LIGHT HOESE. 209 



How should the light horseman be armed ? The first 

 and most important arms for a dragoon are his sword 

 and spurs, the latter to make the former available. In 

 addition to these, a double-barrelled breech-loading 

 pistol, carried at the waist, would be a useful article. 

 When the pistol is carried in a holster, in the event of 

 the horse being killed, the man most likely loses it. 

 ■Swords ought to be sharp, but metal scabbards soon 

 take the keen edo^e off them. A fe^Y months ao-o lancers 

 were sneered at as being bearers of an obsolete weapon. 

 Since then the Uhlans have told us a different tale. The 

 English lancer carries a pistol in addition to his sword 

 and lance. A breech-loading carbine is very well in its 

 way ; but a dragoon should not be a sharpshooter, though 

 attempts are being made to make him so. His business 

 is to ride over his enemy, not to pop at him. The notion 

 that he should fire while charging is not a wise one. At 

 the same time he must be able to skirmish a little dis- 

 mounted, but on such occasions only every other man 

 should dismount, and then the squadron could move 

 about after a fashion if required, each man having one 

 horse to lead. As to the men^s dress. Firstly, white 

 belts and their attendant pipeclay ought once and for 

 ever to vanish. The brown leather belts are serviceable, 

 if not handsome. White belts look well on parade and 

 in line ; but the pipeclay comes off on the tunic or 

 jacket, and they are not only a great trouble, but the 

 materials for cleaning them take up room. A rather 

 loose jacket, something like that worn by the officers of 

 the Staff College, is in every way preferable to a tunic ; 

 it rides clear of the saddle behind, and it admits of the 

 existence of pockets. These a soldier is not supposed 

 €ver to possess (is it because he cannot be supposed to 



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