(_b_) We do not want the enemy to locate it; therefore it may be advantageous to unlimber under cover and then manhandle the guns up, or down into action; or it may remain behind cover and come into action when it is _à propos_. It is quite possible that in order to bring an effective fire on the enemy’s squadrons it may have to come into action on forward slopes. (_c_) It is preferable for the guns to be defiladed from the enemy’s artillery. (_d_) The teams should be near the guns but under cover. (_e_) The escort should be under cover from view, mounted or ready to mount, prepared to charge attacking squadrons in flank. Rifle fire against squadrons, who have nerve enough to charge a battery of Q.F. guns, is not likely to stop them.[30] Whether we take all our squadrons away to a flank, whether we use one regiment, or wing of a regiment, as a feint or bait, how far we go to a flank, in what formation, and the hundred other possibilities, we must leave to be settled at the time. Only the broad principles can then be focussed, viz.:-- 1. Utilize the ground, choosing cover for the squadrons and good ground to work over. 2. Deceive and bewilder the enemy. 3. Get well away from our own artillery. EXAMPLE i. The regiment or squadrons A----A sent with the horse artillery (see Diagram VI.) must not keep too near it, because the enemy’s horse artillery may get the range. Nothing shows more decidedly ignorance of the duties of escort to horse artillery than that the cavalry should hug or take into custody their horse artillery. [Illustration: DIAGRAM VI.] ii. It must not mask its own horse artillery fire against the enemy’s cavalry or upon his guns. The cavalry officer who masks his own guns by his clumsiness usually deserves to be shelled by them. iii. The O.C. of the escorting regiment or squadrons must use his own judgment as to whether he can spare one, two, or three squadrons to help the two attacking regiments in the combat or in the rally. iv. He must decide whether to be outside or inside the horse artillery, or in wings both outside and inside. v. Often the O.C. the regiment or squadrons A----A may have to decide if he shall show up as bait, but in doing so he must, again, never mask the artillery. He may (in this case) move west to his left, especially if he thinks Blue cavalry is coming on and has not seen the regiments C----C and B----B making their flank movement. But usually the regiment or squadrons A----A should move up in this case more to the right, east, as this means that Blue horse artillery will come into action facing south and consequently cannot easily change front and pelt the regiments C----C and B----B.[31] As our horse artillery will always if possible come into action on a hill or on high ground there will be some hill behind which A----A is able to manœuvre or to get cover, or to simulate (by showing up in different places) a larger force than it actually represents.