Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-11-06
ENGLAND's BEST SCOUT.
10 Is n Fighter FROM Texas Engaged In
the Matabele War.

Wherever you 90 you find the Ameri'
can, and he is never in the rear ranks,
writes q London correspondent OF the
New York Press. The best scout in the
Matabele war is an American, Burn
ham, a Texan, who wears a Texan SOM
brero and rides on a 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 inductiye reasoning, " says an
English newspaper correspondent, raise
him at once 70 "a high rank among the
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 a Matabele Is
on the other side Of it, Another CORE
spondent declares the sincwy little man
lie is only > feet III height-to be
yeritablc pocket edition Of Hercules.
Then he adds most impIessively, land
withal he is modest and truthful,
which is something wonderful and un-
accountable in South Africa.
Bunham greatest feat was the shoot
ing Of VI 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 5
patent music box into the water if his
fellow coumtrymen would only bring
him presents in return for the favor.
His thrcne was in cave which was the
center Of pilgrimages for the natives fur
and near. Burnham determined to kill
him. The British officers laughed at lis
attempt as fools eTrand. But he
enlisted the assistance Of sturdy young
Englishman named Armstrong, and they
started for M'limO's 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 "a
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 10 return 20
the laagcr or not.
When they arrived in sight Of the
cave, they found hundreds Of natives
about, but were disguised TO find that
Mlmo himself was not there, being
two or thl,e 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 coed scouts they were, they moved
Oh some distance from the place where
tkcy tod the servant they would wait
fox him, SO as TO be ca guard IN case he
played them false. But in doing 50 they
ran plump into a body Of Katfirs. Had
the h.Mrs been Matabelc the two scouts
would have been killed then and there.
BurnnaM pretended they were in great
tear Of M'limO AID wanted TO make
him presents. The kafirs persuaded
tie Ma;aLcie To leave the scouts alone
until VI limo came and decided what
should be done with them. So they
started down the road from the cave to
meet VI limo. When they met him,
Burnham saw that if he shot M'limo
the whole crowd Of natives would be
on them in "A minute. After going
through a long orgy M'limo invited
them into a cave alone and told the na-
tiyos to clear out. No sooner were they
in the cave than Burnham sent bullet
through VI limos skull.
1--WE didn't wait to lay the body
out, says Bumham, "but we ran for
our horses with all our might. The mig
gers followed and shot at u repeatedly,
but their aim was bad. We put our
horses 10 it Tor all they were worth. 1t
seemed TO ne that our horses jumped
over some rocks as high as their heads,
and it Is wonder 10 me that they did
not break their necks and ours into the
bargain. Though the killing Of NJ limo
did Lot have the effect that was expect
I'd. this detracts none from Burnham s
daredevil clevcrness.