The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-19
THE FIRE or AGUIRRE.
A WILL-O'-THE-WIsP DREADED BY
VENEZUELAN PBIINSMEM.

Az R.ri,shusuu vghe vgns urypnetinsa by 70
ana nearly Drawn nnte = Pisoa-aupeFuti.
tIsns AGENT the Observation-Disclosures
That the Pininsuen' Attribute e sorcery.
'It was 10 o'clock Of q moonless night that
Domingo verato, the llanoro, or plainsman, and
I started from camp to ride the last ten miles Of
our round" said Edgar Maystrom. who for
several years was engaged In exporting cattle
and hides from Venezuela. at was the time
Of year when the annual inundation Of the ORR
noco and Its tributary valleys was to be OF.
pectod, and on the broad ranges Of Diego Peres
and his ~neighbors along the Apuro River, all
hands for weeks past had been in the saddle
driving tho cattle from the river bottoms and
savannas to tho higher plains where they
would be snfe from the freshet, We had gath
ered all tho cattle we could nnd late at the
close Of this day. and had eaten our supper Of
broiled beef and ~tortillas cooked ut q campfire.
Thor, while tho other llaperos drove the stock
toward the mountains. Verato and I rode for
the great bend Of the river to see II there wero
any signs yet Of high water.
"wo had gone perhaps half the distance when
1 saw of on the right, at about the Lowell of my
eyes, q ball Of flame which. II It had been on
tho ocean. I should have taken to DO the star.
board light of . ship. It was red Of color. and
in the darkness that shroudod tho plain 1t
could not be told whether ~ was near or far
away. I called my companiou's attention to II,
but he muttered something that l could not
understand, and shoered his horse q little
from the light. As We rode on for q while with
out speaking. I noticed that the light kept
abreast Of us. 1 spoke again.
"'what is It, Domiugoi' I asked. Let's ride
over and eee.'
"As 1 spoke I turned my horses head toward
tho flame. The llanero laid his hand on my
bride rein.
,'Sehor, in the name OF Jesus and Mary and
Joseph. ride straight on no said, swerving
from the light as he quickenod his horses pace.
Do you not knowi That Light Is tho fro Of
Aguirre.'
II had not been years in the pampas country
without having heard Of the Ere of Aguirre-
the ignis-fatuus that moves and shifts about
the Venezuelan pampas, appearing sometimes
as q distant light, and again as a ball of living
fro in the travellers path. Llaneros who have
been bold enough to approach this flame assert
that near at hand there may be seen in It the
burning ~entrails Of Aguirre-Lope de Aguirre,
the tyrant, the discoverer Of the upper Amazon.
and oppressor of Spaniard and Indian In his
rulership of New Granada. Now, the ~llaneros
believe his soul is condemned to wander ON the
pampas wrapped in fame, and this rowing fire
is an evil omen. Domingo verato, my COM
panion, was a brave man. whom I had seen
face wild bull and jaguar without hinchIng,
and he bore on his body the scars Of moro than
one knife duel, but plainly he was uneasy in
into view, and would have liked to be some.
where else.
Z" No. senor,. do not venture near the light,
but pray that 1t depart, he said. as our horses
befell Abran Lostando, who last year rode TO-
ward the flame Of Aguirre thinking that It was
a camp fire of his follows where he could find
warmth and foodl He suspected nothing Of
the reality until his horse stumbled in a badger
hole at the edge of q gully and they rolled to tho
and Abran limped home with his shoulder
wrenehed and two ribs broken so that he did
not ride again for three months. Worse still
day. He was q daredevil who feared nothing
and one night during the rodeo when the fire OF
Aguirre appeared he. rode toward 1t saying TO
his comrades that no would not return Until he
aad overtaken the light. Horse and rider never
were seen by mortal eye again; only the tracks
Apure. Crocodilesi Caribesi The fend in per.
son 1t may have been! Quien sabci There
were plenty Of ways for his ending once he bad
followed the evil light where 1t took him.
II do not account myself in the least super-
%stitious, and the talk Of verato only served to