an order, or a proclamation, he wasted no ink and strained no pen
nibs; but he never penned anything if there was a way of doing the
thing himself."[15]

[Page Heading: A SHIRT-SLEEVED GENERAL]

In South Africa he earned the title of "the shirt-sleeved General,"--a
soubriquet that conveys a subtle compliment from Tommy's point of
view. Actually French was often to be seen walking about in camp
during his heavy marches in shirt-sleeves. One afternoon a
correspondent rode up to the lines, and seeing a soldier sitting on a
bundle of hay, smoking a dilapidated looking old briar pipe, asked
where the General was. "The old man is somewhere about," coolly
replied the soldier. "Well, just hold my horse while I go and search
for him." "Certainly, sir," and the smoker rose obediently and took
the bridle. "Can you tell me where the General is?" inquired the
correspondent of a staff officer further down the line. "General
French? oh, he's somewhere about. Why, there he is, holding that
horse's head!" And the officer pointed directly to the smoker, still
tranquilly pulling at his pipe, and holding the horse! Needless to say
"Uncle French" and his men hugely enjoyed the correspondent's
awakening.

Such a man is bound to be the idol of the ranks. "What a good leader
General French is," wrote Driver Payne, of the Royal Horse Artillery,
to a friend. "He seems so cool at excitable moments; he does not lose
his head and rush his men into danger. In fact, he always looks before
he leaps, and when he does leap, he makes us move--and the Boers too."
Perhaps French was best summed-up one day by a trooper whom, in a curt
word, he had just sentenced to barracks for some offence. "The General
don't bark much," he remarked, "but, crikey, don't he know how to
bite!"

FOOTNOTES:

[13] _M.A.P._, August 25, 1900.

[14] _With General French and his Cavalry in South Africa._ By C.S.
Goldman. By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co., Ltd.

[15] _The Regiment_, September 5, 1914.

CHAPTER IX

WORK AT HOME AND RESIGNATION

At Aldershot--Driving Training at High Pressure--General
French is "fairly" well pleased--Strenuous Manoeuvres--Chief
of the Imperial General Staff--Ulster and Resignation.

With Lord Kitchener, General French had a wonderful welcome on his
return from South Africa. The former had certainly added a few leaves
to his laurel wreath, but French brought back a complete new crown of
his own. His return hom