THE BATTLE 149 



Whyte-Melville says, " Ride for ground as far as 

 possible when the foothold is good." Proper use 

 of ground is daily becoming of more importance to the 

 soldier, who, belong he to the horse, foot, or artillery, 

 will only lead his men like sheep to the slaughter if 

 he does not know how to use ground, and cannot 

 make up his mind quickly as to the best way to 

 do so. 



In riding to hounds during a " quick thing " a 

 man has but little time to make up his mind, or 

 weigh the pros and the cons of over or round the 

 hill i* — down the furrow, or turn off and strike the 

 headland ? — into the meadow and jump two fences, 

 or keep along the stubble and jump only one .•* — 

 across that bottom, or round the head of it ? — etc., 

 etc. — all have to be decided in less time than it 

 takes to read this paragraph. 



Surely this is good training, for — 



" By going down the valley and skirting the wood 

 I shall have cover from fire part of the way, and 

 from view for the rest of it." 



Or— 



" Get into the fold of the ground, follow it along 

 to those bushes, and I can get the squadron within 

 charging distance without being seen." 



This last, by the bye, is much what Von Bredow 

 did before his famous charge at the battle of Mars- 

 la-tour, when, with six small squadrons, he counter- 

 attacked and checked an Army Corps ! 



Sir Redvers Buller told us at the manoeuvres of 

 1896 that officers did not think sufficiently about the 



