CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
91 
lakes with the Seminoles prior to the date of their expulsion at 
the hands of the military forces of the State. Though not so 
vast, of course, it was almost as impenetrable as the tropical 
jungles, and in order to retain title to their domain, together 
with the freest exercise of all the rights thereof, it was neces¬ 
sary to wage an almost endless battle against their enemies, 
even after the Indians were made victims of an enforced 
exodus. Where so much fish and wild game abound, it is only 
to be expected that the lower order of animal life will not yield 
to man every vestige of rights and benefits they have enjoyed 
before man projected himself into the situation. Consequently, 
during much of the time these early settlers held undisputed 
sway over “Half-Moon Lake” and its immediate environ¬ 
ment, bear, wolves, bobcats, panthers, tigers, water-rattlers, 
diamond-backs, and the like roamed the region freely, taking 
such as they chose of what the territory afforded in the way of 
both wild and domestic animals and fowl, game and fish. So, 
for one reason or another, it was an endless struggle between 
these pioneer people and their neighbors just enumerated. As 
if by way of reprisal for man’s invasion of their ancient do¬ 
main, shooting wild game and hooking fish, etc., some of these 
fellows would not infrequently make a raid upon their pig-pen, 
cow-pen, or hen-roost. The most stealthy enemy they were 
compelled to combat was the water moccasins of the various 
species. They delighted in sliding about under cover of dark¬ 
ness, particularly on rainy nights, seeking chickens, goslings, 
ducks, young turkeys, etc., and had it not been for the eternal 
vigilance of the old watchdog, these settlers would have been 
unsuspecting victims of many expensive nocturnal forays at the 
hands of such creatures. It happened at regular intervals that 
their hen-house would be raided, but due to the resulting con¬ 
fusion among the chickens the trusted old night watchman 
would give the alarm and hold the marauder at bay until the 
master could arm himself and come to his rescue. In territory 
where food was so abundant such fellows grew to unbelievable 
proportions, and such battles often developed into encounters 
of the first magnitude in the loneliness and darkness of the 
night. 
