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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