Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-05-03
Kila said: and female attendant, alb

Kila said: and female attendant, alb
solved from the terror of the bull
roar er by the gods command, brought
| forward a great garland of crimson
hibiscus, which she flung around the
victim neck and shoulders.
clay his head on the sacred stone
block of our fathers" Tu-kila-Klla
| went on, in an easy tone of command,
| waving his hand gracefully. And the
men, moving forward, laid their COM
rade, face downward, on huge Tat
rock of polished greensboro, which lay
like an altar in front of the hut with
the Wondering skeletons.
''It is well,' Tu-Kila-kila murmured
once more, half aloud. 'You have
given me the free-will Offering. Now
for the trespass. Where is the woman
who dared to approach too near the
temple-home of the divine Tu-Klla-
Kila? Bring the criminal forward
The men divided, and made a lane
down their middle. Then one of them,
a minister of the man-gOd's shrine,
led up by the hand. all trembling and
shrinking with supernatural terror In
every muscle, a welcomed young
girl of eighteen or twenty. Her naked
bronze limbs are shapely and lissome;
but her eyes were swollen and red
with tears, and her face strongly dis
torted with awe for the man-god. When
she stood at last before Tu-Kila-Kila,s
dreaded face, she flung herself on the
ground in an agony of fear.
''Oh, mercy, great god.' she cried,
in feeble voice, Il have sinncd, [
have sinned. Mercy, mercy"
Tu-Kila-kila smiled as before,
smile of imperial pride. No ray ofpity
cleaned from those steel-gray eyes.
docs Tu-Kila-Kila show mercy? he
! asked, in a hooking voice. ''Does he
pardon his suppliants? Does he for
give trespasses? Is he not god, and
| must not his wrath be appe ased? She,
being woman, and not wife sealed
afar upon his sacred home. She has
spied the mysteries. Therefore she
must die. My people. bind her."
In second, without more ado, while
the poor trem bling girl writhed and
groaned in her agony before their
eyes, that mob of wild savages, let
loose to torture and Stay, fell upon her
with hideous shouts, and bound her,
as they had bound their comrade be-
fore, with coarse native ropes OF twisted
plantain fibre.
clay her head on the stone" Tu-
Kila-kila said grimly And his vo-
taries obeyed him.
Snow light the sacred fire to make
our feast, before I Stay the Victims"
the god said, in a gloating voice, run
ming his finger again along the edge
of his huge Ratchet.
AS he spoke, two men, holding in
their hands hollow bamboos with Goals
Of fire concealed within, which they
kept aglow meanwhile by waving
them up and down rapidly in the air,
laid these primitive matches to the
base Of great pyramldal pile OF wood
and palm-leayes, ready prepared be-
forehand in the yard OF the temple.
In second, the dry fuel, cate hing the
sparks instantly. blazed up to heaven
with q wild outburst of flame. Great
smouldering mass of leaves and twigS,
palm and li-wood within. A hugh
conAagration Redeemed the sky at once
like lightning. The effect was magical.
The glow TRANSPORTED the whole is
land cor miles. 1t was, in fact, the
blaze that Felix Thurstan had noted
and remarked upon as he stood that
evening on the silent deck of the Aus
tralasian.
Tu-Kila-Kila gazed at it with horrid
childish glee. "a fine fire." he said,
gayly. "a fire worthy of a god. Il
will serve me we'll. Tu-Kila-Kila will
have a good oven to roast his meal in.
Then he turned toward the sea, and
held up his hand once more for silence.
AS he did SO, an answering light upon,
it's surface attracted his eye for a mo-
ments space. 1t was bright red light,
mixed with white and green ones: in
point of fact, the Australasian was
passing. Tu-Kila-Kila pointed toward
it solennly with his plump, brown
fore-fnger. See he said, drawing
himself up and looking preternaturally
wise; your god is great. am send
ing some of this fire across the sea 10
where my sun has set, to aid and rein
force it. This is to keep up the fire OF
the sun, lest ever at any time it should
fade and fail you. While Tu-Kila-Kila,
lives the sun will burn bright. If Tu'
Kila-Kila were to die it would be night
forever"