The Great Taboo

e-the canoe with the two Europeans going first, the others following at

tre of the island. As they went, a band of natives preceded them in regular line of march, shouting "Taboo, taboo!" at short intervals, especially as they neared any group of fan-palm cottages. The women whom they met fell on their knee

pace, in whose midst grew a great banyan-tree, with arms that dropped and rooted themselves like buttresses in the soil beneath. Under the banyan-tree a raised platform stood upon po

o Felix and motioned him forward. "This is Heaven," h

platform without a word, in obedience to the chief's command,

, shortly, in a voice of auth

tents on Felix's head; the water trickled down over his hair and forehead. Involuntarily, Felix shook his head a little at the unexpected wetting, and scattered

"All is well. Heaven has chosen him. Korong! Korong! He is accepte

's dark hair. The poor girl, trembling in every limb, shook her head also in the

ng. "She, too, gives the sign of acceptance. Korong! Korong!

hief chose a banana with care from the basket, peeled it with his dusky

" he said, as he presen

av

circumstances not to demur at all to anything h

Muriel. "Eat, Queen of the Clouds," he said, as he

ashed savage. The chief eyed her hard. "For God's sake eat it, my child; he tells you to eat it!" Felix exclaimed in has

he gave us. We have offered the strangers, the spirits from the sun, as a free gift to Heaven, and Heaven has accepted them. We have given them fruits, the fruits of the earth, and they h

" Muriel asked aside, in a

s the King of the Rain and the Queen of the Clouds in their own language. I

It almost seemed to Muriel as if she understood them. But when Muriel looked again she g

d. Felix could see they were bowing to Muriel and himself, not merely to the chief. A doubt flitted strangely across his mind for a moment. What could it all

x and Muriel followed behind, wondering. As they went, the cry rose louder and louder than before, "Taboo! Taboo!" People who met them fell on their f

biscus-trees. It was entered by a gate, a tall gate of bamboo posts. At the gate all the followers fell back

stalwart savage, very powerfully built, but with a sinister look in his cruel and lustful eye, was pacing up and down, like a sentinel on guard, a long spear in his right hand, and a tomahawk in his left, held close by his side, all ready for action. As he prowled up and down he seemed to be peering warily about him on every side, as if e

its that you brought from the sun, with the fire in their hands, and the light in boxes. We have taken them to Heaven. Heaven has accept

mpounded of pleasure and terror. "They are plump," he said shortly.

ld do with them?" the chief ask

e for a second in Felix's hand. "Give them two fresh huts," he said, in a lordly way. "G

acing. An instantaneous change seemed to Muriel to come over his demeanor at that moment. While he spoke with the chief she noticed he looked all cruelty, lust, and hateful self-indulgence. Now that he paced up and down warily in front of that sacred floor, peering around him with keen suspicion,

-Kila-Kila. At the moment when Muriel passed, to her immense astonishment the girl spoke to her. "Don't be afraid, missy," she said in English, in a rather low voice

at the girl, but thought it wisest to answer nothing. This particular young woman, indeed, was just as dark, and to all appearance jus

e to be well housed and fed for the present at the public expense; and even that something which the chief clearly regarded as a very great honor was in store for them in the future. Whatever these people's particular superstition might be, i

oticed with pleasure, not only that the huts themselves were new and clean, but also that the chief took great care to place round both of them a single circular line of white c

e, guarded by an angry-looking band of natives with long spears at rest, all pointed inward. The natives themselves stood well without the ring, but

dsome young man, dressed in a long robe or cloak of yellow feathers. The other was stouter, and perhaps forty or therea

ll make Taboo," the

in his right hand. "Taboo! Taboo! Taboo!" he cried aloud, with emphasis. "If any man dare to transgress this line without leave, I burn him to

looked about him curiously a moment. "The King of Water will make Taboo,

aboo! Taboo! Taboo!" he exclaimed aloud, pouring out the water upon the ground symbolically. "If any man dare to transgress this line without leave, I drown him in his ca

mean?" Muriel wh

I don't understand," he added, hastily, "and that's Korong. It doesn't occur in Fiji. They keep say

rd," the chief said, lookin

aid her name was Mali, stepped forth from th

ing of the Rain," he cried, turning him three times round. "Follow him in all his incomings

line with a sort of reverent reluctance, and t

s," he said, turning her three times round. "Follow her in all her incomings and

hadow will follow you. You are free as the rain that drops where it will. Yo

in concert, the crowd fell back, and the village

beside their huts, guarded only in