no 
SPEED IN FIRING WITH GARRISON GUNS. 
that they can trust them to open fire directly the occasion arises ; there 
is no time now, with fast targets, for bandying words on a telephone ; 
their role must be to assist, without obstructing, while retaining the 
power of instantly stopping fire if inefficient, or of rapidly switching 
it elsewhere if needed. The latter will always entail a loss of time and 
should be sparingly practised. It will probably be but seldom required 
in warfare, but now and then an occasion will arise where the possession 
of such a power might have an important bearing on an engagement. 
It is a great mistake to suppose that rapid work leads to inaccurate, 
or that slow work ensures, good shooting. In most cases good shooting 
and rapid firing go hand in hand in competitive practice and training, 
for the two should go together. Perhaps the surest way of quietly 
bringing home instances of avoidable delays to those concerned is to 
have a time narrative kept at practice by an independent observer, with 
a watch before him ; such as the following :— 
