arcely
bends at all. The perfect shape, when bent, is shown in Cut II. Trim
the bow down to your strength and finish smoothly with sandpaper and
glass. It should be straight when unstrung, and unstrung when not in
use. Fancy curved bows are weak affairs. The bow for our boy should
require a power of fifteen or twenty pounds (shown on a spring
balance) to draw the string twenty-three inches from the bow; not
more. The best string is of hemp or linen; it should be about five
inches from the middle of the bow when strung (Cut II). The notches
for the string should be two-thirds the depth of the string. If you
have not a bought string make one of strong, unbleached linen thread
twisted together. At one end the string, which is heaviest at the
ends, should be fast knotted to the bow notch (Cut V); at the other it
should have a loop as shown in Cut IV. In the middle it should be
lashed with fine silk and wax for five inches, and the exact place
marked where the arrow fits it.

The arrow is more important than the bow. Anyone can make a bow; few
can make an arrow, for, as a Seminole Indian expressed it to Maurice
Thompson, "Any stick do for bow; good arrow much heap work, ugh."
Hiawatha went all the way to Dakota to see the famous arrow maker. In
England when the bow was the gun of the country, the bow maker was
called a "bowyer," and the arrow maker a "fletcher" (from the Norman
fleche, an arrow). So when men began to use surnames those who
excelled in arrow making were proud to be called the "Fletchers "; but
to make a good bow was not a notable achievement, hence few took
"Bowyer" as their name.

The first thing about an arrow is that it must be perfectly straight.
"Straight as an arrow" refers to the arrow itself, not to its flight;
that is always curved.

{77}

[Illustration: THE ARCHERY OUTFIT (Not all on scale.)]

I. The five-foot bow as finished, with sections at the point shown.

II. The bow "braced" or strung.

III. The bow unstrung, showing the loop slipped down.

IV. The loop that is used on the upper end of the bow.

V. The timber hitch always used on the lower end or notch of the bow.

VI. A turkey feather with split midrib, all ready to lash on.

VII. End view of arrow, showing notch and arrangement of three feathers.

VIII. Part of arrow, showing feathering and lashing.

IX. Sanger hunting arrow with wooden point; 25 inches long.

X. Sanger war arrow with nail point and extra