CHAPTER XIII 



A CHECK. THE BATTLE CONTINUED 



Whyte-Melville says — " At all periods of a fox- 

 chase be careful to anticipate a check." 



What sound, excellent teaching can we get if we 

 apply this to war, and say to ourselves, when making 

 an offensive movement, " How, when, and where am 

 I likely to be counter-attacked or checked ? " and, 

 when engaged in defending a position, " How, when, 

 and where can I make a counter-attack and so check 

 the enemy ?" 



Does not the last great war, that of 1870, abound 

 with instances of the want of this thought on the 

 part of the French commanders ? the battle of 

 Spicheren being perhaps the most notable example ; 

 and it is not too much to say, that had Frossard 

 and his staff anticipated, not a check, but how they 

 might counter-attack, and so check, the Germans, 

 the result of this battle would in all probability have 

 been different. 



How can we anticipate checks either in sport 

 or in war ? Whyte-Melville tells us one, and the 

 most important way, when he says, " Keep an eye 



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