34 
CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
rattler—a victim of his deadly fascination. The cat was never 
fanged. It is significant that she had a litter of young kittens 
at home requiring, and heretofore receiving, her constant and 
tender care. 
This part of the story is founded wholly upon supposition, 
but we gladly leave it with the reader as to whether our deduc¬ 
tions are logical and reasonable. When the young man un¬ 
loaded the contents of his truck almost upon the diamond-back 
he doubtless reasoned that he had best move on to a more 
secluded spot. Realizing that he had the cat under perfect 
control, he moved on toward the house with full intention of 
devouring the cat when she had completely succumbed to his 
mysterious charm. We even believe that the rattler knew posi¬ 
tively, as he moved across the lawn, that he was absolute mas¬ 
ter of the situation, and that the cat would move in obedience 
to his every desire. 
Knowing the rattler as we do, we simply cannot imagine 
any other creature, either man or beast, walking up boldly and 
slapping his tail without receiving immediate and fatal atten¬ 
tion at the hands of the rattler. He evidently was as sure of 
the behavior of his captive as any professional hypnotist is of 
his subject, once the subject’s conscious mind has been lulled 
into hypnotic slumber. Of those that be of contrary minds— 
those who would deny with such vehemence that reptiles are 
endowed with power to “charm” or hypnotize—we would ask 
by what process of reasoning you would seek to explain the 
queer behavior of the cat, and the death of her, following her 
rendezvous with the rattler? What mysterious power directed 
the cat, in her hypnotic state, to the spot where the carcass of 
the reptile had been concealed? Was it by her sense of sight? 
No! The truck had been gone several hours before the cat 
attempted to follow. Was it by her sense of hearing? Posi¬ 
tively not! By her sense of smell? Perhaps. But let’s see. 
The carcass of the rattler had no contact with the ground, and 
whatever odor might have been absorbed by the atmosphere, 
if any, surely would have been blown away by the passing 
breeze long before the cat set out in pursuit of the reptile. 
Every wild creature, even those domesticated by man, recog- 
