"You knew what I was when
                                                                   you picked me up"
What I think that this quote means is that "you knew what I was when you picked me up" what I think that this quote means is that the indian knew that he was picking a rattle snake and he still picked the snake up. What the indian couldve done is that he would have just left the snake in the floor and not listen to the snake because the snake was a very persuasive snake.