There remains, therefore, only the question of the pos-
sibility of passing one line of guns through another, and
that appears to me to present but little difficulty. The bat-
teries first in action having been warned" to leave sufficient
intervals between themselves to permit of the passage of the
second line, as the latter approach the former open a rapid
fire with common shell. No smoke now interferes with
the movement of the advancing artillery, but the enemy's
front is completely swathed in the smoke-screen of the burst-
ing shells, and the fire is maintained for some minutes till
it is seen that the advancing line has halted, and it is in
action. The range is given to the new arrivals as they pass
through the firing line, and they can deduct the distance
traversed by counting the stride of their horses — some one
man at least per battery would keep his head well enough to
do this — and thus they would have a sufficient guide to open
fire with shrapnel at once, on unlimbering, within the limit
of the short bracket. If it is urged that such movements
are too complicated and too long for execution, my answer is
that the artillery should be trained to such a pitch that they



Attack or Defense. 139

do not find any difficulty in them. The Germans could
certainly answer these reciuirements, and what they can do
we can do also and a good deal better. .Vs for the distance,
that depends on the weight beliind the trains, and if that is
too great, then here we have very good reason for reducing
it. A 12-pounder in action is a very good gun, but a
9-pounder in the right place, at the right time, is better than
many 12-pounders still toiling away in the rear when they
are urgently wanted in front.
