Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-01-05

, in-chief'-eyes that could see in the
dark. Night after night he spent on
the Yeldt under the cold stars, miles
away from his command, moving like a
shadow across the plain, crawling into
Boer camps lying Hat on his face
among the tethered horses and gather
ing every scrap Of Information about
the enemy that sight and hearing put
within his reach. Before dawn ne
would glide away through the grass
and ride back TO his own command
and lay before Lord Roberts an ac-
curate picture OF the enemys forces,
with details Of their probable move
ments for the next twenty-four hours.
There was not another man in the
British army who could have done this
perilous work. Among the colonial
troops-the lanky Australian plains.
men and the ranchers from the Cana
dian northwest there were many who
understood and practiced scouting In
general way, but none of them ever
approached the amazing impudence Of
Burnham in his treatment Of the
enemy.
He was captured only once. though
scores OF times he was within the Boer
lines In khaki uniform. But IL must
not be supposed that his capture was
due to laundering. He was engaged in
signaling danger to the British
troops, and only desisted when he saw
that they had caught the warning
and incidentally when half a dozen
Beers were telling him along rifle bar
rels TO surrender The story was
dragged out Of him one night at din
ner In Pretoria.
80. 81 81 -.
OF the war Burnham was doing some
scouting by daylight, and discovered a
bOer commando concealed behind "A
hill-kopje, II you like-a few hundred
yards 10 his left Two miles I'm front
Of them the British detachment was
moving solemnly across the brown
plain towards the trap Burnham
scrambled up on the highest point OF
the hill he was on and stood clearly
outlined against the sky. with one
eye on the Beers, he pulled out his
red bandanna handkerchief and began
vigorous wigwagglng to the adyanc-
ing troops.
The dusty column moved steadily on
and Burnham beat the air as steadily
with his signal flag A Mauser bullet
sped past him with nasty whine. and
from the tail Of his eye he could sec a
party Of Beers running towards him
behind the slope. So he slFnaled more
rapidly, until he saw the British adj
vance scouts wheel and gallon back 10
the main body Then ne dropped his
handkerchief and threw up his hands.
and told the Beers he was quite ready
70 accompany them. lie llmped badly.
He did not lack company that nirht
He was 10 be sent 10 Pretoria with
wagon train. There were a dozen big
numbering vehicles In the train. and In
each rode two or three Briushers sew
eral OF them wounded ] asked Burn.
ham whether his wound hurt him
"Oh, ! wasn't wounded" he said
pleasantly, II adopted that linn when
they took me, Just as precautlon-in
case might need II. you lnow-and
tied my handkerchief tightly inst
above the knee. II wouldn't DO 20
make Il too bad. OF course, so when
they offered me a surgeon / insisted
that there was nothing more than n
scratch. There wasn't, either: not as
much, In fact"
Burnham was placed In a wagon
about the middle OF the long column
but complained that Il was too crowd.
ed. so they moved him further hack.
Then his temper. which Is ordinarily
smooth, developed bad traits. and TO
stop the row the commandant ordered
him further back IN the line. SO by
one pretext and another he worked his