advantage of the other; each is compelled to act so as to save his own life. Indians do not murder each other for their property, because by killing one of his own nation it would have quite a contrary tendency. He would be obliged to fly to another band to avoid being slain by the relations of the deceased, and instead of being gainer by the transaction, would be obliged to abandon his own, to become an outcast, to impoverish all his relations, who never cease paying for the dead to stop further bloodshed, besides placing his own life in constant jeopardy, in case of meeting any of the relations of the murdered man. Therefore, it is entirely out of the question that murder should be deliberately from their cupidity.
The only other way in which one man might kill another would be in quarrel, and this often happens; but no difference what the object of the quarrel, be it a horse, an insult, etc., or who is right or who is wrong; when the difference arises to the point of meriting a blow it becomes absolutely self-defense on the part of both, each to preserve his own life by taking that of his adversary. There is no middle course, and several who have killed their people under these circumstances have regretted, deeply, the necessity, but contended they could not do otherwise. Not to kill when the death of one becomes necessary, from any cause, would be accounted the height of foolishness and cowardice, and ruin an Indian forever with his own people or even with his own family, besides surrendering up his life to the other without a struggle. Therefore, in all cases, murder in their idea is an act of self-defense attendant on their peculiar civil or ganization. It is an affront to the individual, entailing upon it the risk of a like punishment, by the relations of the deceased, outlawry and poverty, but cannot be considered by them as an offense to the Great Spirit. No man amongst them would kill another for the mere love of killing, for to do so would, as we have shown, subject him to outlawry, assassination and ruin, without any prospect of gain; which would be entirely incompatible with Indian character. The