THE MARCH CONTINUED 121 



fed up and finally gingered, or bran-mashed and 

 finally physicked, as his peculiarities may require. 



Thank you, kind reader, for the indulgence. This 

 has nothing directly to do with " Hunting as a 

 School for Soldiering," but it seems, in the muddled 

 mind of an enthusiast, to coincide with his rough-and- 

 tumble ideas on preparation for war, and being fired 

 at from the wood that we have just passed, brought 

 it all up. 



On our right hand we now have a considerable 

 hill, whose fenceless sides seem to indicate that it is 

 the commencement of the downs. Should hounds 

 run across here, which is the best way to ride up 

 it ? We cannot afford to let them slip us much, for 

 they will probably run fast on the down above. 

 Ah ! that will be the way, past the old chalk-pit, 

 behind those bushes, and then along the sheep 

 track, which runs diagonally up. That would also 

 be the best way to take men up, suppose there was 

 no enemy on the top. And if there was ? Why, 

 we could not come near the part of the road we are 

 now in at all. For the hill commands it all, and we 

 should have had to halt behind that spur about 

 three-quarters of a mile back, reconnoitre well, and 

 then perhaps try to turn the hill by that lime-kiln. 



We see a village just ahead of us. How should 

 an advanced guard approach it ? would it be classed 

 as end on, broad-side, or circular, for the purposes 

 of attack and defence ? and is it subject to direct 

 distant artillery fire or not ? On getting up to its 

 outskirts we may consider where we should have 



