inches, last man covering his file leader; the file closers close to 2 paces from the rear rank.

8. To take intervals.-a. When the unit is in line at a halt, the command to take intervals is: 1. Take interval, 2. To the right (left), 3. MARCH, 4. Squad, 5. HALT. At the command To the right, the rear-rank men march backward four steps. At the command March, all execute Right face and the leading man of each rank steps off. The other men step off in succession, each following the preceding man at 4 paces, rear-rank men marching abreast of their file leaders.

At the command To the right, the file closers march backward eight steps and at the command March, face to the right. Each steps off with the file nearest him. When armed, at the command March, the leading man in each rank comes to the trail and executes a complete right face and, without coming to the order, steps off.

At the command Halt, given when all have their intervals, all halt and face to the front; when armed, all retain their rifles at the trail until the face to the front is completed.

b. The unit being at intervals, the command to assemble is: 1. Assemble to the right (left), 2. MARCH. At the command March the front-rank man on the right stands fast. The rear-rank man on the right closes to 40 inches. The other men face to the right in marching, close by the shortest line, halt and face to the front. File closers resume their position in line, moving by the most direct route. If armed the movement is executed with the rifles at the trail without such command. 9. To stack and take arms.-a. The unit being in line at a halt to stack arms the command is: 1. Stack, 2. ARMS. At the command Arms, each even number of the front rank grasps his rifle 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 rifle, barrel to the rear, to his file leader, who grasps it between the bands with his right hand

and throws the butt about 2 feet in advance of that of his own rifle and opposite the right of the interval; at the same time he allows the right hand to slip to the upper band, the thumb and forefinger raising the stacking swivel; he engages the stacking swivel with that of his own rifle. Each odd number of the front rank raises his rifle 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 rifle 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 rifles and lowers the butt to the ground, so that it will be 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 number of the front rank.

When each man has finished handling the pieces, he takes the position of the soldier.

b. The unit being in line behind the stacks to take arms, the command is: 1. Take, 2. ARMS. At the command Arms the loose pieces are returned by the even numbers of the front rank. Each even number of the front rank grasps his own rifle with the left hand, the rifle of his rear-rank man with the right hand, holding both between the bands; each odd number of the front rank grasps his rifle in the same way with the right hand, disengages it by raising the butt from the ground, and then turning the rifle to the right, detaches it from the stack. Each even number of the front rank then disengages and detaches his rifle by turning it to the left and passes the rifle of his rear-rank man to him. As each man receives his piece he resumes the order.

Should any squad have Nos. 2 and 3 blank files, No. 1 rear rank takes the place

of No. 2 rear rank in making and breaking the stack. After the stacks are made or broken he resumes his post.

Rifles are never stacked with the bayonets fixed.

10. The oblique march.-a. For the instruction of recruits, the squad being in column or correctly aligned, the instructor causes each man to face half right or half left, points out his position, and explains that it is to be maintained in the oblique march.

b. The squad being in any formation, the command to oblique is: 1. Right (left) oblique, 2. MARCH. At the command March, each man faces half right in marching and steps off in a direction of 45° to the right of his original front. He preserves his relative position, keeping his shoulders parallel to those of the guide (the man on the right front of the line or column) and so regulates his step that the ranks remain parallel to their original front.

c. At the command Halt, the men halt faced to the front. The command Halt is given on the left foot when halting from the right oblique and on the right foot when halting from the left oblique.

d. To resume the original direction the command is: 1. Forward, 2. MARCH. At the command March, the men half face to the left in marching and then move straight to the front.

e. If at half step or mark time while obliquing, the oblique march is resumed by the command: 1. Oblique, 2. MARCH.

11. To turn on a moving pivot.-a. The unit being in line to turn on a moving pivot, the command is: .1. Right (left) turn, 2. MARCH. The movement is executed by each rank successively and on the same ground. At the command March, the pivot man of the front rank faces to the right in marching, takes one full step