We had eaten and rested, and I had slept, much to Ja's amusement,
for it seemed that he seldom if ever did so, and then the red man
proposed that I accompany him to the temple of the Mahars which
lay not far from his village. "We are not supposed to visit it,"
he said; "but the great ones cannot hear and if we keep well out of
sight they need never know that we have been there. For my part I
hate them and always have, but the other chieftains of the island
think it best that we continue to maintain the amicable relations
which exist between the two races; otherwise I should like nothing
better than to lead my warriors amongst the hideous creatures and
exterminate them--Pellucidar would be a better place to live were
there none of them."
I wholly concurred in Ja's belief, but it seemed that it might be
a difficult matter to exterminate the dominant race of Pellucidar.
Thus conversing we followed the intricate trail toward the temple,
which we came upon in a small clearing surrounded by enormous trees
similar to those which must have flourished upon the outer crust
during the carboniferous age.
Here was a mighty temple of hewn rock built in the shape of a rough
oval with rounded roof in which were several large openings. No
doors or windows were visible in the sides of the structure, nor
was there need of any, except one entrance for the slaves, since,
as Ja explained, the Mahars flew to and from their place of ceremonial,
entering and leaving the building by means of the apertures in the
roof.
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