The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1894-08-04
CHAPTER WI.
VERY FAINT CLUE.

VERY FAINT CLUE.
"But you limited at some hope. some
chance of escape. " Felix cried at as
looking up from the ground and mas
terlng his emotion What now is
that hope. Conceal nothing from ne
''Nonoieu", the FIcnchman an.
swered, Struggling his shoulders with
an expression OF utter impotence. Il
have as GOOD reasons for wishing tC
find ont that a even YOU can have.
y our secret Is my secret; but with all
my pains and HstutencsS [ have been
unable tpdi~c0yer it. The natives are
rctirent. very reticent indeed, about
Ill these matters. They fear taboo:
and they fear kila-Kila. The wo-
men u toe sure. in moment Of eXpan-
sion, might possibly tell one; hut, tlen,
the women unfortunately, are not adj
mltted 70 the mysteries. They know
no more of these things than we do.
The most | have been able to gather
FOR certain Is this that on the uisCov-
cry Ol the secret depends Tu-kila-
kila's life and power. Every Boupari
knows his Great Taboo. il is Commu-
nicated 10 him i'm the assembly Of
adults when be gets tattoOed and
reaches manhood But no Boupari
man ever communicates it TO strangers
ana Tor that reason, perhaTs, as | be
hcVo, Iu-hiIdkila often chooses for
kCron-. a. tar as possible. those per
sons Who age cast bv chance upon the
Island. II has always been the custom,
80 tar a. can make ont. to treat cast
aWayS or prisoners taken in war As
god-, and then at the end of their
tern To kill them ruthlcosly. This
plan is lOpular with the people at
LARGE because. if saves themselves.
from the dangerous h0n0rs Of deiti.a-
ton: but it also serves n-kiIa-kila's
purpose, because it usually elevata- to
Heaven those innocenr nercop. who
are unac ,uainted with hat fatal secret
which il. a. the native. saw Tn.KiIa.
Kila.. death his word of dismissal :.
"Than If only we ronld find ont tbis
secret - reIiE cred
HI. row f,iand irto,.,,,,+ad hin,
"W,ha+ hnrc !. +hara If ,.onr tindin,, i
ont monsieur. e, h., s,,,.fain,.,J -,
Who bay.. onIZ. = f,., month. ~ ,i;,a
when ! VINO have .nan+ n;na Iono
wears of exile ON the island and son
two Tn kila-kila- rf-a ana faII havn
Ioer unanIe with my utmost mains 10
discover. it Fence. Won hare no idea
vet of the.sup,. .tition- Of these peo-
Jle. On. the di'ricuItia. +ha+ lie The
way If fatbon,ino +hem CoI~n hi.
way 10 M, a,ia,.I. win chow van
that viii haIn Won To real
re the compIayitie- Of the Situation =
He rose and led the WAY ia anorh.r
cleared space at the back of the but
where several birds of DANDY pIumapo
were fastened to perrhes on sticks Nv
leatherv la-hes OF dried shark, skin.
tied Ust above their taIons. II am
the King of the Birds monsieur, Won
mus remember. " the Frenrhman said
fondliug on. Of his s,.,aamfuo prorcon,
'.Thesc are Il lew OF my subjects. Sat
J do not keep them for mere curiosity.
J arh Of them is tin. soul Of the tribe 10
which it belongs. This. for exaluole
my Clauseret is the soul OF all the
gray parrots: that YOU see wonder
Bajin2uet. call him is the Soul Of
;he hawk, this my Mimi, Is the Soul
of the little ycllow-crC~tcd kingfisher
My task a5 Ming Of the birds is 10 keep
q representative OF each Of these al
way on baud: inNvhirh endeayor I am
faithfully aided b. the whole popula-
tion Of the island. who bring me eggs
and nests ana young birds in abund-
anrc. the ~Dul OF the littlc yellow
" were to die without Il
-ueces~or h"in- found ready at once 10
receive aud ombndy it, then tho whole
race of little yellow kin2fshers would
yaHi b altogether. and if myself. the
kIu- of Birds. who am. as il were, the
soul ami life Of al OF them. were to die
without Il successor being at hand 10
receive M spirit. then all the race of
birds wit n nDr ,t.rt.I,d ,r,rll l,,g,,,,,,,