The Journal of a Sporting Nomad 
starving happens on a cache of stores, then 
helps himself to what he absolutely requires for 
his necessities in order that he may have strength 
to regain some civilized spot, and provided that 
this man leaves a note signed with his name 
or otherwise describing his position, then, and 
only then may he be excused, for the pioneering 
fraternity are very fair and can easily imagine 
a similar situation for themselves. Therefore by 
common consent the man who thus helps himself 
is welcome to a moiety of the goods, and may, 
should he have the chance, repay his benefactors 
eventually by doing them, in his turn, some 
kindness. It must not be imagined that by saying 
a good word for the lynch law I in any way 
uphold those brutal crimes that we so often 
hear of as enacted in civilized America between 
the black and white races. I can in no way 
condone spite—for that is what it amounts to. 
I merely describe the working of a primitive law 
amongst men to whom such a law is a necessity, 
and as it has been expounded to me on various 
occasions by men who have been obliged to have 
recourse to it. 
My destination was Tyonak, a small collection 
of native huts, a store run by the Alaskan Com- 
mercial Company, and one or more white men’s 
shacks. On arrival at this place I landed, so 
soon as I could, my baggage, tents, rifles, and 
three dogs. I had brought the latter with me, 
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