Part 2 (1/2)

The flying column occupied just twoexperience was ever packed into so short a time On that march across the Bayuda desert history has only one verdict It is that pronounced by Count von Moltke on the men who accomplished it:--”They were not soldiers but heroes” None of the hly than Major French and his troopers

”During the wholeduty had been taken by the 19th Hussars, so that each day they covered far round than the rest of the force”[5] The enemy themselves came to respect the little force of cavalry to cross swords with our Hussars,” wrote one who accoiment had firmly established their reputation

FOOTNOTES:

[1] _With the Camel Corps up the Nile_, by Count Gleichen, by permission of Messrs Chapman and Hall

[2] _With the Camel Corps up the Nile_, by Count Gleichen, by permission of Messrs Chapman and Hall

[3] _With the Camel Corps up the Nile_, by Count Gleichen, by permission of Messrs Chapman and Hall

[4] For this and much other valuable information the writer is indebted to Field-Marshal Sir Evelyn Wood

[5] _The Nineteenth and their Times_, by Col J Biddulph, by permission of Mr John Murray

CHAPTER III

YEARS OF WAITING

Second in Co the Barrow tradition--The Persistent Student--Service in India--Retires on Half-pay--Renewed Activities--Rehearsing for South Africa

After the success in the Soudan Major French had not long to wait for promotion A few days after General Buller's tribute he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of his regiland as second in command of the 19th Hussars

From this time onward he became entirely absorbed in his profession

It is true that he had always been interested in it; but there is no question that Barroas the eneralshi+p Whilethe reputation of the 19th, Barrow had unhappily lost his own life He died as the result of re-opening an internal wound while tent-pegging in the following year

French deter of the 19th Hussars rapidly beca officer, now General Bewicke Copley,[6] was attached to the 19th froireatly struck by the brilliant hich French was doing His strict discipline and his terrific ideas of what trainingsubalterns as scarcely yielding them the ideal existence of the _beau sabreur_ Probably they were right; but they were being licked into a state of a efficiency

In 1887 it fell to Sir Evelyn Wood's lot to inspect the regi to French, he asked his Colonel, ”Of what value is thatthem ever since!

A couple of years later he attained the rank of Colonel, with coiment Very soon Sir Evelyn was to discover the answer to his question For he was anxious at that time to introduce the squadron syste officer who carried it out In spite of the very large a to take any number of recruits and train them in the new h it has been adopted in another fori to slave over the unpopular way of doing things, while other men adhered to the traditional and official : THE AUTHORITIES ASTONISHED]

While French was still busy elaborating new theories and testing theiment was ordered to India There he e White He was also fortunate in working with one of the e Luck

The latter considered that the cavalry regianisation French was ready to carry it out To increase the efficiency of the cavalry extensive anised

French acted as Chief of the Staff to General Luck, and astonished the authorities by the way in which ”he conducted troops dispersed over a wide area of ground, allotting to each section its appointed work and bringing the complete movement to a brilliant conclusion”

But the Governnition of his brilliant as by noIn 1893 Colonel French was actually retired on half-pay!

It is an aded officer to make way for youth in the British army; but the spectacle of a French despatched into civil obscurity at the ripe age of forty-one, has its tragic as well as its comic side That it acutely depressed him we know For a time he was almost in despair as to his career