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been among their own people he would not have interfered, but added: 
““We were only a few among the Kuskokwim men, and if our companion 
had killed one of their men they would have killed all of us, and it 
was better that he should die.” 
It was not uncommon among the Eskimo, particularly about the 
shores of Bering strait and northward, for some man of great courage 
and superior ability to gather about him a certain following and then 
rule the people through fear; such men usually confirmed their power 
by killing any one who opposed them. In order to keep their follow- 
ers in a friendly mood, they made particular effort to supply them 
with an abundance of food in times of scarcity, or to give them presents 
of clothing at festivals; they also try to secure the good will of white 
men whenever they think it to their interest to do so. 
* At Point Hope we saw such a chief, who had killed four men and 
had the entire village terrorized. The people were overawed by his 
courage and cunning, and hated him so much that a number of them 
went quietly to the captain of the Corwin and begged him to carry the 
man away. 
During our stay at Point Hope this fellow was never seen without a 
rifle in his hand, and the people said he always carried it. During the 
trading on the Corwin, whenever one of the villagers was offered a fair 
price for one of his articles and began to haggle for a greater one, this 
man would quietly take the goods offered and give them to the other, 
who would then accept them without another word. I tried to procure 
his photograph, but he became very nervous and could not be made to 
stand quiet, until he was told that it would be very bad for him if he 
did not. As soonas I had taken his photograph he insisted on having 
me stand in the same position that he had taken while being photo- 
graphed. Then he Jooked under the cloth covering the camera, and 
when he saw my image on the ground glass he appeared to be greatly 
pleased, seeming to think that he had thus counteracted any ill effect 
that might follow in his own ease. 
While stopping at a village near the head of Norton sound I was 
shown a man who was badly crippled, and my informant gaye me the 
history of the manner in which he received his injury. He went out 
with three companions hunting reindeer in the mountains, back of the 
head of Norton sound. At night they made camp, and placing a 
spruce log under a light shelter, all lay down, side by side, using the 
log for a pillow. A man who entertained enmity against one of the 
party had followed them from their own village; in the night, while they 
were asleep, he crept up and fired his rifle into the head of the man 
upon one side in such a manner that it was in line with the heads of 
the others, and the ball passed through the heads of three of the men, 
killing them instantly. The other one sprang to his feet, but before he 
could collect his wits he was struck down by the clubbed gun in the 
hands of the murderer, and beaten until he appeared to be dead. The 
