Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1917-04-06
(By Frank B. Linderman.)

The North American Indian is a.
man OF mystery. He never yolun-
teers any information concerning
himself or his beliefs. and those who
nave studied him are ever ready to
confess that they know little of him.
Those who should have known better
v recorded many things concern
Ing the Indian that are wholly un-
true, but the world has taken them
as facts because the recorder was
considered an authority.
In interviews with old Indians I
nave so often listened to things new
to me that I have become convinced
that we can lever know the red men.
1t is too late. Only last year I heard
of the use of the bow-gun or cross
bow among them, and following it up,
found some interesting things con-
corning it's use.
Always Used Bow-Gun.
At first I suspected that the
on had been adopted by the Indians
after his meeting with the white man,
but today l am sure that the Indian
mad always used the bow-gun in
hunting the smaller game. Perhaps
all tribes did not know it's use, but
surely the Crees and Chippewas have
used it. and before they knew the
white man.
In pattern it is wholly unlike the
cross-bow of the white man, as the
stock was not designed to rest
against the shoulder, but was held
in both hands while aim was taken
and the bowstring was released by
the index fingers. l have two models
in my possession, n made by an
aged Cree and the other the work of
an older Chippewa. Both are unlike
the cross-bow known to the white
man. Both are intended to be held
at arms length in front of the
body. One has a perfectly straight
stock with a hand-hold cut therein,
while the stock of the other Is turned
somewhat as a pistol butt is curved.
In both specimens the bow is perfect
ly loose in the slot or hole through
which the arrow passes in the stock,
in order that the bow and stock
might be folded and carried in a hol-
ster at the side. The stocks are
grooved for the arrow, and there are
three notches for the bowstring,
which determined the power and
speed of the bolt delivered. The ar
was short and feasnered, but the
head Is detachable. The arrow point
vas made from a split bone from the
leg of the moose, and was round and
pointed. The whole arrow was not
more than ten inches or a foot in
length, and is said to have been a
splendid weapon in securing small
game because the cross-bow allowed
a more careful and accurate aim by
the hunter than the plain bow and ar
row.
Killed Buffalo With 1t.
Old Indians have assured me that
before the horse came their people
often used to kill the buffalo with
the cross-bow, but that the ordinary
bow and arrow did better, stronger
work. They have told me that the
s of the cross-tow from the back
of a horse was impossible for the rea-
son that the arrow could not be kept
in the groove of the gun while the
horse was in motion, and this is easy
to understand.
Since learning Or the use of the
cross-bow by the older Indians, I
have had no trouble in verifying it,
at least among the Crees and Chippe-
was. 1t is a we'll known fact that
the Chippewas held aloof from the
white mai and his influence longer
than any of the other powerful tribes,
and the Crees coming from the far
north emphasizes my peI1er that the
Indian did know and use the cross
bow long before the discovery of
America by the white man. 1t would
be interesting to know If its use was
known among other tribes than those
named, and 1 believe that careful in
vestigation will prova that other
tribes made use of this weapon long,
long ago.