r. Burnham, 'I was scouting
ahead of the column with Colenbrander, when in a strip of bush we lit on
two Matabele boys driving some cattle, one of whom we caught and brought
in. He was a plucky boy, and when threatened he just looked us sullenly
in the face. He turned out to be a sort of grandson or grand-nephew of
Lobengula himself. He said the King's camp was just ahead, and the King
himself near, with very few men, and these sick, and that he wanted to
give himself up. He represented that the King had been back to this
place that very day to get help because his wagons were stuck in a bog.
The column pushed on through the strip of bush, and there, near by, was
the King's camp--quite deserted. We searched the huts, and in one lay a
Maholi slave-boy, fast asleep. (The Maholis are the slaves of the
Matabele.) We pulled him out, and were questioning him, when the other
boy, the sulky Matabele, caught his eye, and gave him a ferocious look,
shouting across to him to take care what he told.

'The slave-boy agreed with the others that the King had only left this
camp the day before; but as it was getting dark, Major Forbes decided to
reconnoitre before going on with the column. I learnt of the decision to
send forward Major Wilson and fifteen men on the best horses when I got
my orders to accompany them, and, along with Bayne, to do their
scouting. My horse was exhausted with the work he had done already; I
told Major Forbes, and he at once gave me his. It was a young horse,
rather skittish, but strong and fairly fresh by comparison.

'Ingram, my fellow-scout, remained with the column, and so got some
hours' rest; thanks to which he was able not only to do his part of
tracking for the twenty men afterwards sent on to us through the bush at
night, but also, when he and I got through after the smash, to do the
long and dangerous ride down country to Buluwayo with the despatches--a
ride on which he was accompanied by Lynch.

'So we set off along the wagon track, while the main body of the column
went into laager.

'Close to the river the track turned and led down stream along the west
bank. Two miles down was a drift' (they call a fordable dip a drift in
South Africa), 'and here the track crossed the Shangani. We splashed
through, and the first thing we scouts knew on the other side was that
we were riding into the middle of a lot of Matabele among some scherms,
or temporary shelters. There were men, and some women and chil