Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-09-20
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Felix looked at him long, with a
fixed and logged look. "What has
made you think of this devilry?" be
asked at last, still grasping his knife
hard, and half undecided whether Or
not to use it. You have invented all
these ideas. You have no claim, even
in the horrld customs of your savage
country to demand such sacrifice"
Tu-kila-Kila laughed loud, a laugh
of triumphant and discordant merri-
ment. ''Ra. ha!: he cried. you do not
understand our customs, and will you
teach me, the very high god, the guar
dian OF the laws and practices of Bou-
! pari? You know nothing; you are as a
little child. I am absolute wisdom.
With every Korong. this is always our
rule. Till the moon is full, on the last
month before we offer up the sacrifice,
the Queen of the Clouds dwells apart
with her Shadow in her own new
temple. SO our fathers decreed it.
But at the full of the moon, when the
Kila-kila. the very high god, confers
bride It is a mighty honor. The
feast is great. Blood flows like water.
For seven days and nights, then, she
| lives with Tu-Kila-Kila in his sacred
abode, the threshold of Heaven: she
eats of human flesh: she tastes human
blood: she drinks abundantly OF the
divine kava. At the end of that time,
! in accordance with the custom of our
fathers, those great dead gods, Tu-
ki]u-Kila performs the high act OF
sacrifice. He puts on his mask of the
face OF a shark, for he is holy and cruel:
he brings forth the Queen Of the
! Clouds before the eyes of all his peO-
pie, attired in her wedding robes, and
made drunk with kava. Then he
gashes her with knives: he offers her
up to heaven that accepted her: and
the King of the Rain he offers after
her; and all the people eat of their
flesh, Korong, and drink of their blood
SO that the body OF gods and goddesses
may dwell within all of them. And
when all is done, the high god chooses
a new king and queen at his will for
ne is mighty god, who rule for six
moons more, and then are offered up
at the end in like fashion.
AS he spoke the ferocious light that
CLEANED in the savage's eye made Fe-
lix positively mad with anger. But he
answered nothing directly. SIS this
SOP" he asked, turning for contirma-
ton to Fire and Water. SIS it the GUS
tom of Boupari that Tu-Kila-Kila
should we'd the Queen of the Clouds
seven days be ore the date appointed
for her sacrifce?"
The King of Fire and the King of
Water, tried guardians of the etiquette
of Tu- Kila-Kila's court, made answer
at once with one accord, 1T is so, O
King of the Rain. Your lips have said
it. TuKila-Kila speaks the solemn
truth. He is very great god. Such
is the custom Of Boupari."
Tu-Ailakila laughed his triumph in
harsh, savage Outburst.
But Felix drew back for a second,
irresolute. AT last he stood face to
face with the absolute need for imme-
diate action. Now was almost the mo-
ment when he must redeem his terri
bic promise to Muriel. And yet, even
so, there was still one chance Of life,
one respite left. The mystic yellow
Dough on the sacred banyan. the great
Taboo the wager of the battle with
Tu-kila- Kila. Quick as lightning it
all came up in his excitel brain. I line
after time. since he heard Methuse
labs strange message from the grave,
had he passed Tukila Kila's temple
inclosure and looked up with vague
awe at that sacred parasite that grew
so conspicuousiy in a fork OF the
branches It was easy to secure it, if
no man guarded. There still remained
one night. In that one short night he
must do his best and worst. If all
that failed, he must die himself with
Muriel.
For two seconds he hesitated. It
was hateful even to temporize with SO
hideous proposition. But for Muriel's
sake, for her dear LIES sake, he must
meet these sayages with guile for
guile. ''If it be, indeed, the custom of
Boupari,' he answered. pack, with
pale trembling lips, land if I. one man,
am powerless to prevent it. will give
your message, myself to the Queen OF
the Clouds, and yol may send as you
say, your wedding decorations But
come what will-mark this-you shall
not see her yourself to-day. You shall
not speak to her. There [ draw a line
so with my stick in the dust. Ii you
try to advance one step beyond, [ stab
YOU to the heart Wait till tomorrow
to take your prey. Give me one more
night Great god as you are, if you
are wise, you will not drive an angry
man to utter desperation.
/ Tu-kila-kila looked with suspicious
side glance at the cleaning steel blade
Felix still fingered TREMENDOUSLY.
Though Boupari was one of those rare
and isolated small islands unvisited as
vet by European trade. he had never
/ theless, heard enough of the sailing
I gods to know that their skill was deep
and their weapons very dangerous. 1t
would be foolish to provoke this man
to wrath too soon. Tomorrow, when
ia 300 was removed. and all was free
license. ewould come when he willed
and take his bride, backed up by the
full force of his embed people.
Meanwhile, why provoke a brother
cod too far? After all, in little more
than week from now the pale-faced
/ Korong would be eaten and digested.
every WE'LL" he said, sulkily, but
still with the sullen light of revenge
cleaning bright in his eye. Take my
message to the queen. You may be
my herald Tell her what honor is in
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