XEmacs User's Manual - Numeric Argument Go to the previous , next section. Giving Numeric Arguments Any Emacs command can be given a numeric argument .
Some commands interpret the argument as a repetition count.
For example, if you want to move forward ten characters, you could type C-f ten times. Negative arguments are also allowed. Often they tell a command to move or act backwards. After you press RET key, the cursor will move ten lines downward. See section 'Numeric Arguments' in XEmacs Manual , for more information on numeric arguments.