CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
269 
fearless pioneer has done to organize a movement with tre¬ 
mendous and far-reaching possibilities for the future. The 
concrete results achieved by himself and his little army are 
truly amazing. There is an area of approximately 500 square 
miles immediately surrounding him where a diamond-back does 
not dare poke his head out of the wiregrass, lest Uncle Dave 
or one of his lieutenants be standing by with a stick and noose, 
ready to harness him and lead him off to one of their stockades. 
However, he is not satisfied with victories that are merely 
local or temporary. It is his earnest purpose to inaugurate a 
movement, and to disseminate such information as will drive 
his arch enemy to utter extermination throughout the deep 
South. 
As his story reveals, he has exposed himself to many, many 
dangers, and for this reason is sincerely desirous of passing to 
others what he has learned by thus exposing himself, all this 
to the end that the nation might finally be free from her most 
dangerous internal enemy, and that those who follow after 
him may live their lives without the fear eternally gripping 
their hearts that days spent in the great open spaces, hunting, 
fishing, or boating may not end abruptly as they find themselves 
upon a deadly diamond-back. 
Looking back over his long life, one views with admiration 
his continual exhibition of courage. He has defied danger and 
death, since his ceaseless warfare with the rattler has kept him 
in a perpetual state of hostility and risk. Peril and adventure, 
however, are congenial to his nature, surrounded by an enemy 
as pristine and savage as ever defied primitive man or wilder¬ 
ness trail-blazer. And, like those invincible fighters of Amer¬ 
ica’s early days, he is always prepared. His weapons—spade, 
flashlight, stick and noose—are as ready to his hand as were 
the pioneer’s bowie knife, musket and powder horn. He has 
taken a thousand chances, pitting his skill and daring against 
an enemy whose mode of warfare is surprisal and ambush. He 
has faced death without losing his cool nerve and sagacity. 
That fearful rattle which chills the average man’s blood in his 
veins is sweet music to his ears. Indeed, had he fled in panic, 
when suddenly menaced, it is not at all probable that he would 
be here today to tell his story. 
