[Page Heading: PLAYING WITH SOLDIERS]

Of the boy's home life at Ripplevale very little is known. He was the
sixth child and the only son of the family. Both his parents dying
while he was quite young, he was brought up under the care of his
sisters. But there is no reason to suppose that he was therefore
spoilt; for one of these ladies shared in a remarkable degree the
qualities of energy and determination which were to distinguish her
brother. Young French's earliest education was largely guided by this
gifted sister, who is now so well known in another field of warfare as
Mrs. Despard.

It is extremely difficult to say what manner of boy the future
Field-Marshal was. Only one fact emerges clearly. He was high-spirited
and full of mischief. Everything that he did was done with the
greatest enthusiasm, and already there were signs that he possessed an
unusually strong will.

Inevitably games quickly took possession of his imagination. Very soon
the war game had first place in his affections. He was perpetually
playing with soldiers--a fascinating hobby which intrigued the curious
mind of the rather silent child. French, in fact, was a very normal
and healthy boy, with just a touch of thoughtfulness to mark him off
from his fellows.

He was not, however, to enjoy the freedom of home life for very long.
At an early age he was sent to a preparatory school at Harrow, which
he left for Eastman's Naval College at Portsmouth. After the necessary
"cramming" he passed the entrance examination to the Navy at the age