Part 17 (1/2)

”Glued on flies better, but lashed on stands the weather better.”

”Why not both?”

”Have no sinew.”

”Let me show ye a trick. Where's yer glue an' linen thread?”

These were brought, whereupon Si added: ”'Pears to me ye oughter put the feathers on last. Better cut the notch first.”

”That's so; we nearly forgot.”

”_You_ nearly forgot, you mean. Don't drag _me_ in the mud,”

said Sam, with owlish dignity. A small saw cut, cleaned up and widened with a penknife, proved the best; a notch one-fourth inch deep was quickly made in each arrow, and Si set about _both_ glueing _and_ las.h.i.+ng on the feathers, but using wax-end instead of sinew.

Yan had marked the place for each feather so that none would strike the bow in pa.s.sing (see Cut page 183). He first glued them on, then made a las.h.i.+ng for half an inch on the projecting ends of the feather-rib, and another behind, carrying this second las.h.i.+ng back to the beginning of the notch to guard against the wood splitting. When he had trimmed all loose ends and rolled the waxed thread well on the bench with a flat stick, the threads seemed to disappear and leave simply a smooth black ring.

THE ARCHERY OUTFIT (Not all on scale)

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

II. The bow ”braced” or strung.

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

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

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

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

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

VIII. Part of arrow, showing feathering and las.h.i.+ng.

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

X. Sanger war arrow with nail point and extra long feathers; it also is 25 inches long.

XI. Quiver with Indian design; 20 inches long.

XII. The ”bracer” or arm guard of heavy leather for left arm, with two laces to tie it on. It is six inches long.

Thus the arrows were made and set away for the glue to dry.

Next day Yan painted Sam's red and blue, his own red and white, to distinguish them as well as guard them from the damp. There was now one more thing, and that was a quiver.

”Do the Injuns have them?” asked Sam, with a keen eye to orthodoxy when it promised to cut short the hard work.