Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-07-05
BY GRANT. Ak1@Ns


it.
"You swear by Tu-Kila-Kila him
self" the young savage asked, anx-
iously.
''I swear by Tu-Kila-Kila himself"
out doubt. He can never know it,
'That is great Taboo, f." the Shadow
went on, meditatively, stroking Felix's
arm. "a very great Taboo indeed. A
terrible medicine. And you are a god;
can trust you. Well, then, you see,
the secret is this: you are korong,
but You are stranger and you don't
| understand the ways Of Boupari. IT
for three days after the end of this
storm, which Tu-kila-Kila has sent
Fire and Water to pray and VOW
against, you Or the Queen of the Clouds
show yourself outside your own taboo
line why, then, the people are clear
of sin: whoever takes you may rend
you alive; they will tear you limb from
limb and cit you into pieces
"Why so?' Felix asked aghast at
this discovery. They seemed to live
on perpetual volcano in this wonder
full is and; and volcano ever break
ing out in fresh places. They could
never get at the bottom of its horrible
superstitions.
because you ate the storm-apple, :"
| the Shadow answered confidently
THAT was very wrong. You brought
| the tempest upon US yourselves by your
trespass; therefore, by the custom of
| Bolpari, which we learn in the mys-
| teries, you become full Korong for the
sacrifice at once That makes the
term for you. The people will give
you all your dues: then they will say,
We are free: we have bought you
with price; we have brought your
cocoanuts. No sin attaches to US; we
are righteous; we are righteous And
then they will kill you, and Fire and
j Water will roast you and boil you"
| but only if we go outside the taboo
line?:" Felix asked anxiously.
! only if you go outside the taboo
hasty assent. Inside it, till your
term cones, even Tu-Kila-Kila him
self, the very high god, whose meat we
all are, dare never hurt YOU"
| It'll our term cOmes?" Felix in
ouired, once more astonished and per-
| picked. What do you mean by that,
my Shadow"
But the Shadow was either bound by
some superstitious fear, Or else inca
pable of putting himself into Felix s
point of view. why, till you are full
| Korong," he answered, like one who
! speaks Of some familiar fact, as who
would say. till you are 20 years old, Or,
till your beard grows white. ''Of
course, by and by, you will be full Ko-
ro1g. [ cannot help you then; but,
till that time comes, [ would like to
do my best by you. You have been
very kind TO me. I tell you much.
More than this. it would not be lawful
! for me to mention"
| And that was the most that. bv dex-
| ferrous questioning, Felix could ever
manage to get out of his mysterious
| Shadow.
SAT the end OF three days we will be
safe, though?' he inquired at last, af-
| ter all other questions failed to pro-
duce an answer.
"Oh, yes, at the end of three days
| the storm will have blown over" the
young man answered, easily. "All
| will then be we'll. You may venture
out once more. The rain will have
dried over all the island. Fire and
Water will have no more power over
YOU"
Felix went back to the hut to inform
Muriel of this new peril thus suddenly
sprung upon them. Poor Muriel, now
almost worn out with endless terrors,
received it calmly. I'm growing &C
customed to it all, Felix" she an
swered resignedly. eff only I know
that you will keep your promise, and
never let me fall alive into these
wretches' hands, [ shall feel quite
safe. Oh, Felix, do you know when
you took me in your arms like that
last night, in spite of everything, I
felt positively happy"
About 10 O'Clock they were suddenly
, reused by a sound OF MANY natives,
coming IN quick succession. single.
-, sob, King of the Rain, oh, Queen Of
. the ClOads come forth for our vows.
Receive your presents"
Felix went forth to the door to look
| With a warning look in his eyes, his
| Shadow followed him. The natives
were now coming up by dozens at a
time. bringing with them, in great
arm-loads, fallen cocoanuts and bread
fruits, and branches of bananas. and
large draggled clusters of halt-ripe
plantains.
WHY, what are all these?" Felix
: exclaimed in surprise.
| His Shadow looked up at him, as if
amused at the absurd simplicity Of the
! question. These are yours, OF course, "
he said: yours and the Queens; they
j are the windfalls you made. Did you
not knock them all Off the trees for
! yourselves when you were coming
down in such sheets from the sky last
EVENING"
Felix wrung his hands in positive
despair. 1t was clear, indeed, that to
the minds Of the natives there was no
distinguishing personally between
himself and Muriel, and the rain or
the cyclone.
'sWilI they bring them all in?" he
asked. gazing in alarm at the huge
pile of fruits the natives were making
outside the hut.
Yes, all, the Shadow answered;
s'they are VOWS: they are godsends:
bat if you like. YOU can give some oil
crirn loa OH