Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-03
Whats he Great Rifle Shot Says of thu
Use of the Bow and Arrow.

You see," said Dr. Carver, as he de-
posted whole sheaf of brightly feath-
cred arrows on table. and took off his
um outrageous felt, and drew up chair, Il
must be shooting something or other all
the time. If it isn't Winchester it's a
bow and arrow. Pretty, they are. But
most too fine! Fancy things, these arrows,
for handsome young ladies to shoot on
grass plats at straw targets. Now, an
Indian arrow is good bit longer-maybe
thirty-two inches-and when a Sioux
draws it cEock up to the bow it fairly
huns when he lets it fly.
IAN Indian arrow has grooves cut in it
behind the barb, that is to say the ones
they use in hunting, so that the blood can
flow, otherwise the wood would spoil and
swell. The fighting arrows are nasty
things. The barb is so put on the shaft
that when it hits you the steel, or old
hoop iron, stays in the flesh when you go
to pull out the arrow. Dear sakes! what
ugly wounds have seen them make! An
Indian boy begins to handle light bow
when he toddles, maybe at four or five
years.
His bow is taller than he is. He shoots
| at most anything around the camp.
When he is twelve he uses sharp arrows.
4 boy must be strong at eighteen to use
a mans bow. Now, white man who
takes an Indian bow for the first time
has all he can do to bend it. 1t wants
some strength, but more knack. The
bow is made straight. When it is strung,
the cord, even when in tension, almost
touches the bow. 1T is thick, some four
and half to five feet long-that is their
hunting bow-and has extra stiffening by
having sInews pasted on it. l have seen
We-shessa- has ka, that's their long man,
and he was the best of the Ogala Sioux,
kill an antelope with his arrow at 125
measured yards. We-shessa-has. ka was
nearly seven feet tall, and good Indian.
On horseback, broadside to buffalo, /
have more than once known that Indian
to send an arrow through big cow. The
arrow hung out on the other side. The
bow for horseback and for war is tr;f1e
shorter and maybe sitter.
You do not draw the arrow to the eve
but catch aim as | do when shooting from
the hip. That can only be acquired by
long practice. The string is drawn by
the clutch of the whole fingers, though
some of the tribes use the thumb and
three fingers. The Long Man could shoot
an arrow In the air out of sight, and sc
can I (the doctor pointed to an arrow
buried up to the feather in the ceiling oil
our Office, his own peculiar ornamental.
ton of the Forest and Stream sanctum).
think that in a couple of months I could
get into perfect practice, for l used tc
hold my own with any Indian on tn,
plains Sometimes after l had beer
shooting with my Winchester, an Ind1al
would come up and show his bow. anC
tell me his bow was 'muchee good;' but
then / used to take his own bow and bea
him at it.
: ITO pass away the time, when was a
the Brooklyn Driving Park bought m
an English bow and arrows, and soon 90
/ into the trick of it. l hit blocks of WOO
/ thrown into the air quite as often as
J missed them. The English bows and al
rows are fancy, but good. I would rath
er bave an old Sioux one, made of hick
, DRY or ash: but the boss bowl ever own
ed was made of buffalo-rlbs. An India
r carries his culver of arrows over his RICH
: shoulder, SO that he can get his arrow
: quickly. When he has discharged on
9 arrow (the doctor pronounces arrow wit
a single letter; he calls it an RI, with til
g same motion that he uses in pulling tt
r string he clutches another arrow. IF
: shoots 100 yards he has three or four al
$ rows in the air, all going at the sam
s time.
: It's great fun shooting at bird with
1 long tail, that flies over the prairi,
o Knock out his tail and his steering a,
paratus is gone. Ihave knocked the ia
= out of many one, and so caught him j
j my hands when he tumbled. See her
q Talking about these things just make
{, me long to be back again on the plain
y New York is mighty good place. An
have made lots of friends; but someho
y | want horse, and big field with mill