The scout's duty is to take by surprise — and not be taken by surprise. That means eyes and ears, mind and muscles ever on the alert. This cat, stopped by the slightest sound, freezes in its tracks and searches the darkness for its source. So does the scout. In the day or night, he seeks anything which might indicate the enemy. As a scout, you must be alert.

The cat shows his prey no mercy. You cannot afford to show mercy either.

As a scout, your mission is to observe and report. But occasionally, when circumstances demand it, you must kill. To kill quietly is the way the scout has to do it. The noise of a rifle would tell the enemy some-thing was up. Therefore, the weapons of stealth must be employed — the trench knife, the garrotte, the axe, the bayonet. Applied in the proper way at the proper point on the body of the enemy, these are the scout's soundless, deadly weapons.

In pages to come you will be told exactly how to use the scout's weapons: how to kill, how to stun, how to take prisoners.

Silent Weapons. Here is the scout's arsenal. A rifle, carbine, or pistol also have a place in scouting. Most often you will take one such weapon with you. The weapons shown belong particularly to the scout, however. With them he can kill quietly.

At the top is an ordinary sock filled with sand and tied to a rope about two feet long. It can be used as a blackjack, using the top of the sock for a stunning blow on the skull of a Jap or German soldier. The bayonet may be used as a dagger. Be sure it is sharp. Applied with force to a vital part of the enemy's body, it will cause quick and silent death. The club — this one is made from the end of a pool cue — may be used to crack enemy's skull. The use of the axe, garrotte, and trench knife will described in detail in a later section.

Killing may not be the main purpose of the scout's mission. But some-times the situation may demand that he kill an enemy. He must do it in a quiet manner, so as not to attract the attention of other enemy units.

The scout uses the silent weapons which have already been described. Here in the top picture you will see how the trench knife can be most effectively used. This scout crawls as near to the enemy as he can without being heard. If he is careful it should be less than ten feet. He then pushes himself up quietly until his left or right knee is under him, much as a runner's is at the start of a race. Then he rushes up, strikes the enemy a sharp blow across the throat with the inside of his left hand or forearm. This prevents an outcry. At the same time he drives the trench knife sharply into the enemy soldier's body at a point just below the lowest rib. He strikes upward. A penetration of five or six inches will result in instantaneous and almost noiseless death. The scout then carefully lowers the man's body to the ground.

Kill Quietly with Piano Wire. With two pieces of wood to serve as handles and about three feet of piano wire, a scout can equip himself with an effective silent killer — the garrotte. This scout walks quietly toward the enemy. As he reaches a point about three feet from him he crosses his hands, thus forming the piano wire into a loop. This loop is flung over the enemy's head and the arms are pulled back into a thrust position. At the same time the right knee is brought sharply upward into the small of the enemy's back. The garrotte severs the jugular vein. As the enemy drops, catch him with the arms and lower him quietly to the ground.

An axe can also be an effective weapon. Depending upon how it is used and where it is applied, it either kills or stuns.

In this upper picture the sharp edge of the axe strikes the enemy's spine at the small of the back. A sharp blow will sever the spinal column. The man falls without uttering a sound. Again he must be caught and brought to the ground slowly and noiselessly.

Where a prisoner is desired, the blunt edge of the axe should be used. It should be applied to a point midway between the enemy's shoulders over the spinal column. Such a blow may not kill. It will stun a man long enough to permit him to be removed from the area for questioning.