As soon as they had fairly started, Stanley said: "Had we not better get rid of the fire, Meinik?
Its light would draw attention to us." "That matters little," the Burman replied.

"There are not likely to be war canoes about at night, and I expect that most of them will have gone down the river.

People fish either by night or by day and, even if a war canoe came along, they would not trouble about it for, of course, many men too old to go to the war remain here, and go on fishing.

People cannot starve because there is fighting.
The old men and women must cultivate the fields and fish, or both they and the people of the towns would starve.
"Many even of the young men do not go.

They keep away from their villages during the day, and work in the fields; and the headmen shut their eyes, for they know that if the fields are not cultivated, the people cannot pay their share of the taxes.
"Still, it is as well to be on the safe side.