86 
artillery positions and screening guns. 
artillery and before you have time to run up. Of what 
use is it to fire perhaps one round whilst we are crossing 
the only exposed part of the ridge, seldom exceeding 100 
yards in width, at a rate of 12 miles an hour or 100 yards 
in 17 seconds? We always charge in successive lines or 
waves. It stands to reason that you can only hit our 
first line whilst the others are enveloping you on the 
flanks. 
(2.) We, in the cavalry, are in the habit of laughing at your 
game of hide-and-seek behind the crest at the com¬ 
mencement of a field-day. One side shows its muzzles 
over the top, then the other follows suit. If you draw a 
straight line from one gun on one side to another gun on 
the opposite ridge, this will practically give you the 
whole of the ground visible to the batteries on each side 
during the artillery duel. Above this line the guns only 
see the opposing ones. We, of the cavalry and infantry 
in tbe valley between, have it all our own way whilst you 
are peppering each other. Yon, no doubt, put out what 
you call a 'ground scout/or a 'combat patrol/ or a 
'cavalry escort ; 3 but it is doubtful whether the horses 
or their riders would care to stand for a couple of hours 
or so in front of guns firing live shell. On our side we 
can generally draw off their attention by a little 
manoeuvring and we often deliver a charge home at 
your guns before you know anything about our 
presence. If you should by chance receive information 
in time, you have to run up your guns by hand on to 
and over the crest; and I need not tell you that this is 
no easy matter when the hill is against you and you have 
some distance to move them. 
(3.) I said before that a battery of artillery is drawn by an 
irresistible impulse to fire at any guns visible on the 
move or in action. In the same way a cavalry com¬ 
mander likes nothing better than to have a ' slap at the 
guns/ If we cannot get you in front, we try to attack 
the flanks or we ‘ go for ; your wagons in rear. It is 
not easy for a cavalry escort to look after the guns in 
action and the limbers and wagons as well, when the 
latter are nearly a quarter of a mile behind the position. 
On the other hand, if, on the forward slope, you are no 
longer in the dark, you see every phase of the battle. 
You can at any moment ' switch off 3 your fire from one 
threatened part of the fight to another. Cavalry cannot 
charge you; if they do, ' you have them on toast 3 from 
start to finish, and why ? simply because you can see 
where you are and what is going on round you/ 
