Each had its garrison of from fifty to one hundred regulars, and formed the centre of resistance for the surrounding countryside. When danger threatened, the officer in charge could call up the men of the district in such numbers as he required, either to defend the fort, or to hold the frontier, or to deal with raiders. Each fort contained food and war stores, arrows and the like, for two months for twice its normal garrison. When men were called up for service, they had to join with four days’ food, a bow, a sword, axe or knife, and a cloak or sleeping-rug. As we climbed on to the battlements he pointed out below us a company of men manœuvring, and said these were some of the men called up. The others, in small bands under the leadership of regulars, were watching the frontier up to where they linked with the next fort garrison some ten miles away. I asked if all the clans had this system of military service, and he said that all had something like it; but for the last two years his father and uncle, feeling that war was inevitable, had been perfecting that of the Blue Sakae. The regular companies had a very high percentage--in some cases fifty per cent--of what they call “double-pay men” (what we should call N.C.O.’s), who were specially trained, and drew double pay for their efficiency. Most of these were used to command the local levies in time of emergency. Thus expansion for war was easy with a nucleus of trained leaders. Living in the same districts, they were in touch with the civil population, and knew the men whom they would command in war. Men were not paid when called up for service, their military service being part return for their lands, all of which belonged in theory to the chiefs, although, as long as the owner paid his taxes, and--in the case of able-bodied men--rendered his military service, he could not be dispossessed. Thus land passed down from generation to generation in the same family. In the case of old or disabled men, women, or minor children who held land, the full tax had to be paid, while in other cases the amount of tax due was reduced by a proportion for each day of military service rendered. In the frontier districts, in addition to the normal fourteen days, each village was collectively responsible for turning out to repel and pursue raiders. For this no individual reduction of tax was made, but the whole taxes of the frontier districts were assessed more lightly. I did not glean all this on the afternoon I am describing, but I mention it now so as to give a clearer picture of the country. I climbed up to the battlements with Stephnos and stood by the sentry, who, with his long bow beside him, was gazing out over the country in front. There were other sentries farther along, one to each face of the fort.