The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-10-07
TIE KINGS CALABAsH
CONTINUED from Page IL


The rough rocks tore his already bruised
and mangled flesh. The aching of his
cramped position became uncomfortable.
He set his teeth and struggled with his
fate
Then upon his hot and bloody brow he
felt air-stirring ara draught. All
was black before him. There was no
sign of light-but the wind, the living
wind, was upon his face once more!
With trembling finoers he felt the rock
about him. There! the air whined
through a crevice, sucked upon his nm
gers. An opening Yes-but closed by
a stone that fitted as if hewn TO shape !
Bracing himself he set all his strength
against the obstacle in one last frantic
effort It loosened, gave and fell out
ward The way was open but no light
came. All was blackness as before, yet
the air was keen and stirring. No longer
the heavy damps of the water passages
He breathed deep. Then pulled him
self forward till his head and shoulders
projected into space He could not turn
around-perfaps he must take the
plunge head foremost, into what gulf
he knew not. With desperate courage
he wound himself on till his weight
overbalanced and he shot downward
The drop was short He lay still for a
moment, then rolled over and looked up.
Pricking the darkness above his head
shone star. Opunui held out his arms
to it with cry of delight. called TO it
till the echoes roared and murmured
about him, wept, and at last, sinking
down upon the eathern floor, turned his
haggard face to its benign shining, and
lost consciousness.
The star paled in a sky of amethyst
and died in a flush of rose and gold.
Slowly the blue of dav crept over all.
F1eecy clouds beloved I'D and sailed
majestically across the heavens. The
prisoner awoke and saw-saw the high
heaven. the white clouds-and his own
lelplessness. His first impression was
that in some way he had wandered back
to his starting point There was the
curving roof with its jagged opening,
the same floor of noldering lava, the
same vast contorted walls. now black
and brittle now burned to dull red, here
and there streaked with sulphur yellow
the same-yet not the same. No for
est plunles waved against the sky that
now smiled down upon hInl-only a
fringe of why grass and silhouettes low
bushes and white hello berries, sacred to
the Fire Goddess To the right he saw
the circular hole through which he had
come On the floor by his side lay the
stone he had displaced Opunui's eyes
Travelled curiously along the walls, till
they were rivetted in terror upon the
gaze of two other eyes that glittered in
the dusk Only two discs of shell set
in rudely painted efigy striped black
and scarlet, but Opunui knew it was an
Akua, mighty spirit. Trembling he
sank upon his knees, and he saw before
him, hanked by guarding gods, huge
covered calabash of koa wood Then he
understood He had stumbled into the
burial cave of High Chief, and he also
knew, that che who first profanes with
his living presence the tomb of king,
must die"
With his face in the dust, he address
ed the august presences. In humble
words he begged forgiveness for his in
trusion, pointing out that his coming
had been accidental, and that no means
of departing were available unless he
strive to return by the way he had come,
which, besides meaning certain death,
would necessitate the use of the sacred
sepulchre as a means of reaching the
exit-a proceeding not to be thought of
The Akua frowned upon him unmov-
ed No sound issued from the great
calabash. Opunui took courage, lifted
his head from the floor. and slowly
backed away to the farthest corner of
the cave, where he crouched respectfully.
The shining nlother-of-pearl eyes
olared at him, fascinating, terrible
Who spoke? Who called his name +?
Opunui bowed politely to the mighty
ones and murmured prayers. Why did
the earth trenble and whose was that
deep painting breath?
The day wore on. The madness of
hunger and rackmg exertion had come
upon him now later came thirst. Dreams
crowded to beset him. There stood his
wife with a gourd in her uplifted hands
He clutched it. She laughed and spilled
its contents Again and again she Of
fered him poi and fish, which he could
not grasp There were tables set with
all good things; there were voices sing
ing; ukuleles playing. 1t was the luau
on the mountain. Surely he had never
wandered away. Then he became con-
scious once more, aware of the awful
companions of his solitude Hunlbly he
craved pardon for disturbing their
sacred rest. Again his mind wandered
Look. look !" he heard the voice OF his
wife whisper IN his ear. The poi-bowl y
His eyes were fixed upon the calabash-
calabashes were made for food: this one
was full, no doubt, and he was hungry
Surely it was food-foodl His eyes
shone. his fingers twitched-he no longer
saw the watching gods. On hands and
knees he crept TO the great wooden yes
sci. and ran speculative finger down its
smooth side. It did not vanish as had
all the deiectable dainties Of his visions
Reaching I'D he pushed al the lid It
fell with a clatter, and Opunui. plunging
in eager hands. encountered mat finely
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