Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-07-12
y GaaNTALlSNs

| uCiO lliS COLAi1OL y iIlClI odCiA.
| mind how you tride with gods, the
warming. Mind how you provoke
them. They are very mighty. When
I L was young our people killed three
sailing gods VINO came ashore in
small canoe; built of thin split logs;
! and within month an awful earth
! quake devastated Bouparl, and fire
/ burst forth from a mouth in the
ground, and the people knew that the
spirits OF the sailing gods were very
/ angry. Wait, therefore, till Tu-hila-
! kila himself comes, and then ask Of
| him, and Of Fire and Water. AS Tu-
Kila-kila bids you, that do you do. Is
he not our great god, the king OF Us
all, and the guardian of the customs Of
! the island OF Boupari?"
is Tu-Kila-kiLa coming?" some OF
the warriors asked, with bated breath.
! How should he not Gomez the old
chief asked, drawing himself up very
erect. know you not the mysteries
The rain has put out all the fires in
| Boupari. The King Of Fire himself,
even his hearth is cold. He tried his
best in the storm to keep his sacred
embers still smouldering; but the King
OF the Rain was stronger than he was,
and put it out at last in spite his en-
deavors. Be careful, therefore, how
you deal with the King of the Rain,
VINO comes down among lightnings,
and is SO very powerful"
And Tu-kila-Kila comes to fetch
fresh fire." one of the nearest savages
asked, with profound awe.
He comes to fetch fresh fire, new
fire from the SUM-" the Old man an
swered, with awe in his voice. "These
foreign gods are they not strangers
from the sun? They have brought the
divine seeds of tre, growing in a shin
ing box that reflects the sunlight.
They need no rubbing sticks and drill
to kirdle fresh tame. They touch the
seed or the box, and, 10, like miracle,
fire bursts forth from the wood spon-
taneous. TuKilaKila comes, behold
this miracle"
The warriors hung back with doubt
full eyes for moment. Then they
spoke with one accord: 'Tu-Kila-kila
shall decide. Tu-Kila-Kila' Tu-Kila-
Kila! If the great god says Taboo
holds good, we will not hurt or offend
the strangers. But if the great god
says the Taboo is broken, and we are
all without sin-then Korong. Korong!
we will kill them. We will eat them"
AS the two parties stood glaring at
one another, across that narrow mag
mary wall, another cry went up to
heaven at the distant SOUND of a pecu-
they shouted. '.Our great god ap-
proaches. Women, BECOME! Men, hide
your eyes Fly, fly from the bright
ness OF his face, which is as the sun in
glory. Tu-ki a-Kila comes. Fly far,
! all profane ones"
And in a moment the women had
disappeared into space, and the men
lay Tat on the moist ground with low
grOanS Of surprise and hid their faces
in their hands in abject terror.
CHAPTER KILL
AS BETWEEN GODS.
Tu-Kila-Kila came up in his grand
! est panoply. The great umbrella, with
the hanging cords, rose high over his
| head: the king of Fire and the King
OF Water, in their robes Of state.
marched slowly by his side; whole
group of slaves and temple attendants,
! clapping hands in unison, followed
obedient at his sacred heels. But as
, soon as he reached the open in front
of the huts and began to speak, Felix
could easily see, in spite of his own
agitation and the excitement of the
moment, that the implacable god him
self was profoundly frightened. Last
nights storm had, indeed, been terri
BILE; but TuKila-Kila mentally coupled
it with Felix's attitude toward himself
at their last interview, and really be-
| lieved in his own heart he had met, af-
ter all, with stronger god more pow
ertul than himself, who could make
/ ~ > al, 4 y lo
earth tremble. The savage staggered
good deal, to be sure, as IS often the
fashion with savages when frightened:
but Felix could see between the lines,
that he staggered only on the familiar
principle OF whistting to keep your
courage up, and that in his heart of
hearts he was most unspeakably terri
, fed.
You did not do well, 0 King of the
Rain, last night" he said, after an in
terchanee of civilities, as becomes
great gods. "You have put out even
the sacred flame on the holy hearth of
the King OF Fire. You have a bad
heart. Why do you use us so?'
F.. "Why do you let your people offer
human sacrihces?' Felix answered,
boldly, taking advantage Of his posi-
ton. They are hateful in our sight,
these cannlDal ways. WhlIe we re-
main on the island, no human life shall
be unjustly taken. Do you understand
me?"
Tu-Kila-Kila drew back, and gazed
around him suspiciously. In all his
experience no one had ever dared to
address him like that. Assuredlv, the
stranger from the sun must be very
great god-how great, he hardly dared
to himself to realize. He shrugged
his shoulders. "When we mighty
deities Of the first order speak together,
! face to face" he said, with an uneasy
air, lit is not we'll that the mere com
mon herd of men should overhear our
profound deliberations. Let us go in
side your hut. Let Us confer IN prl-
vate."
They entered the hut alone, Muriel
still clinging to Felix's arm, in speech
less horror T hen Felix at once be-