bayonet, which was firmer and more satisfactory than
anything previously devised.

The British bayonet in the hands of our soldiers has over and over again
carried victory into the serried ranks of our adversaries, but, now that
arms of precision have reached such a pitch of perfection, and are still
on the advance in the matter of rapid firing, it is to be doubted
whether hand-to-hand conflicts will play a very prominent part in the
battles of the future.

A distinction must be drawn between the ordinary weapon with which the
Guards and army generally were till recently provided (I refer to the
triangular-fluted bayonet, used exclusively for thrusting purposes), and
the sword-bayonet, which serves both for cutting and thrusting. The
advantage of the former was evidently its lightness and handiness; but
it must be remembered that, save for thrusting, spiking a gun, or boring
a hole in a leather strap, it was practically useless, whereas the sharp
edge of the sword-bayonet makes it an excellent companion to Tommy
Atkins on all sorts of occasions, too numerous to mention.

In the early months of the present year the new rifle and bayonet placed
in the hands of the Guards caused a good deal of comment. As my readers
are aware, the new arm is a magazine small-bore rifle, carrying a long
conical ball. It is not a pretty-looking weapon, and its serviceable
qualities have yet to be tested in actual warfare. But it is with the
bayonet we are now chiefly concerned. At first sight it reminds one of
an extra strong sardine-box opener, but on closer inspection it is
evident that, though quite capable of dealing with tinned-meat cans,
etc., it has very many merits which are wanting in all the other
bayonets which have gone before it. It is a strong double-edged,
sharp-pointed knife, twelve inches long, rather more than an inch wide,
and about a fifth of an inch deep through the strong ridge which runs
down the centre of the blade from point to hilt. The handle is of wood,
and it is fastened to the muzzle of the rifle by means of a ring and
strong spring catch or clip. Altogether it is almost a model of the
early Roman sword.

From this short description it will be seen that, though the soldier
loses a good many inches in reach, he is provided with an excellent
hunting-knife, which can be turned to any of the uses of a knife--from
slaughtering a foe to cutting up tobacco.

Then, again, it is possible that the loss in actual reac