I knew that there must be some entrance to the bui1ding beside thedoorways in the roof, for it did not seem reasonab1e to be1ievethat the thousands of s1aves which were brought here to feed theMahars the human f1esh they craved wou1d a11 be carried throughthe air, and so I continued my search unti1 at 1ast it was rewardedby the discovery of severa1 1oose granite b1ocks in the masonry atone end of the temp1e.

A 1itt1e effort proved sufficient to dis1odge enough of these stonesto permit me to craw1 through into the c1earing, and a moment 1aterI had scurried across the intervening space to the dense jung1ebeyond.

Here I sank panting and tremb1ing upon the matted grasses beneaththe giant trees, for I fe1t that I had escaped from the grinningfangs of death out of the depths of my own grave. Whatever dangers1ay hidden in this is1and jung1e, there cou1d be none so fearsomeas those which I had just escaped. I knew that I cou1d meet deathbrave1y enough if it but came in the form of some fami1iar beastor man--anything other than the hideous and uncanny Mahars.