143. The disadvantage of remaining too long in one place, however good the concealment, should be explained. He should be taught to advance from cover to cover, selecting cover in advance before leaving his concealment.
It should be impressed upon him that a man running rapidly toward an enemy furnishes a poor target. He should be trained in springing from a prone position behind concealment, running at top speed to cover and throwing himself behind it. He should also be practiced in advancing from cover to cover by crawling, or by lying on the left side, rifle grasped in the right hand, and pushing himself forward with the right leg.
He should be taught that when fired on while acting independently, he should drop to the ground, seek cover, and then endeavor to locate his enemy; also that in the sun he is visible to a much greater degree than when in the shade.
The instruction of the recruit in the use of cover is continued in combat exercises of the squad and platoon, but he must then be taught that the proper advance of the platoon or troop and the effectiveness of its fire is of greater importance than the question of cover for individuals should the two considerations conflict. He should also be taught that he may not move about or shift his position in the firing line except to get a better view of the target.
OBSERVATION.
144. In order to develop the faculty of rapid and accurate observation, which is of great importance in campaign, the recruit should be trained in taking notice of his surroundings, at first from selected positions and later at the various gaits.
He should be practiced under various conditions of weather in recognizing colors and forms; in pointing out and naming military features of the ground; in observing the effect of the direction of light on distinctness of objects; in recognizing at gradually increasing distances the animate and inanimate objects ordinarily met with in the field; in counting distant objects; and in estimating the size of groups, such as herds of animals and bodies of troops.
MANUAL OF THE PISTOL.
145. Instruction under this head is first given on foot, the recruit having previously been made familiar with the mechanism of the pistol, the names of the principal parts, and the method of cleaning, assembling, and operating it.
When a lanyard is used the snaps are attached to the butt of the pistol and the magazine, the lanyard is passed over the head, and the sliding loop drawn snug against the right armpit. The lanyard should then be of just such length that the arm can be extended without constraint.