That was a battle-field where the soldier not only had to use his courage, his wits and common sense, but all of his resources. He will doubtless discover in a few minutes that this situation and this crisis was not included in what he has studied and booked up as theoretical battle knowledge and does not apply or fit in to any battle scheme that has been--without consulting him--staged on his front--and particularly to such a frightful and perilous situation. Right here will come in his aptitude and true merit as a soldier--and his real practical test out. It applies to any other military problem where the element of common sense must enter as a determining factor. It enters into all walks of business where business sense is so absolutely necessary. It entered into this problem of the pursuit of deserters. All of our varied campaign and battle service, and experience and knowledge gained during that great Civil War--and our practical activities in scouting and campaigning after wild, hostile Indians subsequent to that war entered into this chase and capture, as _Military factors_--without which we would have been as helpless as two children. Who could look ahead into that long, trackless, desolate hundred miles of thinly settled country--almost a wilderness--with small towns more than 40 miles apart--in the midst of a bitter cold tempest of rain, snow, sleet and ice--and rely upon any Service School scheme of study, or War College papers and compositions upon obsolete campaigns and battles--or any extended use of war games--annual maneuvers or sham battles, etc., things that many of our young officers have been fed upon for years to fit them for great wars, emergencies, crises, etc.--and predicted any success for either Lawton or the writer? Any experience (?) gained in such theoretical military knowledge as would fit into such a case--would have been about as effective for Lawton and myself as our study of the Sanskrit and Chinese languages.