234 THE STORY OF A BIRD LOVER 



started out in search of him. They found him 

 in the dry wash seemingly asleep on his 

 blankets, but when they attempted to arouse 

 him, they discovered that he was dead. Uncov- 

 ering his body, they raised it from the ground 

 and began to roll up the blankets preparatory to 

 carrying them and the dead man to a suitable 

 place for burial. These blankets, for the purpose 

 of comfort, were laid on the ground to the extent 

 of five thicknesses, and when the last was lifted, 

 a Gila monster was discovered lying between it 

 and the sand. The mystery was then clear to the 

 searchers, and they repaired to the ranch with the 

 body. Arriving at the point, and preparing the 

 corpse for burial, they discovered on the man's 

 back, outlined in red and decorated in many fan- 

 tastic colors, the exact imprint and picture of the 

 Gila monster on w^hich he had lain. I was not 

 able to ascertain that he had been bitten, but 

 Castro informed me that that was not an essential 

 or important factor in the case ; for, he said : " It 

 is only necessary to be in the neighborhood of one 

 of these monsters, and if it does as much as breathe 

 upon you or your clothing, there is no power of 

 medicine or grace of God that can save you from 

 certain death." 



This is only one of many stories of similar 

 character which I had related to me by various 

 people at sundry times during my residence in 



