CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
53 
through a dense swamp for a lumber company. Walking up 
to a stalwart slash pine to make the usual blaze with his axe 
in hand, he paused, looked straight up the body of the giant 
pine, placed his right foot upon a slight elevation at the root 
of the tree, throwing the weight of his body upon the left— 
“Look out, Uncle Dave!” shouted his companion in excite¬ 
ment, “You’re standing on a rattler.” Instantly Uncle Dave 
stepped backward a pace or two, responding without the 
slightest indication that his emotions were out of control, 
“Danged if I weren’t.” Without further ceremony the old 
gentleman stooped low and removed one of his shoestrings 
for the purpose of making a noose. With a keen-edged hunt¬ 
ing knife he cut and trimmed himself a stocky “shoot” from 
a nearby cluster of tupelo gums, and was busily engaged ad¬ 
justing the noose. “Uncle Dave,” spake his companion, who 
had by this time somewhat recovered from the terrible shock 
he had just received, “Shorely the Good Lord mus’ be awatch- 
in’ o’er ye.” Uncle Dave was busy by now placing the noose 
over the rattler’s neck. The reptile showed no sign whatever 
of anger. To the above remark Uncle Dave responded very 
simply, “Them things jes don’t like the smell o’ some people.” 
During the Revolutionary War, and before the United 
States flag with its stars and stripes was approved as our 
national emblem, some of our colonial soldiers fought under a 
flag with the likeness of a rattler delineated upon it, together 
with the admonition, “DON’T TREAD ON ME.” Now, to 
the average person that is splendid advice, but Uncle Dave 
takes orders from no rattler—he’ll tread where he jolly well 
pleases. 
On one occasion to which reference has been made above, he 
had his closest call. Diamond-backs were far from his mind. 
He and a co-worker were bent upon finishing a job of “chip¬ 
ping” some pine timber along the lowlands adjacent to a small 
river. Amidst the pine timber was a liberal sprinkling of 
southern cypress, the limbs of which were draped profusely 
with tufts of Spanish moss, swaying rhythmically with the 
breeze. There had recently been tremendous downpours of 
rain, with the result that the lowlands were flooded with the 
