REGULAR CAVALRY 223 



Argentinos, Americans and Afghans, of the 

 French by the Mexicans, of the Germans b}'- 

 the Damaras, of the ItaHans by the peoples of 

 Erythrea and Cyrenaica, and of the Russians 

 by the Japanese. Three hundred thousand 

 of my countrymen spent three-and-a-half 

 years in persuading fifty-five thousand Boers 

 to accept full compensation for their losses. 

 This episode filled with unholy joy the nations 

 which had not latel}^ been whipped by mere 

 outsiders because they had prudently abstained 

 from war. One does not recall, however, so 

 very many recent campaigns in which bar- 

 baric horsemanship has been put to shame and 

 flight by any regular cavalry. 



So, if my adventure in uncouth criticism 

 bears incidentally upon British methods, its 

 motive is merely to discover why civilized 

 mounted troops are not quite a success in 

 deahng with irregulars of the open range. If 

 Army methods are really the best, the}' should 

 have an unbroken chronicle of victory. II 

 range methods are really the best, the military 

 art of horsemanship needs thinking over by 

 every civilized horseman w^ho loves his country 



If the defeat of civilized armies is not ex- 

 plained by their horsemastership, it is not less 

 in need of explanation. 



