"I know. I'll bet it's bad luck to mix sides; arrows doesn't know which way to turn."
At this moment Si Lee came in. "How are ye gettin' on with the bows?"
"Waitin' for arrows now."
"How do ye put on the feathers?"
"White-men glue them on, and Injuns lash them on," replied Yan, quoting from memory from "that [182] book."
DESCRIPTION OF SIX SAMPLE ARROWS SHOWING DIFFERENT FEATHERS
A is a far-flying steel-pointed bobtail, very good in wind.
B is another very good arrow, with a horn point. This went even better than A if there were no wind.
C is an Omaha war and deer arrow. Both heads and feathers are lashed on with sinew. The long tufts of down left on the feathers are to help in finding it again, as they are snow-white and wave in the breeze. The grooves on the shaft are to make the victim bleed more freely and be more easily tracked.
D is another Omaha arrow with a peculiar owner's mark of lines carved in the middle,
E is a bone-headed bird shaft made by the Indians of the Mackenzie River.
F is a war arrow made by Geronimo, the famous Apache chief. Its shaft is three joints of a straight cane. The tip is of hard wood, and on that is a fine quartz point; all being lashed together with sinew.
"Which is best?"
"Glued on flies better, but lashed on stands the weather better."