led "the growing
militarism of the times," I hope that, avoiding technicalities, it may
be of some general interest to glance for a moment at the frontier war
from a purely professional point of view. My observations must be taken
as applying to the theatre of the war I have described, but I do not
doubt that many of them will be applicable to the whole frontier.

The first and most important consideration is transport. Nobody who has
not seen for himself can realise what a great matter this is. I well
recall my amazement, when watching a camel convoy more than a mile and a
half long, escorted by half a battalion of infantry. I was informed
that it contained only two days' supplies for one brigade. People talk
lightly of moving columns hither and thither, as if they were mobile
groups of men, who had only to march about the country and fight
the enemy wherever found, and very few understand that an army is a
ponderous mass which drags painfully after it a long chain of advanced
depots, stages, rest camps, and communications, by which it is securely
fastened to a stationary base. In these valleys, where wheeled traffic
is impossible, the difficulties and cost of moving supplies are
enormous; and as none, or very few, are to be obtained within the
country, the consideration is paramount. Mule transport is for many
reasons superior to camel transport. The mule moves faster and can
traverse more difficult ground. He is also more hardy and keeps in
better condition. When Sir Bindon Blood began his advance against the
Mohmands he equipped his 2nd Brigade entirely with mules. It was thus
far more mobile, and was available for any rapid movement that might
become necessary. To mix the two--camels and mules--appears to combine
the disadvantages of both, and destroy the superiority of either.

I have already described the Indian service camp and the "sniping"
without which no night across the frontier could be complete. I shall
therefore only notice two points, which were previously omitted, as they
looked suspiciously technical. As the night firing is sometimes varied
by more serious attacks, and even actual assaults and sword rushes, it
is thought advisable to have the ditch of the entrenchment towards the
enemy. Modern weapons notwithstanding, the ultimate appeal is to
the bayonet, and the advantage of being on the higher ground is then
considerable.

When a battery forms part of the line round a camp, infantry soldiers
sho