Evening star., 1898-07-16

right hand slightly, and catch the string
on the tips (from below, SO that 1t lies
across the middle of the ball Of the last
Joint. Use only the first, second and third
fingers; the thumb and the little finger
should touch neither string nor arrow.
The end of the arrow must lie between the
first and second fingers-see illustration.
The nearer the tips of your fingers you can
hold the string, the better.
Now raise your left arm until 1t points
straight toward the target; this brings the
bow into an upright position, the top slant
ing very little to the right Hold your
left arm as rigid as the bowsprit of a ship,
and draw back the string with strong,
even pull until your hand brushes the lower
tip of your right ear. At that instant slip
your fingers smoothly from the string
and away goes the arrow with a singing of
the cord and soft whistle of the feathers,
II you have done all rightly. Be sure to
draw your fingers off backward in loosing
never let them follow the string-and never
either shove or slacken with your left
hand; just hold steady. Also see to 1t that
you hold the bow that it will not
writhe or twist in your hand as you draw
the string, for that makes the arrow CLAP"
and ''Wag,' spoils the shot, and soon ruins
the bow. Wear a cap; or, if you prefer, a
hat, pin up the brim SO that the string will
not Craze It,
You must aim while you are in the act of
drawing, not by sighting, but instinctively,
Just as when you throw a stone. Don't try
to look along the arrow; look straight at
the center of the target. The knack comes
quickly II only you start right. You can
steady on your aim" for an instant just
before loosng if you like, but never drag
or hang fire, and always draw your arrow
full to the head. These, in brief, are the
essential points, though 1t would be easy
to write a volume of hints and cautions
OF the latter 1 will add just one-don't per-
sist In using a bow too strong for you.
The force of the shot depends far more on
the liyeliness of the bow than on Its stiff
ness, and most of all on skillful handling.
At the Target.
The usual target, its colors and their
scoring values are shown in the illustra-
ton. They are made of straw, and the
regulation size is four feet across. Smaller
targets, however, are much cheaper and
almost as good. For boys and girls 1 would
recommend three-foot target, and thirty,
forty and fifty yards as the distances for
shooting. Ordinarily each archer shoots
three arrows in turn, and ten of these turns
for each participanD complete round"
You can just as well make your own tar
get of cardboard, marking the circles with
a piece of chalk and a string, and painting
them the proper colors. For backing
make butt, or bank, of turf, five or six
feet high and about eight feet long, and
rest the cardboard against it.
A 'clout' is still easier to make and very
satisfactory. This is simply a circle of
white cardboard, about a foot across, stuck
in the cleft end of short stake, the point
OF which is stuck into the ground. This
you can set up anywhere in a moment. and
1t is particularly good for ''roving''-that
is, strolling over the fields shooting as you
go. There is no better practice than this
rowing as a preparation for hunting
game-if you can find 1t In your heart
to kill the harmless creatures we call
game. For my own part, 1 should get
more pain than pleasure out of it now:
yet it Is not bit worse to shoot game with
bow and arrows than with shotgun and
1t is much more sportsmanlike You meet
the creatures you hunt on fairer terms
matching your skill against theirs to
shower shot upon them from a gun is sim
ply murderous. The farmers will probably
pardon you for shooting blackbirds and
woodchucks, which often cause them much
annoyance; and the latter from a habit
they have of sitting erect beside their holes
and watching you-until you come too close
make an excellent mark for skilful
archer