252 
CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
that all was well with him, and it would have been had he not 
returned to the scene of this near tragedy and committed the 
same error again. Night was now drawing nigh and his little 
pig had not returned to his pen. Going out into the field to 
inquire into matters, he found him at the edge of a rough 
fencerow with head down, nose to nose with the mate of the 
rattler which had been slain on this same spot a week prior. 
He slew this great reptile and then had to take the pig in for 
further treatment. 
With this bit of information he could now piece together 
the whole story. The first cold nights of early fall had caught 
this rattler still on the range. He knew that he must be getting 
home, and time would not permit any long detours in order to 
avoid danger spots, no matter with what hazards his homeward 
journey was fraught. Such indiscretion led him straight 
through this farmer’s herd of swine. Thus two species of 
gluttons came face to face. Though already fat and sleek, he 
could not resist the temptation to pause and indulge himself 
with another meal of tender pork chops. He had the little pig 
in the act of succumbing to the power of his charm when the 
herd of swine came upon the scene and then the table was 
turned about. 
The reader could, provided he cared to trouble himself, set 
the scientific world right in regard to three habits which he 
practices in secret, but which men of science deny for the 
reason, as they say, “No reputable scientist has ever witnessed 
such action.” One of his secrets, which is very much a secret, 
is his mating call. With the description of the call given herein 
any reader should be able to definitely identify it, and with long 
and painstaking effort be able to make a recording of it with 
the aid of a portable sound recording device. 
Another of the rattler’s secrets which has never been photo¬ 
graphed is that of swallowing their young to safeguard them 
from danger. This should be a very simple matter when the 
opportunity ever comes to the reader. All that would be neces¬ 
sary would be to capture the female rattler and her family of 
little ones and imprison them in some place where conditions 
