the cavalry general-第6节

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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；　the　procedure　in　certain　crucial



instances。







The　best　safeguard　against　failure　in　any　attempt　to　enforce　pursuit



or　conduct　a　retreat　lies　in　a　thorough　knowledge　of　your　horse's



powers。＇2＇　But　how　is　this　experience　to　be　got？　Simply　by　paying



attention　to　their　behaviour　in　the　peaceable　manouvres　of　the　sham



fight；　when　there　is　no　real　enemy　to　intervenehow　the　animals　come



off；　in　fact；　and　what　stamina　they　show　in　the　various　charges　and



retreats。







＇2＇　｛empeiria｝；　〃empirical　knowledge。〃







Or　suppose　the　problem　is　to　make　your　cavalry　appear　numerous。　In　the



first　place；　let　it　be　a　fundamental　rule；　if　possible；　not　to　attempt



to　delude　the　enemy　at　close　quarters；　distance；　as　it　aids　illusion；



will　promote　security。　The　next　point　is　to　bear　in　mind　that　a　mob　of



horses　clustered　together　（owing　perhaps　to　the　creatures'　size）　will



give　a　suggestion　of　number；　whereas　scattered　they　may　easily　be



counted。







Another　means　by　which　you　may　give　your　troop　an　appearance　of



numerical　strength　beyond　reality　consists　in　posting；　in　and　out



between　the　troopers；　so　many　lines　of　grooms＇3＇　who　should　carry



lances　if　possible；　or　staves　at　any　rate　to　look　like　lancesa　plan



which　will　serve　alike　whether　you　mean　to　display　your　cavalry　force



at　the　halt　or　are　deploying　to　increase　front；　in　either　case；



obviously　the　bulk　and　volume　of　the　force；　whatever　your　formation；



will　appear　increased。　Conversely；　if　the　problem　be　to　make　large



numbers　appear　small；　supposing　you　have　ground　at　command　adapted　to



concealment；　the　thing　is　simple：　by　leaving　a　portion　of　your　men



exposed　and　hiding　away　a　portion　in　obscurity；　you　may　effect　your



object。＇4＇　But　if　the　ground　nowhere　admits　of　cover；　your　best　course



is　to　form　your　files＇5＇　into　ranks　one　behind　the　other；　and　wheel



them　round　so　as　to　leave　intervals　between　each　file；　the　troopers



nearest　the　enemy　in　each　file　will　keep　their　lances　erect；　and　the



rest　low　enough　not　to　show　above。







＇3＇　Cf。　Polyaen。　II。　i。　17；　of　Agesilaus　in　Macedonia；　394　B。C。　（our



　　　　author　was　probably　present）；　IV。　iv。　3；　of　Antipater　in　Thessaly；



　　　　323　B。C。







＇4＇　Lit。　〃steal　your　troopers。〃　See　〃Cyrop。〃　V。　iv。　48。







＇5＇　Lit。　〃form　your　decads　（squads　of　ten；　cf。　our　'fours'）　in　ranks



　　　　and　deploy　with　intervals。〃







To　come　to　the　next　topic：　you　may　work　on　the　enemy's　fears　by　the



various　devices　of　mock　ambuscades；　sham　relief　parties；　false



information。　Conversely；　his　confidence　will　reach　an　overweening



pitch；　if　the　idea　gets　abroad　that　his　opponents　have　troubles　of



their　own　and　little　leisure　for　offensive　operations。







But　over　and　beyond　all　that　can　be　written　on　the　subject



inventiveness　is　a　personal　matter；　beyond　all　formulasthe　true



general　must　be　able　to　take　in；　deceive；　decoy；　delude　his　adversary



at　every　turn；　as　the　particular　occasion　demands。　In　fact；　there　is



no　instrument　of　war　more　cunning　than　chicanery；＇6＇　which　is　not



surprising　when　one　reflects　that　even　little　boys；　when　playing；　〃How



many　（marbles）　have　I　got　in　my　hand？〃＇7＇　are　able　to　take　one　another



in　successfully。　Out　goes　a　clenched　fist；　but　with　such　cunning　that



he　who　holds　a　few　is　thought　to　hold　several；　or　he　may　present



several　and　appear　to　be　holding　only　a　few。　Is　it　likely　that　a　grown



man；　giving　his　whole　mind　to　methods　of　chicanery；　will　fail　of



similar　inventiveness？　Indeed；　when　one　comes　to　consider　what　is



meant　by　advantages　snatched　in　war；　one　will　find；　i　think；　that　the



greater　part　of　them；　and　those　the　more　important；　must　be　attributed



in　some　way　or　other　to　displays　of　craft；＇8＇　which　things　being　so；　a



man　had　better　either　not　attempt　to　exercise　command；　or；　as　part　and



parcel　of　his　general　equipment；　let　him　pray　to　Heaven　to　enable　him



to　exercise　this　faculty　and　be　at　pains　himself　to　cultivate　his　own



inventiveness。







＇6＇　Cf。　〃Cyrop。〃　IV。　ii。　26；　VII。　i。　18。







＇7＇　｛posinda｝；　lit。　〃How　many？〃　（i。e。　dice；　nuts；　marbles；　etc。）；　cf。



　　　　the　old　game；　〃Buck！　buck！　how　many　horns　do　I　hold　up？〃　Schneid。



　　　　cf。　Aristot。　〃Rhet。〃iii。　5。　4。







＇8＇　〃Have　been　won　in　connection　with　craft。〃　See　〃Cyrop。〃　I。　vi。　32；



　　　　〃Mem。〃　III。　i。　6；　IV。　ii。　15。







A　general；　who　has　access　to　the　sea；　may　exercise　the　faculty　as



follows：　he　may　either；　whilst　apparently　engaged　in　fitting　out　his



vessels；　strike　a　blow　on　land；＇9＇　or　with　a　make…believe　of　some



aggressive　design　by　land；　hazard　an　adventure　by　sea。＇10＇







＇9＇　A　ruse　adopted　by　Jason；　371　B。C。　Cf。　〃Hell。〃　VI。　iv。　21。







＇10＇　Cf。　the　tactics　of　the　Athenians　at　Catana；　415　B。C。　Thuc。　vi。



　　　　64。







I　consider　it　to　be　the　duty　of　the　cavalry　commander　to　point　out



clearly　to　the　state　authority　the　essential　weakness　of　a　force　of



cavalry　unaided　by　light　infantry；　as　opposed　to　cavalry　with　foot…



soldiers　attached。＇11＇　It　is　duty　also；　having　got　his　footmen；　to



turn　the　force　to　good　account。　It　is　possible　to　conceal　them



effectively；　not　only　between　the　lines；　but　in　rear　also　of　the



troopersthe　mounted　soldier　towering　high　above　his　follower　on



foot。







＇11＇　Or；　〃divorced　from　infantry。〃　In　reference　to　｛amippoi｝；　cf。



　　　　Thuc。　v。　57；　〃Hell。〃　VII。　v。　23。







With　regard　to　these　devices　and　to　any　others　which　invention　may



suggest　towards　capturing　the　foeman　by　force　or　fraud；　I　have　one



common　word　of　advice　to　add；　which　is；　to　act　with　God；　and　then



while　Heaven　p