Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-06-16
A DESCRIPTION OF INDIAN WAR
ARROWS.
How the Indian Boy is Taught to Shoot.
Forest and Stream.

"You see," said DR.. Carver, as he de-
feathered arrows on a table, took off
his outrageous felt, and drew up a
chair, II must be shooting something
or other all the time. If it isn't Win
chester, it's 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
Understand when a Sioux draws it
chock up to the bow it fairely huns
when he lets it fly. An Indian arrow
has groves cut in il behind the barb
that is to say, the ones they use in
hunting-so that the blood can flow;
otherwise the wound would swell and
spoil. Fighting arrows are nasty things.
The barb Is SO put on the shaft that
when it hits you the steel, the old hoop
iron, stays in the flesh when you go to
pull out the arrew. Dear sakes, what
ugly wounds have seen them make!
An Indian bow begins to hands a light
bow when he toddles, maybe at four or
five. His bow is taller than he is. He
shoots at everything around the camp.
When he is II he uses sharp arrows.
A boy must be strong at Is to use d
mans bow. Now, a white man who
| takes an Indian bow for the first time
has all he can do to bend it. 1t needs
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 or five feet long
that is, their hunting bow-and has
extra stiffness by having sinews pasted
on it. | have seen We-shessa-haska-
that is, the long man-and he was the
best of the Ogalalla Sioux, kill an ante
lope with his arrow at 125 measured
rods. We-shessahaska was nearly sew
en- feet tall, and a good Indian. On
| horseback, broadside to q buffalo, |
have more than once known that In
dian to send an arrow through a big
COW. The arrow hung out on ne 9TH
er side. The bow for horseback and
sitter. You do not draw the arrow to
the eye, butcatch aim as l do when
shooting from the hip. That can be
acquired only 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 can shoot an arrow in
the air out ofsight, ana SO can l (the
doctor pointed to an arrow buried up
to the feathers in the ceiling of our Of
| fee, his own peculiar ornamentation of
the Forest md Stream sanctum. [
] think that in Il couple of months |
could get into perfect practice, for /
used to hold ny own with any Indian
on the plains Sometimes after [ had
been shooting with my Winchester an
Indian would come up and show his
bow, and feline his bow was "muchee
good" but then used to take his own
bow and heath at it.
"To pass away the time when I was
at the Brookln Driving Park, [ bought
an English bow and arrows of Holber-
ton, and soo1 got into the trick Oft. I
hit blocks ofwood thrown into the air
quite as otter as missed them. The
English b0Wsand arrows are fancy, but
good. | would rather have an old
Sioux one, made of hickory or ash, but
, the boss bowl ever owned was made Of
buffalo ribs. An Indian carries his quiv-
er of arrowsover his right shoulder, so
that he can get his arrows quickly.
When he his discharged one arrow,
with the sane motion that he uses in
pulling the sting he clutches another
arrow. If h@hoots one hundred yards
he has three four arrows in the air
all going at tie same time. It's great
fun shooting t a bird with q long tail
that flies oveIthe prairie. Knock out
his tail and lis steering apparatus is
gone. l haveknocked the tail out of
many one, nd so caught him in my
hands when lie tumbled.