“We are,” came back the unanimous shout.
“Then every pootah hold up his hand.”
Up shot the hands of all those who had commanded the old “hundreds”, or athletic clubs, which Cabot had used as military companies, and on which he had based the organization of the first army which Cupia had ever known.
“Good!” said he. “Let the pootahs step over to me.”
They did so.
“Now let every bar-pootah hold up his hand.”
Up shot the hands of all the lieutenants.
“Let each pootah choose two bar-pootahs.”
The choices were quickly made, and thus the earthman had established the skeleton framework of an army.
“Are there any of the higher officers here?”