100 
CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
called for red-fin pike, corn-dodgers and freshly brewed coffee. 
A formidable fighter indeed is the rattler, but due to this 
very fact his lot is rendered an unenviable one. His enemies 
are legion, and by no means limited to man, but hatred of him 
is even shared by other members of the reptile family, beasts 
of the jungle, and birds of the air, all of whom would delight 
in exterminating him from the face of the earth. The very fact 
that he has been able to defy extinction surrounded by such an 
atmosphere of hate speaks well for his cunning and power of 
resistance. H is enemies declare an open season on him through¬ 
out the year, yet he manages to survive. Other members of 
the serpent family—those killing by constriction—battle him 
to death at sight. It is said that the wharf rat will take him on 
for battle when challenged, and almost invariably emerge vic¬ 
torious from such encounters. Under certain circumstances the 
timid little mouse will fight valiantly, and even achieve victory, 
in the face of what would ordinarily be considered a hopeless 
and uneven match. Animal keepers have long since learned 
that when mice have been fed to rattlers during the day, the 
cage should be searched before nightfall, and all mice remain¬ 
ing in the cage removed. These little fellows sit in the corner 
during the daylight hours and tremble with fear at the sight 
of the rattler, but when darkness descends upon the scene he 
emerges from his place of hiding a changed creature. With 
his sharp teeth he severs the reptile’s head from his body. The 
little mouse appears to have found a weakness in his armor, 
and while darkness works for him, acquits himself with credit 
in the fray. 
Where both range in the same territory, deer never pass a 
rattler by, but when one is sighted they form a ring about him. 
Their form of attack is unique. Leaping high in the air they 
draw their fore and hind feet together as they land, literally 
cutting him to pieces with their sharp hoofs. The skill of the 
deer is surprising. He can accomplish such feat without danger 
to himself. When he lands he bounds again to safety as if 
made of rubber. It has the appearance that the rattler is not 
much inclined to strike upwards, but prefers to rear his head 
out of the coil and strike downward, and the deer takes advan- 
