,illustration3 ,,the ,,shades ,,of ,,sherwood ,,forest ,,hunting with the ,,bow ,,arrow ,by ,saxton ,pope ,with #dh ,illustrations 99 99 99 99 99 ,,dedicated ,,to ,,robin ,,hood ,a ,,spirit ,,that ,,at ,,some ,,time ,,dwells ,,in ,,the ,,heart ,,of ,,every ,,youth ,,contents ,i4--,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,last ,,yana ,,indian4 ,,ii4--,,ishi',s ,,bow ,,and ,,arrow4 ,,iii4--,,ishi',s ,,methods ,,of ,,hunting4 ,,iv4--,,archery ,,in ,,general4 ,v4--,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,bow4 ,,vi4--,,how ,,to ,,make ,,an ,,arrow4 ,,vii4--,,archery ,,equipment4 ,,viii4--,,how ,,to ,,shoot4 ,,ix4--,,the ,,principles ,,of ,,hunting4 ,x4--,,the ,,raccoon1 ,,wildcat1 ,,fox1 ,,coon1 ,,cat1 ,,and ,,wolf4 ,,xi4--,,deer ,,hunting4 ,,xii4--,,bear ,,hunting4 ,,xiii4--,,mountain ,,lions4 ,,xiv4--,,grizzly ,,bear4 ,,xv4--,,alaskan ,,adventures4 ,a ,,chapter ,,of ,,encouragement ,,by ,,stewart ,,edward ,,white4 ,,the ,,upshot4 ,,illustrations ,,the ,,shades ,,of ,,sherwood ,,forest ,a ,,death ,,mask ,,of ,,ishi ,,ishi ,,and ,,apperson ,,calling ,,game ,,in ,,ambush ,,the ,,indian',s ,,favorite ,,shooting ,,position ,,chopping ,,out ,a ,,juniper ,,bow ,,our ,,caravan ,,leaving ,,deer ,,creek ,,canyon ,,ishi ,,flaking ,,an ,,obsidian ,,arrow ,,head ,,the ,,indian ,,and ,a ,,deer ,,three ,,types ,,of ,,hunting ,,arrows ,a ,,blunt ,,arrow ,,shot ,,through ,,an ,,inch ,,board ,,brer ,,fox ,,up ,a ,,tree ,,art ,,young ,,shoots ,,fish ,,details ,,of ,,bow ,,construction ,,several ,,steps ,,in ,,arrow ,,making ,,arrow ,,heads ,,of ,,various ,,sorts ,,used ,,in ,,hunting ,,necessary ,,archery ,,equipment ,,an ,,archer',s ,,measure1 ,a ,,fistmele ,,the ,,english ,,method ,,of ,,drawing ,,the ,,arrow ,,nocking ,,the ,,shaft ,,on ,,the ,,string ,,the ,,long ,,bow ,,full ,,drawn ,,will ,,and ,,maurice ,,thompson1 ,,as ,,they ,,appeared ,,in #ahgh ,,shooting ,,brush ,,rabbits ,,archers ,,in ,,ambush ,,ishi ,,riding ,a ,,horse ,,for ,,the ,,first ,,time ,a ,,rest ,,at ,,noon ,a ,,lynx ,,that ,,met ,,an ,,archer ,,the ,,chief ,,looking ,,over ,,good ,,deer ,,country ,,mr4 ,,coon ,,brought ,,into ,,camp ,a ,,pretty ,,pair ,,of ,,wings ,,just ,a ,,little ,,hunt ,,before ,,breakfast ,,young ,,and ,,compton ,,with ,a ,,quail ,,apiece ,,woodchucks ,,galore6 ,,porcupine ,,quills ,,to ,,decorate ,a ,,quiver ,a ,,fatal ,,arrow ,,at #fe ,,yards ,,the ,,chief ,,and ,,art ,,get ,a ,,buck ,,at #he ,,yards ,,tom ,,murphy ,,with ,,his ,,two ,,best ,,dogs1 ,,button ,,and ,,baldy ,,young ,,and ,i ,,are ,,very ,,proud ,,of ,,our ,,maiden ,,bear ,,arthur ,,young ,,and ,,his ,,cougar ,,our ,,first ,,mountain ,,lion ,,we ,,pack ,,the ,,panther ,,to ,,camp ,,camp ,,at ,,squaw ,,lake1 ,,wyoming ,,the ,,result ,,of ,,our ,,first ,,encounter ,,with ,,grizzly ,,bear ,,bringing ,,home ,,the ,,trophies ,,looking ,,for ,,grizzlies ,,on ,,cub ,,creek ,,the ,,tree ,,that ,,ned ,,frost ,,climbed ,,to ,,escape ,,death ,,my ,,female ,,grizzly ,,and ,,the ,,arrow ,,that ,,killed ,,her ,,arthur ,,young ,,slays ,,the ,,monarch ,,of ,,the ,,mountains ,,bull ,,moose ,,bagged ,,on ,,the ,,kenai ,,peninsula ,,the ,,great ,,kadiac ,,bear ,,brought ,,low ,,arthur ,,young ,,outwits ,,the ,,alaska ,,bighorn 99 99 99 99 99 ,hunting with the ,bow and ,arrow ,i ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,last ,,yana ,,indian ,the glory and romance of archery culminated in ,england before the discovery of ,america4 ,there1 no doubt1 the bow was used to its greatest perfection1 and it decided the fate of nations4 ,the crossbow and the matchlock had supplanted the longbow when ,columbus sailed for the ,new ,world4 ,it was1 therefore1 a distinct surprise to the first explorers of ,america that the natives used the bow and arrow so effectively4 ,in fact1 the sword and the horse1 combined with the white man's superlative self-assurance1 won the contest over the aborigines more than the primitive blunderbuss of the times4 ,the bow and arrow was still more deadly than the gun4 ,with the gradual extermination of the ,american ,indian1 the westward march of civilization1 and the improvement in firearms1 this contest became more and more unequal1 and the bow disappeared from the land4 ,the last primitive ,indian archer was discovered in ,california in the year #aiaa4 ,when the white pioneers of ,california descended through the northern part of that ,state by the ,lassen trail1 they met with a tribe of ,indians known as the ,yana1 or ,yahi4 ,that is the name they called themselves4 ,their neighbors called them the ,nozi1 and the white men called them the ,deer ,creek or ,mill ,creek ,indians4 ,different from the other tribes of this territory1 the ,yana would not submit without a struggle to the white man's conquest of their lands4 ,the ,yana were hunters and warriors4 ,the usual ,california natives were yellow in color1 fat and inclined to be peaceable4 ,the ,yana were smaller of stature1 lithe1 of reddish bronze complexion1 and instead of being diggers of roots1 they lived by the salmon spear and the bow4 ,their range extended over an area south of ,mount ,lassen1 east of the ,sacramento ,river1 for a distance of fifty miles4 ,from the earliest settlement of the whites1 hostilities existed between them4 ,this resulted in definitely organized expeditions against these ,indians1 and the annual slaughter of hundreds4 ,the last big round-up of ,mill ,creek ,indians occurred in #ahgb1 when their tribe was surprised at its seasonal harvest of acorns4 ,upon this occasion a posse of whites killed such a number of natives that it is said the creek was damned with dead bodies4 ,an accurate account of these days may be obtained from ,watterman's paper on the ,yana ,indians4 #a;,footnote #a3 ,vol4 #ac1 ,no4 #b1 ,am4 ,archaeology and ,ethnology4 ,during one of the final raids upon the ,yana1 a little band of ,indian women and children hid in a cave4 ,here they were discovered and murdered in cold blood4 ,one of the white scouting party laconically stated that he used his revolver to blow out their brains because the rifle spattered up the cave too much4 ,so it came to pass1 that from two or three thousand people1 the ,yana were reduced to less than a dozen who escaped extermination4 ,these were mainly women1 old men and children4 ,this tribal remnant sought the refuge of the impenetrable brush and volcanic rocks of ,deer ,creek ,canyon4 ,here they lived by stealth and cunning4 ,like wild creatures1 they kept from sight until the whites quite forgot their existence4 ,it became almost a legend that wild ,indians lived in the ,mount ,lassen district4 ,from time to time ranchers or sheep herders reported that their flocks had been molested1 that signs of ,indians had been found or that arrowheads were discovered in their sheep4 ,but little credence was given these rumors until the year #aijh1 when an electric power company undertook to run a survey line across ,deer ,creek ,canyon with the object of constructing a dam4 ,one evening1 as a party of linemen stood on a log at the edge of the deep swift stream debating the best place to ford1 a naked ,indian rose up before them1 giving a savage snarl and brandishing a spear4 ,in an instant the survey party disbanded1 fell from the log1 and crossed the stream in record-breaking time4 ,when they stopped to get their breath1 the ,indian had disappeared4 ,this was the first appearance of ,ishi1 #b ,footnote #b3 ,ishi is pronounced ,e-she4 the ,yana4 ,next morning an exploring expedition set out to verify the excited report of the night before4 ,the popular opinion was that no such wildman existed1 and that the linemen had been seeing things4 ,one of the group offered to bet that no signs of ,indians would be found4 ,as the explorers reached the slide of volcanic boulders where the apparition of the day before had disappeared1 two arrows flew past them4 ,they made a run for the top of the slide and reached it just in time to see two ,indians vanish in the brush4 ,they left behind them an old white-haired squaw1 whom they had been carrying4 ,she was partially paralyzed1 and her legs were bound in swaths of willow bark1 seemingly in an effort to strengthen them4 ,the old squaw was wrinkled with age1 her hair was cropped short as a sign of mourning1 and she trembled with fear4 ,the white men approached and spoke kindly to her in ,spanish4 ,but she seemed not to understand their words1 and apparently expected only death1 for in the past to meet a white man was to die4 ,they gave her water to drink1 and tried to make her call back her companions1 but without avail4 ,further search disclosed two small brush huts hidden among the laurel trees4 ,so cleverly concealed were these structures that one could pass within a few yards and not discern them4 ,in one of the huts acorns and dried salmon had been stored2 the other was their habitation4 ,there was a small hearth for indoor cooking2 bows1 arrows1 fishing tackle1 a few aboriginal utensils and a fur robe were found4 ,these were confiscated in the white man's characteristic manner4 ,they then left the place and returned to camp4 ,next day the party revisited the site1 hoping to find the rest of the ,indians4 ,these1 however1 had gone forever4 ,nothing more was seen or heard of this little band until the year #aiaa1 when on the outskirts of ,oroville1 some thirty-two miles from the ,deer ,creek camp1 a lone survivor appeared4 ,early in the morning1 brought to bay by a barking dog1 huddled in the corner of a corral1 was an emaciated naked ,indian4 ,so strange was his appearance and so alarmed was the butcher's boy who found him1 that a hasty call for the town constable brought out an armed force to capture him4 ,confronted with guns1 pistols1 and handcuffs1 the poor man was sick with fear4 ,he was taken to the city jail and locked up for safekeeping4 ,there he awaited death4 ,for years he had believed that to fall into the hands of white men meant death4 ,all his people had been killed by whites2 no other result could happen4 ,so he waited in fear and trembling4 ,they brought him food1 but he would not eat2 water1 but he would not drink4 ,they asked him questions1 but he could not speak4 ,with the simplicity of the white man1 they brought him other ,indians of various tribes1 thinking that surely all ,diggers were the same4 ,but their language was as strange to him as ,chinese or ,greek4 ,and so they thought him crazy4 ,his hair was burnt short1 his feet had never worn shoes1 he had small bits of wood in his nose and ears2 he neither ate1 drank1 nor slept4 ,he was indeed wild or insane4 ,by this time the news of the wild ,indian got into the city papers1 and ,professor ,t4 ,t4 ,watterman1 of the ,department of ,anthropology at the ,university of ,california1 was sent to investigate the case4 ,he journeyed to ,oroville and was brought into the presence of this strange ,indian4 ,having knowledge of many native dialects1 ,dr4 ,watterman tried one after the other on the prisoner4 ,through good fortune1 some of the ,yana vocabulary had been preserved in the records of the ,university4 ,venturing upon this lost language1 ,watterman spoke in ,yana the words1 ,siwini1 which means pine wood1 tapping at the same time the edge of the cot on which they sat4 ,in wonderment1 the ,indian's face lighted with faint recognition4 ,watterman repeated the charm1 and like a spell the man changed from a cowering1 trembling savage4 ,a furtive smile came across his face4 ,he said in his language1 ,i nu ma ,yaki--,are you an ,indian8 ,watterman assured him that he was4 ,a great sense of relief entered the situation4 ,watterman had discovered one of the lost tribes of ,california2 ,ishi had discovered a friend4 ,they clothed him and fed him1 and he learned that the white man was good4 ,since no formal charges were lodged against the ,indian1 and he seemed to have no objection1 ,watterman took him to ,san ,francisco1 and there1 attached to the ,museum of ,anthropology1 he became a subject of study and lived happily for five years4 ,from him it was learned that his people were all dead4 ,the old woman seen in the ,deer ,creek episode was his mother2 the old man was his uncle4 ,these died on a long journey to ,mt4 ,lassen1 soon after their discovery4 ,here he had burned their bodies and gone into mourning4 ,the fact that the white men took their means of procuring food1 as well as their clothing1 contributed1 no doubt1 to the death of the older people4 ,half starved and hopeless1 he had wandered into civilization4 ,his father1 once the chieftain of the ,yana tribe1 having domain over all the country immediately south of ,mt4 ,lassen1 was long since gone1 and with him all his people4 ,ranchers and stockmen had usurped their country1 spoiled the fishing1 and driven off the game4 ,the acorn trees of the valleys had been taken from them2 nothing remained but evil spirits in the land of his forefathers4 ,now1 however1 he had found kindly people who fed him1 clothed him1 and taught him the mysteries of civilization4 ,when asked his name1 he said3 ,i have none1 because there were no people to name me1 meaning that no tribal ceremony had been performed4 ,but the old people had called him ,ishi1 which means strong and straight one1 for he was the youth of their camp4 ,he had learned to make fire with sticks2 he knew the lost art of chipping arrowheads from flint and obsidian2 he was the fisherman and the hunter4 ,he knew nothing of our modern life4 ,he had no name for iron1 nor cloth1 nor horse1 nor road4 ,he was as primitive as the aborigines of the pre-,columbian period4 ,in fact1 he was a man in the ,stone ,age4 ,he was absolutely untouched by civilization4 ,in him science had a rare find4 ,he turned back the pages of history countless centuries4 ,and so they studied him1 and he studied them4 ,from him they learned little of his personal history and less of that of his family1 because an ,indian considers it unbecoming to speak much of his own life1 and it brings ill luck to speak of the dead4 ,he could not pronounce the name of his father without calling him from the land of spirits1 and this he could only do for some very important reason4 ,but he knew the full history of his tribe and their destruction4 ,his apparent age was about forty years1 yet he undoubtedly was nearer sixty4 ,because of his simple life he was in physical prime1 mentally alert1 and strong in body4 ,he was about five feet eight inches tall1 well proportioned1 had beautiful hands and unspoiled feet4 ,his features were less aquiline than those of the ,plains ,indian1 yet strongly marked outlines1 high cheek bones1 large intelligent eyes1 straight black hair1 and fine teeth made him good to look upon4 ,as an artisan he was very skilful and ingenious4 ,accustomed to primitive tools of stone and bone1 he soon learned to use most expertly the knife1 file1 saw1 vise1 hammer1 ax1 and other modern implements4 ,although he marveled at many of our inventions and appreciated matches1 he took great pride in his ability to make fire with two sticks of buckeye4 ,this he could do in less than two minutes by twirling one on the other4 ,about this time ,i became an instructor in surgery at the ,university ,medical ,school1 which is situated next to the ,museum4 ,ishi was employed here in a small way as a janitor to teach him modern industry and the value of money4 ,he was perfectly happy and a great favorite with everybody4 ,from his earliest experience with our community life he manifested little immunity to disease4 ,he contracted all the epidemic infections with which he was brought in contact4 ,he lived a very hygienic existence1 having excellent food and sleeping outdoors1 but still he was often sick4 ,because of this ,i came in touch with him as his physician in the hospital1 and soon learned to admire him for the fine qualities of his nature4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,death ,,mask ,,of ,,ishi1 ,,the ,,last ,,yana ,,indian ,though very reserved1 he was kindly1 honest1 cleanly1 and trustworthy4 ,more than this1 he had a superior philosophy of life1 and a high moral standard4 ,by degrees ,i learned to speak his dialect1 and spent many hours in his company4 ,he told us the folk lore of his tribe4 ,more than forty myths or animal stories of his have been recorded and preserved4 ,they are as interesting as the stories of ,uncle ,remus4 ,the escapades of wildcat1 the lion1 the grizzly bear1 the bluejay1 the lizard1 and the coyote are as full of excitement and comedy as any fairy story4 ,he knew the history and use of everything in the outdoor world4 ,he spoke the language of the animals4 ,he taught me to make bows and arrows1 how to shoot them1 and how to hunt1 ,indian fashion4 ,he was a wonderful companion in the woods1 and many days and nights we journeyed together4 ,after he had been with us three years we took him back to his own country4 ,but he did not want to stay4 ,he liked the ways of the white man1 and his own land was full of the spirits of the departed4 ,he showed us old forgotten camp sites where past chieftains made their villages4 ,he took us to deer licks and ambushes used by his people long ago4 ,one day in passing the base of a great rock he scratched with his toe and dug up the bones of a bear's paw4 ,here1 in years past1 they had killed and roasted a bear4 ,this was the camp of ,ya mo lo ku4 ,his own camp was called ,wowomopono ,tetna or bear wallow4 ,we swam the streams together1 hunted deer and small game1 and at night sat under the stars by the camp fire1 where in a simple way we talked of old heroes1 the worlds above us1 and his theories of the life to come in the land of plenty1 where the bounding deer and the mighty bear met the hunter with his strong bow and swift arrows4 ,i learned to love ,ishi as a brother1 and he looked upon me as one of his people4 ,he called me ,ku wi1 or ,medicine ,man2 more1 perhaps1 because ,i could perform little sleight of hand tricks1 than because of my profession4 ,but1 in spite of the fact that he was happy and surrounded by the most advanced material culture1 he sickened and died4 ,unprotected by hereditary or acquired immunity1 he contracted tuberculosis and faded away before our eyes4 ,because he had no natural resistance1 he received no benefit from such hygienic measures as serve to arrest the disease in the ,caucasian4 ,we did everything possible for him1 and nursed him to the painful bitter end4 ,when his malady was discovered1 plans were made to take him back to the mountains whence he came and there have him cared for properly4 ,we hoped that by this return to his natural elements he would recover4 ,but from the inception of his disease he failed so rapidly that he was not strong enough to travel4 ,consumed with fever and unable to eat nourishing food1 he seemed doomed from the first4 ,after months of misery he suddenly developed a tremendous pulmonary hemorrhage4 ,i was with him at the time1 directed his medication1 and gently stroked his hand as a small sign of fellowship and sympathy4 ,he did not care for marked demonstrations of any sort4 ,he was a stoic1 unafraid1 and died in the faith of his people4 ,as an ,indian should go1 so we sent him on his long journey to the land of shadows4 ,by his side we placed his fire sticks1 ten pieces of dentalia or ,indian money1 a small bag of acorn meal1 a bit of dried venison1 some tobacco1 and his bow and arrows4 ,these were cremated with him and the ashes placed in an earthen jar4 ,on it is inscribed ,ishi1 the last ,yana ,indian1 #aiaf4 ,and so departed the last wild ,indian of ,america4 ,with him the neolithic epoch terminates4 ,he closes a chapter in history4 ,he looked upon us as sophisticated children--smart1 but not wise4 ,we knew many things and much that is false4 ,he knew nature1 which is always true4 ,his were the qualities of character that last forever4 ,he was essentially kind2 he had courage and self-restraint1 and though all had been taken from him1 there was no bitterness in his heart4 ,his soul was that of a child1 his mind that of a philosopher4 ,with him there was no word for good-by4 ,he said3 ,you stay1 ,i go4 ,he has gone and he hunts with his people4 ,we stay1 and he has left us the heritage of the bow4 ,,ii ,,how ,,ishi ,,made ,,his ,,bow ,,and ,,arrow ,,and ,,his ,,methods ,,of ,,shooting ,although much has been written in history and fiction concerning the archery of the ,north ,american ,indian1 strange to say1 very little has been recorded of the methods of manufacture of their weapons1 and less in accurate records of their shooting4 ,it is a great privilege to have lived with an unspoiled aborigine and seen him step by step construct the most perfect type of bow and arrow4 ,the workmanship of ,ishi was by far the best of any ,indian in ,america2 compared with thousands of specimens in the museum1 his arrows were the most carefully and beautifully made2 his bow was the best4 ,it would take too much time to go into the minute details of his work1 and this has all been recorded in anthropologic records1 #a ,footnote #a3 ,see ,yahi ,archery1 ,vol4 #ac1 ,no4 #c1 ,am4 ,archaeology and ,ethnology4 but the outlines of his methods are as follows3 ,the bow1 ,ishi called man-nee4 ,it was a short1 flat piece of mountain juniper backed with sinew4 ,the length was forty-two inches1 or1 as he measured it1 from the horizontally extended hand to the opposite hip4 ,it was broadest at the center of each limb1 approximately two inches1 and half an inch thick4 ,the cross-section of this part was elliptical4 ,at the center of the bow the handgrip was about an inch and a quarter wide by three-quarters thick1 a cross-section being ovoid4 ,at the tips it was curved gently backward and measured at the nocks three-quarters by one-half an inch4 ,the nock itself was square shouldered and terminated in a pin half an inch in diameter and an inch long4 ,the wood was obtained by splitting a limb from a tree and utilizing the outer layers1 including the sap wood4 ,by scraping and rubbing on sandstone1 he shaped and finished it4 ,the recurved tips of the bow he made by bending the wood backward over a heated stone4 ,held in shape by cords and binding to another piece of wood1 he let his bow season in a dark1 dry place4 ,here it remained from a few months to years1 according to his needs4 ,after being seasoned he backed it with sinew4 ,first he made a glue by boiling salmon skin and applying it to the roughened back of the bow4 ,when it was dry he laid on long strips of deer sinew obtained from the leg tendons4 ,by chewing these tendons and separating their fibers1 they became soft and adhesive4 ,carefully overlapping the ends of the numerous fibers he covered the entire back very thickly4 ,at the nocks he surrounded the wood completely and added a circular binding about the bow4 ,during the process of drying he bound the sinew tightly to the bow with long1 thin strips of willow bark4 ,after several days he removed this bandage and smoothed off the edges of the dry sinew1 sized the surface with more glue and rubbed everything smooth with sandstone4 ,then he bound the handgrip for a space of four inches with a narrow buckskin thong4 ,in his native state he seems never to have greased his bow nor protected it from moisture1 except by his bow case1 which was made of the skin from a cougar's tail4 ,but while with us he used shellac to protect the glue and wood4 ,other savages use buck fat or bear grease4 ,the bowstring he made of the finer tendons from the deer's shank4 ,these he chewed until soft1 then twisted them tightly into a cord having a permanent loop at one end and a buckskin strand at the other4 ,while wet the string was tied between two twigs and rubbed smooth with spittle4 ,its diameter was one-eighth of an inch1 its length about forty-eight inches4 ,when dry the loop was applied to the upper nock of his bow while he bent the bow over his knee and wound the opposite end of the string about the lower nock4 ,the buckskin thong terminating this portion of the string made it easier to tie in several half hitches4 ,when braced properly the bowstring was about five inches from the belly of the bow4 ,and when not in use and unstrung the upper loop was slipped entirely off the nock1 but held from falling away from the bow by a second small loop of buckskin4 ,drawn to the full length of an arrow1 which was about twenty-six inches1 exclusive of the foreshaft1 his bow bent in a perfect arc slightly flattened at the handle4 ,its pull was about forty-five pounds1 and it could shoot an arrow about two hundred yards4 ,this is not the most powerful type of weapon known to ,indians1 and even ,ishi did make stronger bows when he pleased2 but this seemed to be the ideal weight for hunting1 and it certainly was adequate in his hands4 ,according to ,english standards1 it was very short2 but for hunting in the brush and shooting from crouched postures1 it seems better fitted for the work than a longer weapon4 ,according to ,ishi1 a bow left strung or standing in an upright position1 gets tired and sweats4 ,when not in use it should be lying down2 no one should step over it2 no child should handle it1 and no woman should touch it4 ,this brings bad luck and makes it shoot crooked4 ,to expunge such an influence it is necessary to wash the bow in sand and water4 ,in his judgment1 a good bow made a musical note when strung and the string is tapped with the arrow4 ,this was man's first harp1 the great grandfather of the pianoforte4 ,by placing one end of his bow at the corner of his open mouth and tapping the string with an arrow1 the ,yana could make sweet music4 ,it sounded like an ,aeolian harp4 ,to this accompaniment ,ishi sang a folk-song telling of a great warrior whose bow was so strong that1 dipping his arrow first in fire1 then in the ocean1 he shot at the sun4 ,as swift as the wind1 his arrow flew straight in the round open door of the sun and put out its light4 ,darkness fell upon the earth and men shivered with cold4 ,to prevent themselves from freezing they grew feathers1 and thus our brothers1 the birds1 were born4 ,ishi called an arrow sa wa4 ,in making arrows the first thing is to get the shafts4 ,ishi used many woods1 but he preferred witch hazel4 ,the long1 straight stems of this shrub he cut in lengths of thirty-two inches1 having a diameter of three-eighths of an inch at the base when peeled of bark4 ,he bound a number of these together and put them away in a shady place to dry4 ,after a week or more1 preferably several months1 he selected the best shafts and straightened them4 ,this he accomplished by holding the concave surface near a small heap of hot embers and when warm he either pressed his great toe on the opposite side1 or he bent the wood backward on the base of the thumb4 ,squinting down its axis he lined up the uneven contours one after the other and laid the shaft aside until a series of five was completed4 ,he made up arrows in lots of five or ten1 according to the requirements1 his fingers being the measure4 ,the sticks thus straightened he ran back and forth between two grooved pieces of sandstone or revolved them on his thigh while holding the stones in his hand1 until they were smooth and reduced to a diameter of about five-sixteenths of an inch4 ,next they were cut into lengths of approximately twenty-six inches4 ,the larger end was now bound with a buckskin thong and drilled out for the depth of an inch and a half to receive the end of the foreshaft4 ,he drilled this hole by fixing a long1 sharp bone in the ground between his great toes and revolved the upright shaft between his palms on this fixed point1 the buckskin binding keeping the wood from splitting4 ,the foreshaft was made of heavier wood1 frequently mountain mahogany4 ,it was the same diameter as the arrow1 only tapering a trifle toward the front end1 and usually was about six inches long4 ,this was carefully shaped into a spindle at the larger end and set in the recently drilled hole of the shaft1 using glue or resin for this purpose4 ,the joint was bound with chewed sinew1 set in glue4 ,the length of an arrow1 over all1 was estimated by ,ishi in this manner4 ,he placed one end on the top of his breast-bone and held the other end out in his extended left hand4 ,where it touched the tip of his forefinger it was cut as the proper length4 ,this was about thirty-two inches4 ,the rear end of his arrow was now notched to receive the bowstring4 ,he filed it with a bit of obsidian1 or later on1 with three hacksaw blades bound together until he made a groove one-eighth of an inch wide by three-eighths deep4 ,the opposite end of the shaft was notched in a similar way to receive the head4 ,the direction of this latter cut was such that when the arrow was on the bow the edge of the arrowhead was perpendicular1 for the fancied reason that in this position the arrow when shot enters between the ribs of an animal more readily4 ,he did not seem to recognize that an arrow rotates4 ,at this stage he painted his shafts4 ,the pigments used in the wilds were red cinnabar1 black pigment from the eye of trout1 a green vegetable dye from wild onions1 and a blue obtained1 he said1 from the root of a plant4 ,these were mixed with the sap or resin of trees and applied with a little stick or hairs from a fox's tail drawn through a quill4 ,his usual design was a series of alternating rings of green and black starting two inches from the rear end and running four inches up the shaft4 ,or he made small circular dots and snaky lines running down the shaft for a similar distance4 ,when with us he used dry colors mixed with shellac1 which he preferred to oil paints because they dried quicker4 ,the painted area1 intended for the feathers1 is called the shaftment and not only helps in finding lost arrows1 but identifies the owner4 ,this entire portion he usually smeared with thin glue or sizing4 ,a number of shafts having been similarly prepared1 the ,indian was ready to feather them4 ,a feather he called pu nee4 ,in fledging arrows ,ishi used eagle1 buzzard1 hawk or flicker feathers4 ,owl feathers ,indians seem to avoid1 thinking they bring bad luck4 ,by preference he took them from the wings1 but did not hesitate to use tail feathers if reduced to it4 ,with us he used turkey pinions4 ,grasping one between the heel of his two palms he carefully separated the bristles at the tip of the feather with his fingers and pulled them apart1 splitting the quill its entire length4 ,this is called stripping a feather4 ,taking the wider half he firmly held one end on a rock with his great toe1 and the other end between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand4 ,with a piece of obsidian1 or later on a knife blade1 he scraped away the pith until the rib was thin and flat4 ,having prepared a sufficient number in this way he gathered them in groups of three1 all from similar wings1 tied them with a bit of string and dropped them in a vessel of water4 ,when thoroughly wet and limp they were ready for use4 ,while he chewed up a strand of sinew eight or ten inches long1 he picked up a group of feathers1 stripped off the water1 removed one1 and after testing its strength1 folded the last two inches of bristles down on the rib1 and the rest he ruffled backward1 thus leaving a free space for later binding4 ,he prepared all three like this4 ,picking up an arrow shaft he clamped it between his left arm and chest1 holding the rear end above the shaftment in his left hand4 ,twirling it slowly in this position1 he applied one end of the sinew near the nock1 fixing it by overlapping4 ,the first movements were accomplished while holding one extremity of the sinew in his teeth2 later1 having applied the feathers to the stick1 he shifted the sinew to the grasp of the right thumb and forefinger4 ,one by one he laid the feathers in position1 binding down the last two inches of stem and the wet barbs together4 ,the first feather he applied on a line perpendicular to the plane of the nock2 the two others were equidistant from this4 ,for the space of an inch he lapped the sinew about the feathers and arrow-shaft1 slowly rotating it all the while1 at last smoothing the binding with his thumb nail4 ,the rear ends having been lashed in position1 the arrow was set aside to dry while the rest were prepared4 ,five or ten having reached this stage and the binding being dry and secure1 he took one again between his left arm and chest1 and with his right hand drew all the feathers straight and taut1 down the shaft4 ,here he held them with the fingers of his left hand4 ,having marked a similar place on each arrow where the sinew was to go1 he cut the bristles off the rib4 ,at this point he started binding with another piece of wet sinew4 ,after a few turns he drew the feathers taut again and cut them1 leaving about a half inch of rib4 ,this he bound down completely to the arrow-shaft and finished all by smoothing the wet lapping with his thumb nail4 ,the space between the rib and the wood he sometimes smeared with more glue to cause the feather to adhere to the shaft1 but this was not the usual custom with him4 ,after all was dry and firm1 ,ishi took the arrow and beat it gently across his palm so that the feathers spread out nicely4 ,as a rule the length of his feathers was four inches1 though on ceremonial arrows they often were as long as eight inches4 ,after drying1 the feathers were cut with a sharp piece of obsidian1 using a straight stick as a guide and laying the arrow on a flat piece of wood4 ,when with us he trimmed them with scissors1 making a straight cut from the full width of the feather in back1 to the height of a quarter of an inch at the forward extremity4 ,on his arrows he left the natural curve of the feather at the nock1 and while the rear binding started an inch or more from the butt of the arrow1 the feather drooped over the nock4 ,this gave a pretty effect and seemed to add to the steering qualities of the missile4 ,two kinds of points were used on ,ishi's arrows4 ,one was the simple blunt end of the shaft bound with sinew used for killing small game and practice shots4 ,the other was his hunting head1 made of flint or obsidian4 ,he preferred the latter4 ,obsidian was used as money among the natives of ,california4 ,a boulder of this volcanic glass was packed from some mountainous districts and pieces were cracked off and exchanged for dried fish1 venison1 or weapons4 ,it was a medium of barter4 ,although all men were more or less expert in flaking arrowheads and knives1 the better grades of bows1 arrows1 and arrow points were made by the older1 more expert specialists of the tribe4 ,ishi often referred to one old ,indian1 named ,chu no wa yahi1 who lived at the base of a great cliff with his crazy wife4 ,this man owned an ax1 and thus was famous for his possessions as well as his skill as a maker of bows4 ,from a distant mountain crest one day ,ishi pointed out to me the camp of this ,indian who was long since dead4 ,if ever ,ishi wished to refer to a hero of the bow1 or having been beaten in a shot1 he always told us what ,chu no wa yahi could have done4 ,to make arrowheads properly one should smear his face with mud and sit out in the hot sun in a quiet secluded spot4 ,the mud is a precaution against harm from the flying chips of glass1 possibly also a good luck ritual4 ,if by chance a bit of glass should fly in the eye1 ,ishi's method of surgical relief was to hold his lower lid wide open with one finger while he slapped himself violently on the head with the other hand4 ,i am inclined to ascribe the process of removal more to the hydraulic effect of the tears thus started than to the mechanical jar of the treatment4 ,he began this work by taking one chunk of obsidian and throwing it against another2 several small pieces were thus shattered off4 ,one of these1 approximately three inches long1 two inches wide and half an inch thick1 was selected as suitable for an arrowhead1 or haka4 ,protecting the palm of his left hand by a piece of thick buckskin1 ,ishi placed a piece of obsidian flat upon it1 holding it firmly with his fingers folded over it4 ,in his right hand he held a short stick on the end of which was lashed a sharp piece of deer horn4 ,grasping the horn firmly while the longer extremity lay beneath his forearm1 he pressed the point of the horn against the edge of the obsidian4 ,without jar or blow1 a flake of glass flew off1 as large as a fish scale4 ,repeating this process at various spots on the intended head1 turning it from side to side1 first reducing one face1 then the other1 he soon had a symmetrical point4 ,in half an hour he could make the most graceful and perfectly proportioned arrowhead imaginable4 ,the little notches fashioned to hold the sinew binding below the barbs he shaped with a smaller piece of bone1 while the arrowhead was held on the ball of his thumb4 ,flint1 plate glass1 old bottle glass1 onyx--all could be worked with equal facility4 ,beautiful heads were fashioned from blue bottles and beer bottles4 ,the general size of these points was two inches for length1 seven-eighths for width1 and one-eighth for thickness4 ,larger heads were used for war and smaller ones for shooting bears4 ,such a head1 of course1 was easily broken if the archer missed his shot4 ,this made him very careful about the whole affair of shooting4 ,when ready for use1 these heads were set on the end of the shaft with heated resin and bound in place with sinew which encircled the end of the arrow and crossed diagonally through the barb notches with many recurrences4 ,such a point has better cutting qualities in animal tissue than has steel4 ,the latter is1 of course1 more durable4 ,after entering civilization1 ,ishi preferred to use iron or steel blades of the same general shape1 or having a short tang for insertion in the arrowhead4 ,ishi carried anywhere from five to sixty arrows in a quiver made of otter skin which hung suspended by a loop of buckskin over his left shoulder4 ,his method of bracing or stringing the bow was as follows3 ,grasping it with his right hand at its center1 with the belly toward him1 and the lower end on his right thigh1 he held the upper end with his left hand while the loop of the string rested between his finger and thumb4 ,by pressing downward at the handle and pulling upward with the left hand he so sprung the bow that the loop of the cord could be slipped over the upper nock4 ,illustration3 ,,ishi ,,and ,,apperson1 ,,the ,,guide1 ,,once ,,old ,,enemies1 ,,now ,,friends ,illustration3 ,,calling ,,game ,,in ,,ambush ,illustration3 ,,the ,,indian',s ,,favorite ,,shooting ,,position ,illustration3 ,,chopping ,,out ,a ,,juniper ,,bow ,in nocking his arrow1 the bow was held diagonally across the body1 its upper end pointing to the left4 ,it was held lightly in the palm of the left hand so that it rested loosely in the notch of the thumb while the fingers partially surrounded the handle4 ,taking an arrow from his quiver1 he laid it across the bow on its right side where it lay between the extended fingers of his left hand4 ,he gently slid the arrow forward until the nock slipped over the string at its center4 ,here he set it properly in place and put his right thumb under the string1 hooked upward ready to pull4 ,at the same time he flexed his forefinger against the side of the arrow1 and the second finger was placed on the thumb nail to strengthen the pull4 ,thus he accomplished what is known as the ,mongolian release4 ,only a few nations ever used this type of arrow release1 and the ,yana seem to have been the only ,american natives to do so4 #b ,footnote #b3 ,see ,morse on ,arrow ,release4 ,to draw his bow he extended his left arm4 ,at the same time he pulled his right hand toward him4 ,the bow arm was almost in front of him1 while his right hand drew to the top of his breast bone4 ,with both eyes open he sighted along his shaft and estimated the elevation according to the distance to be shot4 ,he released firmly and without change of position until the arrow hit4 ,he preferred to shoot kneeling or squatting1 for this was most favorable for getting game4 ,his shooting distances were from ten yards up to fifty4 ,past this range he did not think one should shoot1 but sought rather to approach his game more closely4 ,in his native state he practiced shooting at little oak balls1 or bundles of grass bound to represent rabbits1 or little hoops of willow rolled along the ground4 ,like all other archers1 if ,ishi missed a shot he always had a good excuse4 ,there was too much wind1 or the arrow was crooked1 or the bow had lost its cast1 or1 as a last resource1 the coyote doctor bewitched him1 which is the same thing we mean when we say it is just bad luck4 ,while with us he shot at the regulation straw target1 and he is the first and only ,indian of whose shooting any accurate records have been made4 ,many exaggerated reports exist concerning the accuracy of the shooting of ,american ,indians2 but here we have one who shot ever since childhood1 who lived by hunting1 and must have been as good1 if not better1 than the average4 ,he taught us to shoot ,indian style at first1 but later we learned the old ,english methods and found them superior to the ,indian4 ,at the end of three months' practice1 ,dr4 ,j4 ,v4 ,cooke and ,i could shoot as well as ,ishi at targets1 but he could surpass us at game shooting4 ,ishi never thought very much of our long bows4 ,he always said1 ,too much man-nee4 ,and he always insisted that arrows should be painted red and green4 ,but when we began beating him at targets1 he took all his shafts home and scraped the paint off them1 putting back rings of blue and yellow1 doubtless to change his luck4 ,in spite of our apparent superiority at some forms of shooting1 he never changed his methods to meet competition4 ,we1 of course1 did not want him to4 ,small objects the size of a quail the ,indian could hit with regularity up to twenty yards4 ,and ,i have seen him kill ground squirrels at forty yards2 yet at the same distances he might miss a four-foot target4 ,he explained this by saying that the target was too large and the bright colored rings diverted the attention4 ,he was right4 ,there is a regular system of shooting in archery competition4 ,in ,america there is what is known as the ,american ,round1 which consists of shooting thirty arrows at each of the following distances3 sixty1 fifty1 and forty yards4 ,the bull's-eye on the target is a trifle over nine inches and is surrounded by four rings of half this diameter4 ,their value is #i1 #g1 #e1 #c1 #a1 successively counting from the center outward4 ,the target itself is constructed of straw1 bound in the form of a mat four feet in diameter1 covered with a canvas facing4 ,counting the hits and scores on the various distances1 a good archer will make the following record4 ,here is ,arthur ,young's best score3 ,march #be1 #aiag4 ,at #fj yards #cj hits #aij score #aa golds #ej yards #cj hits #aih score #i golds #dj yards #cj hits #bch score #ag golds ,total #ij hits #fbf score #cg golds ,this is one of the best scores made by ,american archers4 ,ishi's best record is as follows3 ,october #bc1 #aiad4 ,at #fj yards #aj hits #cb score #ej yards #bj hits #ib score #b golds #dj yards #ai hits #ii score #b golds ,total #di hits #bbc score #d golds ,his next best score was this3 ,at #fj yards #ac hits #ea score #ej yards #ag hits #ei score #dj yards #bb hits #ie score ,total #eb hits #bje score ,my own best practice ,american round is as follows3 ,may #bb1 #aiag4 ,at #fj yards #bi hits #aeg score #ej yards #bi hits #ahe score #dj yards #cj hits #aif score ,total #hh hits #ech score ,anything over #ejj is considered good shooting4 ,it will be seen from this that the ,indian was not a good target shot1 but in field shooting and getting game1 probably he could excel the white man4 ,,iii ,,ishi',s ,,methods ,,of ,,hunting ,hunting with ,ishi was pure joy4 ,bow in hand1 he seemed to be transformed into a being light as air and as silent as falling snow4 ,from the very first we went on little expeditions into the country where1 without appearing to instruct1 he was my teacher in the old1 old art of the chase4 ,i followed him into a new system of getting game4 ,we shot rabbits1 quail1 and squirrels with the bow4 ,his methods here were not so well defined as in the approach to larger game1 but ,i was struck from the first by his noiseless step1 his slow movements1 his use of cover4 ,these little animals are flushed by sound and sight1 not scent4 ,another prominent feature of ,ishi's work in the field was his indefatigable persistence4 ,he never gave up when he knew a rabbit was in a clump of brush4 ,time meant nothing to him2 he simply stayed until he got his game4 ,he would watch a squirrel hole for an hour if necessary1 but he always got the squirrel4 ,he made great use of the game call4 ,we all know of duck and turkey calls1 but when he told me that he lured rabbits1 tree squirrels1 wildcats1 coyote1 and bear to him1 ,i thought he was romancing4 ,going along the trail1 he would stop and say1 ,ineja teway--bjum--metchi bi wi1 or ,this is good rabbit ground4 ,then crouching behind a suitable bush as a blind1 he would place the fingers of his right hand against his lips and1 going through the act of kissing1 he produced a plaintive squeak similar to that given by a rabbit caught by a hawk or in mortal distress4 ,this he repeated with heartrending appeals until suddenly one or two or sometimes three rabbits appeared in the opening4 ,they came from distances of a hundred yards or more1 hopped forward1 stopped and listened1 hopped again1 listened1 and ultimately came within ten or fifteen yards while ,ishi dragged out his squeak in a most pathetic manner4 ,then he would shoot4 ,to test his ability one afternoon while hunting deer1 ,i asked the ,yana to try his call in twelve separate locations4 ,from these twelve calls we had five jackrabbits and one wildcat approach us4 ,the cat came out of the forest1 cautiously stepped nearer and sat upon a log in a bright open space not more than fifty yards away while ,i shot three arrows at him1 one after the other2 the last clipped him between the ears4 ,this call being a cry of distress1 rabbits and squirrels come with the idea of protecting their young4 ,they run around in a circle1 stamp their feet1 and make great demonstrations of anger1 probably as much to attract the attention of the supposed predatory beast and decoy him away1 as anything else4 ,the cat1 the coyote1 and the bear come for no such humane motive2 they are thinking of food1 of joining the feast4 ,i learned the call myself1 not perfectly1 but well enough to bring squirrels down from the topmost branches of tall pines1 to have foxes and lynx approach me1 and to get rabbits4 ,not only could ,ishi call the animals1 but he understood their language4 ,often when we have been hunting he has stopped and said1 ,the squirrel is scolding a fox4 ,at first ,i said to him1 ,i don't believe you4 ,then he would say1 ,wait6 ,look6 ,hiding behind a tree or rock or bush1 in a few minutes we would see a fox trot across the open forest4 ,it seemed that for a hawk or cat or man1 the squirrel has a different call1 such that ,ishi could say without seeing1 what molested his little brother4 ,often have we stopped and rested because1 so he said1 a bluejay called far and wide1 ,here comes a man6 ,there was no use going farther1 the animals all knew of our presence4 ,only a white hunter would advance under these circumstances4 ,ishi could smell deer1 cougar1 and foxes like an animal1 and often discovered them first this way4 ,he could imitate the call of quail to such an extent that he spoke a half-dozen sentences to them4 ,he knew the crow of the cock on sentinel duty when he signals to others2 he knew the cry of warning1 and the run-to-shelter cry of the hen2 her command to her little ones to fly2 and the lie low cluck2 then at last the all's well chirp4 ,deer he could call in the fawn season by placing a folded leaf between his lips and sucking vigorously4 ,this made a bleat such as a lamb gives1 or a boy makes blowing on a blade of grass between his thumbs4 ,he also enticed deer by means of a stuffed buck's head which he wore as a cap1 and bobbing up and down behind bushes excited their curiosity until they approached within bow-shot4 ,ordinarily in hunting deer1 the ,indian used what is termed the still hunt1 but with him it was more than that4 ,first of all he studied the country for its formation of hills1 ridges1 valleys1 canyons1 brush and timber4 ,he observed the direction of the prevailing winds1 the position of the sun at daybreak and evening4 ,he noted the water holes1 game trails1 buck look-outs1 deer beds1 the nature of the feeding grounds1 the stage of the moon1 the presence of salt licks1 and many other features of importance4 ,if possible1 he located the hiding-place of the old bucks in daytime1 all of which every careful hunter does4 ,next1 he observed the habits of game1 and the presence or absence of predatory beasts that kill deer4 ,having decided these and other questions1 he prepared for the hunt4 ,he would eat no fish the day before the hunt1 and smoke no tobacco1 for these odors are detected a great way off4 ,he rose early1 bathed in the creek1 rubbed himself with the aromatic leaves of yerba buena1 washed out his mouth1 drank water1 but ate no food4 ,dressed in a loin cloth1 but without shirt1 leggings or moccasins1 he set out1 bow and quiver at his side4 ,he said that clothing made too much noise in the brush1 and naturally one is more cautious in his movements when reminded by his sensitive hide that he is touching a sharp twig4 ,from the very edge of camp1 until he returned1 he was on the alert for game1 and the one obvious element of his mental attitude was that he suspected game everywhere4 ,he saw a hundred objects that looked like deer1 to every live animal in reality4 ,he took it for granted that ten deer see you where you see one--so see it first6 ,on the trail1 it was a crime to speak4 ,his warning note was a soft1 low whistle or a hiss4 ,as he walked1 he placed every footfall with precise care2 the most stealthy step ,i ever saw2 he was used to it2 lived by it4 ,for every step he looked twice4 ,when going over a rise of ground he either stooped1 crawled or let just his eyes go over the top1 then stopped and gazed a long time for the slightest moving twig or spot of color4 ,of course1 he always hunted up wind1 unless he were cutting across country or intended to flush game4 ,at sunrise and sunset he tried always to get between the sun and his game4 ,he drifted between the trees like a shadow1 expectant and nerved for immediate action4 ,some ,indians1 covering their heads with tall grass1 can creep up on deer in the open1 and rising suddenly to a kneeling posture shoot at a distance of ten or fifteen yards4 ,but ,ishi never tried this before me4 ,having located his quarry1 he either shot1 at suitable ranges1 or made a detour to wait the passing of the game or to approach it from a more favorable direction4 ,he never used dogs in hunting4 ,when a number of people hunted together1 ,ishi would hide behind a blind at the side of a deer trail and let the others run the deer past4 ,in his country we saw old piles of rock covered with lichen and moss that were less than twenty yards from well-marked deer trails4 ,for numberless years ,indians had used these as blinds to secure camp meat4 ,in the same necessity1 the ,indian would lie in wait near licks or springs to get his food2 but he never killed wantonly4 ,although ,ishi took me on many deer hunts and we had several shots at deer1 owing to the distance or the fall of the ground or obstructing trees1 we registered nothing better than encouraging misses4 ,he was undoubtedly hampered by the presence of a novice1 and unduly hastened by the white man's lack of time4 ,his early death prevented our ultimate achievement in this matter1 so it was only after he had gone to the ,happy ,hunting ,grounds that ,i1 profiting by his teachings1 killed my first deer with the bow4 ,that he had shot many deer1 even since boyhood1 there was no doubt4 ,to prove that he could shoot through one with his arrows1 ,i had him discharge several at a buck killed by our packer4 ,shooting at forty yards1 one arrow went through the chest wall1 half its length2 another struck the spine and fractured it1 both being mortal wounds4 ,it was the custom of his tribe to hunt until noon1 when by that time they usually had several deer1 obtained1 as a rule1 by the ambush method4 ,having pre-arranged the matter1 the women appeared on the scene1 cut up the meat1 cooked part of it1 principally the liver and heart1 and they had a feast on the spot4 ,the rest was taken to camp and made into jerky4 ,in skinning animals1 the ,indian used an obsidian knife held in his hand by a piece of buckskin4 ,i found this cut better than the average hunting knife sold to sportsmen4 ,often in skinning rabbits he would make a small hole in the skin over the abdomen and blow into this1 stripping the integument free from the body and inflating it like a football1 except at the legs4 ,in skinning the tail of an animal1 he used a split stick to strip it down1 and did it so dextrously that it was a revelation of how easy this otherwise difficult process may be when one knows how4 ,he tanned his skins in the way customary with most savages3 clean skinning1 brain emulsion1 and plenty of elbow grease4 ,illustration3 ,,our ,,caravan ,,leaving ,,deer ,,creek ,,canyon ,illustration3 ,,ishi ,,flaking ,,an ,,obsidian ,,arrow ,,head ,illustration3 ,,the ,,indian ,,and ,a ,,deer ,his people killed bear with the bow and arrow4 ,ishi made a distinction between grizzly bear1 which he called tet na1 and black bear1 which he called bo he4 ,the former had long claws1 could not climb trees1 and feared nothing4 ,he was to be let alone4 ,the other was all same pig4 ,the black bear1 when found1 was surrounded by a dozen or more ,indians who built fires1 and discharging their arrows at his open mouth1 attempted to kill him4 ,if he charged1 a burning brand was snatched from the fire and thrust in his face while the others shot him from the side4 ,thus they wore him down and at last vanquished him4 ,in his youth1 ,ishi killed a cinnamon bear single handed4 ,finding it asleep on a ledge of rock1 he sneaked close to it and gave a loud whistle4 ,the bear rose up on its hind legs and ,ishi shot him through the chest4 ,with a roar the bear fell off the ledge and the ,indian jumped after him4 ,with a short-handled obsidian spear he thrust him through the heart4 ,the skin of this bear now hangs in the ,museum of ,anthropology in mute testimony of the courage and daring of ,ishi4 ,had this young man been given a name1 perhaps they would have called him ,yellow ,bear4 ,while he shot many birds1 ,i never saw ,ishi try wing shooting except at eagles or hawks4 ,for these he would use an arrow on which he had smeared mud to make it dark in color4 ,a light shaft is readily discerned by these birds1 and ,i have often seen them dodge an arrow4 ,but the darker one is almost invisible head on4 ,the feathers of the arrows were close cropped to make them swift and noiseless4 ,the sound of a bowstring is that of a sharp twang accompanied by a muffled crack4 ,to avoid this and make a silent shot1 the ,indian bound his bow at the nocks with weasel fur2 this effectually damped the vibration of the string1 while the passage of the arrow across the bow1 which gives the slight crack1 is abolished by a heavy padding of buckskin at this point4 ,ishi never wore an arm guard or glove or finger stalls to protect himself as other archers do4 ,he seemed not to need them4 ,when he released the arrow1 the bow rotated in his hand so that the string faced in the opposite direction from which it started4 ,his thumb alone drew the string1 and this was so toughened that it needed no leather covering4 ,in a little bag he carried extra arrowheads and sinews1 so that in a pinch he could mend his arrows4 ,when not actually in use1 he promptly unstrung his bow1 and gently straightened it by hand4 ,in cold weather he heated it over a fire before bracing it4 ,the slightest moisture would deter him from shooting1 unless absolutely necessary--he was so jealous of his tackle4 ,if his bowstring stretched in the heat or dampness1 as sinew is liable to do1 he shortened it by twisting one end prior to bracing it4 ,before shooting he invariably looked over each arrow1 straightened it in his hands or by his teeth1 re-arranged its feathers1 and saw that the point was properly adjusted4 ,in fact1 he gave infinite attention to detail4 ,with him1 every shot must count4 ,besides arrows in his quiver1 he carried several ready for use under his right arm1 which he kept close to his side while drawing the bow4 ,in all things pertaining to the handicraft of archery and the technique of shooting1 he was most exacting4 ,neatness about his tackle1 care of his equipment1 deliberation and form in his shooting were typical of him2 in fact1 he loved his bow as he did no other of his possessions4 ,it was his constant companion in life and he took it with him on his last long journey4 ,,iv ,,archery ,,in ,,general ,our experience with ,ishi waked the love of archery in us1 that impulse which lies dormant in the heart of every ,anglo-,saxon4 ,for it is a strange thing that all the men who have centered about this renaissance in shooting the bow1 in our immediate locality1 are of ,english ancestry4 ,their names betray them4 ,many have come and watched and shot a little1 and gone away2 but these have stayed to hunt4 ,from shooting the bow ,indian fashion1 ,i turned to the study of its history1 and soon found that the ,english were its greatest masters4 ,in them archery reached its high tide2 after them its glory passed4 ,but the earliest evidence of the use of the bow is found in the existence of arrowheads assigned to the third interglacial period1 nearly #ej1jjj years ago4 ,that man had material culture prior to this epoch1 there is no doubt1 and the use of the bow with arrows of less complicated structure must have preceded this period4 ,all races and nations at one time or another have used the bow4 ,even the ,australian aborigine1 who is supposed to have been too low in mental development to have understood the principles of archery1 used a miniature bow and poisoned arrow in shooting game4 ,in the magnificent collection of ,joseph ,jessop of ,san ,diego1 ,california1 ,i saw one of these little bows scarcely more than a foot long4 ,the arrows1 he stated1 the natives carried in the hair of their heads4 ,those who are interested in the archaeology of the bow should read the volume on archery of the ,badminton ,library by ,longmans4 ,various peoples have excelled in shooting1 notably the ,japanese1 the ,turks1 the ,scythians1 and the ,english4 ,others have not been suited by temperament to use the bow4 ,the ,latins1 the ,peruvians1 and the ,irish seem never to have been toxophilites4 ,the famous long bow of ,merrie ,old ,england was brought there by the ,normans1 who inherited it from the ,norsemen settled along the ,rhine4 ,here grew the best yew trees in days gone by1 and this1 doubtless1 was a strong determining factor in the superior development of their archery4 ,before the battle of ,hastings1 the ,saxons used the short1 weak weapon common to all primitive people4 ,the conquered ,saxon1 deprived of all arms such as the boar-spear1 the sword1 the ax1 and the dagger1 naturally turned to the bow because he could make this himself1 and he copied the ,norman long bow4 ,although the first game preserves in ,england were established by ,william the ,conqueror at this time1 the ,saxon was permitted to shoot birds and small beasts in his fields and therefore was allowed to use a blunt arrow1 headed with a lead tip or pilum1 hence our term pile1 or target point4 ,if found with a sharp arrowhead1 the so-called broad-head used for killing the king's deer1 he was promptly hanged4 ,the evidence against such a poacher was summed up thus in the old legend3 ,dog draw1 stable stand ,back berond1 bloody hand4 ,one found following a questing hound1 posed in the stand of an archer1 carrying game on his back1 or with the evidence of recent butchery on his hands1 was hanged to the nearest tree by his own bowstring4 ,it was under these circumstances that outlawry took the form of deer killing and robust archery became the national sport4 ,in these days the legendary hero1 the demi-myth1 ,robin ,hood1 was born4 ,what boy has not thrilled at the tales of ,greenwood men1 the well-sped shaft1 the arrow's low whispering flight1 and the willow wand split at a hundred paces8 ,every boy goes through a period of barbarism1 just as the nations have passed1 and during that age he is stirred by the call of the bow4 ,i1 too1 shot the toy bows of boyhood2 shot with ,indian youths in the ,army posts of ,texas and ,arizona4 ,we played the impromptu pageants of ,robin ,hood1 manufactured our own tackle1 and carried it about with unfailing fidelity2 hunted small birds and rabbits1 and were the usual savages of that age4 ,but when it comes to the legends of the bow1 the records of these past glories are so vague that we must accept them as a tale oft told2 it grows with the telling4 ,it seems that distances were measured in feet1 paces1 yards1 or rods with blithe indifference1 and the narrator added to them at will4 ,robin is supposed to have shot a mile1 and his bow was so long and so strong no man could draw it4 ,in sooth1 he was a mighty hero1 and yet the ballads refer to him as a slight fellow1 even a bag of bones4 ,as a youth he slew the king's deer at three hundred yards1 a right goodly shot6 ,and no doubt it was4 ,of all the bows of the days when archery was in flower1 only two remain4 ,these are unfinished staves found in the ship ,mary ,rose1 sunk off the coast of ,albion in #aede4 ,this vessel having been raised from the bottom of the ocean in #ahda1 the staves were recovered and are now in the ,tower of ,london4 ,they are six feet1 four and three-quarters inches long1 one and one-half inches across the handle1 one and one-quarter inches thick1 and proportionately large throughout4 ,the dimensions are recorded in ,badminton4 ,of course1 they never have been tested for strength1 but it has been estimated at #ajj pounds4 ,determined to duplicate these old bows1 ,i selected a very fine grained stave of seasoned yew and made an exact duplicate1 according to the recorded measurements4 ,this bow1 when drawn the standard arrow length of twenty-eight inches1 weighed sixty-five pounds and shot a light flight arrow two hundred and twenty-five yards4 ,when drawn thirty-six inches1 it weighed seventy-six pounds and shot a flight arrow two hundred and fifty-six yards4 ,from this it would seem that even though these ancient staves appear to be almost too powerful for a modern man to draw1 they not only are well within our command1 but do not shoot a mile4 ,the greatest distance shot by a modern archer was made by ,ingo ,simon1 using a ,turkish composite bow1 in ,france in #aiac4 ,the measured distance was four hundred and fifty-nine yards and eight inches4 ,that is very near the limit of this type of bow and far beyond the possibilities of the yew long bow4 ,but the long bow is capable of shooting heavier shafts and shooting them harder4 ,since archery is fast disappearing from the land1 and the material for study will soon become extinct1 ,i have undertaken to record the strength and shooting qualities of a representative number of the available bows in preservation1 together with the power of penetration of arrows4 ,to do this1 through the mediation of the ,department of ,anthropology of the ,university of ,california1 ,i have had access to the best collection of bows in ,america4 ,thousands of weapons were at my disposal in various museums1 and from these ,i selected the best preserved and strongest to shoot4 ,the formal report of these experiments is in the publications of the ,university1 and here 'tis only necessary to mention a few of the findings4 ,in testing the function of these bows and their ability to shoot1 a bamboo flight arrow made by ,ishi was used as the standard4 ,it was thirty inches long1 weighed three hundred and ten grains1 and had very low cropped feathers4 ,it carried universally better than all other arrows tested1 and flew twenty per cent farther than the best ,english flight arrows4 ,to make sure that no element of personal weakness entered into the test1 ,i had these bows shot by ,mr4 ,compton1 a very powerful man and one used to the bow for thirty years4 ,i myself could draw them all1 and checked up the results4 ,it is axiomatic that the weight and the cast of a bow are criteria of its value as a weapon in war or in the chase4 ,weight1 as used by an archer1 means the pull of a bow when full drawn1 recorded in pounds4 ,the following is a partial list of those weighed and shot4 ,they are1 of course1 all genuine bows and represent the strongest4 ,each was shot at least six times over a carefully measured course and the greatest flight recorded4 ,all flights were made at an elevation of forty-five degrees and the greatest possible draw was given each shot4 ,in fact we spared no bows because of their age1 and consequently broke two in the testing4 ,weight ,distance ,shot ,alaskan44444444444444444444444 #hj pounds #ahj yards ,apache444444444444444444444444 #bh #abj ,blackfoot444444444444444444444 #de #ade ,cheyenne4444444444444444444444 #fe #aef ,cree44444444444444444444444444 #ch #aej ,esquimaux444444444444444444444 #hj #bjj ,hupa44444444444444444444444444 #dj #adh ,luiseno44444444444444444444444 #dh #abe ,navajo444444444444444444444444 #de #aej ,mojave444444444444444444444444 #dj #aaj ,osage4444444444444444444444444 #dj #ib ,sioux4444444444444444444444444 #de #afe ,tomawata4444444444444444444444 #dj #adh ,yurok4444444444444444444444444 #cj #adj ,yukon4444444444444444444444444 #fj #abe ,yaki44444444444444444444444444 #gj #baj ,yana44444444444444444444444444 #dh #bje ,the list of foreign bows is as follows3 ,weight ,distance ,shot ,paraguay4444444444444444444444 #fj pounds #agj yards ,polynesian44444444444444444444 #di #agb ,nigrito44444444444444444444444 #ef #agf ,andaman ,islands4444444444444444#de #adb ,japanese44444444444444444444444#dh #age ,africa4444444444444444444444444#ed #ajg ,tartar4444444444444444444444444#ih #age ,south ,american44444444444444444#ej #ih ,igorrote44444444444444444444444#bf #ajj ,solomon ,islands4444444444444444#ef #adh ,english target bow 7imported744#dh #bbj ,english yew flight bow444444444#fe #cjj ,old ,english hunting bow44444444#ge #bej ,it will be seen from these tests that no existing aboriginal bow is very powerful when compared with those in use in the days of robust archery in old ,england4 ,the greatest disappointment was in the ,tartar bow which was brought expressly from ,shansi1 ,china1 by my brother1 ,col4 ,b4 ,h4 ,pope4 ,with this powerful weapon ,i expected to shoot a quarter of a mile2 but with all its dreadful strength1 its cast was slow and cumbersome4 ,the arrow that came with it1 a miniature javelin thirty-eight inches long1 could only be projected one hundred and ten yards4 ,in making these shots both hands and feet were used to draw the bow4 ,a special flight arrow thirty-six inches long was used in the test1 but with hardly any increase of distance gained4 ,after much experimenting and research into the literature1 #a ,footnote #a3 ,balfour1 ,composite ,bows4 ,i constructed two horn composite bows1 such as were used by the ,turks and ,egyptians4 ,they were perfect in action1 the larger one weighing eighty-five pounds4 ,with this ,i hoped to establish a record1 but after many attempts my best flight was two hundred and ninety-one yards4 ,this weapon1 being only four feet long1 would make an excellent buffalo bow to be used on horseback4 ,in shooting for distance1 of course1 a very light missile is used1 and nothing but empirical tests can determine the shape1 size1 and weight that suits each bow4 ,consequently1 we use hundreds of arrows to find the best4 ,for more than seven years these experiments have continued1 and at this stage of our progress the best flight arrow is made of ,japanese bamboo five-sixteenths of an inch in diameter1 having a foreshaft of birch the same diameter and four inches long4 ,the nock is a boxwood plug inserted in the rear end1 both joints being bound with silk floss and shellacked4 ,the point is the copper nickel jacket of the present ,u4 ,s4 ,army rifle bullet1 of conical shape4 ,the feathers are parabolic1 three-quarters of an inch long by one-quarter high1 three in number1 set one inch from the end1 and come from the wing of an owl4 ,the whole arrow is thirty inches long1 weighs three hundred and twenty grains1 and is very rigid4 ,with this ,i have shot three hundred and one yards with a moderate wind at my back1 using a ,paraguay ironwood bow five feet two inches long1 backed with hickory and weighing sixty pounds4 ,this is my best flight shot4 ,it is not advisable here to go further into this subject2 let it stand that the ,english yew long bow is the highest type of artillery in the world4 ,although the composite ,turkish bows can shoot the farthest1 it is only with very light arrows2 they are incapable of projecting heavier shafts to the extent of the yew long bow1 that is1 they can transmit velocity but not momentum2 they have resiliency1 but not power4 ,besides these experiments with bows1 many tests were made of the flight and penetration of arrows4 ,a few of the pertinent observations are here noted4 ,a light arrow from a heavy bow1 say a sixty-five pound yew bow1 travels at an initial velocity of one hundred and fifty feet per second1 as determined by a stopwatch4 ,shooting at one hundred yards1 such an arrow is discharged at an angle of eight degrees1 and describes a parabola twelve to fifteen feet high at its crest4 ,its time in transit is of approximately two and one-fifth seconds4 ,shooting straight up1 such an arrow goes about three hundred and fifty feet high1 and requires eight seconds for the round trip4 ,this test was made by shooting arrows over very tall sequoia trees1 of known height4 ,the striking force of a one-ounce arrow shot from a seventy-five pound bow at ten yards1 is twenty-five foot pounds4 ,this test is made by shooting at a cake of paraffin and comparing the penetration with that made by falling weights4 ,such a striking force is1 of course1 insignificant when compared with that of a modern bullet1 viz41 three thousand foot pounds4 ,yet the damage done by an arrow armed with a sharp steel broad-head is often greater than that done by a bullet1 as we shall see later on4 ,a standard ,english target arrow rotates during flight six complete revolutions every twenty yards1 or approximately fifteen times a second4 ,heavy hunting shafts turn more slowly4 ,this was ascertained by shooting two arrows at once from the same bow1 their shafts being connected by a silk thread1 so that one paid off as the other wound up the thread4 ,the number of complete loops1 of course1 indicated the number of revolutions4 ,a sand-bank makes a good butt to catch them4 ,in rotating1 much depends on the size and shape of the feather4 ,shooting a blunt arrow from a seventy-five pound bow at a white pine board an inch thick1 the shaft will often go completely through it4 ,a broad hunting head will penetrate two or three inches1 then bind4 ,but the broad-head will go through animal tissue better1 even cutting bones in two2 in fact1 such an arrow will go completely through any animal but a pachyderm4 ,to test a steel bodkin pointed arrow such as was used at the battle of ,cressy1 ,i borrowed a shirt of chain armor from the ,museum1 a beautiful specimen made in ,damascus in the #aeth ,century4 ,it weighed twenty-five pounds and was in perfect condition4 ,one of the attendants in the ,museum offered to put it on and allow me to shoot at him4 ,fortunately1 ,i declined his proffered services and put it on a wooden box1 padded with burlap to represent clothing4 ,indoors at a distance of seven yards1 ,i discharged an arrow at it with such force that sparks flew from the links of steel as from a forge4 ,the bodkin point and shaft went through the thickest portion of the back1 penetrated an inch of wood and bulged out the opposite side of the armor shirt4 ,the attendant turned a pale green4 ,an arrow of this type can be shot about two hundred yards1 and would be deadly up to the full limit of its flight4 ,the question of the cutting qualities of the obsidian head as compared to those of the sharpened steel head1 was answered in the following experiment3 ,a box was so constructed that two opposite sides were formed by fresh deer skin tacked in place4 ,the interior of the box was filled with bovine liver4 ,this represented animal tissue minus the bones4 ,at a distance of ten yards ,i discharged an obsidian-pointed arrow and a steel-pointed arrow from a weak bow4 ,the two missiles were alike in size1 weight1 and feathering1 in fact1 were made by ,ishi1 only one had the native head and the other his modern substitute4 ,upon repeated trials1 the steel-headed arrow uniformly penetrated a distance of twenty-two inches from the front surface of the box1 while the obsidian uniformly penetrated thirty inches1 or eight inches farther1 approximately #be per cent better penetration4 ,this advantage is undoubtedly due to the concoidal edge of the flaked glass operating upon the same principle that fluted-edged bread and bandage knives cut better than ordinary knives4 ,in the same way we discovered that steel broad-heads sharpened by filing have a better meat-cutting edge than when ground on a stone4 ,in our experience with game shooting1 we never could see the advantage of longitudinal grooves running down the shaft of the arrow1 such as some aborigines use1 supposed to promote bleeding4 ,in the first place these marks are inadequate in depth1 and secondly it is not the exterior bleeding that kills the wounded animal so much as the internal hemorrhage4 ,a sufficiently wide head on the arrow cuts a hole large enough to permit the escape of excess blood1 and1 as a matter of fact1 nearly all of our shots are perforating1 going completely through the body4 ,conical1 blunt1 and bodkin points lack the power of penetration in animal tissue inherent in broad-heads2 correspondingly they do less damage4 ,illustration 7up-left73 ,,three ,,types ,,of ,,hunting ,,arrows ,illustration 7up-right73 ,a ,,blunt ,,arrow ,,shot ,,through ,,an ,,inch ,,board ,illustration 7down-left73 ,,brer ,,fox ,,up ,a ,,tree ,illustration 7down-right73 ,,art ,,young ,,shoots ,,fish ,catlin1 in his book on the ,north ,american ,indian1 relates that the ,mandans1 among other tribes1 practiced shooting a number of arrows in succession with such dexterity that their best archer could keep eight arrows up in the air at one time4 ,will ,thompson1 the dean of ,american archery1 writing in ,forest and ,stream of ,march1 #aiae1 says very definitely that the feat of the legendary hero1 ,hiawatha1 who is supposed to have shot so strong and far that he could shoot the tenth arrow before the first descended1 is manifestly absurd4 ,thompson contends that no man ever has1 or ever will keep more than three arrows up in the air at once4 ,having read this and determined to try the experiment of dextrous shooting1 ,i constructed a dozen light arrows having wide nocks and flattened rear ends so they might be fingered quickly4 ,then ,i devised a way of grasping a supply of ready shafts in the bow hand1 and invented an arrow release in which all the fingers and thumb held the arrow on the string1 yet remained entirely on the right side of it4 ,after quite a bit of practice in accurate1 later in rapid1 nocking1 ,i succeeded in shooting seven successive arrows in the air before the first touched the ground4 ,i used a perpendicular flight4 ,upon several occasions ,i almost accomplished eight at once4 ,i feel that with considerable practice eight1 and even more1 are possible1 proving again that there is an element of truth in all legends4 ,it has long been a bone of contention among archers which element of the yew1 the sap wood or the heart1 gives the greater cast4 ,to obtain experimental evidence1 ,i constructed two miniature bows1 each twenty-two inches long1 one of pure white sap wood1 the other of the heart from the same stave4 ,i made them the same size1 and weighing about eight pounds when drawn eight inches4 ,shooting a little arrow on these bows1 the sap wood shot forty-three yards2 the red wood sixty-six yards1 showing the greater cast to be in the red yew4 ,corroborating this1 ,mr4 ,compton relates that while working in ,barnes's shop in ,forest ,grove1 ,oregon1 during the last illness of that noted bowyer1 he came across a laminated bow made entirely of sap wood4 ,barnes stated that he had constructed it at the instigation of ,will ,thompson4 ,the cast of this bow was slow1 flabby1 and weak4 ,as a shooting implement it was a failure4 ,taking two pieces of wood1 one white and one red1 each twelve inches long1 ,i placed them in a bench vise and fastened a spring scale to the top of each4 ,drawing the sap wood four inches from the perpendicular1 it pulled eight pounds4 ,drawing the heart wood the same distance it pulled fourteen pounds1 showing the greater strength of the latter4 ,when drawn five inches from a straight line1 the red piece broke4 ,the sap wood could be bent at a right angle without fracture4 ,it is obvious from this that the sap wood excels in tensile strength the red wood in compression strength and resiliency4 ,in fact1 they are reciprocal in action4 ,the red yew on the belly of the bow gives the energy1 the sap wood preserves it from fracture4 ,it is1 in fact1 equivalent to sinew backing1 and though less durable1 probably adds more to the cast of the bows4 ,in our experiments with a catgut and rawhide backing1 we have not found that they add materially to the cast of a bow1 only insure it against fracture4 ,on the other hand1 sap wood and hickory backing materially add to the power of the implement4 ,the little red yew bow used in the previous experiment was backed heavily with rawhide and catgut4 ,it then weighed ten pounds1 but only shot sixty-three yards1 showing a decrease in cast4 ,but the backing permitted its being drawn to ten inches1 when it shot a distance of eighty-five yards4 ,a draw of twelve inches fractured it across the handle4 ,in a similar experiment it was shown that two pieces of wood of the same size1 but one being of a coarse-grained yew running sixteen lines to the inch1 the other a fine-grained piece running thirty-five lines to the inch1 the finer grain had the greater strength and resiliency up to the breaking point1 but the yellow coarse-grained piece was more flexible and less readily broken4 ,the question often arises1 ,how would an arrow fly if the bow is held in a mechanical rest and the string released by a mechanical release8 ,such an apparatus would permit of several experiments4 ,it would answer some of the queries that naturally pass through the mind of every archer4 ,question #a4 ,how accurate is the bow and arrow as a weapon of precision1 or as they say in ballistics1 ,what is the error of dispersion8 ,question #b4 ,what is the angle of declination to the left of the point of aim in the flight of such an arrow8 ,question #c4 ,what is the effect of placing the cock feather next the bow8 ,question #d4 ,what is the effect of shooting different arrows8 ,how do they group8 ,would not such a machine give accurate data regarding the flight of new arrows and help in the selection of shafts for target shooting8 ,question #e4 ,what effect does the time of holding a bow full drawn have on the flight of an arrow8 ,question #f4 ,what is the result of changing the weight of bows when the arrows remain the same8 ,therefore1 we devised a rest1 consisting of a post set firmly in the ground1 with a rigid cross arm and a vise-like hand grip4 ,this latter was padded thickly with rubber1 so that some resiliency was permitted4 ,the bow was fastened in this mechanical hand by sturdy set screws4 ,at the other end of the cross arm a hinged block was attached1 from which projected two short wooden fingers1 serving the exact function of the drawing hand4 ,these were spaced so that the arrow nock fitted between them1 and when the string was pulled into position and caught upon these fingers1 the bow was drawn #bh inches4 ,we adopted a system of loading1 drawing and releasing on count1 so that every shot was delivered with equal time factors4 ,answer #a4 ,using the same arrow each time1 with the target set at #fj yards1 we found1 of course1 that the arrow always flies to the left when drawn on the left side of the bow1 and that the angle of divergence for a #ej pound bow and a #e shilling ,english target arrow was between six and seven degrees4 ,using a stronger bow this angle was increased1--also that with a weaker arrow the angle was greater1--but six degrees might be designated as the normal declination4 ,answer #b4 ,every rifle expert knows what his gun is capable of1 in accuracy1 and an archer should know just what to expect of an arrow under the most favorable conditions4 ,we therefore tried shooting the same arrow over the same course with the same release1 under these fairly stable conditions3 ,the day was calm4 ,we shot an arrow ten times in succession and all the shots centered in a six inch bull's-eye2 that is1 none went out of a circle of this diameter4 ,in other words1 at sixty yards a bow can shoot arrows with an error of dispersion of no more than six inches4 ,this is surprisingly accurate for a weapon of this sort1 when it is considered that the best rifles of today will average between one and a half to three inches dispersion at #ajj yards4 ,answer #c4 ,placing the cock feather next the bow diverts the arrow to the left and causes it to drop lower on the target4 ,the group formed by six flights was fairly close and consistent4 ,answer #d4 ,out of nine arrows tested1 five consistently made a good close group and four as consistently went out4 ,the outs1 however1 were uniform in the direction and distance they took4 ,it would be possible by this machine to select arrows that would make co-incidental patterns4 ,it is obvious1 however1 that differences in individual arrows are greatly exaggerated by the apparatus1 because it was quite apparent by this test that any good archer could group these hits much closer than the machine delivered them4 ,answer #e4 ,in our shooting1 we universally allotted five seconds for drawing1 setting and discharging4 ,however1 when this time was increased to fifteen seconds1 we found that our groups averaged seven and one-half inches lower4 ,this shows the decided loss of cast incidental to long holding of the bow4 ,answer #f4 ,placing a #fe pound bow in the frame immediately showed increased reactions throughout4 ,the lateral divergence in arrow flight was increased to fifteen degrees and all individual reactions were correspondingly increased4 ,the flight of the individual arrow was less consistent1 showing plainly the necessity of a proper relation in weight between the arrow and bow1--a very essential factor in accurate shooting4 ,in conclusion1 it seems to me that the machine naturally exaggerated the errors1 for this reason4 ,if the pressure of the arrow against the bow1 in passing1 amounts to two ounces1 the arrow will fly a two ounce equivalent to the left1 when the bow is held rigidly4 ,an arrow that exerts four ounces pressure will fly correspondingly a greater distance to the left4 ,but when the bow is held in the hand1 there is considerable give to the muscles and the two ounce pressure is compensated for2 thus1 the arrow tends to fly straight4 ,the four ounce arrow would with the same adjustment hold a correspondingly straighter course4 ,the vertical error1 however1 depends more on the weight of the arrow1 on the feathering1 the holding time1 the maintainance of tension1 and on the release of the bowstring4 ,there are many problems in the ballistics of archery that are unsolved1 waiting the experiments of modern science4 ,empirical methods have dictated the art so far4 ,in target equipment and shooting there is a wide field for investigation4 ,our interests1 however1 are more those of the hunter1 and less those of the physicist4 ,v ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,bow ,every field archer should make his own tackle4 ,if he cannot make and repair it1 he will never shoot very long1 because it is in constant need of repair4 ,target bows and arrows may be bought in sporting stores1 here or in ,england1 but hunting equipment must be made4 ,moreover1 when a man manufactures his bow and arrows1 he appreciates them more4 ,but it will take many attempts before even the most mechanically gifted can expect to produce good artillery4 ,after having made more than a hundred yew bows1 ,i still feel that ,i am a novice4 ,the beginner may expect his first two or three will be failures1 but after that he can at least shoot them4 ,since there are so many different kinds of bows and all so inferior to the ,english long-bow1 we shall describe this alone4 ,yew wood is the greatest bow timber in the world4 ,that was proved thousands of years ago by experience4 ,it is indeed a magic wood6 ,but yew wood is hard to get and hard to make into a bow once having got it4 ,nevertheless1 ,i am going to tell you where you can get it and how to work it1 and how to make hunting bows just as we use them today1 and presumably just as our forefathers used them before us4 ,later on ,i shall tell you what substitutes may be used for yew4 ,the best yew wood in ,america grows in the ,cascade ,mountains of ,oregon1 in the ,sierra ,nevada and ,coast ,ranges of northern ,california4 ,by addressing the ,department of ,forestry1 doubtless one can get in communication with some one who will cut him a stave4 ,living in ,california1 ,i cut my own4 ,a description of yew trees and their location may be had from ,sudworth's ,forest ,trees of the ,pacific ,slope1 to be obtained from the ,government ,printing ,office at ,washington4 ,my own staves ,i cut near ,branscomb1 ,mendocino ,county1 and at ,grizzly ,creek on the ,van ,duzen ,river1 ,humboldt ,county1 ,california4 ,splendid staves have been shipped to me from this latter county1 coming from the neighborhood of ,korbel4 ,yew is an evergreen tree with a leaf looking a great deal like that of redwood1 hemlock1 or fir at a distance4 ,it is found growing in the mountains1 down narrow canyons1 and along streams4 ,it likes shade1 water1 and altitude4 ,its bark is reddish beneath and scaly or fuzzy on the surface4 ,its limbs stand straight out from the trunk at an acute angle1 not drooping as those of the redwood and fir4 ,the sexes are separate in yew4 ,the female tree has a bright red gelatinous berry in autumn1 and the male a minute cone4 ,it is interesting that in bear countries the female trees often have long wounds in the bark1 or deep scratches made by the claws of these animals as they climb to get the yew berries4 ,it is also stated by some authorities that the female yew has light yellow wood1 is coarser grained1 and does not make so good a bow4 ,i have tried to verify this1 but so far ,i have found some of my bear marked female yew to be the better staves4 ,the best wood is1 of course1 dark and close grained4 ,this generally exists in trees that have one side decayed4 ,it seems that the rot stains the rest of the wood and nature makes the grain more compact to compensate for the loss of structural strength4 ,it is also apparent that yew grown at high altitudes1 over three thousand feet1 is superior to lowland yew4 ,in selecting a tree for a hunting bow1 the stave must be at least six feet long1 free from limbs1 knots1 twists1 pitch pockets1 rot1 small sprouting twigs and corrugations4 ,one will look over a hundred trees to find one good bow stave2 then he may find a half dozen excellent staves in one tree4 ,there is no such thing as a perfect piece of yew1 nor is there a perfect bow2 at least1 ,i have never seen it4 ,but there is a bow in every yew tree if we but know how to get it out4 ,that is the mystery of bowmaking4 ,it takes an artist1 not an artisan4 ,before one ever fells a tree1 he should weigh the moral right to do so4 ,but yew trees are a gift from the gods1 and grown only for bows4 ,if you are sure you see one good bow in a tree1 cut it4 ,having felled it and marked with your eye the best stave1 cut it again so that your stave is seven feet long4 ,then split the trunk into halves or quarters with steel or wooden wedges so that your stave is from three to six inches wide4 ,cut out the heart wood so that the billet is about three inches thick4 ,be careful not to bruise the bark in any of these operations4 ,now put your stave in the shade4 ,if you are compelled to ship it by express1 wrap it in burlap or canvas1 and preferably saw the ends square and paint them to prevent checking4 ,when you get it home put it in the cellar4 ,if you must make a bow right away1 place the stave in running water for a month1 then dry in a shady place for a month1 and it is ready for use4 ,it will not be so good as if seasoned three to seven years1 but it will shoot2 in fact1 it will shoot the same day you cut it from the tree1 only it will follow the string and not stand straight as it should4 ,of course1 it will not have the cast of air-seasoned wood4 ,the old authorities say1 cut your yew in the winter when the sap is down1 or as ,barnes1 the famous bow-maker of ,forest ,grove1 ,oregon1 used to say3 ,yew cut in the summer contains the seeds of death4 ,but this does not seem to have proved the case in my experience4 ,i am fully convinced that the sap can be washed out and the process of seasoning hastened very materially by proper treatment4 ,kiln dried wood is never good as a bow4 ,it is too brash2 but after the first month of shade1 the staves may be put in a hot attic to their advantage4 ,in selecting the portion of the tree best suited for a bow1 choose that part that when cut will cause the stave to bend backward toward the bark4 ,since your bow ultimately will bend in the opposite direction1 this natural curve tends to form a straighter bow1 or as an archer would say set back a bit in the handle4 ,if it is impossible to get a stave six feet in length1 then a wide stave three and a half feet long may be used4 ,it is necessary in this case to split it and join the two pieces with a fishtail splice in the handle4 ,target bows are made this way1 to advantage1 but such a makeshift is to be deprecated in a hunting bow4 ,the variations of temperature and moisture combined with hard usage in hunting demand a solid1 single stave4 ,it must not break4 ,your life may depend upon it4 ,before engaging in any art1 it is necessary to study the anatomy of your subject4 ,the anatomical points of a bow have a time-honored nomenclature and are as follows3 ,bows may be single staves1 or one-piece bows1 those of one continuity and homogeneity2 spliced bows consist of two pieces of wood united in the handle2 backed bows have an added strip of wood glued on the back2 and composite bows are made up of several different substances1 such as wood1 horn1 sinew1 and glue4 ,that surface of the bow which faces the string when drawn into action1 that is1 the concave arc1 is called the belly of the bow4 ,the opposite surface is the back4 ,a bow should never be bent backwards1 away from the belly2 it will break4 ,the center of the bow is the handle or hand grip2 the extremities are the tips1 usually finished with notches cut in the wood or surmounted by horn1 bone1 sinew1 wooden or metal caps called nocks4 ,these are grooved to accommodate the string4 ,the spaces between the nocks and the handle are called the limbs4 ,a bow that when unstrung bends back past the straight line is termed reflexed4 ,one that continues to bend toward the belly is said to follow the string4 ,a lateral deviation is called a cast in the bow4 ,the proper length of a yew bow should be the height of the man that shoots it1 or a trifle less4 ,our hunting bows are from five feet six inches to five feet eight inches in length4 ,the weight of a hunting bow should be from fifty to eighty pounds4 ,one should start shooting with a bow not over fifty pounds1 and preferably under that4 ,at the end of a season's shooting he can command a bow of sixty pounds if he is a strong man4 ,our average bows pull seventy-five pounds4 ,though it is possible for some of us to shoot an eighty-five pound bow1 such a weapon is not under proper control for constant use4 ,some pieces of yew will make a stronger bow at given dimensions than others4 ,the finer the grain and the greater the specific gravity1 the more resilient and active the wood1 and stronger the bow4 ,taking a yew stave having a dark red color and a layer of white sap wood about a quarter of an inch thick1 covered with a thin maroon-colored bark1 let us make a bow4 ,counting the rings in the wood at the upper end of the stave1 you will find that they run over forty to the inch4 ,ishi insisted that this end of the stave should always be the upper end of the weapon4 ,it seems to me that this extremity having the most compact grain1 and the strongest1 should constitute the lower limb1 because1 as we shall see later on1 this limb is shorter1 bears the greater strain1 and is the one that gives down the sooner4 ,we shall plan to make the bow as strong as is compatible with good shooting1 and reduce its strength later to meet our requirements4 ,look over the stave and estimate whether it is capable of yielding two bows instead of one4 ,if it be over three inches wide1 and straight throughout1 then rip it down the center with a saw4 ,place one stave in a bench vise and carefully clean off the bark with a draw knife4 ,do not cut the sap wood in this process4 ,cut your stave to six feet in length4 ,sight down it and see how the plane of the back twists4 ,if it is fairly consistent1 draw a straight line down the center of the sap wood4 ,this is the back of your bow4 ,now draw on the back an outline which has a width of an inch and a quarter extending for a distance of a foot above and a foot below the center4 ,let this outline taper in a gentle curve to the extremities of the bow1 where it has a width of three-quarters of an inch4 ,this will serve as a rough working plan and is sufficiently large to insure that you will get a strong weapon4 ,with the draw knife1 and later a jack plane1 cut the lateral surfaces down to this outline4 ,the back must stand a tremendous tensile strain and the grain of the wood should not be injured in any way4 ,but you may smooth it off very judiciously with a spoke shave1 and later with a file4 ,the transverse contour of this part of the bow remains as it was in the tree1 a long flat arc4 ,shift the stave in the vise so that the sap wood is downward1 and set it so that the average plane of the sap is level4 ,with the raw knife shave the wood very carefully1 avoiding cutting too deeply or splitting off fragments1 until the bow assumes the thickness of one and one-quarter inches in the center and this decreases as it approaches the tips1 where it is half an inch thick4 ,the shape of a cross-section of the belly of the bow should be a full ,roman arch4 ,many debates have centered on the shape of this part of the weapon4 ,some contend for a high-crested contour1 or ,gothic arch1 what is termed stacking a bow2 some have chosen a very flat curve as the best4 ,the former makes for a quick1 lively cast and may be desirable in a target implement1 but it is liable to fracture2 the latter makes a soft1 pleasant1 durable bow1 but one that follows the string4 ,choose the happy medium4 ,the process of shaping the belly is the most delicate and requires more skill than all the rest4 ,in the first place you must follow the grain of the wood4 ,if the back twists and undulates1 your cut must do the same4 ,the feather of the grain must never be reversed1 but descend by perfect gradation from handle to tip4 ,where a knot or pin occurs in the wood1 here you must leave more substance because this is a weak spot4 ,if the pin be large and you cannot avoid it1 then it is best to drill it out carefully and fill the cavity with a solid piece of hard wood set in with glue4 ,a pin crumbles while an inserted piece will stand the strain4 ,if such a ,dutchman be not too large nor too near the center of either limb1 it will not materially jeopardize the bow4 ,if1 in your shaving1 you come across a sharp dip in' the grain1 such that will make a decided concavity1 here leave a few more layers of grain than you would were the contour even2 for a concave structure cannot stand strain as well as a straight one2 the leverage is increased unduly4 ,the following measurements1 with a caliper1 are those of my favorite hunting bow1 called ,old ,horrible1 and with which ,i've slain many a beast4 ,the width just above the handle is #a-a_/d by #a-a_/h inches thick4 ,six inches up the limb the width is #a-a_/d1 thickness #aa-a_/af4 ,twelve inches above the handle it is a trifle less than #a-a_/d wide by #a inch thick4 ,eighteen inches above the handle it is #a-a_/h wide by #g_/h thick4 ,twenty-four inches above it is #ae_/af wide by #c_/d thick4 ,thirty inches above it is #aa_/af by #i_/af thick4 ,at the nock it is practically #a_/b by #a_/b inches4 ,having got the bow down to rough proportions1 the next thing is to cut two temporary nocks on it1 very near the ends4 ,these consist in lateral cuts having a depth of an eighth of an inch and are best made with a rat tail file4 ,now you can string your bow and test its curve4 ,of course1 you must have a string1 and usually that employed in these early tests is very strong and roughly made of nearly ninety strands of ,barbour's linen1 ,no4 #ab4 ,directions for making strings will be given later on4 ,it is difficult to brace a new heavy bow and one will require assistance4 ,in the absence of help he can place it in the vise1 one of those revolving on a pivot1 and having the string properly adjusted on the lower limb1 pull on the upper end in such a way that the other presses against the wall or a stationary brace1 thus bending the bow while you slip the expectant loop over the open nock4 ,or you can have an assistant pull on the upper nock1 while you brace the bow yourself4 ,in ancient times1 at this stage1 the bow was tillered1 or tested for its curve1 or1 as ,sir ,roger ,ascham says1 brought round compass1 which means to make it bend in a perfect arc when full drawn4 ,the tiller is a piece of board three feet long1 two inches wide1 and one inch thick1 having a ,v-shaped notch at the lower end to fit on the handle and small notches on its side two inches apart1 for a distance of twenty-eight inches4 ,these are to hold the string4 ,lay the braced bow on the floor1 place the end of the tiller on the handle while you steady the tiller upright4 ,then put your foot on the bow next the tiller and draw the string up until it slips in the first notch1 say twelve inches from the handle4 ,if the curve of the bow is fairly symmetrical1 draw the string a few inches more4 ,if again it describes a perfect arc raise the string still farther4 ,a perfect arc for a bow should be a trifle flat at the center4 ,if1 on the other hand1 one limb or a part of it does not bend as it should1 this must be reduced carefully by shaving it for a space of several inches over the spot and the bow tested again4 ,proceeding very cautiously1 at the same time not keeping the bow full drawn more than a second or two at a time1 you ultimately get the two limbs so that they bend nearly the same and the general distribution of the curve is equal throughout4 ,as a matter of fact1 a great deal of experience is needed here4 ,by marking a correct form on the floor with chalk1 a novice may fit his bow to this outline4 ,the perfect weapon is a trifle stiff at the center and the lower limb a shade stronger than the upper4 ,the real shooting center1 the place where the arrow passes1 is actually one and one-quarter inches above the geographic center1 and the hand consequently is below this point4 ,your finished hand grip1 being four inches long1 will be one and a quarter inches above the center and two and three-quarters below the center4 ,this makes the lower limb comparatively shorter1 so it must be relatively stronger4 ,your bow1 therefore1 when full drawn should be symmetrical1 but when simply braced1 the bend of the upper limb is perceptibly greater than the stronger lower limb4 ,you will find the bow we have made will pull over eighty pounds1 even after it is thoroughly broken to the string4 ,it is necessary1 therefore1 to reduce it further4 ,this is done with a spoke shave1 a very small hand plane or a file4 ,ultimately ,i use a pocket knife as a scraper1 and sandpaper and steelwool to finish it4 ,your effort must be to get every part of the wood to do its work1 for every inch is under utmost strain1 and one part doing more than the rest must ultimately break down1 sustain a compression fracture1 or1 as an archer would say1 chrysal or fret4 ,a bow full drawn is seven-eighths broken1 said old ,thomas ,waring1 the ,english bowmaker1 and he was right4 ,draw your bow three inches more than the standard cloth yard of twenty-eight inches and you break it4 ,it is more accurate to say that a full drawn bow is nine-tenths broken4 ,it is also essential that the bow be stiff in the handle so that it will be rigid in shooting and not jar or kick1 which one weak at this point invariably does4 ,a bow should be light at the tips1 say the last eight inches1 which is accomplished by rounding the back slightly and reducing the width at this point4 ,this gives an active recoil1 or as it is described1 whip ended4 ,this can be overdone1 especially in hunting-bows1 where a little more solidity and safety are preferable to a brilliant cast4 ,and so you must work and test your bow1 and shoot it1 and draw it up before a full length mirror and observe its outline1 and get your friends to draw it up and pass judgment on it4 ,in fact1 while the actual work of making a bow takes about eight hours1 it requires months to get one adjusted so that it is good4 ,a bow1 like a violin1 is a work of art4 ,the best in it can only be brought out by infinite care4 ,like a violin1 it is all curved contours1 there is not a straight line in it4 ,many of my bows have been built over completely three or four times4 ,old ,horrible first pulled eighty-five pounds4 ,it was reduced1 shortened1 whip ended1 and worked over again and again so to tune the wood that all parts acted in harmony4 ,every good bow is a work of love4 ,your bow is now ready to shoot1 but let us weigh it first4 ,brace it and put it horizontally in the vise with the string facing you4 ,take a spring scale registering at least eighty pounds and catch the hook under the string4 ,draw it until the yardstick registers twenty-eight inches from the string to the back of the bow4 ,now read the scale2 that is its weight4 ,as a matter of convenience ,i have devised a stick that facilitates the weighing4 ,i take a dowel and attach to one end by glue and binding a bent piece of iron so fashioned that the extremity serves as a hook to draw the string and the bent portion permits the attachment of the scale4 ,the dowel is marked off in inches so that one can test different lengths of draw4 ,with the bow in the bench vise1 this measure hooked on the string and resting on the bow at the arrow plate1 the scale is hooked in place1 the dowel drawn down to the standard length and the registered weight read off on the scale4 ,if you still find that your bow is too strong for you1 it must be further reduced4 ,begin all over again with the spoke shave and the file1 trying to correct any inequalities that may have existed before and reducing it to what ultimately will be sixty-five pounds4 ,put on the string and weigh it again and again until you get the weight you want4 ,if you have reduced it too much1 cut it down two or four inches2 it will be stronger and shoot better4 ,all yew bows tend to lose in strength after much use1 and your new one should pull five pounds more than the required weight4 ,if a bow is put away in a dry1 warm place for several years it nearly always increases in strength4 ,in our experience one in constant use lasts from three to five years4 ,the longer the bow1 the longer its life4 ,some1 of course1 break or come to grief after a short period1 others live to honorable old age4 ,yew bows are in existence today that were made many thousands of years ago1 but1 of course1 they would break if shot4 ,many bows over one hundred years old are still in use occasionally4 ,i have estimated that the average life of a good bow should exceed one hundred thousand shots1 after which time it begins to fret and show other signs of weakness4 ,keeping in mind the idea of making your weapon as beautiful1 as symmetrical and resilient as possible1 free from dead or overstrained areas1 work it down with utmost solicitude until it approaches your ideal4 ,smooth it with sandpaper2 finish it with steelwool4 ,now comes the process of putting on the nocks4 ,a bow shoots well without them1 but is safer with them4 ,from time immemorial1 horn tips have been put on the ends of the limbs to hold the string4 ,we have used rawhide1 hardwood1 aluminum1 bone1 elk horn1 deer horn1 buffalo horn1 paper fiber or composition1 and cow's horn4 ,the last seems best of all4 ,from your butcher secure a number of horns4 ,with a saw cut off three or four inches of the tip4 ,place one in a vise and drill a conical hole in it an inch and a quarter deep and half an inch wide4 ,this can be done by using a half-inch drill which has been ground on a carborundum stone to a conical point the proper length4 ,in this hole set a stout piece of wood with glue4 ,this permits you to hold the horn in the vise while you work it4 ,after the glue has set1 take a coarse file and shape the horn nock to the classical shape1 which is hard to describe but easy to illustrate4 ,it must have diagonal grooves to hold the string4 ,the nock for the upper limb has also a hole at its extremity to receive the buckskin thong which keeps the upper loop of the string from slipping too far down the bow when unbraced4 ,the nocks for hunting bows should be short and stout1 not over one and a half inches long1 for they get a lot of hard usage in their travels4 ,they should also be broader and thicker than those used on target bows4 ,two nocks having been roughly finished1 they are loosened from their wooden handles by being soaked in boiling water1 and are ready for use4 ,cut the ends of the bow to fit the nocks in such a way that they tip slightly backward when in place1 but do not attach them yet4 ,illustration3 ,,details ,,of ,,bow ,,construction ,at this point we back the bow with rawhide4 ,ordinarily a yew bow properly protected by sapwood requires no backing2 but having had many bows break in our hands1 we at last took the advice of ,ishi and backed them4 ,since then no bow legitimately used has broken4 ,the rawhide utilized for this purpose is known to tanners as clarified calfskin4 ,its principal use is in the manufacture of artificial limbs1 drum heads and parchment4 ,its thickness is not much more than that of writing paper4 ,having secured two pieces about three feet in length and two inches wide1 soak them in warm water for an hour4 ,while this is being done1 slightly roughen the back of your bow with a file4 ,place it in the vise and size the back with thin1 hot carpenter's glue4 ,when the hide is soft1 lay the pieces smooth side down on a board and wipe off the excess water4 ,quickly size them with hot glue1 remove the excess with your finger1 turn the pieces over and apply them to the bow4 ,overlap them at the hand grip for a distance of two or three inches4 ,smooth them out toward the tips by stroking and expressing all air bubbles and excess glue4 ,wrap the handle roughly with string to keep the strips from slipping2 also bind the tips for a short distance to secure them in place4 ,remove the bow from the vise and bandage it carefully from tip to tip with a gauze surgical bandage4 ,set it aside to dry over night4 ,when dry1 remove the bandage and string binding1 cut off the overlapping edges of the hide and scrape it smooth4 ,having got it to the required finish1 size the exterior again with very thin glue1 and it is ready for the final stage4 ,the tips of the bow having been cut to a conical point and the nocks fitted prior to the backing process the horn nocks are now set on with glue2 the ordinary liquid variety will do4 ,glue a thin strip of wood on the back of the bow to round out the handle4 ,this should be about one-eighth of an inch thick1 one inch wide and three inches long and rounded at the edges4 ,bind the center of your bow with heavy fish line to make the handgrip1 carefully overlapping the start and finish4 ,a little liquid glue or shellac can be placed on the wood to fix the serving4 ,some prefer leather or pigskin for a handgrip1 but a cord binding keeps the hand from sweating and has an honest feel4 ,the handle occupies a space of four inches with one and a quarter inches above the center and two and three-quarters below it4 ,finish off the edges of the cord binding with a band of thin leather half an inch wide4 ,this should be soaked in water1 beveled at the edge1 sized with glue1 put around the bow1 and overlapped at the back4 ,i also glue a small piece of leather on the left-hand side of the bow above the handle to prevent the arrow chafing the wood at this spot4 ,this is called the arrow plate and usually is made of mother-of-pearl or bone2 leather is better4 ,these finishing pieces are wrapped temporarily with string until they dry4 ,the bow is then given a final treatment with scraper and steelwool and is ready for the varnish4 ,the best protection for bows seems to be spar varnish4 ,this keeps out moisture4 ,it has two disadvantages1 however2 it cracks after much bending1 and it is too shiny4 ,the glint or flash of a hunting bow will frighten game4 ,i have often seen rabbits or deer stand until the bow goes off1 then jump in time to escape the arrow4 ,at first we believed they saw the arrow2 later we found that they saw the flash4 ,bows really should be painted a dull green or drab color4 ,but we love to see the natural grain of the wood4 ,the finish ,i prefer is first of all to give a coat of shellac to the backing1 leather trimmings and cord handle4 ,after it is dry1 give the wood a good soaking with boiled linseed oil4 ,using the same oiled cloth place in its center a small wad of cotton saturated with an alcoholic solution of shellac4 ,rub this quickly over the bow4 ,by repeated oiling and shellacking one produces a ,french polish that is very durable and elastic4 ,permit this to dry and after several days rub the whole weapon with floor wax1 giving a final polish with a woolen cloth4 ,when on a hunt one should carry a small quantity of linseed oil and anoint his bow every day or so with it4 ,personally ,i add one part of light cedar oil to two parts of linseed4 ,the fragrance of the former adds to the pleasure of using the latter4 ,when not in use hang your bow on a peg or nail slipped beneath the upper loop of the string2 do not stand it in a corner1 this tends to bend the lower limb4 ,keep it in a warm1 dry room2 preserve it from bruises and scratches4 ,wax it and the string often4 ,care for it as you would a friend2 it is your companion in arms4 ,,substitutes ,,for ,,yew ,where it is impossible to obtain yew1 the amateur bowyer has a large variety of substitutes4 ,probably the easiest to obtain is hickory1 although it is a poor alternative4 ,i believe the pig-nut or smooth bark is the best variety4 ,one should endeavor to get a piece of second growth1 white sapwood1 and split it so as to get straight grain4 ,this can be worked on the same general dimensions as yew1 but the resulting bow will be found slow and heavy in cast and to have an incurable tendency to follow the string4 ,it will need no rawhide back and will never break4 ,osage orange1 mulberry1 locust1 black walnut with the sap wood1 red cedar1 juniper1 tan oak1 apple wood1 ash1 eucalyptus1 lancewood1 washaba1 palma brava1 elm1 birch1 and bamboo are among the many woods from which bows have been made4 ,with the exception of lancewood1 lemon wood1 or osage orange1 which are hard to get1 the next best wood to yew is red ,tennessee cedar backed with hickory4 ,go to a lumber yard and select a plank of cedar having the fewest knots and the straightest grain4 ,saw or split a piece out of it six feet long1 two inches wide1 and about an inch thick4 ,plane it straight and roughen its two-inch surface with a file4 ,obtain a strip of white straight-grained hickory six feet long1 two inches wide1 and a quarter inch thick4 ,roughen one surface1 spread these two rough surfaces with a good liquid glue and place them together4 ,with a series of clamps compress them tightly4 ,in the absence of clamps1 a pile of bricks or weights may be used4 ,after several days it will be dry enough to work4 ,from this point on it may be treated the same as yew4 ,the hickory backing takes the place of the sap wood4 ,cedar has a soft1 lively cast and the hickory backing makes it almost unbreakable4 ,this bow should be bound with linen or silk every few inches like a fishing rod4 ,several coats of varnish will keep the glue from being affected by moisture or rain4 ,since both woods are usually obtainable at any lumber yard1 there should be no difficulty in the matter save the mechanical factors involved4 ,these only add zest to the problem4 ,a true archer must be a craftsman4 ,,making ,a ,,bowstring ,a bow without a string is dead2 therefore1 we must set to work to make one4 ,sinew1 catgut1 and rawhide strings were used by the early archers1 but have been abandoned by the more modern4 ,animal tissue stretches when it is put under strain or subjected to heat and moisture4 ,silk makes a good string1 but it is short-lived and is not so strong as linen4 ,a comparative test of various strings was made to determine which material is the strongest for bows4 ,number #c surgical catgut is apparently a ,d string on the violin4 ,taking this as a standard diameter1 a series of waxed strings of various substances were made and tested on a spring scale for their breaking point4 ,the results are as follows3 ,horsehair breaks at #ae pounds4 ,cotton breaks at #ah pounds4 ,catgut breaks at #bj pounds4 ,silk breaks at #bb pounds4 ,irish linen breaks at #bh pounds4 ,chinese grass fiber breaks at #cb pounds4 ,this latter1 with similar unusual fibers1 is not on the market in the form of thread1 so is of no practical use to us4 ,we use ,irish linen or shoemakers' thread4 ,it is ,barbour's ,number #ab4 ,each thread will stand a strain of six pounds2 therefore1 a bowstring of fifty strands will suspend a weight of #cjj pounds4 ,a target bow may have a proportionately lighter string than a hunting bow because here a quick cast is desired2 but in hunting1 security is necessary4 ,we therefore allow one strand of linen for every pound of the bow4 ,this is the method of manufacturing a bowstring as devised by the late ,mr4 ,maxson and described in ,american ,archery4 ,some few alterations have been introduced to simplify the technique4 ,it is advisable to take the threads in your hands as you follow the directions4 ,if you propose making a string for a sixty-five-pound bow1 it should have about sixty threads in it1 and these are divided into three strands of twenty threads each4 ,start making the first of these strands by measuring off on the bow a length eight inches beyond each end--that is1 sixteen inches longer than your bow4 ,double your thread back1 drawing it through your hand until you reach the beginning4 ,now repeat the process of laying one thread with another1 back and forth1 until twenty are in the strand4 ,but these must be so arranged that each is about half an inch shorter than the preceding1 thus making the end of the strand tapered4 ,when twenty are thus stroked into one cord1 they are heavily waxed by drawing the strand through the hand and wax1 from center to the ends1 each way4 ,now roll the greater part of this strand about your fingers and make a little coil which you compress1 but allow about twenty-four inches to remain free and uncoiled4 ,thus abbreviated it is easier to handle in the subsequent process of twisting it into a cord4 ,make two other strands exactly like this1 roll them into a compressed coil and lay them aside4 ,now to form the loop or eye it is necessary to thicken the string at this point with an additional splice4 ,so lay out another strand of twenty threads six feet long4 ,cut this into six pieces1 each twelve inches in length4 ,take one of these and so pull the ends of the threads that they are made of uneven length1 or that the ends become tapered4 ,wax this splice thoroughly2 do this to each one in turn4 ,now pick up one of your original strands and apply to its tapered end and lying along the last foot of its length one of the above described splices4 ,wax the two together4 ,so treat the two other strands4 ,grasp the three cords together in your left hand at a point nine inches from the end4 ,with the right hand pick up one strand near this point and twist it between the thumb and finger1 away from you1 rolling it tight1 at the same time pulling it toward you4 ,seize another strand1 twist it from you and pull it toward you4 ,continue this process with each in succession1 and you will find that you are making a rope4 ,by the time the rope is three inches in length1 it is long enough to fold on itself and constitute a loop4 ,proceed to double it back so that the loose ends of the strands are mated and waxed into cohesion with the three main strands of the string4 ,arrange them nicely so that they interlace properly and are evenly applied4 ,now while being seated1 slip the upper limb of your bow under your right knee and over the left1 and drop the new formed loop of your string over the horn nock4 ,begin again the process of twisting each strand away from you while you pull it toward you4 ,continue the motion until you have run down the string a distance of eight inches4 ,during the process you will see the wisdom of having rolled the excess string up into little skeins to keep them from being tangled4 ,thus the upper eye is formed4 ,at this stage unwind your skeins and stretch the string down the bow1 untwisting and drawing straight the three strands4 ,seize them now three inches below the lower nock of your bow4 ,at this point apply the short splices for the lower loop4 ,they should be so laid on that three inches extends up the string from this point and the rest lies along the tapered extremity4 ,wax them tight4 ,hold the three long strands together while you give them final equalizing traction4 ,start here and twist your second loop1 drawing each strand toward you as you twist it away from you until a rope of three inches is formed again4 ,this you double back on itself1 mate its tapered extremities with the three long strands of the string and wax them together4 ,slip the upper loop down your bow and nock the lower loop on the lower horn4 ,swing your right knee over the bow below the string and set the loop on this horn while you work4 ,give the string plenty of slack4 ,start again the twisting and pulling operation1 keeping the strands from tangles while you form the lower splice of the string4 ,when it is eight inches long1 take off the loop and unroll the twist in the main body of the string4 ,replace the loop and brace your bow4 ,this will take the kinks from the cord4 ,wax it thoroughly and1 removing the lower loop1 twist the entire bowstring in the direction of the previous maneuver until it is shortened to the proper length to fit the bow4 ,nock the string again and1 taking a thick piece of paper1 fold it into a little pad and rub the bowstring vigorously until it assumes a round1 well-waxed condition4 ,if the loops are properly placed1 the final twisting should make one complete rotation of the string in a distance of one or two inches4 ,a closer twist tends to cut itself4 ,if1 by mistake1 the string is too short or too long1 and adjusting the twist does not correct it1 then you must undo the last loop to overcome the error4 ,the fork of these loops is often bound with waxed carpet thread to reduce their size and strengthen them4 ,the whole structure at this point may be served with the same thread to protect it from becoming chafed and worn4 ,the center of the string and the nocking point for the arrow must now be served with waxed silk1 linen1 or cotton thread to protect it from becoming worn4 ,ordinarily we take a piece of red carpet thread or shoe button thread1 about two yards in length1 wax it thoroughly and double it4 ,start with the doubled end1 threading the free end through it around the string1 and wind it over1 from right to left4 ,the point of starting this serving is two and one-half inches above the center of the bowstring4 ,when you come to the nocking point1 or that at which an arrow stands perpendicular to the string while crossing the bow at the top of the handle1 make a series of overlapping threads or clove hitches4 ,this will form a little lump or knot on the string at this point4 ,continue serving for half an inch and repeat this maneuver2 again continue the serving down the string for a distance of four or five inches1 finishing with a fixed lashing by drawing the thread under the last two or three wraps4 ,a nocking point of this character has two advantages3 the first is that you can feel it readily while nocking an arrow in the dark or while keeping your eye on the game1 and the other point is that the knots prevent the arrow being dislodged while walking through the brush4 ,we have found that by heating our beeswax and adding about one-quarter rosin1 it makes it more adhesive4 ,in hot or wet weather it is of some advantage to rub the string with an alcoholic solution of shellac4 ,compounds containing glue or any hard drying substance seem to cause the strings to break more readily4 ,paraffin1 talcum powder1 or a bit of tallow candle rubbed on the serving and nocking point is useful in making a clean release of the string4 ,so far as dampness and rain go1 these never interfere with the action of the string4 ,a well-greased bow will stand considerable water1 though arrows suffer considerably4 ,wax your string every few days if in use2 you should always carry an extra one with you4 ,strings break most commonly at the nocking point beneath the serving4 ,here they sustain the greatest strain and are subject to most bending4 ,an inspection at this point frequently should be done4 ,an impending break is indicated by an uneven contour of the strands beneath the serving4 ,discard it before it actually breaks4 ,by putting a spring scale between one of the bow nocks and the end of the string1 the unexpected phenomenon is demonstrated that there is greater tension on a string when the bow is braced but not drawn up4 ,a fifty-six pound bow registers a sixty-four pound tension on the string4 ,as the arrow is drawn up the tension decreases gradually until twenty-six inches are drawn1 when it registers sixty-four pounds again4 ,at the moment of recoil1 when the bow springs back into position1 this strain must rise tremendously1 for if the arrow be not in place the string frequently will be broken4 ,the tension on the string at the center or nocking point during the process of drawing a bow--that is1 the accumulated weight--rises quite differently in different bows4 ,the arrow being nocked on the string1 it is ordinarily already six inches drawn across the bow4 ,now in the same fifty-six pound bow for every inch of draw past this1 the weight rises between two and three pounds4 ,as the arrow nears full draw1 the weight increases to such a degree that the last few inches will register five or six pounds to the inch1 depending on many variable factors in the bow4 ,the gradient thus formed dictates the character of a bow to a great extent4 ,one that pulls softly at first and in the last part of the draw is very stiff1 will require more careful shooting to get the exact length of flight than one whose tension is evenly distributed4 ,reflexed bows are harder on strings than those that follow the string4 ,a breaking cord may fracture your bow4 ,i saw ,wallace ,bryant lose a beautiful specimen this way4 ,one of ,aldred's most perfect make1 dark ,spanish yew and more than fifty years old1 flew to splinters just because a treacherous string parted in the center4 ,sturdy hunting bows are not so liable to this catastrophe1 but be sure you are not caught out in a game country with a broken string and no second4 ,you will see endless opportunities to shoot4 ,wax is to an archer what tar is to a sailor2 use it often1 and always have two strings to your bow4 ,,vi ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,an ,,arrow ,fletching is a very old art and1 necessarily1 must have many empirical methods and principles involved4 ,there are innumerable types of arrows1 and an equal number of ways of making them4 ,for an excellent description of a good way to make target arrows1 the reader is referred to that chapter by ,jackson in the book ,american ,archery4 ,having learned several aboriginal methods of fletching and studied all the available literature on the subject1 we have adopted the following maneuvers to turn out standard hunting arrows3 ,the first requisite is the shaft4 ,having tested birch1 maple1 hickory1 oak1 ash1 poplar1 alder1 red cedar1 mahogany1 palma brava1 ,philippine nara1 ,douglas fir1 red pine1 white pine1 spruce1 ,port ,orford cedar1 yew1 willow1 hazel1 eucalyptus1 redwood1 elderberry1 and bamboo1 we have adopted birch as the most rigid1 toughest and suitable in weight for hunting arrows4 ,douglas fir and ,norway pine are best for target shafts2 bamboo for flight arrows4 ,the commercial dowel1 frequently called a maple dowel1 is made of white birch and is exactly suited to our purpose4 ,it may be obtained in quantities from dealers in hardwoods1 or from sash and door mills4 ,if possible1 you should select these dowels yourself1 to see that they are straight1 free from cross-grain1 and of a rigid quality4 ,for hunting bows drawing over sixty pounds1 the dowels should be three-eighths of an inch in diameter2 for lighter bows five-sixteenths dowels should be used4 ,they come in three-foot lengths and bundles of two hundred and fifty4 ,it is a good plan to buy a bundle at a time and keep them in the attic to dry and season4 ,where dowels are not obtainable1 you can have a hickory or birch plank sawed up or split into sticks half an inch in diameter1 and plane these to the required size1 or turn them on a lathe1 or run them through a dowel-cutting machine4 ,take a dozen dowels from your stock and cut them to a length of twenty-eight and one-quarter inches1 or an inch less or more according to the length of your arms4 ,in doing this you should try to remove the worst end1 keeping that portion with the straightest grain for the head of your shaft4 ,having cut them to length1 take a hand plane and shave the last six inches of the rear end or shaftment so that the diameter is reduced to a trifle more than five-sixteenths of an inch at the extremity4 ,now comes the process of straightening your shafts4 ,by squinting down the length of the dowel you can observe the crooked portions4 ,if these are very bad1 they should be heated gently over a gas flame and then bent into proper line over the base of the thumb or palm4 ,a pair of gloves will protect the hand from burning4 ,if the deviation be slight1 then mere manual pressure is often sufficient4 ,during this process the future arrow should be tested for strength4 ,if it cannot stand considerable bending it deserves to break4 ,if it is limber1 discard it4 ,nocking the shaft comes next4 ,hunting arrows require no horn1 bone1 aluminum1 or fiber nock4 ,simply place the smaller end of the shaft in a vise and cut the end across the grain with three hack saws bound together1 your cut being about an eighth of an inch wide by three-eighths deep2 finish it carefully with a file4 ,thus nock them all and sandpaper them smooth throughout1 rounding the nocked end gracefully4 ,to facilitate this process ,i place one end in a motor-driven chuck and hold the rapidly revolving shaft in a piece of sandpaper in my hand4 ,when finished the diameter should be a trifle under three-eighths of an inch at the center and about five-sixteenths at the nock4 ,mark them now1 where the feathers and binding should go4 ,at a point one inch from the base of the nock make a circular line1 this is for the rear binding2 five inches above this make another1 this is for the feather2 one inch above this make another1 this is for the front binding2 and an inch above this make another1 this is for the painted ribbon4 ,feathers come next1 but really they should have come long ago4 ,the best are turkey feathers1 so we won't talk about any others4 ,the time to get them is at ,thanksgiving and ,christmas4 ,then you should get on good terms with your butcher and have him save you a boxful of turkey wings4 ,these you chop with a hatchet on a block1 saving only the six or seven long pinions4 ,put them away with moth balls until you need them4 ,of course1 if you cannot get turkey feathers when you want them1 goose1 chicken1 duck1 or plumes from a feather duster may be employed4 ,your milliner can tell you where to purchase goose feathers1 but these are expensive4 ,cutting arrow feathers is a pleasant occupation around the fire in the winter evenings1 and the real archer has the happiness of making his tackle while his mind dwells upon the coming spring shooting4 ,as he makes his shaft he wonders what fate will befall it4 ,will it speed away in a futile shot1 or last the grilling of a hundred practice flights1 or will it be that fortunate arrow which flies swift and true and brings down the bounding deer8 ,how often have ,i picked up a shaft and marked it1 saying1 ,with this ,i'll kill a bear4 ,and with some ,i've done it1 too6 ,so your feathers should be cut in quantity4 ,this is the way you cut them3 ,select a good clean one1 steady it between your palms while with your fingers you separate the bristles at the tip4 ,pull them apart1 thus splitting the rib down the center4 ,if by chance it should not split evenly1 take your sharpened penknife and cut it straight4 ,have ready a little spring clip1 such as is used to hold your cravat or magazine in a book store4 ,one end of this is bent about a safety-pin so that it can be fastened to your trousers at the knee4 ,now you have a sort of knee vise to hold your feather while trimming it4 ,place the butt of the rib in the jaws of the clip and shave it down to the thickness of a thirty-second of an inch4 ,make this even and level so that the feather stands perpendicular to it4 ,with a pair of long scissors cut off the lateral excess of rib on the concave side of the feather4 ,this permits it to straighten out4 ,at the same stage cut the feather roughly to shape2 that is1 five inches long1 half an inch at the anterior end1 an inch wide posteriorly1 and having an inch of stem projecting at each extremity4 ,for this work you must keep your pocket-knife very sharp4 ,with practice you should cut a feather in two or three minutes4 ,donnan ,smith1 a worthy archer and a good fletcher1 has devised a spring clamp which holds the feather while being cut4 ,it is composed of a strong binder clip to which are soldered two thin metal jaws the size and shape of a properly cut feather4 ,having stripped his feather1 he clamps it rib uppermost between the jaws and trims the rib with a knife1 or on a fast-revolving emery stone1 or sandpaper disc4 ,this accomplished1 he turns the feather around in the clamp and cuts the bristles to the exact shape of the metal jaws with a pair of scissors4 ,it is an admirable method4 ,some fletchers cut their feathers on a board by eye with only a knife4 ,james ,duff1 the well-known ,american maker of tackle1 learned this in the shop of ,peter ,muir1 the famous ,scotch fletcher4 ,if you wish to dye your feathers it may be done by obtaining the aniline dye used on wool4 ,adding about #aj per cent of vinegar to the aqueous solution of the stain1 heat it to such a temperature that you can just stand your finger in it4 ,soak your feathers in this hot solution1 stir them for several minutes1 then lay them out on a piece of newspaper to dry in the sun4 ,red1 orange1 and yellow are used for this purpose2 the former helps one to find a lost arrow1 but all colors tend to run if wet1 and stain the clothing4 ,having prepared a sufficient quantity of feathers1 you are ready to fledge your shaft4 ,select three of a similar color1 strength1 and from the same wing of the bird4 ,with a stick1 run a little liquid glue along the rib of each and lay it aside4 ,along the axis of your arrow run three parallel lines of glue down the shaftment4 ,the first of these is for the cock feather and should be on a line perpendicular to the nock4 ,the other two are equidistant from this4 ,a novice should mark these lines with a pencil at first4 ,now comes a difficult task1 that of putting on the feathers4 ,many ways and means have been devised1 and in target arrows nothing is better than just sticking them on by hand4 ,some have used clamps1 some use pins1 some lash the feathers on at the extremities with thread1 and then glue beneath them4 ,we take the oldest of all methods1 which is shown in the specimens of old ,saxon arrows rescued from the ,nylander boat in ,holland1 #a ,footnote #a3 ,see ,archer's ,register of #aiab4 also depicted in many old ,english paintings--that of binding the feathers with a piece of thread running spirally up the shaft between the bristles4 ,starting at a point six inches from the nock1 set your thick end of the rib in position on the lines of glue4 ,hold the shaft under your left arm while with the left thumb1 forefinger1 and middle finger steady the feathers as they are respectively put in place4 ,with one end of a piece of cotton basting thread in your teeth and the spool in your right hand1 start binding the ribs down to the arrow shaft4 ,after a few turns proceed up the shaftment1 adjusting the feathers in position as you rotate the arrow4 ,let your basting thread slip between the bristles of the feather about half an inch apart4 ,when you come to the rear end1 finish up with several overlapping turns and a half-hitch4 ,line up your feathers so that they run straight down the shaftment and are equidistant4 ,of one thing be very sure--see that your feather runs a trifle toward the concave side1 looking from the rear1 and that the rear end deviates quite perceptibly toward this direction4 ,this insures proper steering qualities to your arrow4 ,set it aside and let it dry4 ,when all are dry1 remove the basting thread and trim the ribs to the pencil marks1 leaving them about three-quarters of an inch long4 ,bevel their ends to a slender taper4 ,the next process is that of binding the feathers in position4 ,the material which we use for this purpose is known as ribonzine1 a thin silk ribbon used to bind candy boxes4 ,in the absence of this1 floss silk may be employed4 ,cut it into pieces about a foot long4 ,put a little liquid glue on the space reserved for binding and1 while revolving the shaft under your arm1 apply the ribbon in lapping spirals over the feather ribs4 ,cover them completely and have the binding smooth and well sized in glue4 ,the ribbon near the nock serves to protect the wood at this point from splitting4 ,when dry1 clean your shaft from ragged excess of glue with knife and sandpaper1 and finish up by running a little diluted glue with a small brush along the side of the feather ribs to make them doubly secure4 ,now comes the painting4 ,we paint arrows not so much for gayness1 as to preserve them against moisture1 to aid in finding them when lost1 and to distinguish one man's shaft from another's4 ,chinese vermilion and bright orange are colors which are most discernible in the grass and undergrowth4 ,with a narrow brush1 paint between your feathers1 running up slightly on to the rib1 covering the glue4 ,if your silk ribbon binding is a bright color--mine is green--you can leave it untouched4 ,we often paint the nock a distinguishing color to indicate the type of head at the other end1 so that in drawing the shaft from the quiver we can know beforehand what sort it will be4 ,the livery should be painted in several different rings4 ,my own colors are red1 green1 and white4 ,one or two coats are applied according to the fancy of the archer4 ,the line between the various pigments should be striped with a thin black ring4 ,unless you use a lathe to hold your arrows in the painting process1 you can employ two wooden blocks or rests1 one having a shallow countersunk hole on its lateral face to hold the nock while rotating1 the other having a groove on its upper surface4 ,clamp these on a bench1 or on the opposite arms of your easy chair before the fire1 and you can turn your shafts slowly by hand while you steady your brush and apply the paint in even rings4 ,at this stage ,i have added a device which seems to be helpful in nocking arrows in the dark1 or while keeping one's eye on the game4 ,having put a drop of glue on the ribbon immediately above the nock and behind the cock feather1 ,i affix a little white glass bead4 ,one can feel this with his thumb as he nocks his arrow1 when in conjunction with knots on his string1 he can perform this maneuver entirely by touch4 ,the paint having dried1 varnish or shellac your arrow its entire length1 avoiding1 of course1 any contact with the feathers4 ,in due time sandpaper the shaft and repeat the varnishing4 ,rub this down with steelwool and give it a finishing touch with floor wax4 ,here we are ready for the arrow-heads4 ,we use three types of points4 ,the first is a blunt head made by binding the end of the shaft with thin tinned iron wire for half an inch and running on solder1 then drilling a hole in the end of the shaft and inserting an inch round-headed screw4 ,in place of soldered wire1 one can use an empty #ch-;caliber cartridge1 either cutting off the base or drilling out the priming aperture to admit the screw4 ,this type of arrow we use for rough practice1 shooting tin cans1 trees1 boxes1 and other impedimenta4 ,it makes a good shaft for birds1 rabbits1 and small game4 ,a second type of head we use is made of soft steel about a sixteenth of an inch thick4 ,we cut it with a hack saw into a blunt1 barbed1 lanceolate shape having a blade about an inch long and half an inch wide1 also a tang about the same length and three-eighths of an inch wide4 ,this we set into a slot sawed in the arrow in the same plane as the nock1 and bind the shaft with tinned wire1 number #cj1 soldered together4 ,the end of the shaft has a gradual bevel where it meets the lateral face of the head4 ,this is a sturdy little point and will stand much abuse4 ,we use it for shooting birds1 squirrels1 and small vermin4 ,but the point that we prefer to shoot is the old ,english broad-head4 ,starting from small dimensions1 we have gradually increased its size1 weight and strength and cutting qualities till now we shoot a head whose blade is three inches long1 an inch and a quarter wide1 a trifle less than a thirty-second thick4 ,it has a haft or tubular shank an inch long4 ,its weight is half an ounce4 ,the blades are made of spring steel4 ,after annealing the steel we score it diagonally with a hack saw1 when it may be broken in triangular pieces in a vise4 ,with a cold chisel1 an angular cut is made in the base to form the barbs4 ,with a file and carborundum stone1 they are edged and shaped into blades as sharp as knives4 ,soft1 cold drawn steel will serve quite as well as spring steel for these blades1 but it does not hold its edge4 ,it may be purchased at hardware supply depots in the form of strips an inch and a half wide1 by one-thirty-second thick1 and is much easier to work than the tempered variety4 ,then taking three-eighths number 4#bb gauge steel or brass tubing1 we smash it to a short bevel on the anvil1 file off the corners and cut it to a length of an inch and three-quarters4 ,this makes the haft or socket4 ,fixing a blade1 barbs uppermost in the vise1 this tubing is driven lightly into position1 the filed edges of the beveled end permitting the blade to be held between the sides of the tubing4 ,a small hole is drilled through the tubing and blade1 and a soft iron wire rivet is inserted4 ,the blade is held over a gas flame while the joint between it and the tubing is filled with soft soldering compound and ribbon solder4 ,the heated head is plunged into water and later finished with file and emery cloth4 ,the whole process of making a steel broad-head requires about twenty minutes4 ,every archer should manufacture his own4 ,then he will treat them with more respect4 ,very few artisans can make them1 and if they can1 their price is exorbitant4 ,be sure that your heads are straight and true4 ,to set them on your shaft1 cut the wood to fit1 then heat a bit of ferrule cement and set them on in the same plane as the nock4 ,in the absence of ferrule cement1 which can be had at all sporting goods stores1 one can use chewing gum1 or better yet1 a mixture of caoutchouc pitch and scale shellac heated together in equal parts4 ,heat your fixative as you would sealing wax1 over a candle1 also heat the arrow and the metal head4 ,put on with these adhesives1 it seldom pulls off4 ,in the wilds we often fix the head with pine resin4 ,glue can be used1 but it is not so good4 ,having brought your arrows to this stage1 the next act is to trim the feathers4 ,first run them gently through the hand and smooth out their veins2 then with long-bladed scissors cut them so that the anterior end is three-eighths of an inch high1 while the posterior extremity is one inch4 ,i also cut the rear tip of the feather diagonally across1 removing about half an inch to prevent it getting in the way of the fingers when on the string4 ,mr4 ,arthur ,young cuts his feathers in a long parabola with a die made of a knife blade bent into shape4 ,these things are largely a matter of taste4 ,look your arrows over2 see that they are straight and that the feathers are in good shape1 then shoot them to observe their flight4 ,number them above the ribbon so that you can keep record of their performances4 ,the weight of such an arrow is one and one-half ounces4 ,the small blunt1 barb-headed arrows we often paint red their entire length4 ,because they are meant for use in the brush1 they are more readily lost2 the bright color saves many a shaft4 ,to make a hunting arrow requires about an hour1 and one should be willing to look for one almost this time when it is lost4 ,finding arrows is an acquired art4 ,don't forget the advice of ,bassanio3 ,in my school days when ,i had lost one shaft1 ,i shot his fellow of the self-same flight1 the self-same way1 with more advised watch to find the other forth2 and by adventuring both1 ,i oft found both4 ,if1 indeed1 the shaft cannot be found1 then give it up with good grace1 remembering that after all it is pleasant work to make one4 ,dedicate it to the cause of archery with the hope that in future days some one may pick it up and1 pricking his finger on the barb1 become inoculated with the romance of archery4 ,when an arrow lodges in a root or tree1 we work the head back and forth very carefully to withdraw it4 ,a little pair of pliers comes in very handy here4 ,if it is buried deeply we cut the wood away from it with a hunting knife4 ,blunt arrows1 called bird bolts by ,shakespeare1 are best to shoot up in the branches of trees at winged and climbing game4 ,in our quivers we usually carry several light shafts we call eagle arrows1 because they are designed principally for shooting at this bird4 ,once while hunting deer1 and observing a doe and fawn drinking at a pool1 we saw a magnificent golden eagle swoop down1 catch the startled fawn and lift it from the ground4 ,mr4 ,compton and ,i1 having such arrows in our quivers1 let fly at the struggling bird of prey4 ,we came so close that the eagle loosened the grip of his talons and the fawn dropped to earth and sped off with its mother1 safe for the time being4 ,illustration3 ,,several ,,steps ,,in ,,arrow ,,making ,often we have shot at hawks and eagles high up in the air1 where to reach them we needed a very light arrow1 and they have had many close calls4 ,for these we use a five-sixteenths dowel1 feather it with short1 low cut parabolic feathers and put a small barbed head on it about an inch in length4 ,such an arrow we paint dark green1 blue1 or black1 so that the bird cannot discern its flight4 ,it is great sport to shoot at some lazy old buzzard as he comes within range4 ,he can see the ordinary arrow1 and if you shoot close1 he dodges1 swoops downward1 flops sidewise1 twists his head round and round1 and speeds up to leave the country4 ,he presents the comic picture of a complacent old gentleman suddenly disturbed in his monotonous existence and frightened into a most unbecoming loss of dignity4 ,eagle arrows can be used for lofty flights1 to span great canyons1 to rout the chattering bluejay from the topmost limb of a pine1 and sooner or later we shall pierce an eagle on the wing4 ,we make another kind of shaft that we call a floo-floo4 ,in ,thompson's ,witchery of ,archery he describes an arrow that his ,indian companion used1 which gave forth such a fluttering whistle when in flight that they called it by this euphonious name4 ,this is made by constructing the usual blunt screw-headed shaft and fledging it with wide uncut feathers4 ,it is useful in shooting small game in the brush1 because its flight is impeded and1 missing the game1 it soon loses momentum and stops4 ,it does not bound off into the next county1 but can be found near by4 ,as a rule1 these are steady1 straight fliers for a short distance4 ,in finishing the nock of an arrow1 it should be filed so that it fits the string rather snugly1 thus when in place it is not easily disturbed by the ordinary accidents of travel4 ,still this tightness should be at the entrance of the nock1 while the bottom of the nock is made a trifle more roomy with a round file4 ,i file all my nocks to fit a certain two-inch wire nail whose diameter is just that of my bowstring4 ,after arrows have been shot for a time and their feathers have settled1 they should again be trimmed carefully to their final proportions4 ,the heads1 if found too broad for perfect flight1 should be ground a trifle narrower4 ,when hunting1 one does well to carry in his pocket a small flat file with which to sharpen his broad-heads before shooting them4 ,they should have a serrated1 meat-cutting edge4 ,even carrying arrows in a quiver tends to dull them1 because they chafe each other while in motion4 ,from time to time you should rub the shafts and heads with the mixture of cedar and linseed oil1 thus keeping them clean and protected from dampness4 ,on a hunting trip an archer should carry with him in his repair kit1 extra feathers1 heads1 cement1 a tube of glue1 ribonzine1 linen thread1 wax1 paraffin1 sandpaper1 emery cloth1 pincers1 file and small scissors4 ,with these he can salvage many an arrow that otherwise would be too sick to shoot4 ,extra arrows are carried in a light wooden box which has little superimposed racks on which they rest and are kept from crushing each other4 ,as a rule1 nothing does an arrow so much good as to shoot it1 and nothing so much harm as to have it lie inactive and crowded in the quiver4 ,the flight of an arrow is symbolic of life itself4 ,it springs from the bow with high aim1 flies toward the blue heaven above1 and seems to have immortal power4 ,the song of its life is sweet to the ear4 ,the rush of its upward arc is a promise of perpetual progress4 ,with perfect grace it sweeps onward1 though less aspiring4 ,then fluttering imperceptibly1 it points downward and with ever-increasing speed1 approaches the earth1 where1 with a deep sigh1 it sinks in the soil1 quivers with spent energy1 and capitulates to the inevitable4 ,,vii ,,archery ,,equipment ,besides a bow and arrow1 the archer needs to have a quiver1 a bow case1 a waterproof quiver case1 an arm guard or bracer1 and a shooting glove or leather finger tips4 ,our quivers are made of untanned deer hide1 usually from deer shot with the bow4 ,the hide1 having been properly cleaned1 stretched1 and dried1 is cut down the center1 each half making a quiver4 ,marking a quadrilateral outline twenty-four inches on two sides1 twelve at the larger end1 and nine at the smaller1 in such a way that the hair points from the larger to the smaller end2 cut this piece and soak it in water until soft1 and wash it clean with soap4 ,at the same time cut a circular piece off the tough neck skin1 three inches in diameter4 ,with a furrier's needle having three sharp edges1 and heavy waxed thread1 or better yet1 with catgut1 sew up the longer sides of the skin with a simple overcast stitch4 ,let the hair side be in while sewing4 ,in the smaller end sew the circular bottom4 ,invert the quiver on a stick2 turn back a cuff of hide one inch deep at the top4 ,to do this nicely1 the hair should be clipped away at this point4 ,this cuff stiffens the mouth of the quiver and keeps it always open4 ,now put your quiver over a wooden form to dry4 ,illustration3 ,,arrow ,,heads ,,of ,,various ,,sorts ,,used ,,in ,,hunting ,i have one like a shoemaker's last1 made of two pieces of wood separated by a thin slat which can be removed1 permitting easy withdrawal of the quiver after drying4 ,when dry1 your quiver will be about twenty-two inches deep1 four inches across the top1 and slightly conical4 ,cut a strip of deer hide eight inches long by one and a half wide1 shave it1 double the hair side in1 and attach it to the seamy side of the quiver by perforating the leather and inserting a lacing of buckskin thongs4 ,leave the loop of this strap projecting two inches above the top of the quiver4 ,in the bottom of your quiver drop a round piece of felt or carpet to prevent the arrow points coming through the hide4 ,if you are not so fortunate as to have deer hide1 you may use any stiff leather1 or even canvas4 ,this latter can be made stiff by painting or varnishing it4 ,such a receptacle will hold a dozen broad-heads very comfortably and several more under pressure4 ,it should swing from a belt at the right hip in such a way that in walking it does not touch the leg1 while in shooting it is accessible to the right hand or may then be shifted slightly to the front for convenience4 ,in running we usually grasp the quiver in the right hand1 not only to prevent it interfering with locomotion1 but to keep the arrows from rattling and falling out4 ,when on the trail of an animal we habitually stuff a twig of leaves1 a bunch of ferns or a bit of grass in the mouth of the quiver to damp the soft rustling of the arrows4 ,sometimes1 in going through brush or when running1 we carry the quiver on a belt slung over the left shoulder4 ,here they are out of the way and give the legs full action4 ,to keep the arrows dry1 and to cover them while traveling1 we make a sheath for the quiver of waterproof muslin4 ,this is long enough to cover the arrows and has a wire ring a bit larger than the top of the quiver sewn in the cloth some three inches from the upper end4 ,this keeps the feathers from being crushed4 ,the mouth of this cover is closed with a drawstring4 ,on the side adjacent to the strap of the quiver1 an aperture is cut to permit this being brought through and fastened to the belt4 ,the bow itself has a long narrow case made of the same cloth1 or canvas1 or green baize with a drawstring at the top and a leather tip at the bottom4 ,where several bows are packed together1 each has a woolen bow case and all are carried in a canvas bag1 composition carrying cylinder1 or in a wooden bow box4 ,in hunting we prefer the canvas bag1 but you must carry it yourself1 any one else will break your bows4 ,the bracer1 or arm guard1 is a cuff of leather worn on the left forearm to prevent the stroke of the bowstring doing damage4 ,some archers can shoot without this protection1 but others1 because of their style of shooting or their anatomical formation1 need it4 ,it can be made like a butcher's cuff1 some six or eight inches long1 partially surrounding the forearm and fastened by three little straps or by lacing in the back4 ,another form is simply a strip of thin sole leather from two to three inches wide by eight long1 having little straps and buckles attached to hold it in position on the flexor surface of the wrist and forearm4 ,illustration3 ,,necessary ,,archery ,,equipment ,the bracer not only keeps the arm from injury1 but makes for a clean release of the arrow4 ,anything such as a coat sleeve touching the bowstring when in action1 diverts the arrow in its flight4 ,on the sleeve of your shooting jersey you can sew a piece of leather for an arm guard4 ,while one may pick up a bow and shoot a few shots without a glove or finger protection1 he soon will be compelled to cease because of soreness4 ,doubtless the ancient yeoman1 a horny-handed son of toil1 needed no glove4 ,but we know that even in those days a tab of leather was held in the hand to prevent the string from hurting4 ,the glove probably is of more modern use and quite in favor among target archers4 ,we have found it rather hot in hunting1 so have resorted to leather finger tips4 ,these are best made of pigskin or cordovan leather1 which is horse hide4 ,this should be about a sixteenth of an inch thick and cut to such a form that the tips enclose the finger on the palmar surface up to the second joint and leave an oval opening over the knuckle and upper part of the finger nail4 ,the best way to make them is to mould a piece of paper about each of the first three fingers on the right hand1 gathering the paper on the back and crimping it with the thumb nail to show where to cut the pattern4 ,lay the paper out flat and cut it approximately according to the illustrated form4 ,transferring these outlines to the leather1 cut three pieces accordingly1 soak them in water and sew them4 ,this stitching is best done by previously punching holes along the edges with a fine awl and sewing an overcast stitch of waxed linen thread which1 having reached the end1 returns backward on its course through the same holes4 ,this makes a criss-cross effect which is strong and pleasing to the eye4 ,the ends of the finger cots should be sewed closed1 protecting the fingers from injury and keeping out dirt4 ,while the leather is still soft and damp1 place the tips on the fingers and press them home4 ,at the same time flex them strongly at the joints and try to keep them bent there4 ,such angulation helps not only in holding the bowstring1 but keeps the tip from coming off under pressure4 ,when dry1 these leather stalls should be numbered according to the finger to which they belong1 coated lightly with thin glue on the inside and waxed on the outer surface4 ,then they are ready for use4 ,an archer should have two sets of tips so that1 should misfortune befall him and he loses one1 he is not altogether undone4 ,when not in use keep them in your pocket or strung on the strap of your bracer4 ,in by-gone days they were sewed to straps which fastened to a wrist belt1 thus were more secure from loss1 but more cumbersome4 ,from time to time oil your tips and always keep them from being roughened or scratched4 ,with a small amount of glue in the tip one has only to moisten his fingers in his mouth and the leather stall will stick on firmly4 ,we have also used lead plaster of the pharmacopoeia for the same adhesive purpose4 ,in the absence of pockets in ancient days1 the archer carried his extra equipment in a wallet slung at his waist4 ,even now it seems a handy thing to have a deerskin wallet six by eight inches1 by an inch or more deep4 ,i frequently carry my tips1 extra string1 wax1 file wrapped in a cloth1 and a bit of lunch1 in such a receptacle4 ,with his bow1 his quiver1 a wallet1 our modern archer is ready and could step into ,sherwood ,forest feeling quite at home4 ,,viii ,,how ,,to ,,shoot ,first1 brace your bow4 ,to do this properly1 grasp it at the handle with your right hand1 the upper horn upward and the back toward you4 ,place the lower horn at the instep of your right foot1 and the base of your left palm against the back of the bow1 near the top below the loop of the string4 ,holding your left arm stiff and toward your left side1 your right elbow fixed on your hip1 pull up on the handle by twisting your body so that the bow is sprung away from you4 ,the string is now relaxed1 and the fingers of the left hand push it upward till it slips in the nock4 ,don't try to force the string1 and don't get your fingers caught beneath it4 ,do most of the work with the right hand pulling against the rigid left arm4 ,the proper distance between the bow and the string at the handle is six inches4 ,this is ordinarily measured by setting the fist on the handle and the thumb sticking upright1 where it should touch the string4 ,this is the ancient fistmele1 an archer's measure1 also used in measuring lumber4 ,hunting bows should be strung a little less than this because of the prolonged strain on them4 ,target bows shoot cleaner when higher strung4 ,change your bow to your left hand and drop the arm so that the upper end of the bow swings across the body in a horizontal position4 ,draw an arrow from the quiver with the right hand and carry it across the bow till it rests on the left side at the top of the handle4 ,place the left forefinger over the shaft and keep it from slipping while you shift your right hand to the arrow-nock1 thumb uppermost4 ,push the arrow forward1 at the same time rotating it until the cock feather1 or that perpendicular to the nock1 is away from the bow4 ,as the feathers pass over the string and the thumb still rests on the nock1 slip the fingers beneath the string and fit it in the arrow-nock4 ,now turn the bow upright and remove your left forefinger from its position across the shaft4 ,the arrow should rest on the knuckles without lateral support4 ,now place your fingers in position for shooting4 ,the release used by the old ,english is the best4 ,this consists in placing three fingers on the string1 one above the arrow1 two below4 ,the string rests midway between the last joint and the tip of the finger4 ,the thumb should not touch the arrow1 but lie curled up in the palm4 ,the release used by children consists in pinching the arrow between the thumb and forefinger1 and is known as the primary loose4 ,this type is not strong enough to draw an arrow half way on a hunting bow4 ,stand sidewise to your mark1 with the feet eight or ten inches apart1 at right angles to the line of shot4 ,straighten your body1 stiffen the back1 expand the chest1 turn the head fully facing the mark1 look at it squarely1 and draw your bow across the body1 extending the left arm as you draw the right hand toward the chin4 ,draw the arrow steadily1 in the exact plane of your mark1 so that when the full draw is obtained and the arrowhead touches the left hand1 the right forefinger touches a spot on the jaw perpendicularly below the right eye and the right elbow is in a continuous line with the arrow4 ,this point on the jaw below the eye is fixed and never varies2 no matter how close or how far the shot1 the butt of the arrow is always drawn to the jaw1 not to the eye1 nor to the ear4 ,thus the eye glances along the entire length of the shaft and keeps it in perfect line4 ,the bow hand may be lowered or raised to obtain the proper elevation and length of flight4 ,the left arm is held rigidly but not absolutely extended and locked at the elbow4 ,a slight degree of flexion here makes for a good clearance of the string and adds resiliency to the shot4 ,the arrow is released by drawing the right hand further backward at the same time the fingers slip off the string4 ,this must be done so firmly1 yet deftly1 that no loss of power results1 and the releasing hand does not draw the arrow out of line4 ,two great faults occur at this point3 one is to permit the arrow to creep forward just before the release1 and the other is to draw the hand away from the face in the act of releasing4 ,keep your fingers flexed and your hand by your jaw4 ,all the fingers of the right hand must bear their proper share of work4 ,the great tendency is to permit the forefinger to shirk and to put too much work on the ring finger4 ,if the arrow has a tendency to fall away from the bow1 tip the upper limb ten degrees to the right and pull more on the right forefinger1 also start the draw with the fingers more acutely flexed1 so that as the arrow is pinched between the first and second fingers and as they tend to straighten out under the pressure of the string1 the arrow is pressed against the bow1 not away from it4 ,in grasping the bow with the left hand1 it should rest comfortably in the palm and loosely at the beginning of the draw4 ,the knuckle at the base of the thumb should be opposite the center of the bow1 the hand set straight on the wrist4 ,as you draw1 be sure that the arrow comes up in a straight line with your mark1 otherwise the bow will be twisted in the grasp and deflect the shot4 ,then fully drawn1 set the grasp of the left hand without disturbing the position of the bow1 make the left arm as rigid as an oak limb2 fix the muscles of the chest2 make yourself inflexible from head to toe4 ,keep your right elbow up and rivet your gaze upon your mark2 release in a direct line backward4 ,everything must be under the greatest tension1 any weakening spoils your flight4 ,the method of aiming in game shooting consists in fixing binocular vision on the object to be hit1 drawing the nock of the arrow beneath the right eye and observing that the head of the arrow is in a direct line with the mark by the indirect vision of the right eye4 ,both eyes are open1 both see the mark1 but only the right observes the arrowhead1 the left ignores it4 ,your vision must be so concentrated upon one point that all else fades from view4 ,just two things exist--your mark and your arrowhead4 ,at a range of sixty or eighty yards1 the head of the arrow seems to touch the mark while aiming4 ,this is called point blank range4 ,at shorter lengths the archer must estimate the distance below the mark on which his arrow seems to rest in order to rise in a parabolic curve and strike the spot4 ,at greater ranges he must estimate a distance above the mark on which he holds his arrow in order to drop it on the object of his shot4 ,if his shaft flies to the left1 it is because he has not drawn the nock beneath his right eye1 or he has thrown his head out of line1 or the string has hit his shirt sleeve or something has deflected the arrow4 ,if it falls to the right1 it is because he has made a forward1 creeping release1 or weakened in his bow arm1 or in drawing to the center of the jaw instead of the angle beneath the eye4 ,if the arrow rattles on the bow as it is released1 or slaps it hard in passing1 it is because it is not drawn up in true line1 or because it fits too tightly on the string1 or because the release is creeping and weak4 ,always draw fully up to the barb4 ,if his arrows drop low and all else is right1 it is because he has not kept his tension1 or has lowered his bow arm4 ,after the arrow is released1 the archer should hold his posture a second1 bow arm rigidly extended1 drawing hand to his jaw1 right elbow horizontal4 ,this insures that he maintains the proper position during the shot4 ,there should be no jerking1 swinging1 or casting motions2 all must be done evenly and deliberately4 ,the shaft should fly from the bowstring like a bird1 without quaver or flutter4 ,all depends upon a sharp resilient release4 ,having observed all the prerequisites of good shooting1 nothing so insures a keen1 true arrow flight as an effort of supreme tension during the release4 ,the chest is held rigid in a position of moderate inspiration1 the back muscles are set and every tendon is drawn into elastic strain2 in fact1 to be successful1 the whole act should be characterized by the utmost vigor4 ,to get the best instructions for shooting the bow1 one should read ,sir ,roger ,ascham in ,toxophilus1 and ,horace ,ford on ,archery4 ,game shooting differs from target shooting in that with the latter a point of aim is used1 and the archer fixes his eyes upon this point which is perpendicular above or below the bull's-eye4 ,the arrowhead is held on the point of aim1 and when loosed1 flies not along the line of vision1 but describes a curve upward1 descends and strikes not the point of aim1 but the bull's-eye4 ,the field archer should learn to estimate distances correctly by eye4 ,he should practice pacing measured lengths1 so that he can tell how many yards any object may be from him4 ,in hunting he should make a mental note of this before he shoots4 ,in fact we nearly always call the number of yards before we loose the arrow4 ,where a strong cross-wind exists1 a certain amount of windage is allowed4 ,but up to sixty yards the lateral deflexion from wind is negligible2 past this it may amount to three or four feet4 ,in clout shooting and target practice1 one must take wind into consideration4 ,in hunting we only consider it when approaching game1 as a carrier of scent1 because our hunting ranges are well under a hundred yards and our heavy hunting shafts tack into the wind with little lateral drift4 ,illustration3 ,,an ,,archer',s ,,measure1 ,a ,,fistmele ,illustration3 ,,the ,,english ,,method ,,of ,,drawing ,,the ,,arrow ,illustration3 ,,nocking ,,the ,,shaft ,,on ,,the ,,string ,illustration3 ,,the ,,long ,,bow ,,full ,,drawn ,no matter how much a man may shoot1 he is forever struggling with his technique4 ,i remember getting a letter from an old archer who had shot the bow for more than fifty years4 ,he was past seventy and had to resort to a thirty-five pound weapon4 ,he complained that his release was faulty1 but he felt that with a little more practice he could perfect his loose and make a perfect shot4 ,since writing he has entered the ,happy ,hunting ,grounds1 still a trifle off in form4 ,even a sylvan archer needs to practice form at the targets4 ,he should study the game from its scientific principles as formulated by ,horace ,ford1 the greatest target shot ever known4 ,the point-of-aim system and target practice improve one's hunting4 ,hunting1 on the other hand1 spoils one's target work4 ,the use of heavy bows so accustoms the muscles to gross reactions that they fail to adjust themselves to the finer requirements of light bows and to the precise technique of the target range4 ,the field archer gets his practice by going out in the open and shooting at marks of any sort1 at all distances1 from five to two hundred yards4 ,a bush1 a stray piece of paper1 a flower1 a shadow on the grass1 all are objects for his shafts4 ,the open heath1 shaded forest1 hills and dales1 all make good grounds4 ,as he comes over a knoll a bush on the farther side represents a deer1 he shoots instantly4 ,he must learn to run1 to stop short and shoot1 fresh or weary he must be able to draw his bow and discharge one arrow after another4 ,with the bow unstrung walking along the trail1 often we have stopped at the word of command1 strung the bow1 drawn an arrow from the quiver1 nocked it1 and discharged it within the space of five seconds4 ,deliberation1 however1 is much more desirable4 ,let several archers go into the fields together and roam over the land1 aiming at various marks2 it makes for robust and accurate game shooting4 ,shooting an exact line is much easier than getting the exact length4 ,for this reason it is easier to split the willow wand at sixty or eighty yards than it seems4 ,often we have tried this feat to amuse ourselves or our friends1 and seldom more than six arrows are needed to strike such a lath or stick at this distance4 ,hitting objects tossed in the air is not so difficult either4 ,a small tin can or box thrown fifteen or twenty feet upward at a distance of ten or fifteen yards can be hit nearly every time1 especially if the archer waits until it just reaches the apex of its course and shoots when it is practically stationary4 ,shooting at swinging objects helps to train one in leading running or flying game4 ,turtle shooting1 that form in which the arrow is discharged directly upward and is supposed to drop on the mark1 is difficult and attended with few hits1 but it trains one in estimating wind drift4 ,an archer should also learn the elevation or trajectory at which his arrows fly at various distances4 ,shooting in the woods over hanging limbs may interfere with a good shot4 ,in this case the archer can kneel and thus lower his flight to avoid interception4 ,in kneeling it seems that the right knee should be on the ground1 while the left foot is forward4 ,this is a natural pose to assume during walking1 and the left thigh should be held out of the way of the bow-string4 ,when not in use1 but braced1 the bow should be carried in the left hand1 the string upward1 the tip pointing forward4 ,it never should be swung about like a club nor shouldered like a gun4 ,shooting from horseback is not impossible1 but it must be done off the left side of the horse1 and a certain amount of practice is necessary for the horse as well as for the archer4 ,it is surprising how accurately one can shoot at night4 ,even the dimmest outline will serve the bowman1 and his shaft has an uncanny way of finding the mark4 ,when it comes to missing the mark1 that is the subject for a sad story4 ,it takes an inveterate optimist to stand the moral strain of persistent missing4 ,in fact1 it is this that spoils the archery career of many a tyro--he gives up in despair4 ,it looks so easy1 but really is so difficult to hit the mark4 ,but do not be cast down1 keep eternally at practice1 and ultimately you will be rewarded4 ,nothing stands a man in such good stead in this matter as to have started shooting in his youth4 ,and do not imagine that we are infallible in our shooting4 ,some of the most humiliating moments of our lives have come through poor shooting4 ,just when we wanted to do our best1 before an expectant gathering1 we have done our most stupid missing4 ,but even this has its compensations and inures us to defeat4 ,it is a striking fact that we shoot better when confronted by the game itself4 ,under actual hunting conditions you will hit closer to your point than on the target field4 ,study every move for clean1 accurate shooting1 and analyze your failures so that you can correct your faults4 ,extreme care and utmost effort will be rewarded by greater accuracy4 ,other things being equal1 it is the man who shoots with his heart in his bow that hits the mark4 ,,ix ,,the ,,principles ,,of ,,hunting ,in the early dawn of life man took up weapons against the beasts about him4 ,with club1 ax1 spear1 knife1 and sling he protected himself or sought his game4 ,to strike at a distance1 he devised the bow4 ,with the implements of the chase he has won his way in the world4 ,today there is no need to battle with the beasts of prey and little necessity to kill wild animals for food2 but still the hunting instinct persists4 ,the love of the chase still thrills us and all the misty past echoes with the hunter's call4 ,in the joy of hunting is intimately woven the love of the great outdoors4 ,the beauty of woods1 valleys1 mountains1 and skies feeds the soul of the sportsman where the quest of game only whets his appetite4 ,after all1 it is not the killing that brings satisfaction1 it is the contest of skill and cunning4 ,the true hunter counts his achievement in proportion to the effort involved and the fairness of the sport4 ,with the rapid development of firearms1 hunting tends to lose its sporting quality4 ,the killing of game is becoming too easy2 there is little triumph and less glory than in the days of yore4 ,game preservation demands a limitation of armament4 ,we should do well to abandon the more powerful and accurate implements of destruction1 and revert to the bow4 ,here we have a weapon of beauty and romance4 ,he who shoots with a bow1 puts his life's energy into it4 ,the force behind the flying shaft must be placed there by the archer4 ,at the moment of greatest strain he must draw every sinew to the utmost2 his hand must be steady2 his nerves under absolute control2 his eye keen and clear4 ,in the hunt he pits his well-trained skill against the instinctive cunning of his quarry4 ,by the most adroit cleverness1 he must approach within striking distance1 and when he speeds his low whispering shaft and strikes his game1 he has won by the strength of arm and nerve4 ,it is a noble sport4 ,however1 not all temperaments are suited to archery4 ,there must be something within the deeper memories of his inheritance to which the bow appeals4 ,a mere passing fancy will not suffice to make him an archer4 ,it is the unusual person who will overcome the early difficulties and persevere with the bow through love of it4 ,the real archer when he goes afield enters a land of subtle delight4 ,the dew glistens on the leaves1 the thrush sings in the bush1 the soft wind blows1 and all nature welcomes him as she has the hunter since the world began4 ,with his bow in his hand1 his arrows softly rustling in the quiver1 a horn at his back1 and a hound at his heels1 what more can a man want in life8 ,in ,america our hearts have heard the low whistle of the flying arrow and the sweet hum of the bowstring singing in the book1 ,the ,witchery of ,archery by ,maurice ,thompson4 ,to ,will and ,maurice ,thompson we owe a debt of gratitude hard to pay4 ,the tale of their sylvan exploits in the everglades of ,florida has a charm that borders on the fay4 ,we who shoot the bow today are children of their fantasy1 offspring of their magic4 ,as the parents of ,american archery1 we offer them homage and honor4 ,ernest ,thompson ,seton is another patron of archery to whom all who have read ,two ,little ,savages must be eternally grateful4 ,not only has he given us a reviving touch of the outdoors1 but he puts the bow and arrow in its true setting1 a background of nature4 ,when ,arthur ,young1 ,will ,compton1 and ,i began hunting with the bow1 we wrote ,will ,thompson to join us4 ,because he is such a commanding figure in the history of our craft1 ,i think it proper to quote from one of his letters3 ,,my ,,dear ,,dr4 ,,pope3 ,the ,sunset ,magazine containing your charming account of ,ishi and your hunting adventures1 and the bunch of photographs of the transfixed deer1 quail1 and rabbits came duly1 and are mine1 now1 tomorrow1 and for life4 ,you were very fortunate to have won your archery triumphs where you could photograph them4 ,i would give much indeed if ,i could have photos of the scenes of my brother's and my successes in the somber and game-thronged wilds of the gloomy ,okefinokee ,swamp4 ,i think ,i sent you long ago the two numbers of ,forest and ,stream in which the history of that most wonderful of all my outings appeared4 ,if ,i did not do so ,i will loan you the only copy ,i have4 ,let me know4 ,i am glad1 so glad1 that you young athletic men are following the wild trails armed with the most romantic weapon man ever fashioned1 and ,i would give almost any precious thing ,i hold to fare with you once to the game land of your choice1 and to watch and wait by a slender trail while you and your young1 strong comrades stole through the secret haunts of the wild things1 and to listen to the faint footfalls of the coming deer1 roused by your entrance into their secret lairs4 ,to see the soft and devious approach of the wary thing2 to see the lifted light head turned sharply back toward the evil that roused it from its bed of ferns2 to feel the strong bow tightening in my hand as the thin1 hard string comes back2 to feel the leap of the loosened cord1 the jar of the bow1 and see the long streak of the going shaft1 and hear the almost sickening 'chuck' of the stabbing arrow4 ,no one can know how ,i have loved the woods1 the streams1 the trails of the wild1 the ways of the things of slender limbs1 of fine nose1 of great eager ears1 of mild wary eyes1 and of vague and half-revealed forms and colors4 ,i have been their friend and mortal enemy4 ,i have so loved them that ,i longed to kill them4 ,but ,i gave them far more than a fair chance4 ,how many ,i have missed to one ,i have killed6 ,how often the fierce arrow hissed its threat close by the wide ears6 ,how often the puff of lifted feathers has marked the innocuous passage of my very best arrow6 ,how often the roar of wings has replied to the 'chuck' of my steel-head shaft as it stabbed the tree branch under the grouse's feet6 ,oh1 le bon temps1 que de sicle de fer4 ,let me know whether ,i sent you ,deep in ,okefinokee ,swamp4 ,i enclose you a little poem published long ago in ,forest and ,stream and picked up by the ,literary ,digest and other periodicals4 ,you will1 ,i think1 feel the love of the bow1 and the outdoors1 as well as the great cry for the lost brother running through the long sob that pervades it4 ,send me anything you publish1 for ,i know ,i should be pleased4 ,love to you and a handgrasp to your comrade archers4 ,,will ,,thompson4 ,after the ,civil ,war1 where both youths fought in the ,confederate ,army and ,maurice was wounded1 they returned to their ,southern home1 broken in health1 reduced in circumstances1 and deprived of firearms by ,government restrictions4 ,they turned to the bow and hunting as naturally as a boy turns to play4 ,out of their experiences we have a lyric of exquisite purity1 ,the ,witchery of ,archery4 ,as a result of the interest stimulated by the recount of their exploits1 the ,national ,archery ,association was established and held its first tournament at ,chicago in the year #ahgi4 ,it has ever since nurtured the sport and furthered competitive enthusiasm4 ,maurice later became a noted author1 ,will an attorney-at-law1 the dean of ,american archers and a poet of remarkably happy expression4 ,here ,i feel at liberty to insert one of ,will ,thompson's verses1 sent me in personal communications3 ,,an ,,arrow ,,song ,a song from green ,floridian vales ,i heard1 ,soft as the sea-moan when the waves are slow2 ,sweeter than melody of brook or bird1 ,keener than any winds that breathe or blow2 ,a magic music out of memory stirred1 ,a strain that charms my heart to overflow ,with such vast yearning that my eyes are blurred4 ,oh1 song of dreams1 that ,i no more shall know6 ,bewildering carol without spoken word6 ,faint as a stream's voice murmuring under snow1 ,sad as a love forevermore deferred1 ,song of the arrow from the ,master's bow1 ,sung in ,floridian vales long1 long ago4 ,,will ,h4 ,,thompson4 ,a memory of my brother ,maurice4 ,the ,thompsons devoted much of their bow shooting to birds4 ,not only did they hunt1 but they studied the abundant avian life of the ,florida coast4 ,an archer must always1 perforce1 study animate nature and learn its ways before he can capture it4 ,in our early training with ,ishi1 the ,indian1 he taught us to look before he taught us to shoot4 ,little bit walk1 too much look1 was his motto4 ,the roving eye and the light step are the signs of the forest voyageur4 ,the ideal way for an archer to travel is to carry on his shoulders a knapsack containing a light sleeping bag and enough food to last him a week4 ,with me this means coffee1 tea1 sugar1 canned milk1 dried fruit1 rice1 cornmeal1 flour and baking powder mixture1 a little bacon1 butter1 and seasoning4 ,this will weigh less than ten pounds4 ,with other minor appurtenances in the ditty bag1 including an arrow-repairing kit1 one's burden is less than twenty pounds1 an easy load4 ,if you have a dog1 make him carry his own dry meal in little saddle-bags on his back1 as ,dan ,beard suggests4 ,then1 with two dozen arrows in your quiver1 and your bow1 the open trail lies ahead4 ,there is always meat to be had for the shooting4 ,the camp fire and your dog are companions at night1 and at dawn all the world rolls out before you as you go4 ,it is a happy life6 ,when ,ishi started to shoot with me1 one bowman after another appeared on the scene to join us4 ,among the first came ,will ,compton1 a man of mature years and many experiences4 ,brought up on the plains1 he learned to shoot the bow with the ,sioux ,indians4 ,as a boy of fourteen he shot his first deer with an arrow4 ,from that time on1 deer1 elk1 antelope1 birds of all sorts1 and even buffalo fell before this primitive weapon4 ,he later hunted with the gun until the very ease of killing turned him against it4 ,so when he came to us1 he was a seasoned archer4 ,upon a visit to a ,japanese archery gallery in the ,panama-,pacific ,exposition he met for the first time ,arthur ,young1 also an expert hunter with the gun4 ,a friendship sprang up between them1 and ,compton taught ,young to shoot the bow4 ,compton had worked in the shop of ,barnes1 the bowmaker of ,forest ,grove1 ,oregon1 and later he went into the ,cascade ,mountains and cut yew staves with an idea of selling them to the ,english bowyers4 ,the ,great ,war of #aiad prevented this1 and so we had an unlimited supply of yew wood for use4 ,we three gravitated together and shot with ,ishi until his last sickness and departure4 ,then our serious work began4 ,we found it not only a delightful way of hunting1 but a trio makes success more certain in the field4 ,in ,california there is an abundance of game2 small animals exist everywhere and there is no better training than to stalk the wary ground squirrel or the alert cottontail4 ,these every archer should school himself to hit before he ventures after larger beasts4 ,infinite patience and practice are needed to make a hunter4 ,he must earn his right to take life by the painful effort of constant shooting4 ,we shot together1 and many are the bags of game we filled4 ,we discovered in the humble ground squirrel a delectable morsel more palatable than chicken2 re-discovered it1 we may say1 because the ,indian knew it first4 ,in killing these little pests we take to the open fields1 approach a burrow by creeping up a gully or dip in the land1 rise up and shoot at such distances as we can4 ,i recall one day when ,young and ,i got twenty-four squirrels with the bow4 ,upon another occasion ,young by himself secured seventeen in one morning2 the last five were killed with five successive arrows1 the last squirrel being forty-two paces away4 ,rabbits are best hunted in company4 ,here the startled rodent skips briskly off1 down his accustomed run1 only to meet another archer standing motionless1 ready with his arrow4 ,it seems legitimate with this rudimentary weapon to shoot animals on the stand1 or set1 a sporting permit not granted to the devotee of the shotgun1 who has a hundred chances to our one4 ,we found from the very first that the arrow was more humane than the gun4 ,counting all hunters1 for every animal brought home with the gun1 whether duck1 quail1 or deer1 at least two are hit and die in pain in the brush4 ,just to illustrate this1 ,mr4 ,young reported to me the results of his shooting with a small rifle at ground squirrels4 ,so expert is he that to hit a squirrel in any spot but the head is quite unusual4 ,in one day's shooting between himself and his young son1 they hit thirty-six animals1 sixteen of these escaped and disappeared down their burrows1 there to die later of their wounds4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,patron ,,saints ,,of ,,american ,,archery1 ,,will ,,and ,,maurice ,,thompson1 ,,as ,,they ,,appeared ,,in #ahgh ,with the arrow it is different4 ,not only is the destructive power as great as a small bullet1 but the shaft holds the animal so that it cannot escape4 ,practically none are lost in our hunts4 ,a strange phenomenon is seen in larger animals2 they are easier to kill with an arrow than small ones4 ,a shot in either the chest or abdominal cavity of a deer is invariably fatal in a few minutes2 while a rabbit may carry an arrow off until the obstructing undergrowth checks his flight4 ,it seems that their vital areas and blood vessels being smaller1 are less readily injured by the missile4 ,a bullet can crash into the brain of an animal1 tear out a mass of tissue and generally shatter his structure1 but cause little bleeding4 ,an arrow wound is clean-cut and the hemorrhage is tremendous1 but if not immediately fatal1 it heals readily and does little harm4 ,the pain is no greater with the arrow than with the bullet4 ,our hunting of squirrel and rabbits was merely preparatory to the taking of larger game2 but even on our more pretentious expeditions1 we fill the vacant hours with lesser shooting and fill the camp kettle with sweet tidbits4 ,many a quail1 partridge1 sage hen1 or grouse has flown from the heather into our bag transfixed by a feathered shaft4 ,both ,compton and ,young have shot ducks and geese1 some on the wing4 ,but we cannot compete with the experiences of ,maurice ,thompson who1 shooting ninety-eight arrows1 landed sixteen ducks on the wing4 ,some amusing incidents have occurred in bird shooting4 ,we consider the bluejay a legitimate mark any day2 he is a rascal of the deepest dye1 so we always shoot at him4 ,compton once tried one of his long shots at a jay on the ground nearly eighty yards off4 ,his line was good1 but his shot fell short4 ,the arrow skidded and struck the bird in the tail just as he left the ground for flight4 ,the two rose together and sailed off into space1 like an aeroplane1 with a preposterously long rudder1 the arrow out behind4 ,they slowly wheeled in a circle a hundred yards in diameter when the bird1 nearing the archer1 fell exhausted at his feet4 ,compton picked up the jay1 drew the arrow from the shallow skin wound above his tail1 and tossed him in the air4 ,he disappeared with a volley of expletives4 ,with an arrow it is also possible to shoot fish4 ,many wise old trout1 incurious and contented1 deep in the shadowed pool1 have been coaxed to the frying pan through the archer's skill4 ,well ,i recall once1 how shooting fish not only brought us meat1 but changed our luck4 ,young and ,i were on a bear hunt4 ,it had been a long1 weary and unsuccessful quest of the elusive beast4 ,bears seemed to have become extinct1 so we took to shooting trout in a quiet little meadow stream4 ,having buried an arrow in the far bank1 with a short run and a leap ,young cleared the brook and landed on the greensward beyond4 ,the succulent turf slipped beneath his feet and1 like an acrobat1 the archer turned a back somersault into the cold mountain water4 ,bow1 clattering arrows1 camera1 field glasses and man1 all sank beneath the limpid surface4 ,with a shout of laughter he clambered to the bank1 his faithful bow still in his hand1 his quiver empty of arrows1 but full of water4 ,after a hasty salvage of all damaged goods1 we journeyed along1 no worse for the wetting4 ,but immediately we began to see bear signs and ultimately got our bruin4 ,young later said that if he had known the change of luck that went with a good ducking1 he would have tried it sooner4 ,we have often been asked if we do not poison our arrow points4 ,most people seem to have the idea that an arrow is too impotent to cause death2 they conceive it a refined sort of torture and have no conception of its destructive nature4 ,it is true that we thought at first of putting poison on our arrows intended for lions1 and we did coat some broad-heads with mucilage and powdered strychnine1 but we never used them4 ,my physiologic experiments with curare1 the ,south ,american arrow poison1 aconitin1 the ,japanese ,ainu poison1 and buffogen1 the ,central ,american poison1 had convinced me that strychnine was more deadly4 ,it would not harm the meat in the dilution obtained in the blood1 and it was cheap and effective4 ,buffogen is obtained by the natives by taking the tropical toad1 ,buffo ,nigra1 enclosing it in a segment of bamboo1 heating this over a slow fire and gathering the exuded juice of the dessicated batrachian4 ,it is a very powerful substance1 having an action similar to that of adrenalin and strychnine4 ,salamandrine1 an extract obtained from the macerated skin of the common red water-dog1 is also violently toxic4 ,but we had a disgust for these things4 ,we soon learned1 moreover1 that our arrows were sufficient without these adjuncts1 and we deemed it unsportsmanlike to consider them4 ,therefore1 we abandoned the idea4 ,ishi knew of the employment of these killing substances1 but he did not use them4 ,in his tribe they made a poison by teasing a rattlesnake and having it strike a piece of deer's liver4 ,this was later buried in the ground until it rotted1 and the arrow points were smeared with this revolting material4 ,it was a combination of crotalin venom and ptomaine poisons1 a very deadly mess4 ,we much prefer the bright1 clean knife-blade of our broad-heads to any other missile4 ,the principles involved in seeking game with the bow and arrow are those of the still hunt1 only more refined4 ,an archer's striking distance extends from ten to one hundred yards4 ,for small animals it lies between ten and forty2 for large game from forty to eighty or a hundred4 ,the distance at which most small game flush varies with the country in which they live1 the nature of their enemies1 and the prevalence of hunters4 ,quail and rabbits usually will permit a man to approach them within twenty or thirty yards4 ,this they have learned is a safe distance for a fox or wildcat who must hurl himself at them4 ,it is quite a fair distance for any man with any weapon1 particularly the bow4 ,most small game1 especially rabbits1 have sufficient curiosity to stand after their first startled retreat4 ,beneath a bush or clump of weeds they squat and watch on the qui vive4 ,the arrow may find them there when it strikes1 but often the very flash of its departure and the quick movement of the hand send the little beastie flying to his cover4 ,here two sportsmen working together succeed better2 one attracts the rabbit's attention1 the other shoots the shot4 ,illustration3 ,,shooting ,,brush ,,rabbits ,illustration3 ,,archers ,,in ,,ambush ,illustration3 ,,ishi ,,riding ,a ,,horse ,,for ,,the ,,first ,,time ,the marmot or woodchuck1 is an impudent and cautious animal and he is a difficult mark for a bowman's aim4 ,but nothing has more comic situations than an afternoon spent in a ground-hog village4 ,after an incontinent scuttle to his burrow1 an old warrior backs into his hole1 then brazenly lifts his head and fastens his glittering eye upon you4 ,the contest of quickness then begins2 the archer and the marmot play shoot and dodge until one after the other all the arrows are exhausted or a hit is registered4 ,the ground-hog never quits4 ,i can recall one strenuous noon hour in an outcropping of rock where1 between shattered arrows1 precipitous chasing of transfixed old warriors1 defiant whistlers on all sides1 we piled up nearly a dozen victims4 ,quail hunting requires careful shooting1 but it is good training for the bowman4 ,a sentinel cock1 sitting on a low limb1 warns his covey of our approach1 but he himself makes a gallant mark for the archer4 ,i saw ,compton spit such a bird on his arrow at fifty yards1 while a confused scurrying flock made easy shooting for two hunters4 ,i am ashamed to say that we have often taken advantage of the evening roosting of these birds in trees to secure a supper for ourselves4 ,but the archer must exercise caution in this team work in the brush4 ,he should never forget that an arrow will kill a man as readily as it does an animal and that one should always consider where his shot ultimately will land1 both for the purpose of finding his shaft and avoiding accidents4 ,arrows have a great habit of glancing4 ,once when hunting quail in a patch of willow in a dry wash1 ,compton shot at a bird on a branch1 missed it1 and at the same instant ,young1 who was on the opposite side of the thicket1 heard a thwack at his right and turned to find a broad-head arrow buried up to the barbs in a willow limb just the height of the heart4 ,it gave us all pause for thought4 ,look before you shoot6 ,while small game may be taken by tactics of moderate cunning1 larger and more wary animals must be hunted by artful measures4 ,deer1 still abundant in our land1 and properly safeguarded by game laws1 test the woodsman's skill to the utmost4 ,to learn the art of finding deer1 or successful approach and ultimate capture1 one must study life in the open4 ,let him read the work of ,van ,dyke on still-hunting #a ,footnote #a3 ,the ,still-hunter1 by ,van ,dyke4 ,the ,macmillan ,co4 to gain some idea of the many problems entailed4 ,in our country we have the ,columbia black tail deer4 ,of course1 only bucks should be shot2 as an old forest ranger said to me1 ,does ain't deer4 ,and no one but a starving man would shoot a fawn4 ,here bucks are hunted only in the fall1 just as they shed their velvet and before the rutting season4 ,at this time they keep pretty quiet in the brush or seek the higher lookout points on mountain ridges4 ,they browse mostly at night and are to be met wandering to water or back to their beds4 ,the older ones lie very quietly and seldom move far from their cover4 ,sometimes in the heat of the day they stir about or go to drink4 ,the younger bucks are more audacious and seem to feel that their wisdom and strength can carry them anywhere4 ,for this reason a two-year-old or forked horn is much more frequently brought down4 ,it is interesting to note that even in this day of civilization and the extinction of wild life1 deer are to be found within a radius of twenty miles from our largest cities in ,california4 ,we1 however1 invariably journey by rail or motor car from fifty to three hundred miles to do most of our hunting4 ,we seek those regions that are most primeval4 ,here game is largely in an undisturbed condition4 ,from some station or outpost we pack with horses into the foothills or higher levels of the ,coast ,range or ,sierra ,nevada ,mountains4 ,having made camp in a sheltered spot1 we hunt on foot over the adjacent country4 ,just at dawn and at sunset are the favorite times for finding deer4 ,the hunters rise from their sleeping bags1 make a hasty meal of coffee and cakes1 and long before the light of dawn sweeps the eastern sky1 they must be on the trail4 ,silently and alert they enter the land of suspected deer4 ,taking advantage of every bit of cover1 traveling into the wind where possible1 looking at every shadow1 every spot of moving color1 they advance4 ,where trails exist they follow these1 or if the ground be carpeted with soft pine needles1 they flit between the deeper shades of the forest1 watchful1 and hearing every woodland sound4 ,often the crashing bound of a deer through the brush proves that cautious though the archer may be1 more cautious is the deer4 ,or having seen him first1 the archer crouches1 advances to a favorable spot1 gauges the distance1 clears his eye1 and nerves himself for a supreme effort4 ,he draws his sturdy bow till the sharpened barb pricks his finger and bids him loose--a hit1 a leap1 a clattering flight4 ,watching and immovable1 the archer listens with straining ears4 ,he must not stir1 he must not follow2 later he can trail the quarry4 ,give the wounded deer time to lie down and die1 then find him4 ,it is a surprising experience to see animals stand and let arrows fall about them without fear4 ,an archer has special privileges because he uses nature's tools4 ,the whizzing missile is no more than a passing bird to the beast4 ,what hurt can that bring8 ,the quiet man is only an interesting object on the landscape1 there is no noise to cause alarm4 ,most animals are ruled by curiosity till fright takes control4 ,but some are less curious than others1 notably the turkey4 ,there is a story among sportsmen that describes this in the ,indian's speech4 ,deer see ,injun4 ,deer say1 ',i see ,injun2 no1 him stump2 no1 him ,injun2 no1 maybe stump4' ,injun shoot4 ,turkey see ,injun2 he say1 ',i see ,injun4' ,he go6 ,the use of dogs in deer hunting should be restricted to trailing wounded animals4 ,here a little mongrel1 if properly trained1 serves better than a blooded breed4 ,no dog should be permitted to run deer1 especially if wounded4 ,it is only the dog's nose we need1 not his legs4 ,an ideal canine for an archer would be one having the olfactory organs of a hound and the reasoning capacity of a college professor4 ,with him one could trail animals1 yet not flush them2 perceive the imminence of game1 yet not startle it2 run coyotes1 wolves1 cougars1 and bear1 yet never confuse their scent nor abandon the quest of one for that of another4 ,but as it is1 no dog seems capable of doing all things1 so we need specialists4 ,a good bear and lion dog should never taste deer meat nor follow his tracks4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,rest ,,at ,,noon ,illustration3 ,a ,,lynx ,,that ,,met ,,an ,,archer ,illustration3 ,,the ,,chief ,,looking ,,over ,,good ,,deer ,,country ,a good coon dog should stick to coons and let rabbits alone4 ,and the sort of dog an archer needs for deer is one that can point them1 yet will not follow one unless it is wounded4 ,every good dog will come to the ringing note of the horn4 ,and after all1 there lies the soul of the sport4 ,the fragrance of the earth1 the deep purple valleys1 the wooded mountain slopes1 the clean sweet wind1 the mysterious murmur of the tree tops1 all call the hunter forth4 ,when he hears the horn and the baying hound his heart leaps within him1 he grasps his good yew bow1 girds his quiver on his hip1 and enters a world of romance and adventure4 ,x ,,the ,,raccoon1 ,,wildcat1 ,,fox1 ,,coon1 ,,cat1 ,,and ,,wolf ,of all the canny beasts1 ,brother ,coon is the wisest1 and were it not for his imprudence and self-assurance1 he would be less frequently captured than the coyote1 who is also a very clever gentleman4 ,as it is1 a raccoon hunt is a nocturnal escapade that may be enjoyed by any lively boy or man who happens to own a coon dog4 ,now a coon dog is any sort of a dog that has a sporting instinct and a large propensity for combat4 ,we have1 of course1 that product of culture and breeding1 the coon hound1 an offshoot from the ,english fox hound4 ,this dog is a marvel in his own sphere4 ,although we have not devoted a great deal of time to coon hunting1 one or another of our group has counted the scalps of quite a number of ,procyon lotor4 ,having been accepted as a companion of one or two or more ambitious and enthusiastic dogs1 we start out at dusk to hunt the creek bottoms for coons4 ,provided with bows1 blunt arrows1 and a lantern1 we unleash the dogs1 and the fun begins4 ,one must be prepared to scramble through blackberry vines1 nettles1 tangled swamps1 and to climb trees4 ,the dogs busy themselves sniffing and working through the underbrush1 crossing the creek back and forth1 investigating old hollow trees1 displaying signs of exaggerated interest and industry4 ,suddenly there is a change in their vocal expression4 ,heretofore the short1 snappy bark has spoken only of anticipation and eagerness2 now there comes the instinctive yelp of the questing beast1 the hound on the scent4 ,it bursts from them like a wail from the distant past4 ,as if shot1 they are off in a bunch4 ,a clatter of sounds1 scratching1 rustling1 and scrambling1 we hear them tearing through the brush4 ,we follow1 but are soon outdistanced4 ,down the creek bed we go1 splash through mud1 clamber over logs1 stop1 listen1 and hear them baying1 afar off4 ,their voices rise in a chorus1 some are high-pitched1 incessant yelps1 some are deep-voiced1 bell-like tones4 ,we know they have him treed and1 breathless1 we push forward1 arriving in the order of our physical vigor1 those with the best legs and lungs coming first4 ,high up in a tree1 out on a limb1 we see a shadowy form and two glowing orbs--that is the coon4 ,the dogs are insistent2 since they cannot climb1 although they try1 man must rout the victim out4 ,somebody turns a flashlight on the varmint4 ,frank ,ferguson is the champion coon hunter2 so he draws a blunt arrow from his quiver1 takes quick aim and shoots4 ,a dull thud tells that he has hit1 but the coon does not fall4 ,another arrow whistles past1 registering a miss2 then a sharp click as the blunt point of the third arrow strikes the creature's head1 a stifled snarl1 a falling body1 a rush of dogs on the ground1 and all is over4 ,the hounds are delighted1 and we count one chicken thief the less4 ,sometimes the coon becomes the aggressor4 ,he boldly enters our camp at night and purloins a savory ham or rifles the larder and eats a pound of butter4 ,he fully deserves what is coming to him4 ,i loose ,teddy and ,dixie1 my two faithful hounds4 ,the morning mist is rising from the stream1 the tree trunks are barely visible in the early dawn1 the grasses drip with dew4 ,the eager dogs take up the trail and start on a run up the stream bank4 ,they cross on a great fallen tree and mount the wooded hill on the other side where ,i lose them in the jungle4 ,i run on by instinct1 listening for their directing bark4 ,once in a while ,i catch it faintly in the distance4 ,they must be mounting rapidly and too busy to bark4 ,again it is audible far off to my left and ,i force my tired legs to renewed energy1 climbing higher and higher4 ,up ,i mount through the forest1 alert for the telltale yelp4 ,there it is1 a whine and faint1 stifled guttural sounds1 but so indistinct and so obscured by the prattle of the stream and the murmuring tree tops that ,i fail to locate it4 ,so ,i flounder on through vines and underbrush1 wondering where my dogs have gone4 ,i blow the horn and ,dixie answers with a pathetic howl1 away off to the right4 ,i run and blow the horn again2 again that puppy whine4 ,teddy doesn't answer and ,i wonder how ,dixie could have been lost1 though after all1 he is only a recent graduate from the kennel and unseasoned in this world of canine misery and wisdom4 ,unexpectedly1 ,i come upon him1 looking very disconsolate and somewhat mauled4 ,there is no doubt about it1 he has rushed in where angels fear to tread4 ,he has received a recent lesson in coon hunting4 ,so ,i console him with a little petting and ask him where is ,teddy4 ,just then ,i hear a subterranean gurgle and scuffle and rushing off to a nearby clump of trees1 ,i find that away down under the ground in a hollow stump1 there is a death struggle going on--,teddy and the coon are having it out4 ,from the sounds ,i know that ,ted has him by the throat and is waiting for the end4 ,but he seems very weak himself4 ,as ,i shout down the hole to encourage him1 the coon1 with one final effort1 wrests himself free from the dog and comes scuttling out of the hole4 ,with undignified haste ,i back away from the outlet and fumble a blunt arrow on the string1 and ,i am just in time1 for here comes one of the maddest and one of the sickest coons ,i ever saw4 ,with a hasty shot back of the ear1 ,i bowl him over and put him out of his misery4 ,turning him over with my foot to make sure he is finished1 ,i note how desperate the fight must have been4 ,his neck and brisket are a mass of mangled flesh and skin4 ,then reaching deep down in the hole ,i grab poor exhausted ,teddy by the scruff of his neck1 lift him out1 and let him regain his breath in the fresh air4 ,he certainly is a weary champion4 ,the coon has bitten him viciously between the legs and along the abdomen4 ,after a while we all go down to the stream and there bathe the wounded heroes4 ,with the rascally old coon over my shoulder1 we three wander back to camp in time for congratulations and wonderment of the children and the consolation of hot victuals4 ,that is a typical coon hunt with us4 ,some are less damaging to the dogs1 but usually this little cousin of the bears is able to give a good account of himself in the contest4 ,ferguson and his pack of fox terriers have had more experience with the redoubtable raccoon than the rest of us2 he hunts them for their pelts4 ,he is also a trapper for the market and long since has found that the blunt arrow shot from a light bow serves very admirably for dispatching the captured varmint when once trapped4 ,the fox is more difficult to meet in the wilds4 ,his business hours are also at night1 but he extends them not infrequently both into the sunrise and twilight zones4 ,one of the most beautiful sights ,i ever witnessed came unexpectedly while hunting deer4 ,it was evening2 dusky shadows merged all objects into a common drab4 ,two silent1 graceful foxes rose over the crest of a little eminence of ground before me4 ,outlined distinctly against a red dirt bank across the ravine1 they stood just for a moment in surprise4 ,i drew my bow and instantly loosed an arrow at the foremost4 ,it flew swift as a night-hawk and with a rush of wind passed his head4 ,as is usual at dusk1 ,i had overestimated the distance4 ,it was but forty yards2 ,i thought it fifty4 ,half-startled1 but not alarmed1 the two foxes fixed their gaze upon me a second1 then gracefully1 and with infinite ease1 they cleared a three-foot bush without a run and disappeared in the gloom4 ,but in that leap ,i gained all the thrill that ,i missed with my arrow4 ,such facile grace ,i never saw4 ,without an effort they rose1 hovered an instant in midair1 straightened their wonderful bushy tails as an aeroplane readjusts its flight1 and soared level across the obstacle4 ,one final downward curve of that beautiful counterbalance landed them smoothly on the distant side of the bush where1 with uninterrupted speed1 they vanished from sight4 ,for the first time ,i appreciated why a fox has such a light1 long1 fluffy caudal appendage4 ,marvelous6 ,illustration3 ,,mr4 ,,coon ,,brought ,,into ,,camp ,illustration3 ,a ,,pretty ,,pair ,,of ,,wings ,illustration3 ,,just ,a ,,little ,,hunt ,,before ,,breakfast ,illustration3 ,,young ,,and ,,compton ,,with ,a ,,quail ,,apiece ,often at night when coming late to camp through the woods1 a fox has emerged from the outer sphere of darkness and given a querulous little bark at me4 ,wheeling with a bright light on the head1 ,i could have shot him1 but then he is such a harmless little denizen of the woods that ,i hate to kill him4 ,but after all1 is he really harmless8 ,the little culprit6 ,he actually does a deal of harm1 destroying birds' nests1 eating the young1 catching quail and rabbits--,i don't know that we should spare him4 ,with horses and hounds we have chased many foxes over the sage and chaparral-covered hills4 ,the fox terrier and the black and tan are excellent dogs for this sort of work4 ,these little hunters are keen for the sport and make their way beneath the brush where a larger dog follows with difficulty4 ,with strident yelps the pack picks up the hot trail1 and off they rush1 helter skelter1 through the sage and chaparral2 we circle and cross cut1 dash down the draw1 traverse the open forest meadow and follow the furious procession into the trees4 ,there the hard-pressed little fox makes a final spurt for a large red pine1 leaps straight for the bare trunk1 mounts like a squirrel and gains a rotten limb1 panting with effort4 ,as we approach he climbs still higher and lodges himself securely in the crotch of the tree1 gazing furtively down at the dogs4 ,who ever thought that a fox could climb such a tree6 ,it was twenty feet to the first foothold on a decayed branch2 yet there he was1 and we saw him do it4 ,sometimes when the fleeing fox has mounted a smaller tree1 we have shaken him from his perch and let the dogs deal with him as they think best--for a dog must not be too often cheated of his conquest or he loses heart4 ,sometimes we have mounted the tree and slipped a noose over the fox's neck1 brought him close1 tied his wicked little jaws tightly together with a thong1 packed him off on the horse to show him to the children in camp1 and later given him his liberty4 ,or1 as in the case of our little villain up the pine tree1 we have drawn a careful arrow and settled his life problems with a broad-head4 ,in winter time the trap and the blunt arrow add another fur collar to the coat of the feminine sybarite4 ,the woods and plains are full of hunters4 ,the hawk is on the wing2 the murderous mink and weasel never cease their crimes2 the bird seeks the slothful worm and jumping insect2 the fox1 cat1 and wolf forever quest for food4 ,and so we1 hunting in the early morning light1 once saw a flock of quail flushed long before our presence should have given them cause for flight4 ,compton and ,young1 arrows nocked and muscles taut1 crept cautiously to the thicket of wild roses out of which flew the quail4 ,there1 stooping low1 they saw the spotted legs of a lynx softly stalking the birds4 ,aiming above the legs where surely there must be a body1 ,young sped an arrow4 ,there was a thud1 a snarl1 and an animal tore through the crackling bushes4 ,out from the other side bounded the cat1 and there1 not twenty yards off1 he met ,compton4 ,like a flash another arrow flew at him1 flew through him1 and down he tumbled1 a flurry of scratching claws1 torn up grasses and dust4 ,young's arrow1 having been a blunt barbed head1 still lodged in his chest1 and as the lynx succumbed to death ,i took his picture4 ,lazy1 sleepy cat1 both lynx and wildcats1 we meet not infrequently on our travels4 ,still they are ever up to mischief in spite of their indolent casual appearance4 ,often have we seen them slink out from a bunch of cover1 cross the open hillside1 and there1 if within range1 receive an archer's salute4 ,many times we miss them1 sometimes we hit2 but that's not the point1 we are not so anxious to get them as to send greetings4 ,then1 too1 since ,ishi taught us to do it1 we have called these wary creatures from the thicket and sometimes got a shot4 ,with the dogs1 the story is soon told and the rle of the bowman is without triumph2 so for this reason1 we prefer the accidental meetings and impromptu adventures to the more certain contact4 ,still when at night we hear the tingling call of the lynx up in the woods1 we yearn for a willing dog and a taut bowstring4 ,with the distant barking wail of the prairie wolf or coyote1 one feels differently4 ,i presume that man has become so accustomed to the dog that he has rather a kindly feeling toward this little brother of the plains1 called by the ,aztecs coyote1 or wild one4 ,we know his evil propensities and his economic menace1 but still we love him1 or at least1 look upon him much as the ,indians do1 as a sort of comedian among animals4 ,ishi used to tell me of his laughable experiences with coyotes4 ,when coming home at night with a haunch of venison on his shoulder1 a band of these gamins of the wilds would follow him teasing at his heels4 ,ishi would turn upon them with feigned fury and chase them back into the shadows or wield his bow as a short lance and jab them vigorously in the ribs--when he could4 ,with him the coyote was the reincarnation of a mythical character1 half buffoon1 half magician4 ,he was cunning1 crafty1 humorous1 and evil1 all in one1 and no doings of the animal folk ever progressed very far without the entrance of the coyote doctor on the scene4 ,he was the doer of tricks and caster of spells1 but still he himself met with misadventure--witness how he lost his claws4 ,of course1 he had long claws like the bear in the beginning1 and fine silky fur4 ,but one night1 coming weary from hunting and cold1 he crept into a hollow oak gall to sleep4 ,the wind fanned the embers of the camp-fire and the dry grass burst into a blaze4 ,it swept up to the sleeping coyote1 where only his feet protruded from his hollow spherical den4 ,here they hung out for lack of room4 ,so1 of course1 his claws were burned off before the pain wakened him4 ,he leaped out of his nest1 dashed through the blaze1 and plunged into the creek1 not in time1 however1 to keep his beautiful long hair from being singed4 ,even to this day he has that half-scorched1 moth-eaten pelt1 and his claws are only those of a coyote4 ,when met in the open1 the prairie wolf seems so weary and listless4 ,if at a distance1 he protests at your entrance upon his domain with a forlorn wail1 or insolently stares at you from a ridge4 ,he sits and looks or moves about dyspeptically waiting for you to go4 ,once ,i remember that we saw one sitting on his haunches a hundred and eighty yards away4 ,compton loosed an arrow at him1 one of those whining1 complaining shafts that drone through the air4 ,the coyote heard it coming2 he pricked up his ears1 pointed his nose skyward1 rose and limped lively to the left1 turned1 peered into the sky1 and ran a short distance to the right1 then loped off just in time to be missed by the descending arrow1 which landed exactly where he sat originally4 ,it was indeed a most ludicrous performance1 incidentally a splendid shot4 ,just as with a rifle1 the coyote simply is not there when your missile strikes4 ,he doesn't seem to bestir himself greatly1 but just seems to drag himself out of harm's way at the last moment4 ,how often have we let fly at him1 sometimes at a group of them1 but seldom has he been hit4 ,a beginner's luck seems to fool him1 however4 ,one of our neophytes with the bow1 having had his tackle less than a month1 was out riding in his new automobile in company with a group of friends4 ,the bow at that time was his vade-mecum2 he never left it home4 ,he chanced to see a stray coyote near the side of the highway when1 after passing it a hundred yards or so1 he stopped his machine1 grabbed his trusty weapon1 which he had hardly learned to shoot1 strung it1 nocked an arrow1 and ran back to take a shot at the animal in question4 ,his eagerness and obvious incapacity so amused the gay company in the machine1 that they cheered him on with laughter and ridicule4 ,undaunted1 our bowman hastened back1 saw the crafty beast retreating in a slinking gallop1 drew his faithful bow1 and shot at sixty yards4 ,unerringly the fatal shaft flew1 struck the coyote back of the ear and laid him low without a quiver4 ,mad with unexpected triumph1 our archer dragged his slain victim back to the car to meet the jeering company1 and confounded them with his success4 ,loud were the shouts of joy2 a war dance ensued to celebrate the great event4 ,when done the merry party cranked up the machine and sped on its fragrant way1 a happier and a more enlightened bevy of children4 ,thus is shown the danger of utter innocence4 ,these chance meetings seem rather unlucky for coyotes4 ,frank ,ferguson1 when trapping in the foothills of the ,sierras1 repeatedly had his traps robbed by an impudent member of the wolf family4 ,one day while making his regular rounds and approaching a set1 he saw in the distance a coyote run off with the catch of his trap4 ,seeing that the wolf turned up a branch creek1 ,ferguson cut across the intervening neck of the woods to intercept him if possible4 ,he reached the stream bottom at the moment the coyote came trotting past4 ,having a blunt arrow on the bowstring1 he shot across the twenty-five yards of bank1 and quite unexpectedly cracked the animal on the foreleg1 breaking the bone4 ,a jet of blood spurted out with astonishing force1 and the brute staggered for a space of time4 ,this gave ,ferguson a moment to nock a second shaft1 a broad-head1 and with that accuracy known to come in excitement1 he drove it completely through the animal's body1 killing it instantly4 ,when next we met after this episode1 he showed me the bloody arrows and wolf skin as mute evidence of his skill4 ,ferguson was won over to archery when1 as packer upon our first trip together1 he asked ,compton to show him what could be done with the bow in the way of accurate shooting4 ,compton is particularly good at long ranges1 so he pointed out a bush about one hundred and seventy-five yards distant4 ,it was about the size of a dog4 ,compton took unusual care with his shots1 and dropped three successive arrows in that bush4 ,when ,ferg saw this he took the bow seriously4 ,the timber wolf is seldom met in our clime1 and so for this reason he has been spared the fate common to all fearsome beasts that cross the trail of an archer4 ,but with that fateful hope which has foreshadowed and seemingly insured our subsequent achievement1 ,i fervently wish that some day we may meet1 wolf and bowman4 ,in the absence of this the more austere and wicked member of the family1 we shall continue from time to time to speed a questing arrow in the general direction of the furtive coyote4 ,,xi ,,deer ,,hunting ,deer are the most beautiful animals of the woods4 ,their grace1 poise1 agility1 and alertness make them a lovely and inspiring sight4 ,to see them feed undisturbed is wonderful2 such mincing steps1 such dainty nibbling is a lesson in culture4 ,with wide1 lustrous eyes1 mobile ears ever listening1 with moist1 sensitive nostrils testing every vagrant odor in the air1 they are the embodiment of hypersensitive self-preservation4 ,and yet deer are not essentially timid animals4 ,they will venture far through curiosity1 and ,i have seen them from the hilltop1 being run by dogs1 play and trifle with their pursuers4 ,the dog1 hampered by brush and going only by scent1 follows implicitly the trail4 ,the deer runs1 leaps high barriers1 doubles on his tracks1 stops to browse at a tempting bush1 even waits for the dog to catch up with him1 and leads him on in a merry chase4 ,i feel sure that unless badly cornered or confused by a number of dogs or wolves1 the deer does not often develop great fear1 nor is he hard put to it in these episodes4 ,quite likely there is an element of sport in it with him4 ,why men should kill deer is a moot question1 but it is a habit of the brute4 ,for so many hundreds of years have we been at it1 that we can hardly be expected to reform immediately4 ,undoubtedly1 it is a sign of undeveloped ethnic consciousness4 ,we are depraved animals4 ,i must admit that there are quite a number of things men do that mark them as far below the angels1 but in a way ,i am glad of it4 ,the thrill and glow of nature is strong within us4 ,the great primitive outer world is still unconquered1 and there are impulses within the breast of man not yet measured1 curbed and devitalized1 which are the essential motives of life4 ,therefore1 without wantonness1 and without cruelty1 we shall hunt as long as the arm has strength1 the eye glistens1 and the heart throbs4 ,lead on6 ,to go deer hunting1 the archer should seek a country unspoiled by civilization and gunpowder4 ,it should approach as nearly as possible the pristine wilderness of our forefathers4 ,the game should be unharried by the omnipresent and dangerous nimrod4 ,in fact1 as a matter of safety1 an archer particularly should avoid those districts overrun by the gunman4 ,the very methods employed by the bowman make him a ready target for the unerring1 accidental bullet4 ,never go in company with those using firearms2 never carry firearms4 ,the first spoils your hunting1 and the second is unnecessary and only gives your critic a chance to say that you used a gun to kill your animal1 then stuck it full of arrows to take its picture4 ,on our deer hunts we first decide upon the location1 usually in some mountain ranch owned by a man who is willing and anxious to have us hunt on his grounds4 ,the sporting proposition of shooting deer with a bow strikes the fancy of most men in the country4 ,if we are unfamiliar with the district1 the rancher can give us valuable information concerning the location of bucks1 and this saves time4 ,usually he is our guide and packer1 supplying the horses and equipment for a compensation1 so we are welcome4 ,some of the intimate relations established on these expeditions are among the pleasantest features of our vacation4 ,having reached the hunting grounds1 we make camp4 ,tents are pitched1 stores unpacked and arranged1 beds made and all put in order for a stay of days or weeks4 ,each archer has with him two or more bows1 and anywhere from two to six dozen arrows4 ,about half of these are good broad-heads and the rest are blunts or odd scraps to be shot away at birds on the wing1 at marks1 or some are shot in pure exhilaration across deep canyons4 ,as a rule1 there are two or three of us in the party1 and we hunt together4 ,having decided what seems the best buck ground1 we rise before daylight and1 having eaten1 strike out to reach the proposed spot before sunrise4 ,there we spread out1 approximately a bowshot apart1 that is to say1 two hundred yards4 ,in parallel courses we traverse the country2 one just below the ridges where one nearly always finds a game trail2 one part way down1 working through the wooded draws2 and the third going through the timber edge where deer are likely to lurk or bed down4 ,in this way we cross-cut a good deal of country1 and one or the other is likely to come upon or rout out a buck4 ,with great caution we progress very quietly1 searching every bit of cover1 peering at every fallen log1 where deer often lie1 standing to scrutinize every conspicuous twig in anticipation that it may be horns4 ,does1 of course1 we see in plenty4 ,so carefully do we approach that often we have come up within ten yards of female deer4 ,once ,compton sneaked up on a doe nursing her fawn4 ,he crept so close that he could have thrown his hat on them4 ,while he watched1 the mother got restless1 seemed to sense danger without scenting or seeing it4 ,she moved off slowly1 pulling her teats out of the eager fawn's mouth1 gave a flip to her hind legs and hopped over him1 then meandered leisurely to the crest of the hill4 ,the little fellow1 unperturbed1 licked his chops1 ran his tongue up his nose1 shook his ears1 and seeing mother waiting for him1 trotted away unaware of the possible danger of man4 ,but we do not shoot does4 ,so we travel4 ,sometimes a startled deer bounds down the hillside leaving us chagrined and disappointed4 ,sometimes one tries this and is defeated4 ,one evening as we returned to camp1 making haste because of the rapidly falling night1 we startled a deer that plunged down the steep slope before us4 ,instantly ,compton drew to the head and shot4 ,his arrow led the bounding animal by ten yards4 ,just as the deer reached cover at a distance of seventy-five yards1 the arrow struck4 ,it entered his flank1 ranged forward and emerged at the point of the opposite shoulder4 ,the deer turned and dashed into the bush4 ,as it did so the protruding arrow shaft snapped2 we descended and picked up the broken piece4 ,following the crashing descent of the buck down the canyon1 we found him some two hundred yards below1 crumpled up and dead against a madrone tree4 ,it was a heart shot1 one of the finest ,i ever hope to see4 ,compton is a master at the judgment of distance and the speed of running game4 ,having worked out a piece of country by the method of sub-division1 we meet at a pre-arranged rendezvous and plan another sortie4 ,if the sun has not risen above the peaks1 we continue this method of combing the land until we know the time for bucks has passed4 ,for this reason we work the high points first1 and the lower points last1 for in this way we take advantage of the slowly advancing illumination4 ,sometimes1 using glasses1 we pick out a buck at a considerable distance1 either in his solitary retreat1 or with a band of deer2 and we go after him4 ,here we figure out where he is traveling and make a detour to intercept him4 ,this is often heartbreaking work1 up hill and down dale1 but all part of the game4 ,young and ,compton brought low a fine buck by this means on one of our recent hunts4 ,seeing a three-pointer a mile distant1 we all advanced at a rapid pace4 ,we reached suitable vantage ground just as the buck became aware of our presence4 ,at eighty yards ,young shot an arrow and pierced him through the chest4 ,the deer leaped a ravine and took refuge in a clump of bay trees4 ,we surrounded this cover and waited for his exit4 ,since he did not come out after due waiting1 ,compton cautiously invaded the wooded area1 saw the wounded deer deep in thought2 he finished him with a broad-head through the neck4 ,illustration3 ,,woodchucks ,,galore6 ,illustration3 ,,porcupine ,,quills ,,to ,,decorate ,a ,,quiver ,illustration3 ,a ,,fatal ,,arrow ,,at #fe ,,yards ,illustration3 ,,the ,,chief ,,and ,,art ,,get ,a ,,buck ,,at #he ,,yards ,not having had any large experience myself in hunting deer with firearms1 the use of the bow presented no great contrast4 ,mr4 ,young has often said1 however1 that it gave him more pleasure to shoot at a deer and miss it with an arrow1 than to kill all the deer he ever had with a gun4 ,for my part1 ,i did not want to kill anything with a gun4 ,it did not seem fair2 so until ,i took up archery1 ,i did not care to hunt4 ,therefore1 the analysis of my feelings interested me considerably as we began to have experiences with the bow4 ,the first deer ,i shot at was so far off that there was no chance to hit it1 but ,i let drive just to get the sensation4 ,my arrow sailed harmlessly over its back4 ,the next ,i shot at was within good range1 but my arrow only grazed its rump4 ,and that deer did something that ,i never saw before4 ,it sagged in the middle until its belly nearly touched the ground1 then it gathered its seemingly weakened legs beneath it1 and galloped off in a series of bucks4 ,we laughed immoderately over its antics2 in fact1 some of our adventures have been most ludicrous at times4 ,once1 when two of us shot at an old stag together as it raced far off down the trail1 the two arrows dropped twenty yards ahead of it4 ,instantly the stag came to an abrupt stop1 smelled first one arrow at one side of the trail1 and the other on the opposite side1 deliberated a moment1 bolted sidewise and disappeared4 ,what he got in his olfactory investigation must have been confusing4 ,he smelled man2 he smelled turkey feathers2 and he smelled paint4 ,what sort of animals do you think he imagined the arrows to be8 ,this reminds me that ,ishi always said that a white man smelled like a horse1 and in hunting made a noise like one1 but apparently he doesn't always have horse sense4 ,i saw this exemplified upon one occasion4 ,when camped in a beautiful little spot we were disturbed by the arrival of a party of some four men1 five horses1 and three dogs--all heavily accoutred for the chase4 ,with our quiet ,indian methods1 we caused little excitement in the land1 but they burst in upon us with a fury that warned all game for miles around4 ,the day after their arrival1 alone on a trail1 ,i heard one of this band approaching2 half a mile above me his noise preceded him4 ,down he came over brush and stones4 ,i stepped quietly beside a bush and waited as ,i would for an oncoming elephant4 ,with gun at right shoulder arms1 knapsack and canteen rattling1 spiked shoes crunching1 he marched past me1 eyes straight ahead2 walking within ten yards and never saw me4 ,twenty deer must have seen him where he saw one4 ,that night this same man came straggling wearily into our midst and asked the way to his camp4 ,he explained that he had put a piece of paper on a tree to guide him1 but that he could not find the tree4 ,we asked him what luck4 ,he said that there were only does in the country4 ,perhaps he was right1 because that is all they shot4 ,we found two down in the gullies after they had gone4 ,for a week they hunted all over the place with horses1 guns1 and dogs1 and got no legitimate game4 ,during this same time1 beneath their very noses1 we got two fine bucks4 ,so much for the men of iron4 ,the first buck ,i ever landed with the bow thrilled me to such an extent that every detail is memorable4 ,after a long1 hard morning hunt1 ,i was returning to camp alone4 ,it was nearly noon2 the sun beat down on the pungent dust of the trail1 and all nature seemed sleepy4 ,the air1 heavy with the fragrance of the pines1 hardly stirred4 ,i was walking wearily along thinking of food1 when suddenly my outer visual fields picked up the image of a deer4 ,i stopped4 ,there1 eighty yards away1 stood a three-year-old buck1 grazing under an oak4 ,his back was toward me4 ,i crouched and sneaked nearer4 ,my arrow was nocked on the string4 ,the distance ,i measured carefully with my eye2 it was now sixty-five yards4 ,just then the deer raised its head4 ,i let fly an arrow at its neck4 ,it flew between its horns4 ,the deer gave a started toss to its head1 listened a second1 then dipped its crest again to feed4 ,i nocked another shaft4 ,as it raised its head again ,i shot4 ,this arrow flew wide of the neck1 but at the right elevation4 ,the buck now was more startled and jumped so that it stood profile to me1 looking and listening4 ,i dropped upon one knee4 ,a little rising ground and intervening brush partially concealed me4 ,as ,i drew a third arrow from my quiver its barb caught in the rawhide1 and ,i swore a soft vicious oath to steady my nerves4 ,then drawing my bow carefully1 lowering my aim and holding like grim death1 ,i shot a beautifully released arrow4 ,it sped over the tops of the dried grass seeming to skim the ground like a bird1 and struck the deer full and hard in the chest4 ,it was a welcome thud4 ,the beast leaped1 bounded off some thirty yards1 staggered1 drew back its head and wilted in the hind legs4 ,i had stayed immovable as wood4 ,seeing him failing1 ,i ran swiftly forward1 and almost on the run at forty yards ,i drove a second arrow through his heart4 ,the deer died instantly4 ,conflicting emotions of compassion and exultation surged through me1 and ,i felt weak1 but ,i ran to my quarry1 lifted his head on my knee and claimed him in the name of ,robin ,hood4 ,looking him over1 it was apparent that my second shaft had hit him in the base of the heart1 emerged through the breast and only stopped in its flight by striking the foreleg4 ,the first arrow had gone completely through the back part of the chest1 severed the aorta1 and flown past him4 ,there it lay1 sticking deep into the ground twenty yards beyond the spot where he stood when shot4 ,after the body had been cleaned and cooled in the shade of an oak1 we packed it home in the twilight1 an easy burden for a light heart4 ,this is the fulfilment of the hunter's quest4 ,it was the sweetest venison we ever tasted4 ,we have had little experience in trailing deer on the snow and none in the use of dogs to run them4 ,doubtless1 the latter method under some conditions is admirable1 particularly in very brushy countries4 ,but we have preferred the still hunt4 ,lying in wait at licks we have done so to study animal life and in conjunction with the ,indian to learn his methods1 but neither the lick nor the ambush appealed to us as sport4 ,in fact1 we have hunted deer more for meat than for trophies1 and quite a number of our kills have been in a way incidental to hunting mountain lions or other predatory animals4 ,once1 when on a lion trail1 the dogs ran down a steep trail ahead of me1 and there in the creek bottom they started a fine large buck4 ,on each side of the path the brush was very high1 and up this corridor dashed the buck4 ,there was no room for him to pass1 and he came upon me with a rush4 ,when less than twenty yards away1 ,i hastily drew my bow and drove an arrow deep into his breast4 ,with a lateral bound he cleared the brushy hedge and was lost to view4 ,the dogs had been trained not to follow deer2 but since they saw me shoot it1 they ran in hot pursuit4 ,i sounded my horn and brought them back1 and scolded them4 ,but fearing to lose the deer1 ,i decided to go down to the ranch house1 a couple of miles away1 and borrow ,jasper and his dog1 ,splinters4 ,now ,splinters was some sort of a mongrel fise1 an insignificant-looking little beast that had come originally from the city and presumably was hopelessly civilized4 ,jasper1 however1 had recognized in him certain latent talents and had trained him to follow wounded deer4 ,he paid no attention to any scent except that of deer blood4 ,in an accidental encounter with the hind foot of a horse1 ,splinters had lost the sight of one eye and the use of one ear2 but in spite of the lopsided progression occasioned by this disability1 he was infallible with wounded bucks4 ,so ,jasper came1 and ,splinters trotted along at his heels4 ,at the spot where the deer leaped off the trail1 we let the dog smell a drop of blood4 ,after a deliberate1 unexcited investigation1 he began to wander through the brush4 ,occasionally he stopped to stand on his hind legs and nose the chaparral above him1 then wandered on4 ,just about this time ,i stepped on a rattlesnake1 and1 after a hasty change of location1 directed my efforts toward dispatching the snake4 ,by the time ,i had finished this worthy deed1 ,jasper and ,splinters were lost to view2 so ,i sat down and waited4 ,after a quarter of an hour ,i heard a distant whistle4 ,following ,jasper's signal1 ,i descended to the creek below me1 went a short distance up a side branch1 and there were all three--,jasper1 ,splinters1 and the deer4 ,the latter had made almost a complete circle1 half a mile in extent1 and dropped in the creek1 not a hundred yards from his starting point4 ,my arrow had caused a most destructive wound in the lungs and great vessels of the chest1 and it was remarkable that the animal could have gone so far4 ,we were of the opinion that if my own dogs had not started to run him1 the deer would have gone but a short distance and lain down where in a few minutes we could have found him dead4 ,while1 after all1 the object of deer hunting is to get your deer1 it does seem that some of our keenest delight has been when we have missed it4 ,so far1 we have never shot one of those massive old bucks with innumerable points to his antlers2 they have all been adolescent or prospective patriarchs4 ,but several times we have almost landed the big fellow4 ,out of the quiet purple shadow of the forest one evening there stepped the most stately buck ,i ever saw4 ,his noble crest and carriage were superb4 ,on a grassy hillside1 some hundred and fifty yards away1 he stood broadside on4 ,with a rifle the merest tyro might have bowled him over4 ,in fact1 he looked just like the royal stag in the picture4 ,two of us were together--a little underbrush shielded us4 ,we drew our bows1 loosed the arrows and off they flew4 ,the flight of an arrow is a beautiful thing2 it is grace1 harmony1 and perfect geometry all in one4 ,they flew1 and fell short4 ,the deer only looked at them4 ,we nocked again and shot4 ,this time we dropped them just beneath his belly4 ,he jumped forward a few paces and stopped to look at us4 ,slowly we reached for a third arrow1 slowly nocked and drew it1 and away it went1 whispering in the air4 ,one grazed his withers1 the other pierced him through the loose skin of the brisket and flew past4 ,with an upward leap he soared away in the woods and we sent our blessing with him4 ,his wound would heal readily1 a mere scratch4 ,we picked up our arrows and returned to camp to have bacon for supper1 perfectly happy4 ,an arrow wound may be trivial1 as was this one1 or it may be surprisingly deadly1 as brought out by an experience of ,arthur ,young4 ,once when stalking deer1 the animal became alarmed and started to run away behind a screen of scrub oak4 ,young1 perceiving that he was about to lose his quarry1 shot at the indistinct moving body4 ,thinking that he had missed his shot1 he searched for his arrow and found that it had plowed up the ground and buried its head deep in the earth4 ,when he picked it up1 he noted that it was strangely damp1 but since he could not explain it1 he dismissed the matter from his mind4 ,next day1 hunting over the same ground1 he and ,compton found the deer less than a hundred and fifty yards from this spot4 ,it had run1 fallen1 bled1 risen and fallen down hill1 where it died of hemorrhage4 ,their inspection showed that the arrow had struck back of the shoulder1 gone through the lungs and emerged beneath the jaw4 ,with all this it had flown yards beyond1 struck deeply in the earth1 and was only a trifle damp4 ,upon another occasion1 while hunting cougars with a hound1 ,i came abruptly upon a doe and a buck in a deep ravine4 ,it was open season and we needed camp meat4 ,gauging my distance carefully1 ,i shot at the buck1 striking him in the flank4 ,for the first time in my life1 ,i heard an adult deer bleat4 ,he gave an involuntary exclamation1 whirled1 but since he knew not the location or the nature of his danger1 he did not run4 ,my hound was working higher up in the canyon1 but he heard the bleat1 when like a wild beast he came charging through the undergrowth and hurled himself with terrific force upon the startled deer1 bearing him to the ground4 ,there was a fierce struggle for a brief moment in which the buck wrenched himself free from the dog's hold upon his throat and with an effort lunged down the slope and eluded us4 ,because of the many deer trails and because the hound was unused to following deer1 night fell before we could locate him4 ,next day we found the dead buck1 but the lions had left little meat on his bones--in fact1 it seemed that a veritable den of these animals had feasted on him4 ,the striking picture in my mind today is the fierceness and the savage onslaught of my dog4 ,never did ,i suspect that the amiable1 gentle pet of our fireside could turn into such an overpowering1 indomitable killer4 ,his assault was absolutely bloodthirsty4 ,i've often thought how grateful ,i should be that such an animal was my friend and companion in the hunt and not my pursuer4 ,how quickly the dog adjusts himself to the bow6 ,at first he is afraid of the long stick4 ,but he soon gets the idea and not waiting for the detonation of the gun1 he accepts the hum of the bowstring and the whirr of the arrow as signals for action4 ,some dogs have even shown a tendency to retrieve our arrows for us1 and nothing suits them better than that we go on foot1 and by their sides can run with them and with our silent shafts can lay low what they bring to bay4 ,in fact1 it is a perfect balance of power--the hound with his wondrous nose1 lean flanks and tireless legs2 the man with his human reason1 the horn1 and his bow and arrow4 ,we who have hunted thus1 trod the forest trails1 climbed the lofty peaks1 breathed the magic air1 and viewed the endless roll of mountain ridges1 blue in the distance1 have been blessed by the gods4 ,in all1 we have shot about thirty deer with the bow4 ,the majority of these fell before the shafts of ,will ,compton1 while ,young and ,i have contributed in a smaller measure to the count4 ,despite the vague regrets we always feel at slaying so beautiful an animal1 there is an exultation about bringing into camp a haunch of venison1 or hanging the deer on the limb of a sheltering tree1 there to cool near the icy spring4 ,by the glow of the campfire we broil savory loin steaks1 and when done eating1 we sit in the gloaming and watch the stars come out4 ,great ,orion shines in all his glory1 and the ,hunters' ,moon rises golden and full through the skies4 ,drowsy with happiness1 we nestle down in our sleeping bags1 resting on a bed of fragrant boughs1 and dream of the eternal chase4 ,,xii ,,bear ,,hunting ,killing bears with the bow and arrow is a very old pastime1 in fact1 it ranks next in antiquity to killing them with a club4 ,however1 it has faded so far into the dim realms of the past that it seems almost mythical4 ,the bear has stood for all that is dangerous and horrible for ages4 ,no doubt1 our ancestral experiences with the cave bears of ,europe stamped the dread of these mighty beasts indelibly in our hearts4 ,the ,american ,indians in times gone past killed them with their primitive weapons1 but even they have not done it lately1 so it can be considered a lost art4 ,the ,yana's method of hunting bears has been described4 ,here they made an effort to shoot the beast in the open mouth4 ,ishi said that the blood thus choked and killed him4 ,but after examining the bear skulls1 it seems to me that a shot in the mouth is more likely to be fatal because the base of the brain is here covered with the thinnest layers of bone4 ,arrows can hardly penetrate the thick frontal bones of the skull1 but up through the palate there would be no difficulty in entering the brain4 ,at any rate1 it is here that the ,yana directed their shots4 ,apparently1 from ,ishi's description1 it took quite a time to wear down and slay the animal4 ,all ,indians seem to have had a wholesome respect for the grizzly1 the mighty brother of the mountains1 and they gave him the right of way4 ,the black bear is1 of course1 the same animal whether brown or cinnamon1 these color variations are simply brunette1 blonde and auburn complexions1 the essential anatomical and habit characteristics are identical4 ,the ,american black bear at one time ranged all over the ,united ,states and ,canada4 ,he has recently become a rare inhabitant of the eastern and more thickly populated districts2 yet it is astonishing to hear that even in the year of #aibj some four hundred and sixty-five bears were taken in the ,state of ,pennsylvania4 ,in the western mountains he is to be met with quite frequently1 but is not given to unprovoked attack1 and with modern firearms an encounter with him is not fraught with great danger4 ,he1 or more properly1 she will charge man with intent to kill upon certain rare occasions--when wounded1 surprised1 or when feeling that her young are in danger4 ,but the bear1 in company with all the other animals of the wilds1 has learned to fear man since gunpowder was invented4 ,prior to this time1 it felt the game was more equal1 and seldom avoided a meeting1 even courted it4 ,bears are a mixture of the curious comedy traits with cunning and savage ferocity4 ,in some of their lighter moods and pilfering habits1 they add to the gayety of life4 ,while hunting in ,wyoming one night1 on coming to camp we discovered a young black bear robbing our larder4 ,he had a ham bone in his jaws as we approached4 ,hastily nocking a blunt arrow on my bowstring1 ,i let fly at sixty yards as he started to make his escape4 ,i did not wish to kill1 only admonish him4 ,the arrow flew in a swift chiding stroke and smote him on his furry side with a dull thud4 ,with a grunt and a bound1 he dropped the bone and scampered off into the forest while the arrow rattled to the ground4 ,his antics of surprise were most ludicrous4 ,we sped him on his way with hilarious shouts2 he never came again4 ,upon a different occasion with another party1 where the camp was bothered by the midnight foraging of a bear1 our guide arranged to play a practical joke upon a certain tenderfoot4 ,unknown to the victim1 he tied a chunk of bacon to the corner of his sleeping bag with a piece of bale wire4 ,in the middle of the night the camp was awakened by a pandemonium as the sleeping bag1 man and all disappeared down the slope and landed in the creek bed below1 where the determined bear1 hanging on to the bacon1 dragged the protesting tenderfoot4 ,here he abandoned his noisy burden and left the scene of excitement4 ,no doubt1 this goes down in the annals of both families as the most dramatic and stirring moment of life4 ,bear stories of this sort tend to give one the idea that these beasts can be petted and made trustworthy companions4 ,in fact1 certain sentimental devotees of nature foster the sentiment that wild animals need naught but kindness and loving thoughts to become the bosom friend of man4 ,such sophists would find that they had made a fatal mistake if they could carry out their theories4 ,the old feud between man and beast still exists and will exist until all wild life is exterminated or is semi-domesticated in game preserves and refuges4 ,even domestic cattle allowed to run wild are extremely dangerous4 ,their fear of man breeds their desperate assault when cornered4 ,the black bear has killed and will kill men when brought to bay or wounded or even when he feels himself cornered4 ,although largely vegetarian1 bear also capture and devour prey4 ,young deer1 marmots1 ground squirrels1 sheep1 and cattle are their diet4 ,in certain districts great damage is done to flocks by bears that have become killers4 ,in our hunts we have come across dead sheep1 slain and partially devoured by black bears4 ,all ranchers can tell of the depredations of these animals4 ,in ,oregon and the northern part of ,california1 there are many men who make it their business to trap or run bears with dogs to secure their hides and to sell their meat to the city markets4 ,it is a hardy sport and none but the most stalwart and experienced can hope to succeed at it4 ,in the late autumn and early winter the bears are fat and in prime condition for capture4 ,having graduated from ground squirrels1 quail and rabbits1 and having laid low the noble deer1 we who shoot the bow became presumptuous and wanted to kill bear with our weapons4 ,so1 learning of a certain admirable hunter up in ,humboldt ,county by the name of ,tom ,murphy1 we wrote to him with our proposal4 ,he was taken with the idea of the bow and arrow and invited us to join him in some of his winter excursions4 ,in ,november1 #aiah1 we arrived in the little village of ,blocksburg1 on the outskirts of which was ,murphy's ranch4 ,in normal times1 ,tom cuts wood1 and raises cattle and grain for the market4 ,in the winter months he hunts bear for profit and recreation4 ,in the spring after his planting is done he also runs coyotes with dogs and makes a good income on bounties4 ,we found ,murphy a quiet-spoken1 intelligent man of forty-five years1 married1 and having two daughters4 ,i was surprised to see such a redoubtable bear-slayer so modest and kindly4 ,we liked him immediately4 ,it is an interesting observation that all the notable hunters that have guided us on our trips have been rather shy1 soft-spoken men who neither smoked nor drank4 ,arthur ,young and ,i constituted the archery brigade4 ,we brought with us in the line of artillery two bows and some two dozen arrows apiece4 ,we also brought our musical instruments4 ,not only do we shoot1 but in camp we sit by the fire at night and play sweet harmonies till bedtime4 ,young is a finished violinist1 and he has an instrument so cut down and abbreviated that with a short violin bow he can pack it in his bed roll4 ,its sound is very much like that of a violin played with a mute4 ,my own instrument was an ,italian mandolin with its body reduced to a box less than three inches square4 ,it also is carried in a blanket roll and is known as the camp mosquito4 ,young is a master at improvising second parts1 double stopping1 and obbligato accompaniments4 ,so together we call all the sweet melodies out of the past and play on indefinitely by ear4 ,in the glow of the camp-fire1 out in the woods1 this music has a peculiar plaintive appeal dear to our hearts4 ,with these charms we soon won the ,murphy family and ,tom was eager to see us shoot4 ,he had heard that we shot deer1 but he was rather skeptical that our arrows could do much damage to bear4 ,so one of the first things he did after our arrival was to drag out an old dried hide and hang it on a fence in the corral and asked me to shoot an arrow through it4 ,it was surely a test1 for the old bear had been a tough customer and his hide was half an inch thick and as hard as sole leather4 ,but ,i drew up at thirty yards and let drive at the neck1 the thickest portion4 ,my arrow went through half its length and transfixed a paw that dangled behind4 ,tom opened his eyes and smiled4 ,that will do1 he said1 if you can get into them that far1 that's all you need4 ,i'll take you out tomorrow morning1 but ,i'll pack the old ,winchester rifle just for the sake of the dogs4 ,the dogs were ,tom's real asset1 and his hobby4 ,there were five of them4 ,the two best1 ,baldy and ,button1 were ,kentucky coon hounds in their prime1 probably being descendants of the ,english fox hound with the admixture of harrier and bloodhound strains4 ,their breed has been in the family for thirty years4 ,tom took great pride in his pack1 trained them to run nothing but bear and mountain lions1 and never let anybody else touch them4 ,when not hunting they are kept fastened by a sliding leash to a long heavy wire4 ,their diet was boiled cracked wheat and cracklings1 raw apples1 and bear meat4 ,they never tasted deer meat or beef4 ,i never saw more intelligent nor better conditioned hounds4 ,with the same stock he has hunted ever since he was a boy1 and their lineage is more important than that of the ,murphys4 ,he has taken from ten to twenty bears every winter with these dogs for the past thirty years4 ,we were to stay right in ,tom's house1 and go by horseback to the bear grounds next morning4 ,we had a supper which included bear steaks from a previous hunt1 and doughnuts fried in bear grease1 which they say is the best possible material for this culinary process1 and later we greased our bows with bear grease1 and our shoes with a mixture of bear fat and rosin4 ,so we felt ready for bear4 ,then we spent a delightful evening with the family before the big fireplace1 played our soft music1 and all turned in for an early start in the morning4 ,at four o'clock ,tom began stirring around1 building the fire and feeding the horses4 ,an hour later we breakfasted and were ready to start4 ,light snow had fallen in the hills and the air was chill2 the moon was sinking in the valley mist4 ,these early morning hours in the country are strange to us who live so far from nature4 ,we mount and are off4 ,as we go the horses see the trail that we cannot discern1 vague forms slip past1 a skunk steals off before us1 an owl flaps noiselessly past1 overhanging brush sweeps our faces1 the dogs leashed in couples trot ahead of us like spectres in procession4 ,thus we journey for nearly ten miles in the darkness1 going up out of the valley1 on to the foothills1 through ,windy ,gap1 past ,sheep ,corral1 over the divide1 heading toward the ,little ,van ,duzen ,river4 ,illustration3 ,,tom ,,murphy ,,with ,,his ,,two ,,best ,,dogs1 ,,button ,,and ,,baldy1 ,,indispensable ,,in ,,getting ,,bears ,all the while the dogs amble along1 sniffing here and there at obscure scents1 now loitering to investigate a moment1 now standing and looking off into the dark4 ,tom knows by their actions what they think4 ,that's a coyote's trail1 he says1 they've just crossed a deer scent1 but they won't pay much attention to that4 ,their demeanor is self-possessed and un-excited4 ,at last1 just before dawn1 we arrive on a pine-covered hillside and the dogs become more eager4 ,this is the bear country4 ,they cross the canyon here to get to the forest of young oak trees1 beyond where the autumn crop of acorns lies ready to fatten them for their long winter sleep4 ,here is a bear tree1 a small pine or fir1 stripped of limbs and bark1 against which countless bears have scratched themselves4 ,tom looses the dogs and sends them ranging to pick up a scent4 ,they take to it with eagerness1 and soon we hear the boom of the hounds on a cold track4 ,tom gets interested1 but shakes his head4 ,last night's snowfall and later drizzle have spoiled the ground for good tracking4 ,we dismount1 tie our horses and follow the general direction of the pack4 ,they must be kept within earshot so that when they strike a hot track we can keep up with them4 ,if there is much wind and the forest noises are loud1 ,tom will not run his dogs for fear of losing them4 ,once on the trail of a bear1 they never quit1 but will leave the country rather than give him up4 ,expectation1 stimulated by the distant baying of the running hounds1 the cold gray shadows of the woods1 and the knowledge that any moment a bear may come crashing through the undergrowth right where we stand1 tends to hold one in a state of exquisite suspense--not fear1 just chilly suspense4 ,in fact1 ,i was rather glad to see the sun rise4 ,but nothing came of this hunt4 ,we worked over the creek bottom below1 rode over adjacent hills and canyons1 struck cold trails here and there to assure us that bear really existed1 then at about ten o'clock ,murphy decided that weather conditions of the night before1 combined with the dissipating effect of sunshine and the lateness of the hour1 all dictated that we had best give up the game for that day4 ,so back we rode1 the dogs a trifle footsore1 for they had covered many a mile in their ranging4 ,tom had shoes for them to wear when they are very lame at the first of the season4 ,later on1 their feet become tough and need no protection4 ,so we arrived back at the ranch empty-handed4 ,next day we rested1 and rain fell4 ,the day following we again tried a hunt and again failed to strike a hot track4 ,tom was perplexed1 for it was a rare thing for him to return home without a bear4 ,he rather suspected that the bows were a jinx and brought bad luck4 ,so again we rested the dogs and waited for a change of fortune4 ,the time between hunts ,young and ,i spent shooting rabbits4 ,once when down on the stream bank looking for trout1 ,young saw a female duck diving beneath the surface of the water4 ,as it rose he shot it with an arrow and nocking a second shaft1 he prepared to deliver a finishing blow if necessary1 when up the stream he heard the whirring wings of a flying duck2 instantly he drew his bow1 glanced to the left1 and shot at the rapidly approaching male4 ,pinioned through the wings1 it dropped near the first victim and he gathered the two as a tidbit for supper4 ,these things do happen between our larger adventures1 and delight us greatly4 ,the evenings we spent before the fire1 played music1 and ,i performed sleights of hand1 much to the wonderment of the rural audience that gathered to see the strangers who expected to kill bears with bows and arrows4 ,after numerous coin tricks1 card passes1 mysterious disappearances1 productions of wearing apparel and cabbages from a hat1 and many other incredible feats of prestidigitation1 they were almost ready to believe we might slay bears with our bows4 ,tom's dogs having recovered from our previous unsuccessful trips1 we started again one crisp frosty morning with the stars all aglitter overhead4 ,this time we were sure of good luck4 ,mrs4 ,murphy was positive we would bring home a bear2 she felt it in her bones4 ,it is cold riding this time in the morning1 but it is beautiful4 ,the snow-laden limbs of the firs drop their loads upon us as we pass1 the twigs are whip-like in their recoil as they strike our legs2 the horses pick their way with surefooted precision1 and we wonder what adventures wait for us in the silent gloom4 ,this time we rode far4 ,if bears were to be had any place1 they could be found in ,panther ,canyon1 below ,mt4 ,lassie4 ,by sunrise we reached the ridge back of the desired spot where we tied our horses preparatory to climbing up the gulch4 ,the dogs were made ready2 there were only three of them this time3 ,button1 ,baldy1 and old ,buck1 the shepherd dog4 ,immediately they struck a cold trail and danced around in a circle1 baying with long deep bell tones1 pleading to be released4 ,my breath quivers at the memory of them4 ,murphy unclasped the chains that linked them together and they scampered up the precipitous ravine before us4 ,as they passed1 ,tom pointed out bear tracks1 the first we had seen4 ,in less than ten minutes the full-throated bay of the hounds told us that they had struck a hot track and routed the bear from his temporary den4 ,that was the signal for speed1 and we began a desperate race up the side of the mountain4 ,nothing but perfect physical health can stand such a strain4 ,one who is not in athletic training will either fail completely in the test or do his heart irreparable damage4 ,but we were fit2 we had trained for the part4 ,stripped for action1 we were dressed in hunting breeches1 light high-topped shoes spiked on the soles1 in light cotton shirts1 and carried only our bows1 quivers of arrows1 and hunting knives4 ,tom was a seasoned mountain climber1 born on the crags1 and had knees like a goat4 ,so we ran4 ,up the side and over the crest we sped4 ,the bay of the hounds pealed out with every bound ahead of us4 ,as we crossed the ridge1 we heard them down the canyon below us1 the crashing of the bear and the cry of the dogs thrilled us with a very old and a very strong flood of emotions4 ,panting and flushed with effort we rushed onward2 legs1 legs1 and more air1 'twas all we wanted4 ,tom is tough and used to altitudes1 ,young is stronger and more youthful than ,i am1 and besides a flapping quiver1 an unwieldy bow1 my camera banged me unmercifully on the back4 ,still ,i kept up very well1 and my early sprinting on the cinder track came to my aid4 ,we stuck together1 but just as ,i had about decided that running was a physical impossibility1 ,tom shouted1 ,he is treed4 ,that was a welcome word4 ,we slackened our pace1 knowing that the dogs would hold him till we arrived1 and we needed our breath for the next act4 ,so on a trot we came over a rise of ground and saw1 away up on the limb of a tall straight fir tree1 a bear that looked very formidable and large4 ,the golden rays of the rising sun were shining through his fur4 ,that was the first bear ,i had ever seen in the open1 first wild bear1 first bear with no iron bars between him and me4 ,i felt peculiar4 ,the dogs were gathered beneath the tree keeping up a chorus of yelps and assaulting its base as if to tear it to pieces4 ,the bear apparently had no intention of coming down4 ,tom had instructed us fully what to do2 so we now helped him catch his dogs and tie them with a rope which he held4 ,he did this because he knew that if we wounded the bear and he descended there was going to be a fight1 and he didn't want to lose his valuable dogs in an experiment4 ,he had his gun to take care of himself1 and ,young and ,i were supposed to stand our share of the adventure as best we could4 ,keen with anticipation of unexpected surprises2 wondering1 yet willing to take a chance1 we prepared to shoot our first bear4 ,we stationed ourselves some thirty yards from the base of the tree4 ,the bear was about seventy-five feet up in the air1 facing us1 looking down and exposing his chest4 ,we drew our arrows together and a second later released as one man4 ,away flew the two shafts1 side by side1 and struck the beast in the breast1 not six inches apart4 ,like a flash1 they melted into his body and disappeared forever4 ,he whirled1 turned backward1 and began sliding down the tree4 ,ripping and tearing the trunk1 he descended almost as if falling1 a shower of bark preceding him like a cartload of shingles4 ,tom shouted1 ,you missed him1 run up close and shoot him again6 ,from his side of the tree he couldn't see that our arrows had hit and gone through1 also he was used to seeing bear drop when he hit them with a bullet4 ,but we were a little diffident about running up close to a wounded bear1 for ,tom had told us it would fight when it got down4 ,nevertheless1 we nocked an arrow again1 and just as he reached the ground we were close by to receive him4 ,we delivered two glancing blows on his rapidly falling body4 ,when he landed1 however1 he selected the lower side of the tree1 away from us1 and bounded off down the canyon4 ,we protested that we had hit him and begged ,tom to turn his dogs loose4 ,after a moment's deliberation1 ,tom let old ,buck go and off he tore in hot pursuit4 ,the shepherd was a wily old cattle dog and would keep out of harm4 ,soon we heard him barking and ,murphy exclaimed incredulously1 ,he's treed again6 ,button and ,baldy were unleashed and once more we started our cross-country running4 ,through maple thickets1 over rocky sides1 down the wooded canyon we galloped4 ,much sooner than we expected1 we came to our bear4 ,hard pressed1 he had climbed a small oak and crouched out on a swaying limb4 ,we could see that he was heaving badly1 and was a very sick animal4 ,his gaze was fixed on the howling dogs4 ,young and ,i ran in close and shot boldly at his swaying body4 ,our arrows slipped through him like magic4 ,one was arrested in its course as it buried itself in his shoulder4 ,savagely he snapped it in two with his teeth1 when another driven by ,young with terrific force struck him above the eye4 ,he weakened his hold1 slipped backward1 dropped from the bending limb and rolled over and over down the ravine4 ,the dogs were on him in a rush1 and wooled him with a vengeance4 ,but he was dead by the time he reached the creek bottom4 ,we clambered down1 looked him over with awe1 then ,young and ,i shook hands across the body of our first bear4 ,we took his picture4 ,tom opened up the chest and abdominal cavity1 explored the wounds and was full of exclamations of surprise at the damage done by our arrows4 ,he agreed that our animal was mortally wounded with our first two shots1 and had we let him alone there would have been no necessity for more arrows4 ,but this being our very first bear1 we had overdone the killing4 ,so he gave the liver and lungs to the waiting hounds as a reward for their efforts1 and cleaned the carcass for carrying4 ,we found the stomach full of acorn mush1 just as clean and sweet as a mess of cornmeal4 ,murphy left us to pack the bear up on the pine flat above1 while he went around three or four miles to get the horses4 ,after a strenuous half hour1 we got our bear up the steep bank and rested on the flat4 ,here we ate our pocket lunch4 ,as we sat there quietly eating1 we heard a rustle in the woods below us1 and looking up1 saw another good-sized black bear about forty yards off4 ,i had one arrow left in my quiver1 ,young only two broken shafts1 the rest we had lost in our final scramble4 ,so we passed no insulting remarks to the bear below1 who suddenly finding our presence1 vanished in the forest4 ,we had had enough bear for one day1 anyhow4 ,tom came with the horses1 and loaded our trophy on one4 ,ordinarily a horse is greatly frightened at bears1 and difficult to manage1 but these were long ago accustomed to the business4 ,it interested us to see the method of tying the carcass securely on a common saddle4 ,by placing a clove hitch on the wrists and ankles and cinching these beneath the horse's belly with a sling rope through the bear's crotch and around its neck1 the body was held suspended across the saddle and rode easily without shifting until we reached home4 ,adult black bear range in weight from one hundred to five hundred pounds4 ,ours1 although he had looked very formidable up the tree1 was really not a very large animal and not fully grown4 ,after cleaning1 it tipped the scales at a little below two hundred pounds4 ,but it was large enough for our purposes1 and we couldn't wait for it to grow any heavier4 ,it was no fault of ours that it was only some three or four years old4 ,we felt that even had it been one of those huge old boys1 we would have conquered him just the same4 ,in fact1 we had begun to count ourselves among the intrepid bear slayers of the world4 ,so we returned to the ranch in triumph4 ,illustration3 ,,young ,,and ,i ,,are ,,very ,,proud ,,of ,,our ,,maiden ,,bear ,next day we took our departure from ,blocksburg and bade the ,murphys an affectionate farewell4 ,the bear we carried with us wrapped in canvas to distribute in luscious steaks to our friends in the city4 ,the beautiful silky pelt now rests on the parlor floor of ,young's home with a ferocious wide open mouth waiting to scare little children1 or trip up the unwary visitor4 ,since this1 our maiden bear1 we have had various other encounters with bruin4 ,once while hunting mountain lions1 we came upon the body of an angora goat recently killed by a bear4 ,the ground was covered with his ungainly footprints4 ,we set the dogs on the scent and off they went1 booming in hot pursuit4 ,running like wild ,indians1 ,young and ,i followed by ear1 bows ready strung and quivers held tightly to our sides4 ,in less than ten minutes1 we burst into a little open glade in the forest and saw up in a large madrone tree1 a good-sized cinnamon bear fretfully eyeing the dogs below4 ,we had lost our apprehension concerning the outcome of an encounter with bears1 so we coolly prepared to settle his fate4 ,in fact1 we even discussed the problem whether or not we should kill him4 ,we were not after bears1 but lions4 ,this fellow1 however1 was a rogue1 a killer of sheep and goats4 ,he had repeatedly thrown our dogs off the track with his pungent scent and we were strictly within our hunting rights if we wanted him4 ,we therefore drew our broadheads to the barb and drove two wicked shafts deep into his front4 ,as if knocked backwards1 the bear reared and threw himself down the slanting tree trunk4 ,as he reached the ground1 one of our dogs seized him by the hind leg and the two went flying past us within a couple of yards1 the dog hanging on like grim death4 ,furiously1 the other dogs followed and we leaped to the chase4 ,this time the course of the bear was marked by a swath of broken brush4 ,it dashed headlong through the forest regardless of obstruction4 ,small trees in his way meant nothing to him2 he ran over them1 or if old and brittle1 smashed them down4 ,into the densest portion of the woods he made his way4 ,not more than three hundred yards from the spot he started1 he treed again4 ,in an almost impenetrable thicket of small cedars1 the dogs sent up their chorus of barks4 ,i dashed in1 fighting my way free from restraining limbs1 the bow and quiver holding me again and again4 ,young got stuck and fell behind1 so that ,i came alone upon our bear at bay4 ,he had mounted but a short distance up a mighty oak and hung by his claws to the bark4 ,i had run beneath him before seeing his position4 ,instantly ,i recognized the danger of the situation and backed off1 away from the tree1 at the same time nocking an arrow on the string4 ,i glanced about for ,young1 but he was detained1 so ,i drew the head and discharged my arrow right into the heart region of our beast1 where it buried its point4 ,loosening his hold1 the bear fell backward from the tree and landed on the nape of his neck4 ,he was weak with mortal wounds1 and even had he wanted to charge me1 the combat could not have progressed far4 ,but instantly the dogs were on him4 ,seizing him by the front and back legs1 they dragged him around a small tree1 holding him firmly in spite of his struggles1 while he bawled like a lost calf4 ,the din was terrific2 snarling1 snapping dogs1 the crashing underbrush1 and the bellowing of bear made the world hideous4 ,it seemed that the pain of our arrows was nothing to him compared to his fear of the dogs1 and when he felt himself helpless in their power1 his morale was completely shattered4 ,it was soon over2 hardly a minute elapsed before his resistless form lay still1 and even the dogs knew he was dead4 ,poor ,young arrived at this moment1 having just extricated himself from the brush4 ,we skinned the pelt to make quivers1 took his claws for decorations1 and cut some sweet bear steaks from his hams2 the rest we gave to the pack4 ,it seems a very proper thing that the service of the dogs should always be recognized promptly1 that they be given their share of the spoils and that they be praised for their courage and fidelity4 ,this makes them better hunters4 ,stupid men who drive off their dogs from the quarry1 defer their rewards1 and grudge them praise1 kill the spirit of the chase within them and spoil them for work4 ,hounds have the finest hunting spirit of any animal4 ,the team work of the wolf and their intelligent use of strategy is one of the most striking evidences of community interests in animal life4 ,the fellowship between us and our dogs is a most satisfactory relation4 ,since prehistoric times1 the hunter has taken advantage of the comradeship and on it rests the mutual dependence and trust of the two4 ,altogether1 bringing bears to bay is among the most thrilling experiences of life4 ,it is a primitive sport and as such it stirs up in the human breast the primordial emotions of men4 ,the sense of danger1 the bodily exhaustion1 the ancestral blood lust1 the harkening bay of the hounds1 the awe of deep-shadowed forests1 and the return to an almost hand-to-claw contest with the beast1 call upon a latent manhood that is fast disappearing in the process of civilization4 ,i hope there always will be bears to hunt and youthful adventurers to chase them4 ,,xiii ,,mountain ,,lions ,the cougar1 panther1 or mountain lion is our largest representative of the cat family4 ,early settlers in the ,eastern ,states record the existence of this treacherous beast in their conquest of the forests4 ,the cry of the painter1 as he was called1 rang through the dark woods and caused many hearts to quaver and little children to run to mother's side4 ,once in a while stories came of human beings having met their doom at the swift stealthy leap of this dreaded beast4 ,he was bolder then than now4 ,today he is not less courageous1 but more cautious4 ,he has learned the increased power of man's weapons4 ,our ,indians knew that he would strike1 as they struck1 without warning and at an advantage4 ,it is a matter of tradition among frontiersmen that he has upon rare occasions attacked and killed bears4 ,even today he will attack man if provoked by hunger1 and can do so with some assurance of success1 the statements of certain naturalists to the contrary notwithstanding4 ,john ,capen ,adams1 in his adventures1 #a ,footnote #a3 ,the ,adventures of ,james ,capen ,adams of ,california1 by ,theodore ,h4 ,hittell4 describes such an episode4 ,the lion in this instance sprang upon a companion1 seized him by the back of the neck1 and bore him to the ground4 ,he was only saved from death by a thick buckskin collar to his coat and the ready assistance of ,adams who heard the cry for help4 ,i know of an instance where a ,california lion leaped upon some bathing children and attempted to kill them1 but was driven off by the heroic efforts of a young woman school teacher1 who in turn died of her wounds4 ,those of us who have roamed the wilds of the western country have had varying experiences with this animal1 while others have lived their lives in districts undoubtedly infested with cougars and have never seen one1 although nearly every mountain rancher has heard that hair-raising1 almost human scream echo down the canyon4 ,it is like the wail of a woman in pain4 ,penetrating and quavering1 it rings out on the night gloom1 and brings to the human what it must1 in a similar way1 bring to the lesser animals a sense of impending attack1 a death warning4 ,it is part of the system of the predatory beast that he uses fear to weaken the powers of his prey before he assaults it4 ,animal psychology is essentially utilitarian4 ,cowering1 trembling1 muscularly relaxed1 on the verge of emotional shock1 we are easier to overcome4 ,the cougar lives principally on deer4 ,his kill averages more than one a week1 and often we may find evidence that this murderer has wantonly slain two or three deer in a single night's expedition4 ,it is not his habit to lie in wait on the limb of a tree1 though he often sleeps there2 but he makes a stealthy approach on the unsuspecting victim1 then1 with a series of stupendous bounds1 he throws himself upon the deer1 and by his momentum bears it to the ground4 ,here1 while he holds on with teeth and forelegs1 he rips open the flank with his hind claws and immediately plunges his head into the open abdomen1 where he tears the great blood vessels with his teeth and drinks its life blood4 ,these are facts learned from lion hunters whose observations are accurate and reliable4 ,a lion can jump a distance greater than twenty-four feet1 and has been seen to ascend at a single leap a cliff of rock eighteen feet high4 ,their weight runs from one hundred to two hundred pounds1 and the length from six to nine feet4 ,the skin will stretch farther than this1 but we count only the carcass from the tip of the nose to the tip of the extended tail4 ,the speed of a lion for a short distance is greater than that of a greyhound1 less than five seconds to the hundred yards4 ,some observers contend that the lion never gives that blood-curdling cry assigned to him4 ,they say he is silent1 and that this classic scream is made by a lynx in the mating period4 ,however1 popular experience to the contrary seems to be too strong and counterbalances this iconoclastic opinion4 ,for many years1 off and on1 we have hunted lions1 but sad to say1 we have done more hunting than finding4 ,they are a very wary creature4 ,practically1 one never sees them unless hunting with dogs2 they may be in the brush within thirty yards1 but the human eye will fail to discern them4 ,our camps have been robbed by lions1 our horses killed by them1 cattle and sheep ruthlessly murdered2 lion tracks have been all about1 and yet unless trapped or treed by dogs1 we have never met4 ,camping at the base of ,pico ,blanco1 in ,monterey ,county1 several years ago1 a lion was seen to bound across the road and follow a small band of deer4 ,at this very spot a few seasons before one leaped upon an old mare with foal and broke her neck as she crashed through the fence and rolled down the hill4 ,three years later ,i rode the young horse4 ,as we passed the tree from which it is thought the lion sprang1 where the broken fence was still unmended1 my colt jumped and reared1 the memory of his fright was still vivid in his mind4 ,up the trail a half mile beyond we saw other fresh lion tracks4 ,at night we camped on the ridge with our dogs in hope that our feline friend would come again4 ,it was too late to hunt that evening1 so we turned in4 ,nothing happened save that in the middle of the night ,i was roused by the whine of our dogs1 and looking up in the face of the pale moon1 ,i saw two deer go bounding past1 silhouetted like graceful phantoms across the silvered sky4 ,they swept across the lunar disc and melted into blackness over the dark horizon4 ,no sound followed them1 and having appeased the fretful hounds1 we returned to sleep4 ,in the morning1 up the trail1 there were his tracks2 too wise to cross the human scent1 and knowing that there are more deer in the brush1 he had turned upon his course and let his quarry slip4 ,because of the heat and the inferior tracking capacity of our dogs1 we never got this panther4 ,a lion dog is a specialist and must be so trained that no other track will divert him from his quest4 ,these dogs were willing1 but erratic4 ,the best dogs for this work are mongrels4 ,by far the finest lion dog ,i ever saw was a cross between a shepherd and an airedale4 ,he had the intelligence of the former and the courage of the latter4 ,the airedale himself is not a good trailer1 he is too temperamental4 ,he will start on a lion track1 jump off and chase a deer and wind up by digging out a ground squirrel4 ,after a good hound finds a lion1 the airedale will tackle him4 ,we once started an airedale on a lion track1 followed him at a fiendish pace1 dashed down the side of a mountain1 and found that he had an angora goat up a tree4 ,this cougar on ,pico ,blanco still roams the forests1 so far as ,i know1 and many with him4 ,once we saw him across a canyon4 ,he appeared as a tawny slow-moving body as large as a deer but low to the earth and trailing a listless tail1 while his head slowly swung from side to side4 ,he seemed to be looking for something on the ground4 ,for the space of a hundred yards we watched him traverse an open side hill1 deep in ferns and brakes4 ,seeing him thus was little satisfaction to us1 for we had lost our dogs4 ,ferguson and ,i were returning from one of our unsuccessful expeditions4 ,we started with two saddle horses1 a pack animal1 and five good lion dogs4 ,on the trail to the ,ventana ,mountains we came across lion tracks and followed them for a day1 then lost them2 but we knew that a large male and young female were ranging over the country4 ,their circuit extended over a radius of ten miles2 they are great travelers4 ,the track of a lion is characteristic4 ,the general contour is round1 from three to four inches in diameter4 ,there are four toe prints arranged in a semicircle which show no claw marks4 ,but the ball of the foot is the unmistakable feature4 ,it consists of three distinct eminences or pads which lie parallel1 antero-posteriorly1 and appear in the track as if you had pressed the terminal phalanges of your fingers side by side in the dust4 ,these marks are nearly equal in length and absolutely identify the big cat4 ,on the morning of the second day of our trailing this lion1 our pack was working down in the thick brush below the crest of ,rattlesnake ,ridge1 when suddenly they raised a chorus of yelps4 ,there was a rush of bodies in the chamise brush1 and the chase was on at a furious pace4 ,we rode up to an observation point and saw the dogs speeding down the canyon side1 close on the heels of a yellow leaping demon4 ,they switched from side to side1 as cat and dog races have been carried on since time immemorial4 ,the undergrowth was so dense we could not follow1 so we sat our horses and waited for them to tree4 ,but further and further they descended4 ,they crossed the bottom1 mounted a cliff on the opposite side1 came scrambling down from this and plunged into the bed of the stream1 where their voices were lost to hearing4 ,we rode around to a spur of the hill that dipped into the brush and overhung the canyon4 ,from this we heard occasional barks away down at least a mile below us4 ,it was a difficult situation4 ,nothing but a bluejay could possibly get down to the creek below4 ,i never saw such a jungle6 ,so we waited for the indications that the lion was treed1 but all became silent4 ,evening approached1 we ate our supper and then sat on the hill above1 sounding our horns4 ,their vibrant echoes rang from mountain to mountain and returned to us clear and sweet4 ,way down below us1 where a purple haze hung over the deep ravine1 we faintly heard the answering hounds4 ,in their voices we caught the dog's response to his master and friend4 ,it said1 ,we have him4 ,come6 ,come6 ,we blew the horns again4 ,the elf-land notes returned again and again1 and with them came the call of the faithful hound1 ,we are here4 ,come6 ,come6 ,now1 there was a pitiful plight4 ,no sane man would venture down such a chasm1 impenetrable with thorns1 and night descending4 ,so we built a beacon fire and waited for dawn4 ,all during the long dark hours we heard the distant appeal of the hounds1 and we slept little4 ,at the first rays of dawn we took a hasty meal1 fed our horses1 and stripping ourselves of every unnecessary accoutrement1 we prepared to descend the canyon4 ,our bows and quivers we left behind because it would have been impossible to drag them through the jungle4 ,ferguson carried only his ,colt pistol2 ,i took my hunting knife4 ,having surveyed the topography carefully1 we attacked the problem at its most available angle and slid from view4 ,we literally dived beneath the brush4 ,for more than two hours we wormed our way down the face of the mountain1 crawling like moles at the base of the overhanging thickets of poison oak1 wild lilac1 chamise1 sage1 manzanita1 hazel and buckthorn4 ,at last we reached the depth of the canyon and1 finding a little water1 we bathed our sweat-grimed faces and cooled off4 ,no sound of the dogs was heard1 but pressing forward we followed the boulder-strewn bottom of the creek for a mile or more1 almost despairing of ever finding them1 when suddenly we came upon a strange sight4 ,there was the pack in a circle about a big reclining oak4 ,they were voiceless and utterly exhausted1 but sat watching a huge lion crouched on a great overhanging limb of the tree4 ,the moment we appeared they raised a feeble1 hoarse yelp of delight4 ,the panther turned his head1 saw us1 sprang from the tree with a prodigious bound1 landed on the side hill1 tore down the canyon1 and leaped over a precipice below4 ,the dogs1 heartened by our presence1 with instant accord charged after the lion4 ,when they came to the precipitous drop in the bed of the stream1 they whined a second1 ran back and forth1 then mounted the lateral wall1 circled sidewise and1 by a detour1 gained the ground below4 ,we ran and looked over4 ,the drop was at least thirty feet4 ,the cat had taken it without hesitation1 but we were absolutely stalled4 ,even if we had cared to take the risk of the descent1 we saw so many similar drops beyond that the situation was hopeless4 ,the dogs having lost their voices1 we were at a great disadvantage4 ,so we returned to the tree to rest and meditate4 ,there we saw the evidence of the long vigil of the night4 ,all about its base were little nests1 where the tired dogs had bedded down and kept their weary watch4 ,their incessant barking had served to keep the cougar treed1 but it cost them a temporary loss of voice4 ,poor devils1 they had our admiration and sympathy4 ,at noon1 hearing nothing from the hounds1 we decided to return to camp4 ,if coming down was hard1 going up was herculean4 ,we crawled on hands and knees1 dragged ourselves by projecting roots1 panted1 rested1 and worked again4 ,after a three-hours' struggle we came out upon a rough ledge of granite1 a mile below the spot at which we aimed1 but near enough to the top to permit us1 after a little more brush fighting1 to gain our camp and lie down1 too fatigued to eat4 ,for another day we remained at this place1 hoping that the dogs would return1 but in vain4 ,at last we decided to pack up and go around a ten-mile detour and work up the outlet of the canyon4 ,we left a mess of food in several piles for the dogs should they return1 and knew they could follow our horses' tracks if they came to camp4 ,but our detour was futile4 ,we lost all signs of our pack and returned to our headquarters to await results4 ,it was on this homeward journey that we saw the lion of ,pico ,blanco1 and had to let him slip4 ,ten days later1 two weak1 emaciated hounds came into camp1 an old veteran and a young dog that trailed after him as if tied with a rope4 ,he had followed him to save his life1 and for days after he could not be separated without whining with fear4 ,we fed them carefully and nursed them back to health4 ,but these were all of the five to appear4 ,old ,belle1 the greatest fighter of them all1 was gone4 ,she must have met her death at the claws of the cougar1 for nothing else could keep her4 ,this ended that particular lion hunt4 ,in our travels over ,california in search for cougars1 we have picked up more tales than trails of the big cats4 ,just before one of my visits to ,gorda1 on the ,monterey ,coast1 a panther visited the ,mansfield ranch in broad daylight4 ,jasper being up on the mountainside after deer1 his wife1 left at home with the two little children1 noticed a very large lion out in the pasture back of the house4 ,it wandered among the cattle in a most unconcerned manner and did not even cause a stir4 ,while it did not approach any of the cows very closely1 they seemed to be not in the least alarmed4 ,for half an hour or more it stayed in the neighborhood of the house1 where ,mrs4 ,mansfield locked herself in and waited for her husband's return4 ,it was not until evening1 and too late to track the beast1 that ,jasper came home4 ,so no capture was made4 ,some time before this1 one of the hired hands on the ranch was going to his cabin in the dusk2 and swinging his hand idly to catch the tops of tall grass by the side of the path1 he suddenly touched something warm and soft4 ,instantly he grasped a handful of the substance4 ,at the same moment some sort of an animal bounded off in the dark4 ,holding fast to the material in his hand1 he ran back to the farmhouse and found his fist full of lion hair4 ,to say that he was startled1 puts it very mildly4 ,apparently one of these beasts had been crouched on a log by the side of his path1 waiting for something to turn up4 ,the hired man took a lantern home with him after that4 ,at another ranch on the ,big ,sur ,river1 one of the little boys called to his mother that there was a funny sort of a big dog out in the pasture4 ,his mother paid no attention to it1 but a diminutive pet black and tan started an assault on the animal in question4 ,the lion and the dog disappeared in the brush4 ,presently the canine barking ceased and the small boy wondered what had become of his valiant companion4 ,in a few minutes he heard a plaintive whine up in a near-by tree1 and running to its base he found that the panther had seized his pet by the nape of the neck and climbed a tall fir with him4 ,the boy ran for his father1 working in the fields1 who1 bringing his rifle1 dispatched the panther4 ,as it fell from the tree1 the little dog clung to the upper limbs1 and stayed at the top4 ,nothing they could do would coax him down4 ,the fir was one difficult to climb1 so to save time the man took an ax and felled the tree1 which1 falling gently against another1 precipitated the canine hero to the ground without harm4 ,later ,i had the pleasure of shaking his paw and congratulating him on his bravery4 ,after many futile attempts1 at last our opportunity to get a ,felis ,concolor arrived4 ,we received word from a certain ranger station in ,tuolumne ,county that a mountain lion was killing sheep and deer in the immediate vicinity1 and having the promise of a well trained pack1 ,arthur ,young and ,i gathered our archery tackle and started from ,san ,francisco at night in an automobile4 ,we traveled until the small hours of the morning1 then lay down on the side of the road to take a short sleep2 and rising at the first gray of dawn1 sped on our way4 ,we reached the ,sierras by sun-up and began to climb4 ,at noon we met our guide above ,italian ,bar1 and prepared for an evening hunt4 ,this1 however1 was as unsatisfactory as evening hunts usually are4 ,a morning expedition the next day only brought out the fact that our lion had left the country4 ,news of his activities twelve miles further up the mountains having been obtained1 we gathered our bows1 arrows1 and dogs and departed for this region4 ,here we found a bloody record of his work4 ,more than two hundred goats had been killed by the big cat in the past year4 ,in fact1 the rancher thought that several panthers were at work4 ,goats were taken from beneath the shepherd's nose1 and as he turned in one direction1 another goat would be killed behind him4 ,it seemed impossible to apprehend the villain2 their dogs were useless4 ,equipped for rough camping1 we soon planned our morning excursion and bedded down for rest4 ,at #c o'clock we waked1 ate a meager breakfast1 and hit the trail up the mountain4 ,we knew the general range of our cougar4 ,it is necessary in all his tracking to get in the field while the dew is on the ground and before the sun dissipates it1 also before the goats obliterate the tracks4 ,arrived at the crest of the ridge1 we struck a well-defined goat trail1 and soon the fresh tracks of a lion were discovered4 ,our dogs took up the scent at once and we began to travel at a rapid pace4 ,here again1 one must have a good pair of legs4 ,if automobiles1 elevators1 and general laziness have not ruined your powers of locomotion1 you may follow the dogs2 otherwise1 you had best stay at home4 ,at first we walk1 then we trot1 and when with a leap the hounds start in full cry1 we race4 ,regardless of five thousand feet of altitude1 regardless of brush1 rocks1 and dizzy cliffs1 we follow at a breakneck pace4 ,i don't know where our breath comes from in these trials4 ,we just have to run2 in fact1 we have planned to run on our hands when our legs play out4 ,with pounding hearts we surge ahead4 ,keep the dogs within hearing6 ,it can't last long6 ,but this time we come to a sudden halt on a rocky slide4 ,we've lost the scent4 ,the dogs circle and backtrack and work with feverish haste4 ,the sun has risen1 and up the mountain side comes a band of goats led by a single shepherd dog--no man in sight4 ,we shout to the dog to steer his rabble away1 but on they come1 and obliterate our trail with a thousand hoofprints and a cloud of dust4 ,the sun then comes out1 and our day is done4 ,no felis this time4 ,so we scout the country for information to be used later1 and return to camp to drown our sorrow in food4 ,this was my first knowledge that a dog could be placed in charge of a flock of sheep or goats4 ,it seems that these little sheep dogs1 not even collies1 but some shaggy little plebeians1 are given full charge of the band4 ,they lead them out to pasture1 guard them1 and keep them together during the day and bring them home at night4 ,they will1 when properly instructed1 take a band of goats out for a week on a long route1 and bring them all safely home again4 ,at least1 they used to do this until the lion appeared on the scene4 ,that evening we asked the rancher to lock his goats in the corral till noon4 ,next morning we rose again in time to see the morning star glitter with undimmed glory4 ,up the trail we mounted1 the dogs eager for the chase4 ,an old owl in a hollow tree asked us again and again who we were2 all else was silent in the woods4 ,saving our strength1 we arrived quietly on the upper ridges and waited for the dawn4 ,way down below us in the canyon we could smell the faint incense of our camp-fire4 ,the morning breeze was just beginning to breathe in the trees4 ,the birds awoke with little whispered confidences1 small twitterings and chirps4 ,a faint lavender tint melted the stars in the eastern sky4 ,shadows crept beneath the trees1 and we knew it was time to start4 ,just as the light defined the margins of the trail1 we picked up in the grayness the track of a lion4 ,strange to say1 the dogs had not smelled it1 but when we pointed to the footprint in the dust1 which was apparently none too fresh1 they took up the work of tracking4 ,it is astonishing to see how a dog can tell which way a track leads4 ,if in doubt1 he runs quickly back and forth on the scent1 and thus gauges the way the animal has progressed4 ,a mediocre dog cannot do this1 but we had dogs with college educations4 ,traveling carefully and at a moderate pace1 we came to an open knoll in the forest4 ,here in the ferns our pack circled about us as if the cat had been doing a circus stunt1 and they seemed confused4 ,later on we found that our feline friend had been experimenting with a porcupine and learned another lesson in natural history4 ,suddenly the leader sniffed at a fallen tree where1 doubtless1 the cat had perched1 then with a ringing bay1 the hound clamped his tail close to his rump and left in a streak of yellow light4 ,the rest of the pack leaped into full cry4 ,we were off on a hot track4 ,oh1 for the wings of a bird6 ,trained as ,young and ,i were to desperate running1 this game taxed us to the utmost4 ,first we climbed the knoll1 deep in ferns and mountain misery1 then we dashed over the crest1 tore through manzanita brush1 thickets of young cedar and buckthorn1 over ledges of lava rock1 down deep declivities1 among giant oaks1 cedars1 and pines4 ,as we ran we grasped our ready strung bows in one hand and the flapping quivers in the other4 ,you would not think that at this time we could take note of the fragrant shrubs and pine needles beneath our feet1 but ,i smelled them as we passed in flight1 and they revived me to renewed energy4 ,on we rushed1 only to lose the sound of the dogs4 ,then we listened and caught it down the hill below us4 ,again we hurdled barriers of brush1 took long sliding leaps down the treacherous shale and ran breathless to the shade of a great oak4 ,there above our heads was the lion4 ,oh1 the beauty of that beast6 ,heaving and giddy with exertion1 we saw a wonderful sight1 a great tawny1 buff-colored body crouched on a limb1 grace and power in every outline4 ,a huge1 soft cylindrical tail swung slowly back and forth4 ,luminous eyes gazed at us in utmost calm1 a cold calculating calm4 ,he watched and waited our next move1 waited with his great muscles tense for action4 ,we retreated1 not only to get out of his reach1 but to gain a better shooting position4 ,as we did this1 he gave a lithe leap to a higher limb and shielded himself as best he could behind the boughs of the tree4 ,from our position1 his chest and throat were visible through a triangular space in the branches1 not more than a foot across4 ,we must shoot through this4 ,his attitude was so huddled that his head hung over his shoulder4 ,young and ,i caught our breath1 drew our arrows from their quivers1 nocked them1 and set ourselves in the archer's stable stand4 ,we drew together and1 at a mutual thought1 shot together4 ,because of our unsteady condition the arrows flew a trifle wild4 ,mine buried itself in the lion's shoulder4 ,young's hit him in the nose4 ,he reared and struck at this latter shaft1 then1 not dislodging it1 began swaying back and forth while with both front paws he fought the arrow4 ,while he thrashed about thus in the tree top1 we nocked two more arrows and shot4 ,we both missed the brute4 ,young's flew off into the next state1 and if you ever go up into ,tuolumne ,county1 you will find mine buried deep in the heart of an oak4 ,just as we nocked a third arrow1 he freed himself from the offending shaft in his muzzle1 raised his fore-paws upon a limb and prepared to leap4 ,in that movement he bared the white hair of his throat and chest1 and like a flash1 two keen arrows were driven through his heart area4 ,illustration3 ,,arthur ,,young ,,and ,,his ,,cougar ,illustration3 ,,our ,,first ,,mountain ,,lion ,illustration3 ,,we ,,pack ,,the ,,panther ,,to ,,camp ,as they struck and disappeared from sight1 he leaped4 ,like a flying squirrel1 he soared over our heads4 ,full seventy-five feet he cleared in one mighty outward1 downward bound4 ,i saw his body glint across the rising sun1 swoop in a wonderful curve and land in a sheltering bush4 ,the dogs threw themselves upon him4 ,there was a medley of sounds1 a fierce1 but brief fight1 and all was over4 ,we grabbed him by the tail and dragged him forth--dead4 ,the ringleader of our pack1 trembling with excitement1 effort1 and fighting frenzy1 drove all the other dogs away and took possession of the body4 ,no one but a man1 his master1 might touch it4 ,our lion was a young male1 six feet eight inches from tip to tip1 and weighing a little over one hundred and twenty pounds4 ,later1 as we skinned him1 we found his paws full of porcupine quills1 speaking loudly of his recent experience4 ,the stomach was empty2 the chest was full of blood from our arrows4 ,he was as easy to kill as a deer4 ,we packed him back to camp and added his photograph to our rogues' gallery4 ,there was no further goat killing on that ,sierra ranch4 ,this was our first lion1 and for me so far1 my only one4 ,arthur ,young1 however1 has been fortunate enough to land two cougars by himself on another hunting trip4 ,captain ,c4 ,h4 ,styles1 a recent addition to the ranks of field archers1 while on an expedition to cut yew staves in ,humboldt ,county1 ,california1 started a mountain lion1 ran him to bay with hounds1 and killed him with one arrow in the chest4 ,we shall undoubtedly hear more of the captain later on4 ,but so long as we can draw a bowstring and our legs hold out1 and there is an intelligent dog to be had1 it will not be the last lion on our list4 ,wherever there are deer1 there will be found panthers1 and it is our business to help reduce their number in the game fields to maintain the balance of power4 ,,xiv ,,grizzly ,,bear ,the very idea of shooting grizzly bears with the bow and arrow strikes most people as so absurd that they laugh at the mention of it4 ,the mental picture of the puny little archery implements of their childhood opposed to that of the largest and most fearsome beast of the ,western world1 produces merriment and incredulity4 ,because it seemed so impossible1 ,i presume1 this added to our desire to accomplish it4 ,ever since we began hunting with the bow1 we had talked of shooting grizzlies4 ,we thought of an ,alaskan trip as a remotely attainable adventure1 and planned murderous arrows of various ingenious spring devices to increase their cutting qualities4 ,we estimated the power of formidable bows necessary to pierce the hides of these monsters4 ,in fact1 it was the acme of our hunting desires4 ,we read the biography of ,john ,capen ,adams and his adventures with the ,california grizzlies1 and ,roosevelt's admirable descriptions of these animals4 ,they filled out our dreams with detail4 ,and after killing black bears we needed only the opportunity to make our wish become an exploit4 ,the opportunity to do this arrived unexpectedly1 as many opportunities seem to1 when the want and the preparedness coincide4 ,the ,california ,academy of ,sciences has in its museum in ,golden ,gate ,park1 ,san ,francisco1 a collection of very fine animal habitat groups1 among which are deer1 antelope1 mountain sheep1 cougars1 and brown bear4 ,while an elk group was being installed1 it happened that the taxidermist1 ,mr4 ,paul ,fair1 said to me that the next and final setting would be one of grizzly bears4 ,in surprise1 ,i asked him if it were not a fact that the ,california grizzly was extinct4 ,he said this was true1 but the silver-tip bear of ,wyoming was a grizzly and its range extended westward to the ,sierra ,nevada ,mountains2 so it could properly be classified as a ,pacific ,coast variety4 ,he cited ,professor ,merriam's monograph on the classification of grizzlies to prove his statements4 ,he also informed me that permit might be obtained from ,washington to secure these specimens in ,yellowstone ,national ,park4 ,immediately ,i perceived an opportunity and interviewed ,dr4 ,barton ,everman1 curator of the museum1 concerning the feasibility of offering our services in taking these bears at no expense to the academy4 ,incidentally1 we proposed to shoot them with the bow and arrow1 and thereby answer a moot question in anthropology4 ,the proposition appealed to him1 and he wrote to ,washington for a permit to secure specimens in this ,national ,park1 stating that the bow and arrow would be used4 ,i insisted upon this latter stipulation1 so that there should be no misunderstanding if1 in the future1 any objection was raised to this method of hunting4 ,in a very short time permit was given to the academy1 and we started our preparations for the expedition4 ,this was late in the fall of #aiai1 and bear were at their best in the spring1 just after hibernation2 so we had ample time4 ,it was planned that ,mr4 ,compton1 ,mr4 ,young1 and ,i should be the hunters1 and such other assistance would be obtained as seemed necessary4 ,we began reviewing our experience and formulating the principles of the campaign4 ,our weapons we now considered adequate in the light of our contact with black bears4 ,we had found that our bows were as strong as we could handle1 and ample to drive a good arrow through a horse1 a fact which we had demonstrated upon the carcasses of recently dead animals4 ,but we decided to add to the length of our arrowheads1 and use tempered instead of soft steel as heretofore4 ,we took particular pains to have them perfect in every detail4 ,then we undertook the study of the anatomy of bears and the location and size of their vital organs4 ,in the work of ,william ,wright on the grizzly1 we found valuable data concerning the habits and nature of these animals4 ,in spite of the reputation of this bear for ferocity and tenacity of life1 we felt that1 after all1 he was only made of flesh and blood1 and our arrows were capable of solving the problem4 ,we also began preparing ourselves for the contest4 ,although habitually in good physical condition1 we undertook special training for the big event4 ,by running1 the use of dumbbells and other gymnastic practices1 we strengthened our muscles and increased our endurance4 ,our field shooting was also directed toward rapid delivery and the quick judgment of distances on level1 uphill1 and falling ground4 ,in fact1 we planned to leave no factor for success untried4 ,my brother1 ,g4 ,d4 ,pope1 of ,detroit1 being a hunter of big game with the gun1 was invited to join the party1 and his advice was asked concerning a reliable guide4 ,he gladly consented to come with us and share the expenses4 ,at the same time he suggested ,ned ,frost1 of ,cody1 ,wyoming1 as the most experienced hunter of grizzly bears in ,america4 ,about this time one of my professional friends visited the ,smithsonian ,institute at ,washington1 where he met a member of the staff1 who inquired if he knew ,doctor ,pope1 of ,san ,francisco1 a man that was contemplating shooting grizzlies with the bow and arrow4 ,the doctor replied that he did1 whereat the sage laughed and said that the feat was impossible1 most dangerous and foolhardy2 it could not be done4 ,we fully appreciated the danger involved--therein lay some of the zest4 ,but we also knew that even should we succeed in killing them in ,yellowstone ,park1 the glory would be sullied by the popular belief that all park bears are hotel pets1 live upon garbage1 and that it was a cruel shame to torment them with arrows4 ,so in my early correspondence with ,frost1 ,i assured him that we did not want to shoot any tame bears and that we would not consider the trip at all if this were necessary4 ,he assured us that this was not necessary1 and reminded us that ,yellowstone ,park was fifty miles wide by sixty miles long1 and that some of the highest portions of the ,rocky ,mountains lay in it4 ,the animals in this preserve1 he said1 were far from tame and the bears were divided into two distinct groups1 one mostly composed of black and brown with a few inferior specimens of grizzlies that frequent the dumps back of the camps and hotels1 and another group of bears that never came near civilization1 but lived entirely up in the rugged mountains and were as dangerous and wary as those in ,alaska or any other wild country4 ,these bear wander outside the park and furnish hunting material throughout the neighboring ,state4 ,he promised to put us in communication with grizzlies that were as unspoiled and unafraid as those first seen by ,lewis and ,clarke in their early explorations4 ,after explaining the purposes of our trip and the use of the bow1 ,ned ,frost agreed that it was a real sporting proposition and took up the plan with enthusiasm4 ,i sent him a sample arrow we used in hunting1 and his letter in reply ,i take the liberty of printing4 ,it is typical of the frontier spirit and comes1 not only from the foremost grizzly hunter of all times1 but discloses the man's bigness of heart3 ,my dear ,doctor3 ,your letter of the #ahth was received a day or so ago1 and last night ,i received ',good ,medicine' a hunting arrow on the evening train1 and ,i feel better away down deep about this hunt after a good examination of this little ,grizzly ,tickler than ,i have at any time before4 ,i have1 by mistake1 let it simmer out in a quiet way that ,i was going to see what a grizzly would really do if he had a few sticks stuck in his innerds1 and my friends have been giving the ,mrs4 and me a regular line of farewell parties4 ,really1 ,i think it has been a splendid paying thing to do2 pork chops are high1 you know1 and ,i really feel ,i am off to the good about nine dollars and six bits worth of bacon and flour right now on this deal4 ,maybe ,i'll be in debt to you before green-grass if ,i don't look out4 ,well1 anyway1 here is hoping we will all live through it and have a dandy time4 ,don't worry about coming to blows with the bear2 ,i have noticed from long experience that it is not the times that you think a bear is going to give you trouble that it happens1 but always when least expected4 ,i have trailed wounded grizzlies time and time again1 and was more or less worried all the while1 but never had one turn on me yet4 ,then1 too1 ,i have had about three experiences with them that made my hair stand straight up1 and when it finally settled1 it had more ,,frost in it than ever before2 and let me add right here1 that one of the worst places ,i ever got into was when ,i had sixteen of the best bear dogs that were ever gotten together ,i believe1 after an old she-grizzly1 and ,i was like you1 thought they would hold the bear's attention4 ,,but1 don't let any notion like this get you into trouble4 ,now1 ,i am not running down dogs as a means of getting bear2 ,i love them and would now have a good pack if it was possible to run them in the game fields of this ,state1 but you don't want to think that they can handle a grizzly like they do a black bear4 ,in fact1 ,i would place no value on them whatsoever as a safeguard in case a grizzly got on the pack1 and ,i am speaking from experience1 mind you4 ,no1 a good little shepherd would do more than a dozen regular bear dogs1 but there is only about one little shepherd like ,i speak of in a lifetime4 ,if you can use the bow from horseback1 here is a safe proposition1 and ,i believe a practical one1 too4 ,but ,i don't feel that there is really so much danger in the game after all1 as it is only once in a great while that any bear will go up against the human animal1 and then is most likely to be when you are not expecting it at all4 ,don't worry about it4 ,what ,i am thinking about most is to get the opportunity to get the first arrow into some good big worthy old boy that will be a credit to the expedition4 ,there are lots of grizzlies in the park all right1 and some of them are not very wild1 but if you get out away from the hotels a few miles1 they are not going to come up and present their broadsides to you at thirty yards4 ,so1 as ,i say1 ,i am thinking mostly about the chances of getting the opportunities4 ,i don't know1 of course1 just how close you can place your arrows at thirty yards1 and it is getting the first hole into them that ,i am most interested in now4 ,i feel that we ought to get some good chances1 as ,i have seen so many bear in the park2 but1 of course1 have never hunted them and don't know just how keen they will be when it comes right down to getting their hides4 ,there are some scattered all over the park that will rob a camp at night1 and some of them will even put up a fight for it1 but most of them will beat it as soon as one gets after them4 ,it would be impossible1 ,i believe1 to keep dogs still while watching a bait1 as they would get the scent of any approaching bear1 and then you would not be able to keep them quiet1 and they would most likely scare the bear out of the country4 ,i can rustle a few dogs to take along if you want them1 and pretty good dogs1 too2 but ,i am not strong for them myself only in this way1 to put them on the trail of a bear and take a good horse apiece1 so that we could get up to the chase and have a chance to land on him4 ,this might be a good thing to try if all others failed4 ,i know how you feel about killing clean with the bow and not having any shooting1 and ,i can assure you that ,i would let 'em get just as close as you want them1 and not feel any concern about their getting the best of anybody1 and you would have a chance to use the bow well in this case2 but ,i am more prone to think they will beat it off with a lot of your perfectly good arrows than anything else4 ,yours truly1 ,,ned ,,frost4 ,it was apparent from the first that dogs were of little use in taking grizzly4 ,it would be necessary to shoot from blinds set conveniently near bait4 ,frost assured us that bears of this variety1 when just out of hibernation and lean1 would run out of the country if chased by a pack of dogs1 and incidentally kill all that they could catch4 ,in the fall of the year1 when the bears are fat1 they refuse to run1 but wade through the pack1 which is unable to keep him from attacking the hunter4 ,as an example of this1 he related an instance where he started a grizzly with eight or ten ,russian bear hounds1 and chased the beast about thirty miles4 ,as he followed on horseback1 he found one after the other of his dogs torn to pieces1 disemboweled1 and dismembered4 ,at last1 he came upon the bear at bay in deep snow1 against a high cliff4 ,only two of his hounds were left1 and one of these had a broken leg4 ,mad with vengeance1 ,frost shot the grizzly4 ,it charged him at forty yards4 ,in quick succession he fired five bullets in the oncoming bear1 seemingly with no effect4 ,up to his waist in the snow1 he was unable to avoid its rush4 ,it came on and fell dead on his chest1 with the faithful hound hanging to it in a desperate effort to save his master4 ,this is one of the three or four maulings that ,ned has received in his hunting experiences1 which1 he says1 have added frost to my golden locks4 ,the dog became a cherished pet in the family for many years4 ,frost killed his first bear when fourteen years of age1 and has added nearly five hundred to this number since that time4 ,it is characteristic of the grizzly that he will charge upon the slightest provocation1 and that nothing will turn him aside from his purpose4 ,later we found this particularly true where the female with cubs is concerned4 ,instances of this are too well known to recount1 but one coming under our own experience was related to me by ,tom ,murphy1 the bear hunter of ,california4 ,in early days in ,humboldt ,county1 there lived an old settler named ,pete ,bluford1 who was a squaw man4 ,he shot a female grizzly with cubs within a quarter of a mile of what are now the town limits of ,blocksburg4 ,the beast charged and struck him to the ground4 ,at the same time she ripped open the man's abdomen4 ,bluford dropped under a fallen tree1 where the bear repeatedly assaulted him1 tearing at his body4 ,by rolling back and forth as the grizzly leaped over the log to reach him from the other side1 he escaped further injury4 ,worried by the hunter's dog1 she finally ceased her efforts and wandered off4 ,the man was able to reach home in spite of a large open wound in his abdomen1 with protruding intestines4 ,this was roughly sewed together by his friend1 ,beany ,powell4 ,he recovered from the experience and lived many years with the ,indians of that locality4 ,as an example of ,western humor1 it is related that ,beany ,powell1 when sewing up the wound with twine and a sack needle1 found a large lump of fat protruding from the incision1 of which he was unable to dispose2 so he cut it off1 tried out the grease in the frying-pan and used it to grease his boots4 ,old ,bluford became a character in the country4 ,he was1 in fact1 what is colloquially known as an old poison oaker4 ,this is an individual who sinks so low in the scale of civilization that he lives out in the backwoods or poison oak brush and becomes animal in type4 ,his hair grew to his shoulders1 his beard was unkempt1 his finger nails were as long as claws and filthy with dirt4 ,rags of unknown antiquity partially covered his limbs1 vermin infested his body and he stayed with the most degraded remnants of the ,indians4 ,one cold winter they found him dead in his dilapidated cabin4 ,he lay on the dirt floor1 his ragged coat over his face1 his hands beneath his head1 and two house cats lay frozen1 one beneath each arm4 ,these old pioneers were strange people and died strange deaths4 ,in our plans to capture grizzlies we took into consideration the proclivity of this beast to attack4 ,we knew his speed was tremendous4 ,he is able to catch a horse or a dog on the run4 ,therefore1 it is useless for a man to try to run away from him4 ,there is no such thing as being able to climb a tree if the animal is at close quarters4 ,adams has shown that it is a mistake to attempt it4 ,one only stretches himself out inviting evisceration in the effort4 ,we decided if cornered either to dodge or to lie flat and feign death4 ,so we practiced dodging1 our running being more for the purpose of gaining endurance and to follow the bear if necessary4 ,ishi1 the ,yana ,indian1 said that grizzlies were to be overcome with arrows and if they charged1 they were to be met with the spear and fire4 ,so we constructed spears having well-tempered blades more than a foot in length set upon heavy iron tubing and riveted to strong ash handles six feet in length4 ,back of the blade we fashioned quick lighting torches of cotton waste saturated with turpentine4 ,these could be ignited by jerking a lanyard fastened to a spring faced with sandpaper4 ,the spring rested on the ends of several matches4 ,it was an ingenious and reliable device4 ,the ,esquimaux used a long spear in hunting the polar bear4 ,it was ten or twelve feet in length4 ,after being shot with an arrow1 if the bear charged1 they rested the butt of the spear on the ground1 lowered the point and let the bear impale himself on it4 ,when the time came to use our weapons1 ,ned ,frost dissuaded us from the attempt4 ,he said that he once owned a pet grizzly and kept it fast with a long chain in the back yard4 ,this bear was so quick that it could lie in its kennel1 apparently asleep1 and if a chicken passed within proper distance1 with incredible quickness she reached out a paw and seized the chicken without the slightest semblance of effort4 ,and when at play1 the boys tried to stick the bear with a pitchfork1 she would parry the thrusts and protect herself like a boxer4 ,it was impossible to touch her4 ,the fire1 ,frost thought1 might serve at night1 but in the daylight it would lose its effect4 ,so he insisted that he would carry a gun to be used in case of attack4 ,on our part1 we stipulated that he was to resort to it only to prevent disaster and protested that such an exigency must be looked upon by us as a complete failure of our plans4 ,we knew we could not stop the mad rush of a bear with our arrows1 but we hoped to kill at least one by this means and compromise on the rest if necessary4 ,indians1 besides employing the spear1 poisoned arrows1 and fire1 also used protected positions1 or shot from horseback4 ,we scorned to shoot from a tree and were told that few horses could be ridden close enough1 or fast enough1 to get within bowshot of a grizzly4 ,inquiry among those qualified to know1 led to the estimate of the number of all bears in the ,park to be between five hundred and one thousand4 ,considering that there are some three thousand square miles of land1 that there were nearly sixty thousand elk1 besides hundreds of bison1 antelope1 mountain sheep1 and similar animals1 this does not seem improbable4 ,i am aware that recent statements are to the effect that there were only forty grizzlies there4 ,this is palpably an underestimate1 and probably takes into account only those that frequent the dumps4 ,frost believes that there are several hundred grizzlies in the ,park1 many of which range out in the adjacent country4 ,so we felt no fear of decimating their ranks1 and had every hope of seeing many4 ,in fact1 their number has so increased in recent years that they have become a menace and require killing off4 ,during the past five years four persons have either been mauled or killed by grizzlies in ,yellowstone4 ,one of these was a teamster by the name of ,jack ,walsh4 ,he was sleeping under his wagon at ,cold ,springs when a large bear seized him by the arm1 dragged him forth and ripped open his abdomen4 ,walsh died of blood poison and peritonitis a few days later4 ,frost himself was attacked4 ,he was conducting a party of tourists through the preserve and had just been explaining to them around the camp-fire that there was no danger of bears4 ,he slept in the tent with a horse wrangler by the name of ,phonograph ,jones4 ,in the middle of the night a huge grizzly entered his tent and stepped on the head of ,jones1 peeling the skin off his face by the rough pressure of his paw4 ,the man waked with a yell1 whereupon the bear clawed out his lower ribs4 ,the cry roused ,frost1 who having no firearms1 hurled his pillow at the bear4 ,with a roar1 the grizzly leaped upon ,ned1 who dived into his sleeping bag4 ,the animal grasped him by the thighs1 and dragged him from the tent out into the forest1 sleeping bag and all4 ,as he carried off his victim1 he shook him from side to side as a dog shakes a rat4 ,frost felt the great teeth settle down on his thigh bones and expected momentarily to have them crushed in the powerful jaws4 ,in a thicket of jack pines over a hundred yards from camp1 the bear shook him so violently that the muscles of the man's thighs tore out and he was hurled free from the bag4 ,he landed half-naked in the undergrowth several yards away4 ,while the frenzied bear still worried the bedding1 ,frost dragged himself to a near-by pine and pulled himself up in its branches by the strength of his arms4 ,the camp was in an uproar2 a huge fire was kindled2 tin pans were beaten2 one of the helpers mounted a horse and by circling around the bear1 succeeded in driving him away4 ,after first aid measures were administered1 ,frost was successfully nursed back to health and usefulness by his wife4 ,but since that time he has an inveterate hatred of grizzlies1 hunting them with grim persistency4 ,it is said that nearly forty obnoxious grizzlies were shot by the ,park rangers after this episode and ,frost was given a permit to carry a weapon4 ,we found later that he always went to sleep with a ,colt automatic pistol strapped to his wrist4 ,we planned to enter the ,park in two parties4 ,one1 comprised of ,frost1 the cook1 horse wrangler1 my brother1 and his friend1 ,judge ,henry ,hulbert1 of ,detroit1 was to proceed from ,cody and come with a pack train across ,sylvan ,pass4 ,our party consisted of ,arthur ,young and myself2 ,mr4 ,compton was unexpectedly prevented from joining us by sickness in his family4 ,we were to journey by rail to ,ashton4 ,this was the nearest point to ,yellowstone ,station on the boundary of the reservation that could be reached by railroad in winter4 ,we arrived at this point near the last of ,may #aibj4 ,the roads beyond were blocked with snow1 but by good fortune1 we were taken in by one of the first work trains entering the region through the personal interest and courtesy of the superintendent of the ,pocatello division4 ,we had shipped ahead of us a quantity of provisions and came outfitted only with sleeping bags1 extra clothing1 and our archery equipment4 ,this latter consisted of two bows apiece and a carrying case containing one hundred and forty-four broad-heads1 the finest assembly of bows and arrows since the battle of ,crecy4 ,young had one newly made bow weighing eighty-five pounds and his well-tried companion of many hunts1 ,old ,grizzly1 weighing seventy-five pounds4 ,he later found the heavier weapon too strong for him in the cold weather of the mountains1 where a man's muscles stiffen and lose their power1 while his bow grows stronger4 ,my own bows were seventy-five pounds apiece--,old ,horrible1 my favorite1 a hard hitter and sweet to shoot1 and ,bear ,slayer1 the fine-grained1 crooked-limbed stave with which ,i helped to kill our first bear4 ,our arrows were the usual three-eighths birch shafts1 carefully selected1 straight and true4 ,their heads were tempered steel1 as sharp as daggers4 ,we had1 of course1 a few blunts and eagle arrows in the lot4 ,in the ,park we found snow deep on the ground and the roads but recently cleared with snow plows and caterpillar tractors4 ,we traveled by auto to ,mammoth ,hot ,springs and paid our respects to ,superintendent ,albright1 and ultimately settled in a vacant ranger's cabin near the ,canyon4 ,here we awaited the coming of the second party4 ,our entrance into the ,park was well known to the rangers1 who were instructed to give us all the assistance possible4 ,this cabin soon became a rendezvous for them and our evenings were spent very pleasantly with stories and fireside music4 ,after several days1 word was sent by telephone that ,frost and his caravan were unable to cross ,sylvan ,pass because of fifty feet of snow in the defile1 and that he had returned to ,cody where he would take an auto truck and come around to the northern entrance to the ,park1 through ,gardner1 ,montana4 ,at the expiration of three days he drove up to our cabin in a flurry of snow4 ,this was about the last day in ,may4 ,frost himself is one of the finest of ,western types2 born and raised in the sage brush country1 a hunter of big game ever since he was large enough to hold a gun4 ,he was in the prime of life1 a man of infinite resource1 courage1 and fortitude4 ,we admired him immensely4 ,with him he had a full camp outfit1 selected after years of experience1 and suited to any kind of weather4 ,the party consisted of ,art ,cunningham1 the cook2 ,g4,d4 ,pope1 and ,judge ,henry ,hulbert4 ,art came equipped with a vast amount of camp craft and cookery wisdom4 ,my brother came to see the fun1 the ,judge to take pictures and add dignity to the occasion4 ,all were seasoned woodsmen and hunters4 ,we moved to more commodious quarters1 a log cabin in the vicinity1 made ourselves comfortable1 and let the wind-driven snow pile deep drifts about our warm shelter while we planned a campaign against the grizzlies4 ,so far1 we had met few bears1 and these were of the tourist variety4 ,they had stolen bacon from the elevated meat safe1 and one we found in the woods sitting on his haunches calmly eating the contents of a box of soda crackers4 ,these were the hotel pets and were nothing more than of passing interest to us4 ,contrary to the usual condition1 no grizzlies were to be seen4 ,the only animals in evidence were a few half-starved elk that had wintered in the ,park1 marmots1 and the ,canadian jay birds4 ,we began our hunts on foot1 exploring ,hayden ,valley1 the ,sour ,creek region1 ,mt4 ,washburn1 and the headwaters of ,cascade ,creek4 ,the ground was very wet in places and heavy with snow in the woods4 ,it was necessary1 therefore1 to wear rubber pacs1 a type of shoe well suited to this sort of travel4 ,our party divided into two groups1 usually my brother and the ,judge exploring in one direction while ,young and ,i kept close at the heels of ,frost4 ,we climbed all the high ridges and swept the country with our binocular glasses4 ,prom eight to fourteen hours a day we walked and combed the country for bear signs4 ,our original plan was to bring in several decrepit old horses with the pack train and sacrifice them for bait4 ,but because of the failure of this part of our program1 we were forced to find dead elk for this purpose4 ,we came across a number of old carcasses1 but no signs that bear had visited them recently4 ,our first encounter with grizzly came on the fourth day4 ,we were scouting over the country near ,sulphur ,mountain1 when ,frost saw a grizzly a mile off1 feeding in a little valley4 ,the snow had melted here and he was calmly digging roots in the soft ground4 ,we signalled to our party and all drew together as we advanced on our first bear1 keeping out of sight as we did so4 ,we planned to go rapidly down a little cut in the hills and intercept him as he came around the turn4 ,progressing at a rapid pace1 ,indian file1 we five hunters went down the draw1 when suddenly our bear1 who had taken an unexpected cut-off1 came walking up the ravine4 ,at a sign from ,ned1 we dropped to our knees and awaited developments4 ,the bear had not seen us and the faint breeze blew from him to us4 ,he was about two hundred yards off4 ,we were all in a direct line1 ,frost ahead1 ,i next1 ,young behind me1 and the others in the rear4 ,our bows were braced and arrows nocked4 ,slowly the bear came feeding toward us4 ,he dug the roots of white violets1 he sniffed1 he meandered back and forth1 wholly unconscious of our presence4 ,we hardly breathed4 ,he was not a good specimen1 rather a scrawny1 long-nosed1 male adolescent1 but a real grizzly and would do as a starter4 ,at last he came within fifty yards1 stopped1 pawed a patch of snow1 and still we did not shoot4 ,we could not without changing our position because we were all in one line4 ,so we waited for his next move1 hoping that he would advance laterally and possibly give us a broadside exposure4 ,but he came onward1 directly for us1 and at thirty yards stopped to root in the ground again4 ,i thought1 ,now we must shoot or he will walk over us6 ,just then he lifted his head and seemed to take an eyeful of ,young's blue shirt4 ,for one second he half reared and stared4 ,i drew my bow and as the arrow left the string1 he bounded up the hill4 ,the flying shaft just grazed his shoulder1 parting the fur in its course4 ,quick as a bouncing rubber ball1 he leaped over the ground and as ,young's belated arrow whizzed past him1 he disappeared over the hill crest4 ,we rose with a deep breath and shouted with laughter4 ,ned said that if it had not been for that blue shirt1 the bear would have bumped into us4 ,well1 we were glad we missed him1 because after all1 he was not the one we were looking for4 ,it is a hard thing to pick grizzlies to order4 ,you can't go up and inspect them ahead of time4 ,this fiasco was just an encouragement to us1 and we continued to rise by candle light and hunt till dark4 ,the weather turned warmer1 and the snow began to melt4 ,at the end of the first week we saw five grizzlies way off in the distance at the head of ,hayden ,valley4 ,they were three or four miles from us and evening was approaching1 so we postponed an attack on them4 ,next morning1 bright and early1 we were on the ground again1 hoping to see them4 ,sure enough1 there they were6 ,ned1 ,art and ,i were together2 my brother and the ,judge were off scouting on the other side of the ridge4 ,it was about half past eight in the morning4 ,the bears1 four in number this time1 were feeding in the grassy marshland1 about three miles up the valley4 ,ned's motto has always been3 ,when you see 'em1 go and get 'em4 ,we decided to attack immediately4 ,down the river bank1 through the draws1 up into the timber we circled at a trot4 ,it was hard going1 but we were pressed for time4 ,at last we came out on a wooded point a quarter of a mile above the bears1 and rested4 ,we knew they were about to finish their morning feeding and go up into the forest to lay up for the day4 ,so we watched them in seclusion4 ,we waxed our bowstrings and put the finishing touches on our arrow-heads with a file4 ,slowly the bears mounted the foothills1 heading for a large patch of snow1 where ,frost thought they would lie down to cool before entering the woods4 ,it seems that their winter coat makes them very susceptible to heat1 and though the sun had come out pleasantly for us1 it was too hot for them4 ,there was an old female and three half-grown cubs in their third year1 all looking big enough for any museum group4 ,at last they settled down and began to nuzzle the snow4 ,the time had come for action4 ,we proposed to slip down the little ravine at the edge of the timber1 cross the stream1 ascend the hill on the opposite side1 and come up on our quarry over the crest4 ,we should thus be within shooting distance4 ,the wind was right for this maneuver1 so we started at once4 ,now as ,i write my muscles quiver1 my heart thumps and ,i flush with a strange feeling1 thinking of that moment4 ,like a soldier before a battle1 we waded into an uncharted experience4 ,what does a man think of as he is about to enter his first grizzly encounter8 ,i remember well what passed through my head3 ,can we get there without alarming the brutes8 ,how close will they be8 ,can we hit them8 ,what will happen then8 ,ned ,frost1 ,young and ,i were to sneak up on four healthy grizzlies in the open1 and pit our nerve against their savage reaction4 ,ned had his rifle1 but this was to be used only as a last resort1 and that might easily fail at such short range4 ,as we walked rapidly1 stepping with utmost caution1 ,i answered all the questions of my subconscious fears4 ,hit them8 ,why1 we will soak them in the gizzard2 wreck them6 ,charge8 ,let them come on and may the best man win6 ,die8 ,there never was a fairer1 brighter1 better day to die on4 ,in fact1 ,lead on6 ,i felt absolutely gay4 ,a little profanity or a little intellectual detachment at these times is of material help in the process of auto-suggestion4 ,as for ,young1 he was silent1 and possibly was thinking of camp flapjacks4 ,half way up the hill1 on the opposite side of which lay our grizzlies1 we stopped1 braced our bows1 took three arrows apiece from our quivers1 and proceeded in a more stealthy approach4 ,young and ,i arranged ourselves on each side of ,frost1 abreast with him4 ,near the top ,ned took out a green silk handkerchief and floated it in the gentle breeze to see if the wind had changed4 ,if it had1 we might find the bears coming over the top to meet us4 ,everything was perfect1 so far6 ,now1 stooping low we crept to the very ridge itself1 to a spot directly above which we believed the bears to be4 ,laying our hats on the grass and sticking our extra arrows in the ground before us1 we rose up1 bows half drawn1 ready to shoot4 ,there on the snow1 not over twenty-five yards off1 lay four grizzly bears1 just like so many hearth rugs4 ,instantly1 ,i selected the farthest bear for my mark and at a signal of the eye we drew our great bows to their uttermost and loosed two deadly arrows4 ,we struck6 ,there was a roar1 they rose1 but instead of charging us1 they rushed together and began such a fight as few men have seen4 ,my bear1 pinioned with an arrow in the shoulder1 threw himself on his mother1 biting her with savage fury4 ,she in turn bit him in the bloody shoulder and snapped my arrow off short4 ,then all the cubs attacked her4 ,the growls and bellowing were terrific4 ,quickly ,i nocked another arrow4 ,the beasts were milling around together1 pawing1 biting1 mad with rage4 ,i shot at my bear and missed him4 ,i nocked again4 ,the old she-bear reared on her haunches1 stood high above the circling bunch1 cuffing and roaring1 the blood running from her mouth and nostrils in frothy streams4 ,young's arrow was deep in her chest4 ,i drove a feathered shaft below her foreleg4 ,the confusion and bellowing increased1 and1 as ,i drew a fourth arrow from my quiver1 ,i glanced up just in time to see the old female's hair rise on the back of her neck4 ,she steadied herself in her wild hurtling and looked directly at us with red glaring eyes4 ,she saw us for the first time6 ,instinctively ,i knew she would charge1 and she did4 ,quick as thought1 she bounded toward us4 ,two great leaps and she was on us4 ,a gun went off at my ear4 ,the bear was literally knocked head over heels1 and fell in backward somersaults down the steep snowbank4 ,at some fifty yards she checked her course1 gathered herself1 and attempted to charge again1 but her right foreleg failed her4 ,she rose on her haunches in an effort to advance1 when1 like a flash1 two arrows flew at her and disappeared through her heaving sides4 ,she faltered1 wilted1 and as we drew to shoot again1 she sprawled out on the ground1 a convulsed1 quivering mass of fur and muscle--she was dead4 ,the half grown cubs had disappeared at the boom of the gun4 ,we saw one making off at a gallop1 three hundred yards away4 ,the glittering snowbank before us was vacant4 ,the air seemed strangely still2 the silence was oppressive4 ,our nervous tension exploded in a wave of laughter and exclamations of wonderment4 ,frost declared he had never seen such a spectacle in all his life2 four grizzly bears in deadly combat2 the din of battle2 the wild bellowing2 and two bowmen shooting arrow after arrow into this jumble of struggling beasts4 ,illustration3 ,,our ,,camp ,,at ,,squaw ,,lake1 ,,wyoming ,illustration3 ,,the ,,result ,,of ,,our ,,first ,,encounter ,,with ,a ,,charging ,,grizzly ,,bear ,illustration3 ,,bringing ,,home ,,the ,,trophies ,the snow was trampled and soaked with blood as though there had been an ,indian massacre4 ,we paced off the distance at which the charging female had been stopped4 ,it was exactly eight yards4 ,a mighty handy shot6 ,we went down to view the remains4 ,young had three arrows in the old bear1 one deep in her neck1 its point emerging back of the shoulder4 ,he shot that as she came at us4 ,his first arrow struck anterior to her shoulder1 entered her chest1 and cut her left lung from top to bottom4 ,his third arrow pierced her thorax1 through and through1 and lay on the ground beside her with only its feathers in the wound4 ,my first arrow cut below the diaphragm1 penetrated the stomach and liver1 severed the gall ducts and portal vein4 ,my second arrow passed completely through her abdomen and lay on the ground several yards beyond her4 ,it had cut the intestines in a dozen places and opened large branches of the mesenteric artery4 ,the bullet from ,frost's gun had entered at the right shoulder1 fractured the humerus1 blown a hole an inch in diameter in the chest wall1 opened up a jagged hole in the trachea1 and dissipated its energy in the left lung4 ,no wound of exit was found1 the soft nose copper-jacketed bullet apparently having gone to pieces after striking the bone4 ,anatomically speaking1 it was an effective shot1 knocked the bear down and crippled her1 but was not an immediately fatal wound4 ,we had her killed with arrows1 but she did not know it4 ,she undoubtedly would have been right on us in another second4 ,the outcome of this hypothetical encounter ,i leave to those with vivid imaginations4 ,we hereby express our gratitude to ,ned ,frost4 ,now one of us had to rush off and get the rest of the party4 ,judge ,hulbert and my brother were in another valley in quest of bear4 ,so ,ned set off at a rapid tramp across the bogs1 streams1 and hills to find them4 ,within an hour they returned together to view the wreckage4 ,photographs were taken1 the skinning and autopsy were performed4 ,then we looked around for the wounded cub4 ,frost trailed him by almost invisible blood stains and tracks1 and found him less than a quarter of a mile away1 huddled up as if asleep on the hillside1 my arrow nestled to his breast4 ,the broken shaft with its blade deep in the thorax had completely severed the head of his humerus1 cut two ribs1 and killed him by hemorrhage from the pulmonary arteries4 ,half-grown as he was1 he would have made an ugly antagonist for any man4 ,his mother1 a fine mature lady of the old school1 showed by her teeth and other lineaments her age and respectability4 ,in autumn she would have weighed four or five hundred pounds4 ,we weighed her in installments with our spring scales2 she registered three hundred and five pounds4 ,she was in poor condition and her pelt was not suitable for museum purposes4 ,but these features could not be determined readily beforehand4 ,the juvenile ,ursus weighed one hundred and thirty-five pounds4 ,we measured them1 gathered their bones for the museum1 shouldered their hides1 and turned back to camp4 ,that night ,ned ,frost said1 ,boys1 when you proposed shooting grizzly bears with the bow and arrow1 ,i thought it a fine sporting proposition1 but ,i had my doubts about its success4 ,now ,i know that you can shoot through and kill the biggest grizzly in ,wyoming6 ,our instructions on leaving ,california were to secure a large male ,ursus ,horribilis ,imperator1 a good representative female1 and two or three cubs4 ,the female we had shot filled the requirements fairly well1 but the two-year-old cub was at the high school age and hardly cute enough to be admired4 ,moreover1 no sooner had we sent the news of our first success to the ,museum than we were informed that this size cub was not wanted and that we must secure little ones4 ,so we set out to get some of this year's vintage in small bears4 ,ordinarily1 there is no difficulty in coming in contact with bears in ,yellowstone2 in fact1 it is more common to try to keep some of the hotel variety from eating at the same table with you4 ,but not a single bear1 black1 brown1 or silver-tipped1 now called upon us4 ,we traveled all over that beautiful ,park1 from ,mammoth ,hot ,springs to the ,lake4 ,we hunted over every well-known bear district4 ,tower ,falls1 ,specimen ,ridge1 ,buffalo ,corrals1 ,mt4 ,washburn1 ,dunraven ,pass 7under twenty-five feet of snow71 ,antelope ,creek1 ,pelican ,meadows1 ,cub ,creek1 ,steamboat ,point1 and kept the rangers busy on the lookout for bear4 ,from eight to fifteen hours a day we hunted4 ,we walked over endless miles of mountains1 climbed over countless logs1 plowed through snow and slush1 and raked the valleys with our field glasses4 ,but bears were as scarce as hen's teeth4 ,we saw a few tracks but nothing compared to those seen in other years4 ,we began to have a sneaking idea that the bear had all been killed off4 ,we knew they had been a pest to campers and were becoming a menace to human life4 ,we suspected the ,park authorities of quiet extermination4 ,several of the rangers admitted that a selective killing was carried out yearly to rid the preserve of the more dangerous individuals4 ,then the elk began to pour back into the ,park2 singly1 in couples1 and in droves they returned1 lean and scraggly4 ,a few began to drop their calves4 ,then we began to see bear signs4 ,the grizzly follow the elk1 and after they come out of hibernation and get their fill of green grass1 they naturally take to elk calves4 ,occasionally they include the mother in the menu4 ,we also began to follow the elk4 ,we watched at bait4 ,we sat up nights and days at a time1 seeing only a few unfavorable specimens and these were as wild and as wary as deer4 ,we found the mosquitoes more deadly than the bear4 ,we tracked big worthy old boys around in circles and had various frustrated encounters with she-bears and cubs4 ,upon one occasion we were tracking a prospective specimen through the woods1 proceeding with great caution1 when evidently the beast heard us4 ,suddenly1 he turned on his tracks and came on a dead run for us4 ,i was in advance and instantly drew my bow1 holding it for the right moment to shoot4 ,the bear came directly in our front1 not more than twenty yards away and being startled by the sight of us1 threw his locomotive mechanism into reverse and skidded towards us in a cloud of snow and forest leaves4 ,in the fraction of a second1 ,i perceived that he was afraid and not a proper specimen for our use4 ,i held my arrow and the bear with an indignant and disgusted look1 made a precipitous retreat4 ,it was an unexpected surprise on both sides4 ,they say that the ,indians avoided the ,yellowstone region1 thinking it a land of evil spirits4 ,in our wanderings1 however1 we picked up on ,steamboat ,point a beautiful red chert arrow-head1 undoubtedly shot by an ,indian at elk years before ,columbus burst in upon these good people4 ,in ,hayden ,valley we found an obsidian spear head1 another sign that the ,indian knew good hunting grounds4 ,but no ,indian was ever so anxious to meet grizzly as we were4 ,we hunted continually1 but found none that suited us2 we had to have the best4 ,frost assured us that we had made a mistake in ever trying to get grizzlies in the ,park--and that in the time we spent there we could have secured all our required specimens in the game fields of ,wyoming or ,montana4 ,a month passed2 the bears were beginning to lose their winter coats2 our party began to disintegrate4 ,my brother and the ,judge were compelled to return to ,detroit4 ,a week or so later ,ned ,frost and the cook were scheduled to take out another party of hunters from ,cody and prepared to leave us4 ,young and ,i were determined to stick it out until the last chance was exhausted4 ,we just had to get those specimens4 ,before ,frost left us1 however1 he packed us up to the head of ,cascade ,creek with our bows and arrows1 bed rolls1 a tarpaulin1 and a couple of boxes of provisions4 ,we had received word from a ranger that a big old grizzly had been seen at ,soda ,butte and we prepared to go after him4 ,at the last moment before departure1 a second word came that probably this same bear had moved down to ,tower ,falls and was ranging between this point and the ,canyon1 killing elk around ,dunraven ,pass4 ,young and ,i scouted over this area and found diggings and his tracks4 ,a good-sized bear will have a nine-inch track4 ,this monster's was eleven inches long4 ,we saw where he made his kills and used certain fixed trails going up and down the canyons4 ,frost gave us some parting advice and his blessing1 consigned us to our fate1 and went home4 ,left to ourselves1 we two archers inspected our tackle and put everything in prime condition4 ,our bows had stood the many wettings well1 but we oiled them again4 ,new strings were put on and thoroughly waxed4 ,our arrows were straightened1 their feathers dried and preened in the sun4 ,the broad-heads were set on straight and sharpened to the last degree1 and so prepared we determined to do our utmost4 ,we were ready for the big fellow4 ,in our reconnaissance we found that he was a real killer4 ,his trail was marked by many bloody episodes4 ,it seemed quite probable that he was the bear that two years before burst in upon a party of surveyors in the mountains and kept them treed all night4 ,it is not unlikely that he was the same bear that caused the death of ,jack ,walsh4 ,he seemed too expert in planning murder4 ,we saw by his tracks how he lay in ambush watching a herd of elk1 how he sneaked up on a mother elk and her recently born calf on the outskirts of the band1 and with a great leap threw himself upon the two and killed them4 ,in several places we saw the skins of these little wapiti licked clean and empty of bodily structure4 ,no other male grizzly was permitted to enter his domain4 ,he was1 in fact1 the monarch of the mountain1 the great bear of ,dunraven ,pass4 ,we pitched our little tent in a secluded wood some three miles from the lake at the head of ,cascade ,creek1 and began to lay our plan of attack4 ,we were by this time inured to fatigue and disappointment4 ,weariness and loss of sleep had produced a dogged determination that knew no relaxation4 ,and yet we were cheerful4 ,young has that fine quality so essential to a hunting companion1 imperturbable good nature1 never complaining1 no matter how heavy the load1 how long the trail1 how late or how early the hour1 how cold1 how hot1 how little1 or how poor the food4 ,we were there to win and nothing else mattered4 ,if it rained and we must wait1 we took out our musical instruments1 built up the fire and soothed our troubled souls with harmony4 ,this is better than tobacco or whiskey for the purpose4 ,in fact1 ,young is so abstemious that even tea or coffee seem a bit intemperate to him1 and are only to be used under great physical strain2 and as for profanity1 why1 ,i had to do all the swearing for the two of us4 ,we were trained down to rawhide and sinew1 keyed to alertness and ready for any emergency4 ,often in our wanderings at night we ran unexpectedly upon wild beasts in the dark4 ,some of these were bears4 ,our pocket flashlights were used as defensive weapons4 ,a snort1 a crashing retreat through the brush told us that our visitant had departed in haste1 unable to stand the glaring light of modern science4 ,we soon found that our big fellow was a night rover also1 and visited his various kills under the cloak of darkness4 ,in one particularly steep and rugged canyon1 he crossed a little creek at a set place4 ,up on the side of this canyon he mounted to the plateau above by one of three possible trails4 ,at the top within forty yards of one of these was a small promontory of rock upon which we decided to form a blind and await his coming4 ,we fashioned a shelter of young jack pines1 constructed like a miniature corral1 less than three by six feet in area1 but very natural in appearance4 ,between us and the trail was a quantity of down timber which we hoped would act as an impediment to an onrushing bear4 ,and the perpendicular face of our outcropping elevated us some twelve or thirteen feet above the steep hillside4 ,a small tree stood near our position and offered a possibility in case of attack4 ,but we had long ago decided that no man can clamber up a tree in time to escape a grizzly charging at a distance less than fifty yards4 ,we could be approached from the rear1 but altogether it was an ideal ambush4 ,the wind blew steadily up the canyon all night long and carried our scent away from the trail4 ,above us on the plateau was a recently killed elk which acted as a perpetual invitation to bears and other prowlers of the night4 ,so we started watching in this blind1 coming soon after dusk and remaining until sunrise4 ,the nights were cold1 the ground pitiless1 and the moon1 nearly at its full1 crept low through a maze of mist4 ,dressed in our warmest clothing and permitting ourselves one blanket and a small piece of canvas1 we huddled together in a cramped posture and kept vigil through the long hours4 ,neither of us smoked anyway1 and of course1 this was absolutely taboo2 we hardly whispered1 and even shifted our positions with utmost caution4 ,before us lay our bows ready strung1 and arrows1 both in the quiver belted upright to the screen and standing free close at hand4 ,the first evening we saw an old she-bear and her two-year-old cubs come up the path4 ,they passed us with that soft shuffling gait so uncanny to hear in the dark4 ,we were delighted that they showed no sign of having detected us4 ,but they were not suited to our purpose and we let them go4 ,the female was homely1 fretful and nervous4 ,the cubs were yellow and ungainly4 ,we looked for better things4 ,bears have personality1 as obvious as humans4 ,some are lazy1 some alert1 surly1 or timid4 ,nearly all the females we saw showed that irritability and irascible disposition that go with the cares of maternity4 ,this family was decidedly commonplace4 ,they disappeared in the gloom1 and we waited and waited for the big fellow that some time must appear4 ,but morning came first2 we stole from our blind1 chilled and stiffened1 and wandered back to camp to breakfast and sleep4 ,the former was a fairly successful event1 but the latter was made almost impossible by the swarms of mosquitoes that beset us4 ,a smudge fire and canvas head-coverings gave us only a partial immunity4 ,by sundown we were on our way again to the blind1 but another cold dreary night passed without adventure4 ,on our way to camp in the dim light of early dawn1 a land fog hung low in the valley4 ,as we came up a rough path there suddenly appeared out of the obscurity three little bear cubs1 not thirty-five yards away4 ,they winded us1 squeaked and stood on their hind legs1 peering in our direction4 ,we dropped like stones in our tracks1 scarcely breathing1 figuratively frozen to the ground1 for instantly the fiercest-looking grizzly we ever saw bounded over the cubs and straddled them between her forelegs4 ,nothing could stop her if she came on4 ,a little brush intervened and she could not locate us plainly for we could see her eyes wander in search of us2 but her trembling muscles1 the vicious champing of her jaws1 and the guttural growls1 all spoke of immediate attack4 ,we were petrified4 ,she wavered in her intent1 turned1 cuffed her cubs down the hill1 snorted and finally departed with her family4 ,we heaved a deep sigh of relief4 ,but she was wonderful1 she was the most beautiful bear we had ever seen2 large1 well proportioned1 with dark brown hair having just a touch of silver4 ,she was a patrician1 the aristocrat of the species4 ,we marked her well4 ,next day1 just at sunset1 we got our first view of the great bear of ,dunraven ,pass4 ,he was coming down a distant canyon trail4 ,he looked like a giant in the twilight4 ,with long swinging strides he threw himself impetuously down the mountainside4 ,great power was in every movement4 ,he was magnificent6 ,he seemed as large as a horse1 and had that grand supple strength given to no other predatory animal4 ,though we were used to bears1 a strange misgiving came over me4 ,we proposed to slay this monster with the bow and arrow4 ,it seemed preposterous6 ,in the blind another long cold night passed4 ,the moon drifted slowly across the heavens and sank in a haze of clouds at daybreak4 ,just at the hush of dawn1 the homely female and her tow-headed progeny came shuffling by4 ,we were desperate for specimens1 and one of these would match that which we already had4 ,i drew up my bow and let fly a broad-head at one of the cubs4 ,it struck him in the ribs4 ,precipitately1 the whole band took flight4 ,my quarry fell against an obstructing log and died4 ,his mother stopped1 came back several times1 gazed at him pensively1 then disappeared4 ,we got out1 carried him to a distant spot and skinned him4 ,he weighed one hundred and twenty pounds4 ,my arrow had shaved a piece off his heart4 ,death was instantaneous4 ,we packed home the hind quarters and made a fine grizzly stew4 ,before this we had found that the old bears were tough and rancid1 but the little ones were as sweet and tender as suckling pigs4 ,this stew was particularly good1 well seasoned with canned tomatoes and the last of our potatoes and onions4 ,sad to relate the better part of this savory pot next day was eaten by a wandering vagabond of the ,ursus family4 ,not content with our stew1 he devoured all our sugar1 bacon1 and other foodstuffs not in cans1 and wound up his debauch by wiping his feet on our beds and generally messing up the camp4 ,probably he was a regular camp thief4 ,that night1 early in the watch1 we heard the worthy old boy come down the canyon1 hot in pursuit of a large brown bear4 ,as he ran1 the great animal made quite a noise4 ,his claws clattered on the rocks1 and the ground seemed to shake beneath us4 ,we shifted our bows ready for action1 and felt the keen edge of our arrows4 ,way off in the forest we heard him tree the cowardly intruder with such growls and ripping of bark that one would imagine he was about to tear the tree down4 ,after a long time he desisted and1 grunting and wheezing1 came slowly up the canyon4 ,with the night glasses we could see him4 ,he seemed to be considerably heated with his exercise and scratched himself against a young fir tree4 ,as he stood on his hind legs with his back to the trunk and rubbed himself to and fro1 the tree swayed like a reed2 and as he lifted his nose ,i observed that it just touched one of the lower branches4 ,in the morning1 after he had gone and we were on our way to camp1 we passed this very fir and stretching up on my tip toes1 ,i could just touch the limb with my fingers4 ,having been a pole vaulter in my youth1 ,i knew by experience that this measurement was over seven feet six inches4 ,he was a real he-bear6 ,we wanted him more than ever4 ,the following day it rained--in fact1 it rained nearly every day near the end of our stay2 but this was a drenching that stopped at sunset1 leaving all the world sweet and fragrant4 ,the moon came out full and beautiful1 everything seemed propitious4 ,we went to the blind about an hour before midnight1 feeling that surely this evening the big fellow would come4 ,after two hours of frigidity and immobility1 we heard the velvet footfalls of bear coming up the canyon4 ,there came our patrician and her royal family4 ,the little fellows pattered up the trail before their mother4 ,they came within range4 ,i signalled ,young and we shot together at the cubs4 ,we struck4 ,there was a squeak1 a roar1 a jumble of shadowy figures and the entire flock of bears came tumbling in our direction4 ,at that very moment the big grizzly appeared on the scene4 ,there were five bears in sight4 ,turning her head from side to side1 trying to find her enemy1 the she-bear came towards us4 ,i whispered to ,young1 ,shoot the big fellow4 ,at the same time1 ,i drew an arrow to the head1 and drove it at the oncoming female4 ,it struck her full in the chest4 ,she reared2 threw herself sidewise1 bellowed with rage1 staggered and fell to the ground4 ,she rose again1 weakened1 stumbled forward1 and with great gasps she died4 ,in less than half a minute it was all over4 ,the little ones ran up the hill past us1 one later returned and sat up at its mother's head1 then disappeared in the dark forever4 ,while all this transpired1 the monster grizzly was romping back and forth in the shaded forest not more than sixty-five yards away4 ,with deep booming growls like distant thunder1 he voiced his anger and intent to kill4 ,as he flitted between the shadows of the trees1 the moonlight glinted on his massive body2 he was enormous4 ,young discharged three arrows at him4 ,i shot two4 ,we should have landed1 he was so large4 ,but he galloped off and ,i saw my last arrow at the point blank range of seventy-five yards1 fall between his legs4 ,he was gone4 ,we thought we had missed the beast and grief descended heavy upon us4 ,the thought of all the weary days and nights of hunting and waiting1 and now to have lost him1 was very painful4 ,after our palpitating hearts were quiet and the world seemed peaceful1 we got out of our blind and skinned the female by flashlight4 ,she was a magnificent specimen1 just right in color and size for the ,museum1 not fat1 but weighing a trifle over five hundred pounds4 ,my arrow had severed a rib and buried its head in her heart4 ,we measured her and saved her skull and long bones for the taxidermist4 ,at daybreak we searched for the cubs and found one dead under a log with an arrow through his brain4 ,the others had disappeared4 ,we had no idea that we hit the great bear1 but just to gather up our shafts1 we went over the ground where he had been4 ,one of ,young's arrows was missing6 ,that gave us a thrill2 perhaps we had hit him after all6 ,we went further in the direction he had gone2 there was a trace of blood4 ,we trailed him4 ,we knew it was dangerous business4 ,through clumps of jack pines we cautiously followed1 peering under every pile of brush and fallen tree4 ,deep into the forest we tracked him1 where his bloody smear was left upon fallen logs4 ,soon we found where he had rested4 ,then we discovered the fore part of ,young's arrow4 ,it had gone through him4 ,there was a pool of blood4 ,then we found the feathered butt which he had drawn out with his teeth4 ,four times he wallowed down in the mud or soft earth to rest and cool his wound4 ,then beneath a great fir he had made a bed in the soft loam and left it4 ,past this we could not track him4 ,we hunted high and low1 but no trace of him could we find4 ,apparently he had ceased bleeding and his footprints were not recorded on the stony ground about4 ,we made wide circles1 hoping to pick up his trail4 ,we searched up and down the creek4 ,we cross-cut every forest path and runway1 but no vestige remained4 ,illustration3 ,,looking ,,for ,,grizzlies ,,on ,,cub ,,creek ,illustration3 ,,the ,,tree ,,that ,,ned ,,frost ,,climbed ,,to ,,escape ,,death ,illustration3 ,,my ,,female ,,grizzly ,,and ,,the ,,arrow ,,that ,,killed ,,her ,illustration3 ,,arthur ,,young ,,slays ,,the ,,monarch ,,of ,,the ,,mountains ,he was gone4 ,we even looked up in the tree and down in the ground where he had wallowed4 ,for five hours we searched in vain1 and at last1 worn with disappointment and fatigue1 we lay down and slept on the very spot where he last stopped4 ,near sundown we awoke1 ate a little food1 and started all over again to find the great bear4 ,we retraced our steps and followed the fading evidence till it brought us again to the pit beneath the fir tree4 ,he must be near4 ,it was absolutely impossible for any animal to have lost so much blood and travel more than a few hundred yards past this spot4 ,we had explored the creek bottom and the cliffs above from below1 and we now determined to traverse every foot of the rim of the canyon from above4 ,as we climbed over the face of the rock we saw a clot of dried blood4 ,we let ourselves down the sheer descent1 came upon a narrow little ledge1 and there below us lay the huge monster on his back1 against a boulder1 cold and stiff1 as dead as ,cesar4 ,our hearts nearly burst with happiness4 ,there lay the largest grizzly bear in ,wyoming1 dead at our feet4 ,his rugged coat was matted with blood4 ,well back in his chest the arrow wound showed clear4 ,i measured him2 twenty-six inches of bear had been pierced through and through4 ,one arrow killed him4 ,he was tremendous4 ,his great wide head2 his worn1 glistening teeth2 his massive arms2 his vast1 ponderous feet and long curved claws2 all were there4 ,he was a wonderful beast4 ,it seemed incredible4 ,i thumped ,young on the shoulder3 ,my1 that was a marvelous shot6 ,we started to skin our quarry4 ,it was a stupendous job1 as he weighed nearly one thousand pounds1 and lay on the steep canyon side ready to roll on and crush us4 ,but with ropes we lashed him by the neck to a tree and split him up the back1 later box-skinning the legs according to the method required by the museum4 ,by flashlight1 acetylene lamp1 candle light1 fire light and moonlight1 we labored4 ,we used up all our knives1 and having neglected to bring our whet-stones1 sharpened our blades on the volcanic boulders1 about us4 ,by assiduous industry for nine straight hours1 we finished him after a fashion4 ,his skin was thick and like scar tissue4 ,his meat was all tendons and gristle4 ,the hide was as tight as if glued on4 ,in the middle of the night we stopped long enough to broil some grizzly cub steaks and brew a pot of tea2 then we went at it again4 ,as we dismembered him we weighed the parts4 ,the veins were absolutely dry of blood1 and without this substance1 which represents a loss of nearly #aj per cent of his weight1 he was nine hundred and sixteen pounds4 ,there was hardly an inch of fat on his back4 ,at the end of the autumn this adipose layer would be nearly six inches thick4 ,he would then have weighed over fourteen hundred pounds4 ,he stood nearly four feet high at the shoulders1 while his skull measured eighteen and a half inches long2 his entire body length was seven feet four inches4 ,as we cleaned his bones we hurled great slabs of muscle down the canyon1 knowing from experience that this would be a sign for all other bears to leave the vicinity4 ,only the wolves and jays will eat grizzly meat4 ,at last we finished him1 as the sun rose over the mountain ridges and gilded all the canyon with glory4 ,we cleaned and salted the pelts1 packed them on our backs1 and1 dripping with salt brine and bear grease1 staggered to the nearest wagon trail4 ,the hide of the big bear1 with unskinned paws and skull1 weighed nearly one hundred and fifty pounds4 ,we cached our trophies1 tramped the weary miles back to camp1 cleaned up1 packed and wandered to the nearest station1 from which we ordered a machine4 ,when this arrived we gathered our belongings1 turned our various specimens over to a park ranger1 to be given the final treatments1 and started on our homeward trip4 ,we were so exhausted from loss of sleep1 exertion and excitement1 that we sank into a stupor that lasted almost the entire way home4 ,the ,california ,academy of ,sciences now has a handsome representative group of ,ursus ,horribilis ,imperator4 ,we have the extremely satisfactory feeling that we killed five of the finest grizzly bear in ,wyoming4 ,the sport was fair and clean1 and we did it all with the bow and arrow4 ,,xv ,,alaskan ,,adventures ,it seems as if ,fate had chosen my hunting companion1 ,arthur ,young1 to add to the honor and the legends of the bow4 ,at any rate it fell to his lot to make two trips to ,alaska between the years #aibb and #aibe4 ,he and his friend1 ,jack ,robertson1 were financed in a project to collect moving-picture scenes of the ,northland4 ,they were instructed to show the country in all its seasonal phases1 to depict the rivers1 forests1 glaciers and mountains1 particularly to record the summer beauties of ,alaska4 ,the animal life was to be featured in full3--fish1 birds1 small game1 caribou1 mountain sheep1 moose and bear1 all were to be captured on the celluloid film1 and with all this a certain amount of hunting with the bow was to be included and the whole woven into a little story of adventure4 ,equipped with cameras1 camp outfit and archery tackle1 they sailed for ,seward4 ,from here they ventured into the wilderness as circumstances directed4 ,sometimes they went by boat to ,kadiac ,island1 sometimes to the ,kenai ,peninsula1 or they journeyed by dog sleds and packs inland4 ,they spent the better part of two years in this hard1 exacting work1 often carrying as much as a hundred pounds on their backs for many miles4 ,great credit must be given to ,art's partner ,jack ,robertson1 for his energy1 bravery and fortitude4 ,his work with the camera will make history1 but for the time being we shall focus our attention on the man with the bow4 ,only a small portion of ,young's time was devoted to hunting1 the exigencies incidental to travel and gathering animal pictures were such that archery was of secondary importance4 ,he hunted and shot ptarmigan1 some on the wing2 he added grouse and rabbit meat to the scant larder of their go light outfit4 ,he shot graylings and salmon in the streams4 ,he could easily have killed caribou because they operated close to vast herds of these foolish beasts4 ,however1 at the time it seemed that there was no hurry about the matter2 they had meat in camp1 and pictures were of greater interest just then4 ,they expected to see plenty of these animals4 ,strangely enough the herd suddenly left the country and no further opportunity presented itself for shooting them4 ,this was no great disappointment because the sport was too easy4 ,what did seem worth while was the killing of the great ,alaskan moose4 ,these beasts are the largest game animal on this continent1 with the exception of the almost extinct bison4 ,young had his first chance at moose while on the ,kenai ,peninsula4 ,here the boys were camped and having finished his camera work ,art took a day off to hunt4 ,in the afternoon he discovered a large old bull lying down in a burnt-over area1 where approach by stealth was possible1 so he began his stalk with utmost caution1 paying particular attention to scent and sound4 ,by crawling on his hands and knees he came within a hundred and fifty yards1 when his progress was stopped by a fallen tree4 ,to go around it1 would expose him to vision2 to climb over1 would alarm the animal by snapping twigs2 so ,young decided to dig under4 ,he worked with his hunting knife and hands for one hour to accomplish this operation4 ,when he had passed this obstacle he continued his crawling till he reached a distance of sixty yards4 ,at this stage ,art called the old bull with a birch bark horn1 then the moose heard him and stood up4 ,the brush was so thick that he could not shoot immediately1 but waited as the old bull circled to catch his wind and answered the challenge4 ,when he presented a fair target at seventy yards or so1 ,art drove an arrow at him4 ,it struck deep in the flank1 up to the feather ranging forward4 ,the bull was only startled a trifle and trotted off a hundred yards4 ,here he stopped to look and listen4 ,young drew his bow again1 and overshooting his mark1 his arrow struck one of the broad thick palms of the antlers4 ,the point pierced the two inches of bone and wedged tight1 making a sharp report as it hit4 ,this started the animal off at a fast trot4 ,young followed slowly at some distance and soon had the satisfaction of seeing the moose waver in his course and lie down4 ,after a reasonable wait the hunter advanced to his quarry and found him dead4 ,the triumph of such an episode is more or less mixed with misery4 ,the pleasure undoubtedly would have been greater had some other lusty bow man been with him1 but as it was he had to feast his eyes alone1 moreover he had to make his way back to camp1 which was some eight miles off1 and night rapidly coming on4 ,illustration3 ,,bull ,,moose ,,bagged ,,on ,,the ,,kenai ,,peninsula ,this part of the story was just as thrilling to ,art1 because he must stumble through the rough land of little sticks in the dark with the constant apprehension of meeting some unwelcome ,alaska brown bear1 which were thick there1 and also the extremely unpleasant experience of running into dead trees1 tripping over fallen limbs and dropping into gullies4 ,he reached camp ultimately1 ,i believe4 ,next day he returned with his companion for meat1 his antler trophy and the picture1 which we present4 ,this bull weighed approximately sixteen hundred pounds and had a spread of sixty inches across its antlers4 ,upon the second expedition a year later1 ,young bagged another moose4 ,here the arrow penetrated both sides of the chest and caused almost instant death1 showing that size is not a hindrance to a quick exodus4 ,it is surprising even to us to see the extreme facility with which an arrow can interrupt the essential physiological processes of life and destroy it4 ,we have come to the belief that no beast is too tough or too large to be slain by an arrow4 ,with especially constructed heads sharpened to the utmost nicety1 ,i have shot through a double thickness of elephant hide1 two inches of cardboard1 a bag of shaving and gone into an inch of wood4 ,we feel sure that having penetrated the hide of a pachyderm his ribs can easily be severed and the heart or pulmonary cavity entered4 ,any considerable incision of either of these vital areas must soon cause death4 ,and this is a field experiment which we propose to try in the near future4 ,there is a legitimate excuse for shooting animals such as moose1 where food is a problem and the bow bears an honorable part in the episode4 ,we feel moreover that by using the bow on this large game we are playing ultimately for game preservation4 ,for by shaming the mighty hunter and his unfair methods in the use of powerful destructive agents1 we feel that we help to develop better sporting ethics4 ,it was partly on this account1 and partly to answer the dare of those who have said1 ,you may hunt the tame bears of ,california and ,wyoming1 but you cannot fool with the big ,kadiac bears of ,alaska with your little bow and arrow1 that ,young determined to go after these monsters and see if they were as fierce and invulnerable as claimed4 ,at the present writing we who shoot the bow have slain more than a dozen bears with our shafts1 but the mighty ,kadiac brown grizzly has laughed at us from his frozen lair--as the literary nature fakir might say--we have been told that all that is necessary if you wish to meet a brownie1 is to give him your address in ,alaska and he will look you up4 ,also we have been told that once insulted he will tear a house down to get even with you1--so ,i shook ,art's hand good-bye1 when he started on this ,kadiac escapade1 and told him to give 'em hell4 ,after a long time he came back to ,san ,francisco1 and this is the story he told me--and ,art has no guile in his system but is as straight as a bowstring4 ,we made a false start in going after our bears4 ,we took a boat from ,seward and sailed to ,seldie1 then to ,kenai ,peninsula4 ,here we hunted for two solid weeks and found practically no signs of brownies4 ,i decided at the end of this period to waste no more time1 but to pull out of the country and sail back to ,seward4 ,we had but a short time to complete our picture before the last boat left the ,arctic waters1 but hearing of good bear signs on ,kadiac ,island we hit out for this place and landed in ,uganik ,bay4 ,here in the ,long ,arm1 we found a country with many streams flowing down from the mountains which constitute this ,island1 and much small timber in combination with open grassy glades4 ,a type of country that is particularly suited for photographic work and bow hunting4 ,after several days' exploring we discovered that the bears were catching salmon in the streams and we were successful in photographing as many as seven grizzlies at once4 ,we took pictures of the bears wading in the water looking for fish4 ,usually the bear slaps the salmon out of the stream1 then goes up on the bank and eats it4 ,the humpies were so plentiful here1 however1 that they were tossed out on the bank1 but not eaten1 the bear preferring to capture one while in the water then wade about on his hind legs while he held the fish in his arms and devoured it4 ,we got all this and many comic antics of young bears climbing trees and playing about by using a telephoto lens4 ,after the camera man was satisfied ,i proposed that we 'pull off' a 'stunt' with the bow4 ,by good fortune we saw four bears coming down the mountain side to fish4 ,they were making their way slowly through an open valley4 ,the camera was stationed at a commanding point and ,i ran up a dry wash thickly grown with willow and alder to head off the bears4 ,i was able to get within a hundred yards by use of the willow cover1 then the brush became too thin to hide me1 so ,i walked boldly out into the open to meet the bears4 ,i practically invited them to charge since they were reputed to be so easily insulted4 ,at first they paid little attention to me1 then the two in advance sat up on their haunches in astonishment and curiosity4 ,i approached to a distance of fifty yards1 then the largest brownie began champing his jaws and growling2 then he 'pinned back his ears' preparing to come at me4 ,just as he was about to lunge forward ,i shot him in the chest4 ,the arrow went deep and stuck out a foot beyond his shoulder4 ,he dropped on all fours and before he could make up his mind what hit him1 ,i shot him again in the flank4 ,this turned him and feeling himself badly wounded he wheeled about and ran4 ,while this was going on an old female also stood in a menacing attitude1 but as the wounded bear galloped past her1 she came to the ground and ran diagonally from us4 ,all of them followed suit1 and as they swept out of the field of vision the wounded bear weakened and fell less than a hundred yards from the camera4 ,true to his standards the camera man continued to grind out the film to the very last1 so the whole picture is complete4 ,you will see it some day for yourself and it will answer all doubts about the invulnerable status of the ,kadiac bears4 ,young himself was not particularly elated over this conquest4 ,he knew long ago that the ,kadiac bear was no more formidable than the grizzlies we had slain and he only undertook this adventure for show purposes4 ,moreover though he used his heavy osage orange bow and usual broad-heads1 he declares that he believes he can kill the largest bear in ,alaska with a fifty pound weapon and proportionately adjusted arrows4 ,both ,young and ,i are convinced of the necessity of very sharp broad-heads1 and trust more to a keen blade and a quick flight than to power4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,great ,,kadiak ,,bear ,,brought ,,low ,during his ,alaskan travels ,art preferred his ,osage bows to the yew4 ,they stood being dragged over rocks and falling down mountain sides better than the softer yew wood4 ,his three bows were under five feet six inches in length1 short for convenience and each pulled over eighty-five pounds4 ,the country in which he worked was so rocky that it was most disastrous on arrows1 and every shot that missed meant a shattered shaft4 ,possibly his roughest trip was one taken to picture mountain goats4 ,here a funny incident occurred4 ,jack and ,art were stalking a herd of these wary creatures with the camera when suddenly around a point of rock the whole band of goats appeared4 ,art was ahead and had only just time enough to duck down on his hands and knees and hide his face close to the ground4 ,he stayed so still that the entire flock passed close by him almost touching his body1 while the camera man did his work from a concealed ledge higher up4 ,though ,young counts it little to his credit1 he shot one of these male goats1 which was poised on so precipitous a point that it fell over and over down the mountain side and was lost as a trophy and as camp meat4 ,humiliating as such an episode may be1 it serves1 however1 to add a coup to the archer's count4 ,and there we let the matter rest4 ,but what is of greater interest is his outwitting a ,rocky ,mountain ,big ,horn4 ,this animal is considered the greatest game trophy in ,america4 ,it is an extremely alert sheep1 all eyes and wisdom4 ,if you expose yourself but a second1 though you be a mile away from the ram1 probably you will be seen4 ,and though the sheep may not move while you look at him1 he is gone when you have completed your toilsome climb and peer over the last ledge of rock preparatory to shooting4 ,ned ,frost used to say that when he hunted ,big ,horns he paid no attention to hearing or smell1 but he was so careful about sight1 that when he raised his head cautiously over a ridge to observe the sheep1 he always lifted a stone and peered underneath it1 or picked up a bunch of grass and gazed through it4 ,most hunters are content to stalk this game within three or four hundred yards1 then aim at it with telescopic sights4 ,it is the last word in good hunting4 ,stewart ,edward ,white1 the author and big game hunter1 has said that the following experience is one of the finest demonstrations of stalking and understanding of animal psychology he knows4 ,up near the head of ,wood ,river1 ,young and his party came on a number of ,big ,horn ,sheep and first devoted several days to film work4 ,then ,young decided to try for a trophy with the bow4 ,after hunting all morning he discovered with his glasses a ram a long way off4 ,the country was open and had no cover4 ,the ram was resting on a ledge of rock elevated above the level of the valley4 ,even at a distance of half a mile it was evident to ,art that the ram had seen him1 so ,young studied the sheep and the country carefully before deciding what plan to pursue4 ,from the lay of the land it was plain that no concealment was possible and no detour or ambush could be employed4 ,the glasses showed that the ram was a fairly old specimen and had a very sophisticated look4 ,in fact1 to ,art he looked conceited and had an expression that said3 ,there is a man1 but ,i am a pretty wise old sheep2 ,i know all about men2 that fellow hasn't seen me yet and when he does1 there is plenty of open country back of me2 my best plan is to lie still and let this tenderfoot pass4 ,so he went on ruminating and blinking at the sun4 ,taking this mental attitude into consideration1 ,young decided that the best method of outwitting this particular sheep was to take him at his own valuation and proceed as a tenderfoot down the valley4 ,so he walked unconcernedly along at an oblique angle to the sheep and never once taking a direct look at him4 ,he went gaily along whistling1 kicking pebbles and swinging his bow4 ,when he had reached a distance of two or three hundred yards the old sheep lifted up his head to see what was going on4 ,young paid no attention to him1 though he observed him out of the corner of his eyes4 ,so the wise old boy settled back content with his diagnosis4 ,art walked along as innocently as ever4 ,when he was a hundred and fifty yards off1 the ram raised his head again and took a longer observation4 ,he seemed to be changing his mind4 ,young said to himself1 ,he will take one more look1 then he will go4 ,now is the time to act4 ,so nocking an arrow on the string he ran at full speed directly at the sheep1 and when half way he saw the tip of his horns rise above the ledge and knew it was time to stop4 ,he came to his shooting pose and waited1 the arrow half drawn4 ,sure enough6 ,out walked the old fellow to the very edge of the parapet and gazed over4 ,off flew the arrow and in the twilight it was lost to vision1 but he heard it strike and saw the ram wheel in flight4 ,as it disappeared over the ridge ,art followed at a run2 reaching the top he peered cautiously about and saw the sheep at no great distance standing still with its legs spread wide apart4 ,he knew by the posture that it was done for4 ,so he went back to the valley and because of the distance from camp and the oncoming darkness he made a fire and ,siwashed it or camped out in the open all night without blankets4 ,in the morning he went after his trophy and found it near the spot last seen4 ,it was a fine specimen4 ,the arrow had pierced it from front to rear completely through and was lost2 a center shot at eighty yards2 a most remarkable bit of archery and hunting stratagem4 ,this head now decorates the dining room of the ,young home in ,san ,francisco4 ,unfortunately the moose antlers were cached near a river in ,alaska and an unprecedented flood carried them out to sea4 ,while speaking of ,alaskan rivers there recurs to my mind a most remarkable incident related by ,young4 ,in one picture required for their film it was necessary to show a canoe in the course of construction1 the subsequent use of this vessel and an upset in the turbulent waters of the river4 ,to represent his bow in its canvas case1 and still to spare that weapon a wetting1 ,young went down the river bank to pick out a stick about the same size to put in his bow case4 ,taking the first piece that came to hand he started to place it in the case1 when struck by its smoothness he looked at it and found he had a weatherbeaten old ,indian bow in his hand4 ,it seemed like a sign1 a good omen1--for we playfully indulge in omens in these romantic adventures with the bow4 ,illustration3 ,,arthur ,,young ,,outwits ,,the ,,alaska ,,bighorn ,studying this implement later ,i found it apparently to be a birch ,urock bow1 some five feet long1 having nocks and a place for the usual perpendicular piece of wood bound on at the handle to check the string4 ,it would have pulled about sixty pounds1 good enough for caribou hunting4 ,and so in brief are the adventures of ,art ,young in ,alaska4 ,but who can speak of the adventures in the heart of our archer8 ,here is no common hunter1 no insensate slayer of animals4 ,here we have the poet afoot1--the archaic adventurer in modern game fields2 the champion of fair play and clean sport2 all that is strong and manly4 ,i take off my hat to ,arthur ,young4 ,a ,,chapter ,,of ,,encouragement ,,by ,,stewart ,,edward ,,white ,no one can read ,dr4 ,pope's book without an appreciation of the romance and charm of the long bow and the broad-head arrow4 ,and no one can doubt that the little group of which he writes has proved that the thing can be done4 ,its members have brought to bag quantities of small game1 unnumbered deer1 mountain goat1 big horn sheep1 moose1 caribou1 thirteen black bears1 six grizzlies1 and one monster ,kadiak bear4 ,that point it proved beyond doubt4 ,but1 each will ask2 how about it for me8 ,these men are experts4 ,it all looks very fascinating2 but what chance have ,i8 ,that1 ,i believe1 is the first reaction of the average man after he has savored the real literary charm of this book and begins to consider the practical side of the question4 ,it was my own reaction4 ,fortunately1 ,i live within commuting distance of ,dr4 ,pope1 so ,i have been able to resolve my doubts--slowly4 ,my purpose is here to summarize what ,i found out4 ,in the first place1 the utter beginner has in his hands a weapon that is adequate and humane4 ,a bad rifle shot or a bad shotgun shot can and does slobber his game by hitting it in the wrong places or with the outer fringe of his pattern4 ,but if an arrow can be landed anywhere in the body it is certain and prompt death4 ,this is not only true of the chest cavity1 but of the belly2 and every rifleman knows that a bullet in the latter is ineffective and cruel1 and a beast so wounded is capable of long distances before it dies4 ,the arrow's deadliness depends not on its shocking power1 which of course is low1 but upon internal hemorrhage and the very peculiar fact that the admission of air in quantity into any part of the body cavity collapses the lungs4 ,furthermore1 again unlike the bullet1 the broad arrow seems to be as effective at the limit of its longest flight as at the nearer ranges4 ,so the amateur bowman1 suitably armed1 may lay this much of comfort to his soul3 if by the grace of ,robin ,hood and the little capricious gods of luck he does manage to stray a shaft into a beast1 it is going to do the trick for him4 ,and of course if he keeps on shooting arrows in the general direction of game1 the doctrine of chances will land him sooner or later6 ,in the meantime--and here is the second point--he is going to have an enormous amount of enjoyment from his close misses4 ,with firearms a miss is a miss1 and catastrophic4 ,you have failed1 and that is all there is to it2 and you have no earthly means of knowing whether your miss was by the scant quarter inch that fairly ruffled the beast's crest1 or by the disgraceful yards of buck ague or the jerking forefinger or the blinking dodging eye4 ,but the beautiful clean flight of the arrow can be followed4 ,and when it passes between the neck and the bend of wing of wild goose2 or it buries its head in the damp earth only just below the body line of the unstartled deer1 the bowman experiences quite as keen a thrill of satisfaction as follows a good center with gun or rifle1--even though the game is as scathless as though he had missed it by miles4 ,in this type of hunting a miss is emphatically not as good as a mile6 ,and the chances are he can try again1 and yet again1 provided nothing else has occurred to affright his quarry4 ,to most animals the flight of an arrow is little more than the winging past of some strange swift bird4 ,thus the joy is not primarily in the size of the bag1 nor even in the certainty of the bag1 but in the woodcraft and the outguessing1 and the world of little things one must notice to get near enough for his shot1 and the birds and the breezes and the small matters along the way2 which is as it should be3 and the satisfaction is not wholly centered in merely a shot well placed and a trophy quickly come by4 ,indeed1 the latter is become almost an incidental2 a very welcome and inspiriting incidental2 a wonderful culmination2 but a culmination that is necessary only occasionally as a guerdon of emprise rather than an invariably indispensability1 lacking which the whole expedition must be classed as a failure4 ,at first the seasoned marksman will doubt this4 ,i can only recommend a fair trial4 ,one of the most successful experiences of my sporting life was one of these close misses4 ,a very noble buck1 broadside on1 was trotting head up across my front and down a mountain slope nearly a hundred and fifty yards away1--out of reasonable range as archers count distances4 ,i made my calculations as well as ,i could and loosed a shaft1 more in honor of his wide branching antlers than in any sure hope4 ,while the arrow was in the air the deer stopped short and looked at me4 ,the shaft swept down its long curve and shattered its point against a rock at just the right height and about six feet in front of the beast4 ,if he had continued his trot1 it would have pierced his heart4 ,nothing was the worse for that adventure except the broad-head1 which was gladly offered to the kindly gods who had so gratifyingly watched for me its straight true flight4 ,and ,i had just as much satisfaction from the episode as though ,i had actually slain the deer1--and had had to cut it up and carry it into camp4 ,this would not have been true with a rifle4 ,at any range of the bullet's effectiveness ,i should have expected of myself a hit1 and a miss would have hugely disappointed me with myself and ruined temporarily my otherwise sweet disposition4 ,but even acknowledging all this1 the fact indubitably remains that one must occasionally get results1 one must occasionally expect to get results1 in order to retain interest4 ,even though one goes forth boldly to slay the bounding roebuck and brings back but the lowly jackrabbit1 he must once in a blue moon be assured of the jackrabbit4 ,and he must get the jackrabbit1 not merely through the personal interposition of the little gods who preside at roulette tables1 but because his bow arm held true and his release sweet and the shaft true sped4 ,all this is perfectly possible4 ,any man can within a reasonable time become a reasonably good shot if he has the persistence to practice1 and the patience to live through the first discouragements1 and the ability to get some fun along the way4 ,the game in its essentials seems to me a good deal like golf4 ,it has a definite technique of a number of definite elements which must coordinate4 ,when that technique is working smoothly results are certain4 ,like golf a man knows just what he is to do2 only he cannot make himself do it6 ,as the idea gets grooved in his brain1 the swing--or the release and the hold1--become more and more automatic4 ,but always there will be on days when he will shoot a par3 and off days when both ball and shaft fly on the wings of contrariness4 ,of all the qualities above mentioned1 ,i think for the beginner the most important is to cherish confident hope through the early discouragements4 ,for a long time there seems to be no improvement whatever4 ,and there is not improvement as far as score-results go4 ,but the man who studies to perfect the elements of his technique1 and is not merely shooting arrows promiscuously1 is actually improving for all that4 ,he must strive to remember that not only is each and every point important in itself1 but that all must coordinate1 must be working well together4 ,no matter how crisp the release1 it avails not an sic the bow arm falter or the back muscles relax4 ,again like golf1 one day one thing will be working well1 and another day another2 but it is only when they are all working well that the ball screams down the fairway or the arrow consistently finds its mark4 ,thus the beginner1 practise as thoughtfully as he may1 will for a time1 perhaps a month or so1 find little or no encouragement in the accuracy of his shaft's flight4 ,this is the period when most men1 who have started out enthusiastically enough1 give up in disgust4 ,then all at once the persistent ones will begin to pick up4 ,it is a good deal like dropping stones in a pool4 ,one can drop in a great many stones without altering the surface of the water2 but there comes a time when the addition of a single pebble shows results4 ,in his chapter on ,shooting the ,bow1 ,dr4 ,pope has most adequately outlined the technique4 ,if the beginner will do what the doctor there tells him to do1 he will shoot correctly4 ,nevertheless he will find it necessary to find out for himself just how he is going to do these things4 ,it is largely a matter of getting the proper mental picture1 and finding out how one feels when he is doing the right thing4 ,each probably gets an entirely individual mental image4 ,nevertheless a few hints from the beginner's standpoint may come gracefully from one who only yesterday was a beginner1 and who today has struggled but little beyond the first marker post of progress4 ,the target game and the hunting game differ somewhat1 but the actual technique of releasing the arrow is the same in both4 ,i strongly advise the use of a regulation target at regulation distances for at least half of one's practice4 ,there is an inexorable quality about the painted rings4 ,one cannot jolly oneself into a belief of a pretty good one6 as one does when the roving arrow comes close to the little bush4 ,those rings are spaced in very definite inches6 ,even when one has graduated into a fairly hopeful hunting field1 one returns every once in a while to the target to check himself up1 to find out what he is doing wrong4 ,and in the target1 too1 one can find the interest along that valley of preliminary discouragement4 ,one should keep all one's scores1 no matter how bad they may be4 ,even if a lowly seventy is the best one has been able to accomplish1 there is a certain satisfaction in going after a not-so-slowly seventy-one4 ,every ten scores or so average up1 and see what you have4 ,thus one can chart a sort of glacial movement upwards otherwise imperceptible to one's sardonic estimate of himself as the ,world's ,champion ,dub4 ,begin with a light bow2 but work up into the heavier weights as rapidly as possible4 ,the first bow ,i used at target weighed forty pounds4 ,the first hunting bow1 made for me by ,dr4 ,pope1 weighs sixty-five4 ,i could draw it to the full1 but only with difficulty2 and it was not in any proper control4 ,i seriously begged the doctor to reduce it for me1 alleging that never would ,i be able to handle it4 ,he very properly laughed at me4 ,within the year ,i had worked up to the point where seventy-five pounds seemed about right2 and at the present writing ,i have one of eighty-two pounds that handles for me much easier than ,dr4 ,pope's gift did at first4 ,so begin light1 but work up as fast as possible4 ,do not linger with a weak bow simply because it is easier to draw and because you can with it1 and a light target1 make a better target score4 ,beware of shooting too much just at first4 ,if you strain the muscles of your drawing fingers you will have to lay off just when you are most eager4 ,they strengthen very rapidly if you give them a chance4 ,once they are hardened to the work you will have no more trouble and can1 as far as they are concerned1 pop away as long as your bow arm holds out2 but if once you get them tender and sore you will be forced to quit until they recover4 ,it's as bad as a sprain4 ,start at forty yards4 ,stand upright1 feet about a foot apart1 facing a point at right angles to the target4 ,turn the head sharply to the left and look at the bull's-eye4 ,do not thereafter move it by the fraction of an inch4 ,bring your right arm across your chest4 ,pause and visualize the shot1 collecting your powers4 ,now promptly raise your bow in direct line with the target4 ,draw the arrow to the head as it comes up4 ,all your muscles are1 up to this point1 alert but tensed only to the extent necessary to draw the shaft4 ,at the exact moment of release1 however1 they stiffen to the utmost4 ,it is like a little spurt of energy released to speed the arrow on its way4 ,that1 ,i think1 is what ,dr4 ,pope means when he says one should put his heart in the bow4 ,it helps to imagine yourself trying to drive the arrow right through the target4 ,pay especial attention to the muscles of the small of the back4 ,the least relaxation there means an ill-sped shaft4 ,the bow arm must be on the point of aim1 and held there4 ,the release must be sharply backward1 and vigorous4 ,personally ,i find that my mental image is of contracting the latissimus dorsi--the muscles of the broad of the back by the shoulder blades--and thereby expanding the shoulders1 forcing the hands apart1 but still in direct line with the bull's-eye4 ,and after the arrow has left the bow1 hold the pose6 ,carry through6 ,imagine yourself as a statue of an archer1 and stay just in that position until you hear the arrow strike4 ,just in the beginning1 at forty yards1 with thirty arrows1 you may be satisfied if you hit the target between sixteen and twenty-one times out of the thirty shots and make a score of from sixty to eighty points4 ,your ambition will be1 as in golf1 to break a hundred4 ,by the time you have done that your muscles will be in shape and you can begin on the ,american ,round4 ,at first you will probably make a total of about two hundred for the three distances4 ,progress will show in your averages4 ,they will creep up a few points at a time4 ,it will be a proud day when you break three hundred4 ,eventually you will shoot consistently in the four hundreds2 and that is about as far as you will go unless you devote yourself to the target game1 and confine yourself to its lighter tackle and the super refinements of its delicate technique4 ,the bow you will finally use for practice at the target will not be a hunting bow4 ,it will be longer and more whip-ended and not so sturdy4 ,but if you are to get the best results for the hunting field1 ,i believe it should approximate in weight the hunting weapon4 ,it should not be quite as heavy1 for one shoots it more continuously4 ,the one ,i use weighs sixty pounds4 ,with a lighter bow one would probably make a somewhat better score2 but that is a different game4 ,do not get the idea1 however1 that mere weight is the whole thing4 ,nothing is worse than to be over-bowed2 and many a deer has been slain with a fifty or fifty-five pound weapon4 ,only1 there is a weight that is adapted to you at your best2 that holds you together2 that keeps you on the mark2 that calls your concentration2 and that is like to be on the heavier rather than the lighter side as judged by beginner's experience4 ,in conclusion1 let me urge you eventually to make your own tackle4 ,personally1 ,i am not dexterous when it comes to matters of finer handicraft2 and when ,i became interested in this game ,i made up my mind that the construction of a bow or the building of a decent arrow was outside my line1 and that ,i would not attempt it4 ,after a while ,pope persuaded me ,i ought to try arrows1 at least4 ,under protest ,i attempted the job4 ,the ,doctor says it takes about an hour to make a good arrow4 ,i can add that it takes about four hours to make a bad one4 ,still1 when completed it did look surprisingly like an arrow1 and it flew point first4 ,pope looked it all over and handed it back with the single comment that ,i certainly had got the shaft straight4 ,but that arrow was very valuable4 ,it proved to me that ,i could at least follow out the process and produce some result4 ,it also convinced me that ,ashan ,vitu--who was a heathen god of archers--possessed a magic that could make one drop of glue on the shaft become at least one quart on the fingers2 and that turkeys are obsessed with small contrary devils who pass at the bird's death into the first six feathers of its wings and there lurk to the confusion of amateur archers4 ,but ,i wanted to make another arrow2 and ,i did2 and it was a better arrow and took less time4 ,i have that first arrow yet4 ,it is a good idea to number the output2 and to preserve a sample out of every three dozen or so1 just to show not only your progress but also the advance of your ideas as to what constitutes a good arrow4 ,and some you will probably find valuable for especial emergencies4 ,number ,three of my own product is just such a one4 ,it starts straight enough for the point at which it was aimed4 ,when about thirty yards out it begins to entertain its first distrust of its master1 and to proceed according to its own ideas4 ,it makes up its mind that it has been held too high1 and immediately goes into a nose dive to rectify the fault4 ,instantly it realizes that it has overdone the matter1 and makes a desperate effort to straighten back on its course4 ,a partial success darts it to the right4 ,number ,three becomes ashamed and flustered4 ,its course from there on is a series of erratic dives and swoops4 ,i should be very sorry to lose ,number ,three1 for ,i am quite confident that ,i could never make another such4 ,when my most painstaking shooting has resulted in a series of misses1 ,i launch ,number ,three4 ,there is no particular good in aiming it1 though it can be done if found amusing4 ,but it is surprising how often it will at the last moment pull off one of its erratic swoops--right into the mark6 ,as a compensating device for rotten shooting it is unexcelled4 ,it is a pity to laugh at it as much as we do2 for ,i am convinced it is a conscientious arrow doing its best under natural handicap2 like a prima donna with a cleft palate1 for instance4 ,in a manner not dissimilar to my beginning of the fletching art1 ,i took up bow making4 ,it can be done4 ,the only thing is to go at it without any particular hope4 ,then you will be surprised and pleased that you have achieved any result at all1 and will at once see where you could do better again4 ,to make a very fine bow is a real art and requires much experience and many trials4 ,but to make a serviceable bow that will shoot and will hold up for a time is not very difficult4 ,and it is great fun6 ,the first occasion on which you go afield with bow1 bowstring1 arrow1 quiver1 bracer1 and finger tips all of your own composition1 and loose the shaft and the thing not only flies well but straight and far1 you will taste a wonder and a satisfaction new to your experience4 ,it will probably take you some time to convince yourself that somehow the whole outfit is not a base imitation4 ,from that moment you are a true archer1 and you will actually look with tolerance on anything so stiff and metallic and mechanical as a gun4 ,your wife will accustom herself to shavings and scraps of feathers on the rugs4 ,inspirations will come to you anent better methods1 which you will urge enthusiastically on the old timers2 and the old timers will smile upon you sweetly and sadly4 ,they had those same inspirations themselves in their green and salad days4 ,then no longer will you need a ,chapter of ,encouragement4 #a ,footnote #a3 ,stewart ,edward ,white1 the author and big game hunter1 has so entered into the spirit of archery1 that he has become an expert shot with the bow after a year's practice4 ,the use of fire-arms no longer appeals to him because it is a foregone conclusion just what will happen when he aims at an animal4 ,he was considered by ,col4 ,roosevelt to be the best shot that ever entered the ,african game field with a gun4 ,in the use of the bow he has revived his interest in hunting1 and admits that it is a more sporting proposition4 ,at this present writing ,stewart ,edward ,white1 ,arthur ,young1 and ,i1 are on our way to ,tanganyika ,colony1 ,africa1 to carry the legends of the ,english long bow into the tropics4 ,what is written on the scroll of ,fate is not visible2 but with a sturdy bow1 a true shaft1 and a stout heart1 we journey forth in search of adventure4 ,s4 ,p4 ,,the ,,upshot ,in ancient times when archery was practiced in open fields and shooting at butts or clouts1 men walked between their distances much as golfers do today1 and having completed their course1 it was often customary to shoot a return round over the same field4 ,this was called the upshot1 and has descended into common parlance1 just as many other phrases have which had their origin in the use of the bow and arrow4 ,so we have come to the end of our story and prepare to say good-bye4 ,although we have said much1 and probably too much of ourselves1 we have not spoken the last word in archery4 ,there are a few things that we have learned of the art2 others know more4 ,and though we would praise our pastime beyond measure1 protesting that it is healthful1 admirable and full of romance1 yet we cannot claim that it accomplishes all things and is the only sport a man should pursue4 ,its devotees will find ample room for differences of opinion4 ,the shape of a feather and the contour of a bow have been subjects for argument since time immemorial4 ,nor is our art suited to all men4 ,few indeed seem fitted for archery or care for it4 ,but that rare soul who finds in its appeal something that satisfies his desire for fair play1 historic sentiment1 and the call of the open world1 will be happy4 ,people will scoff at him for his medieval crotchet1 will think of him as the ,don ,quixote of ,sherwood ,forest1 but in their hearts they will have a wistful envy of him2 for all men feel the nobility and honorable past of our sport4 ,it carries with it dim memory pictures of spring days1 the green woods and the joy of youth4 ,it is also futile to prophesy the future of the bow and arrow4 ,as an implement of the chase1 to us it seems to hold a place unique for fairness4 ,and in the further development of the wild game problem1 where apparently large game preserves and refuges will be the order of the day1 the bow is a more fitting weapon with which to slay a beast than a gun or any more powerful agent that may be invented4 ,of course1 there are those who say that all hunting should cease1 and that photography and nature study alone should be directed toward wild life4 ,that sweet day may come1 but at least no man can consistently decry hunting who eats meat1 wears furs or leather1 or uses any vestige of animal tissue2 for he is party to the crime of animal murder1 and murder more brutal and ignoble than that of the chase4 ,and those who think the bullet is more certain and humane than the arrow have no accurate knowledge on which to base their comparison4 ,our experience has proved the contrary to be the case4 ,yet these are not the reasons why we shoot the bow3 we do it because we love it1 and this is no reason2 it is an emotion difficult to explain4 ,nor should ,i close this chapter without reference to that noble company of archers1 the members of the ,national ,archery ,association--men and women who can shoot as pretty a shaft as any who ever drew a bowstring4 ,the names of ,will ,thompson1 ,louis ,maxson1 ,george ,p4 ,bryant1 ,harry ,richardson1 ,dr4 ,robert ,p4 ,elmer1 ,homer ,taylor1 ,mrs4 ,howell1 and ,cynthia ,wesson are emblazoned on the annals of archery history for all time4 ,to them and the many other worthy bowmen who have fostered the art in ,america1 we are eternally grateful4 ,the self-imposed discipline of target shooting is much harder work than the carefree effort of hunting4 ,the rewards1 however1 are less spectacular4 ,to you who would follow us into the land of ,robin ,hood1 let me say that what you need most is a great longing to come1 and perseverance2 for if ,i should try to explain how we have accomplished even that little we have in hunting1 ,i would protest that it is because we have held to an idea and been persistent4 ,in my own mind the credit is ascribed to the fact that ,i have surrounded myself with good companions and tried again and again in spite of failure4 ,all that we have done is perfectly possible to any adventurous youth1 no matter what his age4 ,nor is that which is written here the finis1 for even as ,i scribble we are on our journey to another hunt1 and bowmen seem ever to be increasing in numbers4 ,may the gods grant us all space to carry a sturdy bow and wander through the forest glades to seek the bounding deer2 to lie in the deep meadow grasses2 to watch the flight of birds2 to smell the fragrance of burning leaves2 to cast an upward glance at the unobserved beauty of the moon4 ,may they give us strength to draw the string to the cheek1 the arrow to the barb and loose the flying shaft1 so long as life may last4 ,farewell and shoot well6 ,illustration3 7,signature of7 ,saxton ,pope