Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-10-11
gy GRANT LleNS

goa, TOOK up the SnOut In concert.
THE body Of Lavita. the son of Sami,
they cried. A carrlon corpse. The
god has deserted it. The great soul OF
the world has entered the heart of the
white-faced stranger from the disk Of
great Tu-Kila-Kila. We will cook and
eat the body of Lavita, the son of
Sami. He was a bad man. He is
worn-out shell. Nothing remains of
him now. The great god has left
| him."
Felix bent irresolute over the fallen
savage's od-stained corpse. What
next was expected of him he hardly
knew or cared. His one desire now
as to return to Muriel-~to Muriel
whom he had rescued from something
worse than death at the hateful hands
of that accused creature who lay
breathless forever on the ground be-
side him.
Some BODY came up just then, and
seized his hand warmly. Felix looked
up with start. 1t was their friend,
the Frenchman. "Ah, my captain, you
have done WE'LL" NJ. Peyron cried. ad-
miring him. What courage. What
GOODNESS. What pluck. What
soldiership. | couldn't see all. But
was in at the death, And oh, mon
Dieu how admired and envied you"
by this time the bull-roarer had
ceased to below among the rocks.
The King of Fire stood forth. In his
| hands he held length of bamboo
stick with lighted coal in it, "Bring
wood and palm-leaves, - he said. in Il
tone Of command. LET me light my
self up, that | may blaze before Tu
! klla-hila,
He turned and bowed thrice very
low before Felix. tine accepted of
! Heaven he cried, holding his hands
above him. The very high god. The
King OF all Things! He sends down
| his showers upon our crops and our
| fields. He causes his sun to shine
! brightly over us. He makes our pigs
and our slaves bring forth their in
crease. All we are but his meat. We.
his people, praise him
And all the men OF Boupari, naked
and bleeding, bent low in response.
''Tu-kila-kila is great they chanted,
as they clapped their hands. I'VE
thank him that he has chosen fresh
incarnation. The sun will not fade in
/ the heavens overhead, nor the bread
! fruits wither and cease to bear fruits
on earth. Tu-kila-kila, our god, is
great. He springs ever young and
fresh, like the herbs or the field. He
is IL most high god. We, his people,
praise him.
Four templc attendants brought
sticks and lives, while Felix stood still
half daZed with these preparations
The King OF Fire, with his torch, set
light to the pile. 1t blazed merrily on
high. Il, Fire, salute YOU" he cried,
bending over it toward Felix. Nov,
cut up the body OF Lavita, the son of
Sami,' he went on, turning toward it
contcmptuously II will cook it in my
flame, that Tu-kila-kila the great may
eat of it.
Felix drew back with face all aglow
with horror and disgust. Don't touch
that body" he cried, authoritively put
ting his foot down firm. Leave it
alone at once. | refuse to allow you
Then he turned to NJ. Peyron. THE
King of the Birds and l." he said, with
calm resolve, I'VE two will bury it. -
The King Of Fire drew back at these
strange words, nonplussed This was,
inueod. an ill-omened break in the GER
emony of initiation of new Tu-kila-
kila, to which he had never before in
his life been accustomed. He hardly
knew how to comport himself under
us though the Sovereign of England,
on Coronation day, should refuse to be
crowned, and intimate to the Arch
bishop, in his full canonicals. a con-
tirmed preference for the Republican
form of Government. 1t was a cOntln
gencv that law and custom in Boupari
had neither. IN their wisdom, forseen
nor provided for.
The King Of Water WHISPERED low in
the new gods ear. You must eat Of
MS body, nay lord" he said THAT is
absolutely necessary. Every one OF us
mist eat OF the flesh of the god: but
you. above all. must eat his heart, his
divine nature. Otherwise you can
never be full Tu-kila-kila.
II don't care n straw for that Felix
cried. ROW aroused to the full sense OF
the break of Methuselah's story and
trembling with apprehension. You
may kill me If YOU like we can die but
once: but human flesh | can never
taste; nor will |, while | live, allow
You to touch this dead mans body.
We will bury it ourselves. the King OF
the Birds and |. You may tell your
people so, That is my last word Ie
raised his voice to the customary cere-
monial pitch. II, the new Tu-kila-
l[ill," he said, "have spoken it,
The King of Fire and the King of
Water, taken aback at his holdness,
conferred to gether for some seconds
privately. The people meanwhile looked
on and wondered. What could this
strange hitch in the divine proceed
ings mean? Was the god himself re-
calcitrant3 Never in their lives had
the oldestmen among them known any
thing like it.
And as they whispered and debated,
awestruck but discordant, shout arose
once more from the outer circle-a
mighty shout OF mingled surprise.
alarm and terror Taboo, Taboo.
Fence the mysteries. Beware? Oh,
great god, we warn vou' The mys-
teries are in danger Cut her down.