PREFACE 
Perhaps the writer ought to explain in this foreword his 
reasons for offering this short volume to the public. It will 
be explained herein what it is intended to be, as well as what 
it is intended NOT to be. 
It is not offered to the public because of its literary merit, 
but if it is worthy to survive, or to gain any worthwhile cir¬ 
culation, it must be on account of the practical information it 
contains, as the same relates to the wild life of the great 
diamond-back. 
It is not a scientific treatise, and no effort has been exerted 
to have it appear as such. On the contrary, it is a treatise 
purporting to reduce to writing what laymen, in most in¬ 
stances illiterate men, have learned about the rattler. The 
author is painfully aware of his own literary shortcomings. 
In absolute fairness to the simple truth, however, our read¬ 
er’s attention is invited to the fact that much of scientific value 
has been presented herein which, insofar as the writer knows, 
has not hitherto made its appearance in print. 
All of the information contained in this volume was not 
gathered first-hand, but mostly gleaned from extensive inter¬ 
views with reputable men who have spent many years of their 
lives in infested woodlands. The statement is made, and with 
becoming modesty, I trust, that the writer has spent many 
years in actual pursuit of this dread reptile, as an understudy 
of Uncle Dave, and has experienced many thrilling encounters 
and a few narrow escapes while invading the rattler’s hiber¬ 
nating grounds in pursuit of him. It might be added that, for 
obvious reasons, all of the thrilling incidents credited to Uncle 
Dave were in reality not his own, but it can be said that he 
has had more personal differences with the diamond-back than 
any individual it was ever my privilege to know. It is my 
candid opinion that this old gentleman is in possession of more 
vital information touching the wild life of the diamond-back 
than any person in America. Those to whom we are indebted 
for the subject-matter contained herein have acquired all their 
knowledge by observing him in the wild state, while in pursuit 
(ix) 
