4. Frequent opportunities will be taken of impressing on the recruit that troops are formed as skirmishers in order that they may not present a favourable target to the enemy’s fire, and may be enabled to take full advantage of cover. 5. Advances may be made by rushes, at the double, in quick time, or even by crawling, but the pace and method will depend on whether the skirmishing line is under cover or not, on the volume of the fire to which they are supposed to be exposed, and on the distance from the enemy. 6. Orders are to be conveyed either by signal, S. =49=, or else passed along the line of skirmishers, S. =54=. =51.= _Cover._ 1. The paramount importance of concealment must be impressed on all ranks. Anyone showing himself may betray the fact that a position is occupied; or that an outflanking movement is in progress. Officers and non-commissioned officers must be careful to set an example in this respect, and see that it is followed by the men. 2. The recruit should be trained to look for a covered line of advance, and to select such halting places as will shelter him from the view and fire of the enemy. He should move as nearly as possible in a direct line forward, so as not to mask the fire of his comrades. 3. Cover to be efficient must fulfil the following conditions:-- (i) Afford a good view of the ground to the front. (If the soldier is to shoot with effect he must never lose sight of the target.) (ii) Permit the free use of the rifle. (iii) Give concealment to the firer. (iv) Provide protection against the enemy’s fire. 4. It is more advantageous to fire from the side of cover than over it, for though the exposure is in both cases practically identical, a soldier when firing over cover is more visible than when firing round it, and therefore offers a better mark for the enemy’s aim; in addition, his movements when preparing to do so are more likely to catch the eye. On the other hand, better view and command of ground are obtained when firing over cover. 5. Cover gives protection in proportion to the closeness with which the soldier’s body is brought to it. Bullets which just pass over the top of cover, particularly if their angle of descent is abrupt, search ground within a very few feet. 6. Whenever possible, fire should be delivered from the lowest part of the right side of any obstacle. For example, the soldier should lie down at the foot of a tree and fire to the right of it; or when behind a boulder, he should fire round the lower edge of it, and not over the top. Men must necessarily fire over a continuous wall, bank, ditch, high grass, crops, or similar features. In this case, until the rifle is brought to the firing position only the portion of the head from the eyes upwards should be visible above the cover.