the cavalry general-第6章

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　　　　undertakes　to　play　this　role　to　good　effect。







But　to　proceed　to　another　topic。　The　enemy　is　less　likely　to　get　wind



of　an　advance　of　cavalry；　if　the　orders　for　march　were　passed　from



mouth　to　mouth　rather　than　announced　by　voice　of　herald；　or　public



notice。＇11＇　Accordingly；　in　addition　to＇12＇　this　method　of　ordering



the　march　by　word　passed　along　the　line；　the　appointment　of　file…



leaders　seems　desirable；　who　again　are　to　be　supplemented　by　section…



leaders；＇13＇　so　that　the　number　of　men　to　whom　each　petty　officer　has



to　transmit　an　order　will　be　very　few；＇14＇　while　the　section…leaders



will　deploy　and　increase　the　front；　whatever　the　formation；　without



confusion；　whenever　there　is　occasion　for　the　movement。＇15＇







＇11＇　i。e。　〃given　by　general　word　of　command；　or　in　writing。〃　As　to　the



　　　　〃word…of…mouth　command；〃　see　above；　S。　3；　〃Hell。〃　VII。　v。　9；　and



　　　　for　the　〃herald；〃　see　〃Anab。〃　III。　iv。　36。







＇12＇　Reading　｛pros　to　dia　p。｝；　or　if　｛pros　to｝　。　。　。　transl。　〃with　a



　　　　view　to。〃







＇13＇　Lit。　pempadarchs；　i。e。　No。　6　in　the　file。　See　〃Cyrop。〃　II。　i。　22



　　　　foll。；　iii。　21。







＇14＇　Lit。　〃so　that　each　officer　may　pass　the　word　to　as　few　as



　　　　possible。〃







＇15＇　Cf。　〃Anab。〃　IV。　vi。　6。







When　an　advanced　guard　is　needed；　I　say　for　myself　I　highly　approve　of



secret　pickets　and　outposts；　if　only　because　in　supplying　a　guard　to



protect　your　friends　you　are　contriving　an　ambuscade　to　catch　the



enemy。　Also　the　outposts　will　be　less　exposed　to　a　secret　attack；



being　themselves　unseen；　and　yet　a　source　of　great　alarm　to　the　enemy；



since　the　bare　knowledge　that　there　are　outposts　somewhere；　though



where　precisely　no　man　knows；　will　prevent　the　enemy　from　feeling



confident；　and　oblige　him　to　mistrust　every　tenable　position。　An



exposed　outpost；　on　the　contrary；　presents　to　the　broad　eye　of　day　its



dangers　and　also　its　weaknesses。＇16＇　Besides　which；　the　holder　of　a



concealed　outpost　can　always　place　a　few　exposed　vedettes　beyond　his



hidden　pickets；　and　so　endeavour　to　decoy　the　enemy　into　an　ambuscade。



Or　he　may　play　the　part　of　trapper　with　effect　by　placing　a　second



exposed　outpost　in　rear　of　the　other；　a　device　which　may　serve　to　take



in　the　unwary　foeman　quite　as　well　as　that　before　named。







＇16＇　Lit。　〃makes　plain　its　grounds　of　terror　as　of　confidence。〃







Indeed　I　take　it　to　be　the　mark　of　a　really　prudent　general　never　to



run　a　risk　of　his　own　choosing；　except　where　it　is　plain　to　him



beforehand；　that　he　will　get　the　better　of　his　adversary。　To　play　into



the　enemy's　hands　may　more　fitly　be　described　as　treason　to　one's



fellow…combatants　than　true　manliness。　So；　too；　true　generalship



consists　in　attacking　where　the　enemy　is　weakest；　even　if　the　point　be



some　leagues　distant。　Severity　of　toil　weighs　nothing　in　the　scale



against　the　danger　of　engaging　a　force　superior　to　your　own。＇17＇



Still；　if　on　any　occasion　the　enemy　advance　in　any　way　to　place



himself　between　fortified　points　that　are　friendly　to　you；　let　him　be



never　so　superior　in　force；　your　game　is　to　attack　on　whichever　flank



you　can　best　conceal　your　advance；　or；　still　better；　on　both　flanks



simultaneously；　since；　while　one　detachment　is　retiring　after



delivering　its　attack；　a　charge　pressed　home　from　the　opposite　quarter



cannot　fail　to　throw　the　enemy　into　confusion　and　to　give　safety　to



your　friends。







＇17＇　N。B。　Throughout　this　treatise　the　author　has　to　meet　the　case　of



　　　　a　small　force　of　cavalry　acting　on　the　defensive。







How　excellent　a　thing　it　is　to　endeavour　to　ascertain　an　enemy's



position　by　means　of　spies　and　so　forth；　as　in　ancient　story；　yet　best



of　all；　in　my　opinion；　is　it　for　the　commander　to　try　to　seize　some



coign　of　vantage；　from　which　with　his　own　eyes　he　may　descry　the



movements　of　the　enemy　and　watch　for　any　error　on　his　part。＇18＇







＇18＇　As；　e。g。　Epaminondas　at　Tegea。　See　〃Hell。〃　VII。　v。　9。







Whatever　may　be　snatched　by　ruse；　thief　fashion；＇19＇　your　business　is



to　send　a　competent　patrol　to　seize；　or　again　where　capture　by　coup　de



main＇20＇　is　practicable；　you　will　despatch　a　requisite　body　of　troops



to　effect　a　coup　de　main。　Or　take　the　case：　the　enemy　is　on　the　march



in　some　direction；　and　a　portion　of　his　force　becomes　detached　from



his　main　body　or　through　excess　of　confidence　is　caught　straggling；　do



not　let　the　opportunity　escape；　but　make　it　a　rule　always　to　pursue　a



weaker　with　a　stronger　force。＇21＇　These；　indeed；　are　rules　of



procedure；　which　it　only　requires　a　simple　effort　of　the　mind　to



appreciate。　Creatures　far　duller　of　wit　than　man　have　this　ability：



kites　and　falcons；　when　anything　is　left　unguarded；　pounce　and　carry



it　off　and　retire　into　safety　without　being　caught；　or　wolves；　again；



will　hunt　down　any　quarry　left　widowed　of　its　guard；　or　thieve　what



they　can　in　darksome　corners。＇22＇　In　case　a　dog　pursues　and　overtakes



them；　should　he　chance　to　be　weaker　the　wolf　attacks　him；　or　if



stronger；　the　wolf　will　slaughter＇23＇　his　quarry　and　make　off。　At



other　times；　if　the　pack　be　strong　enough　to　make　light　of　the



guardians　of　a　flock；　they　will　marshal　their　battalions；　as　it　were；



some　to　drive　off　the　guard　and　others　to　effect　the　capture；　and　so



by　stealth　or　fair　fight　they　provide　themselves　with　the　necessaries



of　life。　I　say；　if　dumb　beasts　are　capable　of　conducting　a　raid　with



so　much　sense　and　skill；　it　is　hard　if　any　average　man　cannot　prove



himself　equally　intelligent　with　creatures　which　themselves　fall



victims　to　the　craft　of　man。







＇19＇　e。g。　defiles；　bridges；　outposts；　stores；　etc。







＇20＇　e。g。　a　line　of　outposts；　troops　in　billets　or　bivouac；　etc。







＇21＇　〃It　is　a　maxim；　the　quarry　should　be　weaker　than　the　pursuer。〃







＇22＇　Zeune　cf。　Ael。　〃N。　A。〃　viii。　14；　on　the　skill　of　wolves　in



　　　　hunting。







＇23＇　For　｛aposphaxas｝　Courier　suggests　｛apospasas｝；　〃dragging　off　what



　　　　he　can。〃















V







Here　is　another　matter　which　every　horseman　ought　to　know；　and　that　is



within　what　distance　a　horse　can　overhaul　a　man　on　foot；　or　the



interval　necessary　to　enable　a　slower　horse　to　escape　one　more　fleet。



It　is　the　business　rather　of　the　cavalry　general　to　recognise　at　a



glance　the　sort　of　ground　on　which　infantry　will　be　superior　to



cavalry　and　where　cavalry　will　be　superior　to　infantry。　He　should　be　a



man　of　invention；　ready　of　device　to　turn　all　circumstances　to



account；　so　as　to　give　at　one　time　a　small　body　of　cavalry　the



appearance　of　a　larger；　and　again　a　large　the　likeness　of　a　smaller



body；　he　should　have　the　craft　to　appear　absent　when　close　at　hand；



and　within　striking　distance　when　a　long　way　off；　he　should　know



exactly　not　only　how　to　steal　an　enemy's　position；　but　by　a　master



stroke　of　cunning＇1＇　to　spirit　his　own　cavalry　away；　and；　when　least



expected；　deliver　his　attack。　Another　excellent　specimen　of



inventiveness　may　be　seen　in　the　general's　ability；　while　holding　a



weak　position　himself；　to　conjure　up　so　lively　an　apprehension　in　the



enemy　that　he　will　not　dream　of　attacking；　or　conversely；　when；　being



in　a　strong　position　himself；　he　can　engender　a　fatal　boldness　in　the



adversary　to　venture　an　attack。　Thus　with　the　least　cost　to　yourself；



you　will　best　be　able　to　catch　your　enemy　tripping。







＇1＇　Or；　〃sleight　of　hand〃；　and　for　｛kleptein｝　=　escamoter　see　〃Anab。〃



　　　　IV。　vi。　11；　15；　V。　vi。　9。







But　to　avoid　suspicion　of　seeming　to　prescribe　impossible　feats；　I



will　set　down；　in　so　many　words；