The bodies of these captured _caboclos_ are soon found by the
"police warriors" of the tribe and carried to the _maloca_. On such
occasions a day of feasting always follows and an obscure religious
rite is performed.

It is true that the Mangeromas are cannibals, but at the same time
their habits and morals are otherwise remarkably clean. Without their
good care and excellent treatment, I have no doubt I would now be
with my brave companions out in that dark, green jungle.

But to return to my story of the two Peruvians caught in the pit-trap:
the warriors cut off the hands and feet of both corpses, pulled
the big game arrows out of the bodies, and had an audience with the
Chief. He seemed to be well satisfied, but spoke little, just nodding
his head and smiling. Shortly after the village prepared for a grand
feast. The fires were rebuilt, the pots and jars were cleaned, and a
scene followed which to me was frightful. Had it not happened, I should
always have believed this little world out in the wild forest an ideal,
pure, and morally clean community. But now I could only hasten to my
hammock and simulate sleep, for I well knew, from previous experience,
that otherwise I would have to partake of the meal in preparation: a
horrible meal of human flesh! It was enough for me to see them strip
the flesh from the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet and
fry these delicacies in the lard of tapir I hoped to see no more.

An awful thought coursed through my brain when I beheld the men bend
eagerly over the pans to see if the meat were done. How long would it
be, I said to myself, before they would forget themselves and place
my own extremities in the same pots and pans. Such a possibility