10 
CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
way: if he should chance to crawl over a small weed which had 
been trodden down and lying parallel with the ground, Uncle 
Dave and his boys look with care to see just where the impres¬ 
sion of it was made in the earth over which it lay. The impres¬ 
sion would never be found directly underneath the object itself. 
In his forward movement it would be pressed to one side, but 
when the pressure was released it would regain its original 
position. Such evidence also points unfailingly in the direction 
of the course he has followed. Such are the signs by which 
they are invariably governed, and an unfailing adherence to 
them will be sure to yield satisfying results. 
Those not initiated into the ways of the serpent will very 
naturally wonder how the trail of the rattler is to be recog¬ 
nized when so many other species abound in the same territory. 
There are giant rattlers, medium size rattlers, and baby rat¬ 
tlers hunting over the same ground. There are also varying 
sizes of moccasins, king snakes, gopher snakes, etc. What, 
then, is the secret? The secret is very simple. The rattler 
possesses a different principle of locomotion to the others. By 
moving his skin back and forth over his form, in sectors, he is 
able to travel a course straight as an arrow stem—he does not 
resort to the principle of slithering as do many other species. 
Consequently, all straight trails are recognized instantly as 
that of the rattler. 
The rattler is not addicted to the habit of meandering about 
aimlessly—he makes up his mind where he wants to go before 
starting out and then holds to a true course, unless, perchance, 
his course should be found blocked by some enemy with which 
it would be inadvisable for him to risk an encounter. He 
crawls about with his rattles pointing upward at an angle of 
forty-five degrees that they may be saved from wear as he 
travels. Should he pause for any reason, he relaxes, permit¬ 
ting them to rest upon the ground. If he chances to be upon 
soft earth at the time, a clear impression of them may be left 
upon the sand. This old snake charmer (we refer to Uncle 
Dave) often is in possession of the true size of his string of 
rattles before he ever encounters him. Hunting them during 
their period of hibernation, they frequently leave such telltale 
