The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-04-06
(By Frank Il. Linderman.)

The North American Indian is
man of mystery. He never volun-
teers any information concerning
himself or his beliefs, and those who
have studied him are ever ready to
confess that they know little of him.
Those who should have known better
have recorded many things concern
ing the Indian that are wholly I'M
true, btu the world has taken them
as facts because the recorder was
considered an authority.
In interviews with old Indians I
have SO often listened to things new
to me that l have become convinced
that we can never know the red men.
1t is too late. Only last year l 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 l suspected that the weap-
on had been adopted by the Indians
after his meeting with the white man,
but today l am sure that the Indian
had 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. have two models
in my possession, one 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
almost at arms length in front of the
body. One has a perfectly straight
stock with hand-hold cut therein,
while the stock of the other is turned
somewhat as 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 hol-
ster at the side. The stocks are
grooved for the arrow. and there are
three notches for the bowstring
which determined the power ant
speed of the bolt delivered. The ar
row was short and fea:nered, but thu
head is detachable. The arrow poin
was made from split bone from tn
leg of the moose, and was round an
pointed The whole arrow was no
more than ten inches or a foot j
length, and is said to have been
splendid weapon in securing small
game because the cross-bow above,
a more careful and accurate aim b.
the hunter than the plain bow and ar
row.
Killed Buffalo With 1t.
Old Indians have assured me tina
before the horse came their people
often used to kill the buffalo will
the cross-bow, but that the ordinar.
bow and arrow did better, stronge
work. They have told me that thu
use of the cross-bow from the bacl
of a horse was impossible for the rea
son that the arrow could not be KEEP
in the groove of the gun while tn
horse was in motion, and this is cas-,
to understand.
Since learning or the use of tn
cross-bow by the older Indians,
have had no trouble in verifying it
at least among the Crees and Chippe
was. 1t is a we'll known fact tina
the Chippewas helf aloof from tn
white man and his influence longe
than any of the other powerful tribes
and the Crees coming from the ia
north emphasizes my pellef that tn
Indian did know and use the cross
bow long before the discovery 70
America by the white man. 1t woul
be interesting to know if it's use wa
known among other tribes than thos
named, and believe that careful in
vestigation will prove that othe
tribes made use of this weapon lone
long ago.