The sun., 1890-07-20
THE SNAKE OF FIRE.
Red BlaEes and Death Emannted From
Ills Venomous Skin.
r,vm m> San Francuco Examiner

Red BlaEes and Death Emanated From
Ills Venomous Skin.
Fran The Sa, Frdncsco Eranln,r
Among the Indians of New Mexico there are
told many Legends Qi na;uro 30 weird that the
the reci tai Of thein. Among them all there Is
probably not another so, startling as the talos
fire. This reptile. according to tho. natives.
ovcrcomes Its enemies by emitting from tho
the vitais Of the being against whom It Is di.
rected and actually scorches the life out Many
persons say tho Indians. have been scared by
the ilameS and in nearly every instance death
mentor Of tho United States sH Geological Sur
the California coast after having spent many
years i'll New Mexico, to meet with nm aged
really existed in years gone by, and who
related the circumstances of personal en-
t bo b1 with thu The
as the official referred 10 wrote it DOWN
The members q the geological survey wh9
river. There had heon a flro in the underbrush
not many yards from where our tents stood.
and no mnn in the party was able to give
plausible exranation as to It's origin. and the
wien an exclamation of the mystery came from
sgpice whence we least eXpoctsd l.
Maybe II was tho culebra de lumhre."
Everybody turned toward the person who
il was Pablo, squatting in his usual corner,
rest upon them while his hands were clasped
around his shtns. Pablo was patriarch among
excellent cook and that accounted for his being
one of our party. just how old Pablo was no-
fact that he was a man before the eldest of
those who surrounded him was born,
,a The snake Of ire" said !, wh9 y. .5 had % d never
Then tho senor does not know OF culebra do
lumbre." eiaculated tho aged Indian. as his
eyes onaned with wonder.
Certainly knew no'hing OF it.
,,Ia Then I,ahlo toa uS that that it was was serpent
yicinity-a reptile which ut full growth was
%Sss coH vivid qh @ po% SGs:
skin. when enraged. there ditfused yellowlsh
Ei9w WHILE from lis mouth + would emit opG
breath meant death to ANYTHING it touched,
and where II writhed its way along the ground
pab" merely % Shrugged h his UsS sIouiders rscfeuu'
upon s C but its it, blight is oaS oassne aWay. eWass
for with each year the number of these ser-
ssen them oqt there in ia tho % grasses. s thesS fS
snake that spit fire. many Of them. Many Of
the Indians cnll them culebra colorado"
Pablo ceased talking but we were interested
md questioned him closely, being rewarded
with the informlton that these luminous
snakes. They we're aggressive. cim bed trees.
ran on TOP, OF the brush as we'll as on the
them many times when the moon was hidden
M t. sasnF 6e 0 1a
around them. while at short Intervals firO
would fash from their mouths. soaring the
hasten from the vicinity In terror. That their
existence was well known to the older natives.
rocks IN the vicinity have crude pictures OF the
serpent, and he knew Of rocks the pictures on
years ago. j can attest the truth OF this last
statement. for have seen pictures such as
Pablo described and often wondered what they
Pablo was asked if he had eyer had an on
sSn9,er counter, Tit1 G onS Of he snakes. and with
ing his long black hair from his face. the old
Indian exhibited scar which was undoubtedly
=, ri was twenty. years ago" hs said BY way
ers vas rdas dNwP the ist caion; We had with
otes. lie was running on ahead Of tho horses.
in the air, and then fall over Sideways and lie
quite still; 1t was strange, thought. H0
Sca 6ecauss oy % 'Gsa n Snnse se sant dssth
spurrcd forward until came to the dog, when
fff9oning fo , down PLACED my hapd upon him
feet | was conscious, OF q sickeninR odor
Germeating the aimosphere; was becoming
stood what appeared to be long line Of IRE.
tang and E G as gained lis baSf b @S saw qSs aSsi
line OF fire spring through the afr toward me.
instantly my mustang commenced to rear and
culcbra do lumbre. Suddenly the MUSTANG
plunged forward, and /. already very. muo6
touched the earth WAS conscious OF a blind
Ing Hash oi light sensation as though burn.
Ing brand had been thrust into my face, and
Nearly ,dve hours later awoke to find my.
sell with the others OF my party around ME.
Ihoy had seen me thrown and rode quickly
saw tho streak OF fire and instantly they know
! had been scorched by the deadly breath.
Luckily for me. the lame struck me in the face
they succeeded In restoring me. That fame
how"yer had scared is way through my face.
and when tho wound healed, as 4! DID alter
snake had twintl Itself around the mustangs
leg tho flesh had been burnt away and tho bone
wa, eypTcl. Once saw one Of the enake1
Is c9lu!el LoIy4nd .pper colorcd head caus.
ing i 10 -" Visible from uuito II distance.
hnolhar t!mo wh!e hun'Ing had occasion
SUD l"nl; whio resting | saw u bright flash
overhead ahh looked up In lime TO soc a scarlol
snahe G.id M oyor tho ton Of the brush fully
~ IN" sgine timo cott0utHil rabbit brushed
last wr ana, io'Ging GbpIt with every eVI,
drrnS OF 'r"r and OWL !orment, darlei into
-'u"i o."uIuG not moro than twenty feet from
me, Again saw the scarlet gleam thcn the
N"No%ish i'ane and all was over with the cot.
To n oep who know nothing u tho snake nj
ntr II II "a source o! much surprise and myHterJ
whoneve' 4 Ire SwceuA lbo prairla or burns
Hhr, h9HdreI' OF Hcros q brush and timbei
nurn md theY arc particularly noticeable dur.
Ing the 40, dri months " July ana August
b,d II dians behave they are caused by thu
a"lul sAAE" oi DG0.