ge, the
fingers extending around the piece and tips resting on the magazine
floor plate; forces the cartridges into the magazine by pressing down
with the thumb; without removing the clip, thrusts the bolt home,
turning down the handle; turns the safety lock to the "safe" and carries
the hand to the small of the stock. Each rear rank man moves to the
right front, takes a similar position opposite the interval to the right
of his front rank man, muzzle of the piece extending beyond the front
rank, and loads.

A skirmish line may load while moving, the pieces being held as neatly
as practicable in the position of load.

If kneeling or sitting, the position of the piece is similar; if
kneeling, the left forearm rests on the left thigh; if sitting the
elbows are supported by the knees; if lying down, the left hand steadies
and supports the piece at the balance, the toe of the butt resting on
the ground, the muzzle off the ground.

STACK AND TAKE ARMS

The subject of stack and take arms is less important than the rest of
this chapter. It is difficult to be learned from a book. Your company
commander will explain it to you. It is given here to serve as a
reference.

Being in line at a halt: STACK ARMS.

Each even number of the front rank grasps his piece with the left hand
at the upper band and rests the butt between his feet, barrel to the
front, muzzle inclined slightly to the front and opposite the center of
the interval on his right, the thumb and forefinger raising the stacking
swivel; each even number of the rear rank then passes his piece, barrel
to the rear, to his file leader, who grasps it between the bands with
his right hand and throws the butt about two feet in advance of that of
his own piece and opposite the right of the interval, the right hand
slipping to the upper band, the thumb and forefinger raising the
stacking swivel, which he engages with that of his own piece; each odd
number of the front rank raises his piece with the right hand, carries
it well forward, barrel to the front; the left hand, guiding the
stacking swivel, engages the lower hook of the swivel of his own piece
with the free hook of that of the even number of the rear rank; he then
turns the barrel outward into the angle formed by the other two pieces
and lowers the butt to the ground, to the right of and against the toe
of his right shoe.

The stacks made, the loose pieces are laid on them by the even numbers
of the front r