the care of these improvised
formations.

Hostile attempts can be generally met by dismounted fire action in
well-chosen strong defensive country, possibly supported by
detachments of Infantry, Artillery, and 'Landsturm.' If the enemy's
superiority is great, then one must retire until the equilibrium of
the forces is re-established, the strategical necessity compels us to
fight, or, finally, the tactical situation gives good promise of
success.

One must, however, always keep this clearly before one's mind: that
the essence of all Cavalry action in the opening stage of the War lies
neither in this purely defensive attitude, nor in the offensive
enterprises previously alluded to, by which the concentration of the
enemy would be disturbed or other material successes might be
achieved, but that the decisive purpose only begins when important and
possible tasks can be given to the Cavalry--_i.e._, when the main
bodies of the enemy become ready for operations.

Then it becomes our duty to screen not only the advance of our own
troops and to secure to our Infantry the advantages of being able to
advance undisturbed, but the climax of all these duties will be
reached _in the far more important duty_, in the now indispensable
task, of securing the _widest possible sphere of intelligence_.

Whereas, during the period of railway concentration the front of the
enemy was conditioned by the ends of the lines employed in bringing up
the troops, who in turn spread themselves out to utilize the resources
of the country (hence generally our patrols, if sent out, would come
in contact all along the threatened frontier or the enemy's line of
detrainment, with defended villages, etc.), the troops will now be
drawn into closer cantonments, or bivouacs, and group themselves
together into clearly-defined masses.

There will therefore now arise between separate portions of his Army
and their lines of advance, spaces unoccupied by troops into which our
Cavalry can penetrate. The heads and flanks of his columns can now be
determined, and the direction in which they are marching, thus
ascertained, becomes of essential importance.

Now is the time when the Cavalry must put in its full strength to
discover the strength and direction of the enemy's movements, and the
fact of this concentration provides the Cavalry with the opportunities
necessary to solve the problem before it.

Of course, immediately after detraining, troops will have to