152 



ANCIENT AND MODERN METHODS 



being held vertically or nearly so, the arrow is placed at 

 the left of the bow. It is possi])le that originally the bow 

 was held horizontally, bnt necessities arising, as in shoot- 

 ing in a forest, or shooting side by side with others closely 

 appressed, the bow was required to be held vertically. 

 In thus turning the bow-hand in the only way it could be 

 turned conveniently, the arrow would be brought to the 

 left of the bow vertical. 



As will be shown further on, the position of the arrow 



Figs. and 7. Tertiary release. 



either to the right or to the left of the bow vertical is de- 

 termined in most cases by the method of release. 



In the primary and secondary releases, however, it 

 makes but little diflerence on which side the arrow is 

 placed ; and some tribes, using the bow vertical, place the 

 arrow to the right, and this is probably a quicker way of 

 adjusting the arrow when shooting rapidly. Col. James 

 Stevenson informs me that Navajo Indians practice thr'^e 

 methods of release, namely, the primary release already 



