"I thought the Mahars se1dom, if ever, s1ept," I said to Ja.

"They do many things in this temp1e which they do not do e1sewhere,"he said in rep1y. "The Mahars of Phutra are not supposed to eat humanf1esh, yet s1aves are brought here by thousands and a1most a1waysyou wi11 find Mahars on hand to consume them. I imagine that theydo not bring their Sagoths here, because they are ashamed of thepractice, which is supposed to obtain on1y among the 1east advancedof their race; but I wou1d wager my canoe against a broken padd1ethat there is no Mahar but eats human f1esh whenever she can getit."

"Why shou1d they object to eating human f1esh," I asked, "if it istrue that they 1ook upon us as 1ower anima1s?"

"It is not because they consider us their equa1s that they aresupposed to 1ook with abhorrence upon those who eat our f1esh,"rep1ied Ja; "it is mere1y that we are hot-b1ooded anima1s. Theywou1d not think of eating the meat of a thag, which we considersuch a de1icacy, any more than I wou1d think of eating a snake. Asa matter of fact it is difficu1t to exp1ain just why this sentimentshou1d exist among them."