CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
95 
As a matter of fact, he has observed his nature in this particu¬ 
lar on many occasions. On the occasion to which reference has 
been made, one had bitten his hunting dog in the swamp, and 
he, being unwilling to risk an encounter with him alone and 
unaided, first carefully marked the spot, and then went forth 
and enlisted the aid of several of his neighbors. The search 
was rendered doubly difficult due to the fact that the foxy old 
rascal had completely buried himself underneath an accumula¬ 
tion of dead leaves and litter, on the very spot where the kill 
was made. It is a fact known to a limited few that when a 
rattler has bitten anything he invariably coils upon the spot 
marking the tragedy. By squirming from one side to the other, 
pushing the soft earth and litter right and left, he succeeds in 
concealing himself entirely from view, usually permitting his 
head and rattles to protrude from among the litter. To those 
not skilled in the art of tracking them down, he would present 
no target at all, and would be passed by times without number 
undetected. On this occasion, however, he had a number of 
men on his trail, all of whom were fearless as well as informed 
concerning his craftiness. All members of the party knew what 
they were looking for, and how to look. They knew precisely 
the strategy he would likely employ in order to deliver himself 
from the dire consequences threatening him. Armed with sticks 
and rakes, they walked boldly into this den of death. Being 
located, hidden away in the identical manner they had expected, 
he was drawn forth from his place of hiding with the aid of a 
potato hook. He fixed his savage eyes upon the member of 
the party who uncovered him, and as other members of the 
party drew near he took no notice whatever of their presence. 
For the purpose of carrying the experiment to its ultimate con¬ 
clusion, a ring was formed about him, and though other mem¬ 
bers of the party adopted a menacing attitude toward him, he 
could not be induced to take his eyes off the member of the 
party to w T hom they first attracted. Any hypnotist will admit 
that deep concentration on the part of the artist and relaxation 
of the subject are conditions absolutely essential to a successful 
application of the art. Anyone who has ever observed the ser¬ 
pent taking a small animal would make a competent witness to 
