So we ate of the food with which the Abati had provided us, not without fear lest it should be poisoned, and then held a council of war.
The question was whether we should take the old road toward Egypt, or now that the swamps were dry, strike up northward by the other route of which Shadrach had told us.

According to the map this should be shorter, and Higgs advocated it strongly, as I discovered afterwards because he thought there might be more archaeological remains in that direction.
I, on the other hand, was in favour of following the road we knew, which, although long and very wearisome, was comparatively safe, as in that vast desert there were few people to attack us, while Oliver, our captain, listened to all we had to say, and reserved his opinion.
Presently, however, the question was settled for us by Roderick, who remarked that if we travelled to the north we should probably fall in with the Fung.

I asked what he meant, and he replied that when he made his reconnaissance an hour or so before, although it was true that he had seen no one, not a thousand yards from where we sat he had come across the track of a great army.

This army, from various indications, he felt sure was that of Barung, which had passed there within twelve hours.
"Perhaps my wife with them, so I no want to go that way, father," he added with sincere simplicity.
"Where could they be travelling ?" I asked.
"Don't know," he answered, "but think they go round to attack Mur from other side, or perhaps to find new land to north." "We will stick to the old road," said Oliver briefly.

"Like Roderick I have had enough of all the inhabitants of this country.