The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1894-07-21

CHAPTER AIII.-Continued.
Remember" Felix repeated, eff
you break your word, my people will
come down upon you, sooner or later,
in their mighty fire canoes. and will
take vengeance for your crime, and
DESTROY you utterly
Tu-hila-kiia smiled a cunning smile.
81 know all that" he answered. Il
am god myself, not fool, don't you
see2 You are very great god. too:
but | am the greater. No more of
words between us two. 1t is as be-
tween gods. The fire, the fire"
Tu-hilakila replaced his mask
They proceeded from the hut to the
open space within the taboo-line. The
people still lay all flat on their faces
Fire and Water. Tu-kila-kila said
In commanding tone, come forward
and screen me-"
The King of Fire and the King OF
Water unrolled d large square of ma
tive cloth, which they held up as a
screen on two poles in front of their
superior deity. Tu-kila-Kila sat down
on the ground, hugging his knees, in
the common squatting savage fashion,
behind the veil thus readily formed
for him. Taboo is removed, he said
rise. The light will not burn them
They may look toward the place where
Tu-hila- hila's face is hidden from
them"
The people all rose with one accord,
and gazed straight before them.
The King of fire will bring dry
sticks, Tu-hila-hila said, in his ac-
CustOmed regal manner.
The King Of Fire, sticking one pole
% the screen into the ground securely,
brought forward bundle of sun-dried
sticks and leaves from a basket beside
him.
The King of he Rain, who has put
out all our hearths with his flood last
night, will rciight them again with
new fire, fresh flame from the sun, rays
of our disk, divine. mysterious, wonder
full, Tu-kila-kila proclaimed, in his
droning mOnitone.
Felix advanced as he spoke to the
pile, ana struck a match before the
eyes of all the islanders. As they saw
it light, and then set nre to the wood.
a loud cry went up once more, "Tu-
kila-kila is great. Hi words are true,
He has brought fire from the sun. His
ways are wonderful"
Tux la kila. from his point of want
age behind the curtain, strove to i'm
prove the occasion with a theological
lesson. That is the way We have
learned from our divine ancestors y he
said. slowly: the rule Of the gods in
our island Of BOupari. Each god. as
he grows old, reincarnates himself
visibly. Before he can grow feeble
and die he immolates himself willing
" on his own altar. and a younger and
stronger than he receives his spirit.
Thus the gods are ALWAYS young and
always with you. Behold myself. Tu-
hila-Kila Am ] not from old Times?
Am ! not very ancient; Have | not
passed through many bodies? DO
not spring ever fresh from my own
ashes? Do | not eat perpetually the
flesh Of new victlms> Even so with
fire The flames of our island were
becoming impure The King OF Fire
saw his cinders pickering. So gave
my word The King of the Rain de-
seconded in foods upon them. He puts
them all out. And now he rekindles
them. They burn up brighter and
fresher than ever. They burn TO COOK
my meat, the limbs OF my victims
Take heed that you do the King ofthe
Rain 30 harm as long as he remains
within his sacred circle. He j. a very
great god He is fierce; he is cruel
His taboo is not broken, Beware. Be
ware Disobey at your peril. |, Tu
Kila-kila. have spoken.
As he spoke, il seemed to Felix that
these strange mystic words about each
god springing fresh from his own
ashes must contain the solution of that
dread problem they were trying in
vain TO read. That, perhaps, was the
secret of Korong. # only they could
ever manage to understand it,
Tu-kila-hila be- his tom-tom twice
In a second all the people fell fat on
their faces again. Tu-kiia-kila rose:
the kings of Fire and Water held the
umbrella over him. The attendants
on either side clapped hands in time
to the sacred tOm-tom. With proud.
slow tread, the god retraCed his steps
TO his own palacetemple; and Muriel
and Felix were left alone at last in
their dusty enclosure.
"TukilaKil "a hates me " Felix said.
later in the day, to his attentive
Shadow.
"Of course the young man an
Swered, with a tone of natural assent
To be sure he hates you. How could
he do otherwise? You are korOng
But he's afraid Of me. too" Felix
went on. He would have liked to let
the people tear me in pieces. Yet he
dared not risk it. He seems to dread
offending me. ="
'Of course, the Shadow replied, as
readily as before. He is very much
afraid of YOU. You are hOrOug. You
may any day supp ant him. He would
like to get rid of YOU, if he Could see
his way. But till your time comes he
dare not touch you.
when will my time Gomez" Felix
asked, with that dim apprc hension of
some horrible end coming over him
yet again in all its vague weirdness.
The Shadow shook his head That,
he answered, 1t Is not lawful for me
SO much as to mention. | tell you too
far You viii know soon enough.
Wait, ana be patient"