ht as day with star-shells and flares there are plenty
of shell-holes deep enough to completely hide him from view.

There is other important information that only the scout can obtain as
when we once found a dummy trench filled with barbed wire and
controlled by machine-guns. Had our men gone forward in the attack
without the knowledge of this they would have jumped down into it to be
massacred like rats in a trap. Machine-gun positions are also
generally indistinguishable to the airman's glass or camera. I used an
instrument of my own construction which would give me the map reference
of any object that I observed in relation to any other two objects the
position of which I knew on the map. At night I would have the two
known positions marked by distinguishing lights or have colored flares
sent up from them at regular intervals.

The training of our scouts is very severe. For in this work men have
to have complete confidence in their own superiority to the German
soldier, and must be able to depend entirely on their own resources as
they generally have to work singly or in pairs. It is necessary that
they be picked men with unusual keenness of observation. They are
trained for work in the dark by being made to go through the ordinary
soldier's exercises blindfolded. In this way they get the extra sense
that a blind man has. A blind man will not put his weight onto his
foot until he has felt if it is on firm ground; and by habit he does
this without hesitating. Our scouts are able after a while to walk
along using their eyes for observation all the time not needing to
watch where they are stepping. We also train them to have complete
control over their muscles and among the final tests for first-class
scouts are to remain an hour without showing any movement whatsoever
and to take half an hour in getting from the prone or lying position to
standing upright on their feet. These two last ideas were borrowed
from the Zulu who has no equal in the world in escaping observation.
They are also taught many methods for finding directions as a compass
is unreliable where there is so much unidentified iron lying about.

We have abundantly demonstrated in several sectors on the western front
that it is always possible for properly trained men to surprise the
enemy. As a matter of fact the Germans have carried out surprise raids
on us, and I am quite satisfied that it is never possible completely to
guard against sur