THE MARCH CONTINUED 119 



somewhat like this — " Look over the bank here 

 with me, you remember that lane we passed just 

 now ? Well, you see it bends round and nearly 

 touches the right of the wood from which that fire 

 is coming. It cannot be a big party in there, or 

 our advanced or flank guards must have seen them ; 

 anyhow we must turn them out before we can pass, 

 and I want you two to do it. Take your companies 

 back, turn down the lane, get into the end of the 

 v/ood, and you will be on the enemy's flank, then go 

 for him. You in advance, ' A ', and you in support, 

 ' B '. You understand." 



This may be right and may be wrong — we don't 

 profess to teach tactics — but anyhow it is action of 

 some sort under circumstances in which inaction 

 would probably be fatal, and it certainly is no case 

 for getting the men under cover in the orthodox 

 barrack-square way — " Halt — front — six paces to 

 the front — march " — " Volleys at the edge of the 

 wood, standing, by sections from right to left." If 

 the enemy could shoot at all, surely several men 

 would be bowled over before this string of words 

 was half out ? 



The foregoing is only given as a specimen of the 

 many interesting problems of war that we may set 

 ourselves, as, with mind and body fresh, and the 

 senses alert with the anticipation of sport, we jog to 

 the rendezvous of Diana's devotees. 



And the use of such imaginary problems ? 



Well, in battle, habit is everything, and he who 

 accustoms himself to consider things in this way 



