of red
and brown tappa-cloth and very fine
network, the dowry to be presented by
the royal bride to her divine husband.
Within the hut, they decked out the
Queen of the Clouds with garlands of
| flowers and reckless of shells, in a
solemn native fashion, beWailing her
fate all the time to measured dirge
in their own language. Muriel could
see that their sympathy, though part
! ly conventional, was largely real as
| we'll. Many of the young girls seized
her hand convulsive]y from time to
time, and kissed it with genuine feel
ing. The gentle young English wom-
an had won their savage hearts by her
purity and innocence. Poor thug,
poor thing" they said. strokine her
hand tenderly. ''She is too good for
Korong Too good for Tu-Kila-Kila!
If only we knew the Great Taboo like
thing. She is too good to die. We
are sorry she is to be sacrificed"
But when all their preparations were
finished, the chief among them raised
a calabash with little scented oil in
it, anu poured a few drops solemnly on
Muriel's head. "Oh, great god!"" she
said, in her own tongue, 1--WE offer this
sacrifice, a goddess herself, to you.
We obey your words. You are very
holy. We will each of us eat a portion
OF her flesh at your feast. So give us
good crops, strong health, many chill
dren"
What does she say?" Muriel asked,
pale and awestruck, of Mali.
Mali translated the words with per-
feet sang-froid. At that awful sound
Muriel drew back, chill and cold to the
marrow. How incOnceivab BILE was the
state of mind of these terrible people!
They were really sorry for her: tn ely
kissed her hand with fervor; and yet
they deliberately and solemnly pro-
posed to eat her!
Toward evening the young girls at
last retired, in regular order, to the
clapping of hands. and Felix was left
alone with Muriel ahd the Shadows.
Already he had explained to Muriel
what he intended to do: and Muriel,
half dazed with terror and paralyzed by
these awful preparations, consented
passively. But how if you never come
back, Felix" she cried at last, cling
inc to him passionately.
Felix looked at her with a fixed look.
II have thought of that" he said. I'M.
flashes. has helped me in my diff
Guilty. This bowl has poison in it. Pey-
ron sent it to me to-day He prepared
it himself from the root of the kava
bean. II by sunrise tomorrow you have
no news, drink it off at once. It will
instantly kill you. You snail not fall
alive into that creature s clutches"
ITO BE CONTINUED.