JUST IN CASE— 
Attempting to lend comfort to anyone unfortunate enough 
to be bitten by a diamond-back rattler is a most difficult task, 
consequently we make the approach thoroughly conscious of 
this fact. Uncle Dave’s favorite remedy is, destroy the reptile 
before the attack occurs, basing such recommendations upon 
the universally accepted philosophy that “An ounce of prevem 
tion is worth a pound of cure.” By a sensible and practical 
application of the lessons we have attempted to teach herein 
90 per cent of these terrible brutes could easily and safely be 
destroyed within a period of five years. This being true, then 
90 per cent of their attacks made upon members of the human 
family, dogs, and cattle should be prevented. Approach this 
dread reptile from any angle you may choose—apply any rule 
you may elect to employ, and you are compelled to admit that 
for ferocity of attack, deadliness and unflinching determina¬ 
tion, he stands without a peer among the deadly reptiles of 
the whole world. Little wonder the Seminole and Creek In¬ 
dians called him “Grandfather and king of snakes.” His huge 
fangs and enormous poison glands represent the maximum 
degree of deadliness attained by serpents. The well-known 
and terrible bushmaster of tropical South America attains a 
larger size than the diamond-back, and consequently has larger 
fangs, but the opening at the tip of the fang is not nearly so 
large in the bushmaster. His other rival is the king cobra of 
India, but this is a slender snake, not nearly so large, and 
though attaining a length of sixteen feet, his fangs are barely 
one-third of an inch in length. 
Experts will tell you that the diamond-back’s fangs attain a 
length of seven-eighths of an inch. Uncle Dave will tell you 
that he is positive that he has noosed them with fangs measur¬ 
ing a full inch in length, and others who aided him in the cap¬ 
ture of this particular giant make similar assertions. One- 
eighth of an inch is not important, but the length of their fangs 
present a problem upon which life or death hinges. With forty 
drops of their venom deposited three-quarters of an inch below 
the surface of the skin the victim has little to hope for. If, 
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