The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-09-23
ENGLAND'S BEST SCOUT.

He Is Fighter From Texas Engaged Ia
tho Matabeie War.
Wherever you 20 you find the Ameri-
can, and be is never in tho rear ranks,
writes q London correspondent of the
New York Press. The best scout in tho
Matabele war is az American, Burn
ham, q Texan, who wears q Texan SOM
brero and rides on 4 Texas saddle. He
fights for the pleasure Of fighting, and
will be sad when the Matabele war is
over His education and his natural
powers of inductivc reasoning, says an
English newspaper correspondent, "raise
him at once to high rank among tho
scouts Of this or any other country. "
Burnham's eyes are the wonder OF all
; beholders They are small, rowing blue
eyes Women fall in love with them.
Cecil Rhodes says they can see right
through mountain when Matabele is
on the other side Of it. Another CORE
spondent declares the sinewy little man
he is only feet in height-to be
veritable pocket edition of Hercules
Then he adds most imp1cssively, "and
withal he is modest and truthful, y
which is something wonderful and un-
accountable in South Africa.
Burnham g greatest feat was the shoot
ing Of M limo under circumstances that
would have done credit to Davy Crock
EFT. M'limo was the great witch doctor
of the Matabele. He started the rebel
lion, saying that he could turn away
the bullets from Uncle Hiram Maxim 8
patent music tox into the water if his
fellow countrynen would only bring
him presents in return for the favor.
His throne was in cave which was the
center of pilgrimages for the natives far
and near. Burnham determined to kill
him. The British officers laughed at lis
attempt as fools errand." But he
enlisted the assistance of sturdy young
Euglishman named Armstrong, and they
started for M'limos cave. The hills
were fairly swarming with natives, and
Burnham and Armstrong travelled by
night and slept by day. They led their
horses so as to make as little noise az
possible and also to keep them fresh, as
they knew that after M'limo had been
killed it would depend upon their horses
whether they would be able to return to
the laager or not.
When they arrived in sight Of the
cave, they found hundreds Of natives
about, but were disgusted to find that
M'limo himself was not there, being
two or three miles away. They sent the
negro servant whom they had brought
with them to tell the witch doctor that
some natives were waiting for him with
great quantities Of presents. Then, like
the good scouts they were, they moved
on some distance from the place where
they told the servant they would wait
for him, so as to be Oh guard in case he
played them false But in doing so they
ran plump into body Ct Kafirs. Had
the Kaffirs been Matabclo the two scouts
would have been killed then and there.
Burnham pretended they were in great
fear Of M'lirio and wanted to make
him presents. The kafirs persuaded
tho Matabele to leave the scouts alone
until M'limo came and decided what
should be done with them. So they
started down tho road from the cave to
meet M'limo. When they met him,
Burnham saw that if he shot M'limo
the whole crowd Of natives would be
on them III q minute. After going
through long crgy M'limo invited
them into cave alonc and told the ra-
tives to clear cut. No socner were they
in the cave than Burnham sent bullet
! through NJ limos skull.
eve didn't wait to lay the body
out" says Burnham, "but we ran fer
our horses with all our might. The mig
gers followed and shot at Us repeatedly,
| but their aim was bad. We put our
horses to it for all they were worth. It
seemed to me that our horses jumped
over some rocks as high as their heads,
and it is wonder 10 me that they did
not break their nccks and ours into the
bargain" Though the killing CT M'limo
did not have the effect that was expect
ed, this detracts moro frCm Burnham q
daredevil CleyerneSs.