made full use of—as undoubtedly was the case—they would have enabled them to go anywhere with the certainty of being able to defend themselves against a greatly superior force of cavalry.
The action of Protective Cavalry on a large scale is so similar to that of Independent Cavalry—especially in the matter of patrols and contact squadrons—that it will be unnecessary to reconsider these duties. In speaking of the duties of the Protective Cavalry, Field Service Regulations, 1909, Part I., Chapter V., observes: "These functions of the Protective Cavalry will entail principally defensive action, and will necessitate extension over a considerable front; but the commander must dispose his force in sufficient depth to enable it, with the assistance of the advanced guards of the columns in rear, to check any attempt to break through and surprise the main body."
It is obvious that fire action is here indicated, and a preceding paragraph states that mounted infantry will usually accompany the Protective Cavalry, though it is to be doubted if it will be found possible to provide horses for this purpose in time of war.
Machine guns, however, will provide the necessary fire power without requiring many men or horses, and the use of a few extra batteries of machine guns with the Protective Cavalry would give them all the stiffening and defensive power of infantry without detracting from their
