CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
13 
rough spot in the center of the field and Mr. Rattler had 
observed from afar that someone had destroyed his hunting 
ground of yesteryear where he had caught so many rabbits 
and birds—no use going back there—he must, of necessity, 
find more promising hunting ground. The serpent reasoned 
that the less trail he made the less likely he was to be appre¬ 
hended by that pesky farmer—his mind was eternally upon 
him—and on this occasion it stood him in well, since his enemy 
was upon his heels no sooner than he had re-entered the rough 
woodland. By no means unlike the average fisherman who is 
lured again and again to the spot where he made good catches 
during years gone by, this rattler, no sooner than he emerged 
from his place of hibernation headed straight for this rough 
spot in the center of the field. Had he not caught many rabbits 
and birds there who sought shelter from the burning sun? 
It would be difficult for the average non-resident of the 
Deep-South to believe that such giant reptiles, and so much 
dreaded by man, could exist in such numbers upon land so 
densely populated. It would doubtless be even harder to be¬ 
lieve that the thicker a section is settled, provided sufficient 
hunting ground be left to him, the more rapidly they multiply 
and the more they thrive. The cultivated fields produce grain, 
which in turn attract and provide sustenance for birds, squir¬ 
rels, rabbits, and rodents upon which he feeds. Another point 
frequently overlooked is that the thicker the settlement, the 
more “man-wise” he becomes, thus enabling him to steer clear 
of the path human beings normally pursue. He is quite famil¬ 
iar with the paths they daily travel in pursuit of their tasks 
and makes it a point to shun them as much as possible. 
Naval stores operators, particularly those engaged in the 
task of chipping trees in the timbered lands, relate experiences 
almost unbelievable, so unmistakably do such experiences indi¬ 
cate a degree of intelligence which is simply uncanny. Ordi¬ 
narily the same employee works a given area of timber for an 
entire year—maybe several years. They work the trees in 
drifts, taking a strip of timber of given width and always work 
toward a definite objective. Sooner or later they acquire the 
habit of pursuing the same course from one tree to the next 
