The Tarahumares often fought with them, and once, when the Cocoyomes were together in the largest cave, which had no spring, the Tarahumares besieged them for eight days, until all of the Cocoyomes had perished from hunger.

From such an event the name of Zapuri may have been derived.

Intelligent Mexicans, whom I consulted, agree that it means "fight" or "contest" (Spanish, _desafio_).
From a place called Tuaripa, some thirty miles farther south, near the border of the Tepehuane country, and in the same mountainous region, I have the following legend, about the Cocoyomes and the serpents: Two large serpents used to ascend from the river and go up on the highlands to a little plain between Huerachic and Tuaripa, and they killed and ate the Cocoyomes, returning each time to the river.

Whenever they were hungry they used to come up again.

At last an old man brought together all the people at the place where the serpents used to ascend.