CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
45 
definitely accepted by men of science, or are by them shown to 
be untrue. A mere shrug of the shoulder accompanied by the 
half-contemptuous remark, “sounds fishy,” would scarcely im¬ 
press Uncle Dave. 
While he claims no credit for this particular observation, 
and cannot vouch for the truth of it, yet he stands convinced 
because of the reliability of the friend from whom he learned 
of the occurrence. When two rattlers have occasion to fight 
over a mate, as they often do, the rules of the contest abso¬ 
lutely preclude the use of their deadly fangs. In this particu¬ 
lar they are decidedly more decent than men. While the latter 
boast of their culture and high morality, they are eternally 
engaged in destructive wars, out of which little is to be gained 
that is calculated to render their lives upon earth more toler¬ 
able. The rattler religiously refrains from doing any perma¬ 
nent injury to one of his clan. They settle their differences by 
resorting to more praiseworthy tactics. Doubtless they reason 
that their own enemies will sufficiently decimate their ranks 
without they themselves joining in a slow process of self-exter¬ 
mination. This friend was hunting wild turkeys during the 
early fall. In the dense river swamp he was busily engaged 
stalking a flock, utilizing his turkey call from time to time as he 
crept noiselessly through the underbrush. Other than the call 
uttered by the turkeys, and his occasional reply, there was a 
deathlike stillness pervading the entire swamp. His attention 
was finally attracted by a noise coming from the farther side 
of a large growth of palmettoes. The strange nature of it 
puzzled him—he could not quite determine the cause of it. 
Though of much less volume, the sound slightly resembled that 
of two he-goats paired off in combat. Being at last overcome 
by curiosity he called off the turkey hunt until he might satisfy 
his mind as to the source of this peculiar noise. When he drew 
near to the spot from whence the noise seemed to emanate, he 
witnessed something he had never before seen, neither at any 
time since. He had never suspected anything like it. Two 
rattlers were staging a rather furious combat. Their mid¬ 
sections were twisted together. Their tails and necks were free 
from the twist and they stood in an upright position, hammer- 
