Fung after we had blown so many of them to pieces,
but beneath it none passed in or out. The town was empty, and although
they were dead ripe the rich crops had not yet been reaped. Apparently
the Fung people had now left the land.

Now we were opposite to the valley of Harmac, and saw that the huge
sphinx still sat there as it had done for unknown thousands of years.
Only its head was gone, for that had "moved to Mur," and in its neck
and shoulders appeared great clefts, caused by the terrific force of the
explosion. Moreover, no sound came from the enclosures where the sacred
lions used to be. Doubtless every one of them was dead.

"Don't you think," suggested Higgs, whose archaeological zeal was
rekindling fast, "that we might spare half-an-hour to go up the valley
and have a look at Harmac from the outside? Of course, both Roderick and
I are thoroughly acquainted with his inside, and the den of lions, and
so forth, but I would give a great deal just to study the rest of him
and take a few measurements. You know one must camp somewhere, and if we
can't find the camera, at dawn one might make a sketch."

"Are you mad?" I asked by way of answer, and Higgs collapsed, but to
this hour he has never forgiven me.

We looked our last upon Harmac, the god whose glory we had destroyed,
and went on swiftly till darkness overtook us almost opposite to that
ruined village where Shadrach had tried to poison the hound Pharaoh,
which afterwards tore out his throat. Here we unloaded the camels, no
light task, and camped, for near this spot there was water and a patch
of maize on which the beasts could feed.

Before the light quite faded Roderick rode forward for a little way to
reconnoitre, and presently returned announcing shortly that he had seen
no one. 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 u