The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-01-13
LIGHTNING BUGS.
Strange sight Witnessed After Dark
by an American Traveller
In Mexico.

In Mexico.
81 was riding through the jungle the
other night on an 1s-inch trail. All was
darkness, and such darknessl" said an
American traveller. 81 could feel it.
would put my hand up before my face
every few minutes to see if could see
it, but the darkness was too intense.
1t made me very nervous, for the trails
are so little used that the brush is apt
to be lower than mans height, and
one is in danger of being brushed from
ones saddle in going along in the dark.
/ felt as though my head might be
brushed from my shoulders.
''The quiet was intense, except for
the calls Of wild beasts and birds, some
Of which sounded to me in my nervous
state like thousand fends. Even in
the daylight many Of the calls sound
more like those of a person than an
animal.
MY horse was picking the trail, and
had one arm over my head SO as to
protect myself from the brush over
head, when suddenly / saw a lantern
with a greenish light ahead of me lit
tie way, but to one side. My blood
froze / was literally frightened stiff.
In my overwrought state | did not
ask myself what it was. 1t was there,
and that was enough. Who says the
imagination is not as bad as the reality
while it lasts? Sometimes, as in this
case, it is only few seconds, but what
agony of fright can be felt in those few
seconds and what an eternity those
seconds seem.
Il saw the light flash across my path.
then dart back into the jungle again.
BY the time it flashed across my path
the second time came to, as it were,
from my fright, and realized that there
was no one for perhaps hundred miles
around, except the natives, and ! knew
they knew nothing Of lanterns. Be-
sides that, animals would not dart back
and forth. then began to see many
more Of these greenish lights. There
were plenty Of firefies darting around,
but what could these be? However,
they did not hurt me, and did not
bother them.
II knew they must be winged some
things, as they were high and low,
and so must fly, By degrees recovered
my composure, and, watching intent
ly, | thought it-whatever it was
was small Arriving at last at an In
dams where l was to spend the night,
l went to bed in hammock swung
under the rafters, tired out, sore and |
very much unnerved ! could not sleep |
and lay with my eyes wide open, turned |
to the rafters and thatched roof. The |
ludicrous side of my fright and how aw-
full and real it had been rushed over
me. / called to the Indian, who was |
hung up in another hammock few feet
from me, and asked him what it was.
He told me 'kookoogugu,' or something
that sounded as much like nothing as
that, for l had come to Mexico know
ng no Spanish; but as l seemed so in
terested and ignorant he made funny
sound with his lips few times and
lown the insect few-for insect it was.
He captured it and gave it to me.
ut was a large black snap beetle
With two large greenish lights, which 7
supposed to be its eyes, but upon
carefully examining it found they were
lot. 1t also had a streak of this same
light under its body. The light was
luminous, shedding its rays quite few
aches, this making it appear at dis
ance quite as large as an ordinary Ian
ern. Well, after that went to sleep
md slept well.
81 often laugh when l think the most
horrible fright / ever experienced was
,aused by a harmless little lightning
Jug Minneapolis Journal.