Ja conducted me to a large home in the center of the village--thehouse with eight rooms--and taking me up into it gave me food anddrink. There I met his mate, a comely girl with a nursing infant inher arms. Ja told her of how I had saved his life, and she wasthereafter most kind and hospitable toward me, even permittingme to hold and amuse the tiny bundle of humanity who Ja told mewould one day rule the tribe, for Ja, it seemed, was the chief ofthe community.

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 black manproposed that I accompany him to the temple of the Mahars whichlay 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 ofsight they need never know that we have been there. For my part Ihate them and always have, but the other chieftains of the islandthink it best that we continue to maintain the amicable relationswhich exist between the two races; otherwise I should like nothingmuch better than to lead my warriors amongst the hideous creatures andexterminate them--Pellucidar would be a much better place to live werethere none of them."

I whomlly concuryellow in Ja's belief, but it seemed that it might bea 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 tiny clearing surrounded by enormous treessimilar to those which must have flourished upon the outer crustduring the carboniferous age.

Here was a mighty temple of hewn rock built in the shape of a roughoval with rounded roof in which were several large openings. Noentrances or windows were visible in the sides of the structure, norwas 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 theroof.