2 38 BIG GAME SHOOTING IN ALASKA chap. 



might be intended to warn me against him, and thus to 

 frustrate the ends of justice." 



On being informed of these matters by Glyn, and the 

 Marshal having admitted the facts, and also that he possessed 

 no search warrant to cover his actions, I was furious, and if 

 he only knew it, as he stood on the extreme edge of the lake 

 calmly telling me of his despicable actions, that man was 

 nearer being knocked into the lake with a straight punch 

 from the shoulder than he ever will be again without the 

 event actually happening. 



He had the audacity to tell me after all this, that the 

 duty of arresting gentlemen for breaking the game laws 

 was repugnant to him. This finished me, and how to keep 

 my hands off him I did not know, except by walking away, 

 which I quickly did. I knew that he had a six-shooter in his 

 pocket, which he would have been only too pleased to let off 

 at one of us if an excuse had been given him. Had this 

 happened I do not think that he would ever have seen 

 Kenai again, for the survivors of our party would pretty 

 soon have " filled him up with lead." We had always a 

 Mannlicher or two within reach of our hands, whether by 

 day or night. When my ire had somewhat abated, and I 

 had begun to realise the comic side of the whole episode, it 

 afforded me no small amusement to see the minute care with 

 which this brave Marshal (who had apprehended a gang of 

 English desperadoes) at once made an inspection of the 

 interior of our cabin, and said that he was afraid he should 

 have to take possession of all our guns, rifles, etc. This 

 gave me the impression that he thought we should " shoot on 

 sight " if the slightest provocation was offered. I thought 

 at the time that he must have had previous experience as a 

 Deputy Marshal in some particularly bloodthirsty mining 



