Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-06

centre of the village-the house with eight
rooms-and, taking mo up into Il, gave me
food and drink There met his mate n
comely girl, with a nursing baby in her
arms.
ia told her Of how 1 had saved his
life, and she was thereafter most kind
and hospltable toward me, even per-
mlttlng me to hold and amuse the tiny
bundle OF humanity who ia told me
would one day rule the tribe; for ia It
seemed, was the chief of the community
We had eaten and rested, and | had
slept, much to Jas amusement for 1t
seemed that he seldom II ever did go, and
then the red man proposed that ac-
company him to the temple of tho Mahars,
which lay not far from his village.
I'VE are not supposed to visit IT," he
said. But the great ones cannot hear
and II you keep we'll out of sight they
need never know that we have been there
For my part / hate them, and always
have; but the other chieftains of the ls-
land think Il best that we continue to
maintain the amicable relations which ex-
ist between the two races.
"Otherwise l should like nothing bet
ter than to lead my warriors among tho
hideous creatures and extermlnate them
Pellucidar would be better place to live
in were there none of them"
wholly concurred In Jas belief but 1t
seemed that 1t might be difficult matter
TO exterminate the dominant race of Pei
lucidar. Thus Converslng, we followed
the intricate trail toward the temple,
which we came upon in n small clearing
surrounded by enormous trees similar to
those which must have fourlshed upon
the outer crust during the carboniferous
age.
Hero was n mighty temple of hewn
rock built in the shape of a rough oval
- l. III.
eral large openings. No doors or win
dows were visible in tho sides OF the
structure, nor was there need of any
except one entrance for the saves-since,
as ia explained, the Mahars flew to and
from their place of ceremonial, entering
and leaving the building by means Of the
apertures in the roof.
But" added ia, there Is an entrance
near the base of which even the Mahars
the clearing and about the end to a pile
of loose rock which lay against the foot
of the wall. Here he removed n couple
of large boulders, revealing small OPEN
ing which led straight within the build
ing: or SO 1t seemed, though, as 1 entered
after ia, l discovered myself in a narrow
place of extreme darkness.
I'VE are within the outer wall" said
ia. '1t is hollow. Follow me closely"
The red man groped ahead u few PAGES
and then began to ascend a primitive lad
der similar to that which led from the
ground to the upper stories of his house.
We ascended for some 90 feet when the
interior of the space between the walls
commenced to grow lighter, and present.
ly we came opposite an opening In the
inner wall which gave us an unobstruct-
ed view OF the entire interior of the tenn
pie.
The lower floor was an enormous tank
of clear water in which numerous hideous
Mahars swan lazily up and down.
Artificial islands of granite rock dot
ted this artificial sea, and upon several
of them saw men and women like my
self
what are the human beings doing
here?" l asked.
wait and you shall see," replied ia.
"They are to take n leading part In the
ceremonies which will follow the advent
Of the queen. You may be thankful that
you are not upon the same side of the
wall as they"
Scarcely had he spoken than we heard