When war was declared he
was in the wilds and knew nothing of it, and though on his return
to civilization he telegraphed Colonel Roosevelt volunteering for
the Rough Riders, and at once started south, by the time he had
reached Seattle the war was over.
Several times has he spoken to me of how bitterly he regretted
missing this chance to officially fight for his country. That he had
twice served with English forces made him the more keen to show
his loyalty to his own people.
That he would have been given a commission in the Rough Riders
seems evident from the opinion President Roosevelt has publicly
expressed of him.
"I know Burnham," the President wrote in 1901. "He is a scout and
a hunter of courage and ability, a man totally without fear, a sure
shot, and a fighter. He is the ideal scout, and when enlisted in the
military service of any country he is bound to be of the greatest
benefit."
The truth of this Burnham was soon to prove.
In 1899 he had returned to the Klondike, and in January of 1900
had been six months in Skagway. In that same month Lord Roberts
sailed for Cape Town to take command of the army, and with him
on his staff was Burnham's former commander, Sir Frederick, now
Lord, Carrington. One night as the ship was in the Bay of Biscay,
Carrington was talking of Burnham and giving instances of his
marvellous powers as a "tracker.
Pages:
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190