CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
7 
sure of the river waters against its western walls, resulting in 
the eternal erosion, with a consequent shifting of the river 
channel in a westerly direction. 
Now, the rattler himself is not greatly interested in how 
these sand deposits came to be here—the very fact that they 
are here suffices for him. These sand hills swallow up excessive 
rainfall as would the desert wastes. Such fact, coupled with 
the free circulation of air down these holes, provides him with 
dry, comfortable quarters, no matter how long, cold, and wet 
the winter might prove to be. Similar excavations made in 
clay hills would fill to overflowing during periods of heavy 
rainfall. These periods of heavy rainfall are almost invariably 
followed by intense cold in winter months, thereby creating a 
most distressing situation for tenants who indiscreetly chose 
to spend their winter there. The gopher, being a rather stupid 
animal, often commits such error, but pays with his life by 
reason of his indiscretion. 
Having definitely located their winter quarters, he now 
proposed to take the same advantage of them which they had 
been taking of him during summer months by means of their 
protective coloring and devious crafty ways. During cold, 
damp weather, they lapse into a numb, stupid appearing con¬ 
dition which suited his needs admirably. Uncle Dave, armed 
with this vital information, was now ready for “total war.” 
A war of annihilation, so to speak, where no quarter would 
be asked—none yielded. So, for many years he has carried 
the war to them on their own soil. Notwithstanding his more 
than three-score and ten years, rapidly failing eyesight, plus 
partial deafness, he is still a familiar figure armed with shovel, 
flashlight, and burlap bag as his only weapons. All winter long 
he meanders up and down these sand ridges, hardwood hum¬ 
mocks, spring streams and bamboo bayous adjacent to creeks 
and rivers, with murder in his eye. One by one he searches 
these gopher holes, and the nonchalant manner in which he 
goes about it would give anyone as many thrills as a tender¬ 
foot reporter gets out of his first assignment as war correspon¬ 
dent in an exposed position. 
With gloveless hands he clears the opening of all obstruc- 
