Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-08-23

der how long parrots ever live! DO
YOU know at all, monsieur! YOU are
the King of the Birds ougnt TO
be an authority on their habits ana
manners.
The Frenchman smiled gallant
smile. "Unhappily, mademolsel lie,
he said, Though as medical stuuent
/ took up to a certain extent pioioglcai
science in general at the College. de
/ lice, / never paid any special or
peculiar attention in Paris to BIRDS IN
particular. But it is the universal
opinion of the natives If that counts
for much that parrots live to a very
great age; and this one old parrot OF
mine, whom | call Methuselah on &C
count of his advanced years, Is consld-
cred by them all to be a perfect patrl-
arch. In effect, when the Oldest men
now living on the island were little
boys, they tell me that Methuselah
was already a venerable and much
venerated parrot. He must certainly
have outlived all the rest OF his race
by at least the best part of three uar-
ters of Il century. For the islanders
themselves not infre9uently 1--we, by
unanimous consent, to be over q hun
dred."
81 remember to have read some
where" Felix said, turning it over in
his mind, that when Humboldt was
travelling in the wilds of South Amer
lea he found one very old parrot in an
Indian village, which, the Indians as
sured him, spoke the language OF an
extinct tribe, incomprehensib e then
by any living person. II | recollect
Alright, Humboldt believed that par
ticular bird must have lived to be
nearly a $50"
That is so, monsieur, the French
man answered. II remember the case
well, and have often recalled it. |
recollect our professor mentioning it
one day in the course of his lectures.
And | have always mentally coupled
that parrot Of Humholdt's with my old
friend and subject, Methuselah. How
ever, that only impresses upon me
more fully the oily OF hoping that we
can learn anything worth knowing
from him. | have heard him recite
his story many times over. though now
he repeats ii less frequently than he
used formerly to do; and feel con-
WINGED it is couched in some unknown
and, no doubt. forgotten Ian
guage. 1t is a much more gutteral
and unpleasant tongue than any of the
soft dialects now spoken in Polynesia.
1t belonged, | am convinced, to that
yet earlier and more savage race which
the Polynesians must have displaced;
and rs such it Is now, feel certain.
practically irrevocable.
'lf they were more savage than the
Polynesians, " Muriel said, with pro
found sigh, "l'm DRY for anybody who
fell into their clutches.
but what would not many philolo-
gists at home in England give" Felix
mu INJURED, philosophically, ''for q
transcript of the words that parl OF can
speak perhaps las relic of the very
earliest and most primitive form OF
human language"
At the very moment when these
things were passing under the wattled
roof of Muriel's hut, it happened that
on the taboo-sf ace outside. Toxic, the
Shadow, stood talking for moment
with Uia, the fou teenth wife of the
great Tu-kila-ki Il.
Il never see you row, Toxic" the
beautiful Po ynesian said leaning al
most across the White line Of coral-sand
which she dared not transgress.
Times are dull at the temple since
you came to be Shadow to the white
faced stranger"
1t was 70" that that Tu-Kila-Kila
sen. me here, the Shadow answered,
with profound conviction. lie is
jealous. the great god. He is bad. He
is cruel. He wanted to get rid of me.
So he sent me away to the King Of the
Ran that might not see you.
Ua pouted, and held up her wounded
finger before his eyes coquettishly
See, what he did for me-" she said,
W tn Il mute appeal for sympathy
though in that particula" matter the
truth was not in her. "lour god was
angry with me oday because | hurt
his hand, and he clutched me by the
throat, and almost choked me. He
has II bad he ;rt. See how he bit me
and drew blood Some of these DAYS,
l believe, he will kill and eat me-"
The Shadow glanced around him sus-
piciously with an uneasy air. Then
he whispered low. in voice half
grudge, half terror, IF he does, he
is Il great god-he can search the
world fear him much, but Toka's
heart is warm. Let Tu-kila-kila look
oat for vengeance"
The woman glanced at him open
eyed, with her enticing look If the
King of the Rain, who is korong,
knew all the secret" she murmured,
slowly, The would soon be Tu-kila-
kila himself; and you and could then
meet together freely"
TO BE CONTINUED.
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An Honest Man MT Last