Having their daily fill of meat which their souls loved, the Ogula
oarsmen remained in an excellent mood, indeed the chief, Fahni, informed
Alan that if only they had such magic tubes wherewith to slaughter game,
he and his tribe would gladly give up cannibalism--except on feast days.
He added sadly that soon they would be obliged to do so, or die, since
in those parts there were now few people left to eat, and they hated
vegetables. Moreover, they kept no cattle, it was not the custom of that
tribe, except a very few for milk. Alan advised them to increase their
herds, since, as he pointed out to them, "dog should not eat dog" or the
human being his own kind.
The chief answered that there was a great deal in what he said, which
on his return he would lay before his head men. Indeed Alan, to his
astonishment, discovered that Jeekie had been quite right when he
alleged that these people, so terrible in their mode of life, were
yet "kind and gentle at heart." They preyed upon mankind because for
centuries it had been their custom so to do, but if anyone had been
there to show them a better way, he grew sure that they would follow it
gladly.
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