SEAFOWL SHOOTING SKETCHES. 89 



For the string- make a hank of 25 strands of 4-ply flax netting: 

 twine, with a loop or " eye " worked at each end to be slipped 

 on the hooks. The string" is now 50 strands between the loops, 

 and continuing from them for an inch or so, and again in the 

 centre for two or three inches, it is wrapped with whipcord. By 

 having- a couple of spare " S " links, the string- can be made 

 short and lengthened at will. 



Get a ball of hard whipcord about the thickness of a " D " fiddle 

 string", also a piece of bees wax. Begin wrapping with the string 

 (well waxed) about two inches from the centre, and continue four 

 inches. To fasten, place a loop of string on the wrapping and 

 wind over it, say, eight turns, then pass the end of the whipcord 

 through the loop which pull up tight, and thus draw the cord 

 under the last eight turns. Then make a single knot, and cut 

 off close. Do this at both top and bottom of the hank. Take a 

 piece of good soft leather, the thickness of a strong boot top. I 

 have used a piece of soldier's buff belt, which answers very well. 

 It must be fin. wide and quite sin. long. With shoemaker's 

 waxed thread stitch this across from one hank to the other, where 

 the ends of the leather overlap the hank, being towards you. 



Next take a piece of wood one inch diameter I use a brass 

 fishing rod ferrule of that size and winding some of the whipcord 

 round the wood or brass former and each side of the top of the 

 bow string make a loop of, say, twelve strands. Wind soft thread 

 round each of these so as to keep them separate. Withdraw the 

 " former " and wrap round for a permanency with whipcord, join- 

 ing them in the centre for about fin. This can be done by start- 

 ing at the right-hand top corner facing you, going singly about 

 fin., then taking up the bottom loop for fin. Afterwards single 

 on the top loop, finishing at left-hand top corner. Next begin 

 at left bottom corner, fin. single, fin. double, finishing with fin. 

 single at bottom right corner. Thus you have a four-cornered 

 sling or cradle at the back of the leather loop, and doubly armed 

 with whipcord in the centre. I believe it was customary to do this 

 wrapping diagonally, but I prefer the above method. 



A stretcher or cross-tree, full size ; two are required. 



Take the " stretchers " or " cross-trees," which are small pegs 

 of ivory, brass, or copper, about if in. long, including a Jin. recess 

 at each end. These are placed equidistant, one on each side, from 

 the sling and the ends of the bow. They are of various patterns. 

 They can either be turned in ivory or brass, or filed from copper 

 wire. Let the top and bottom strands of gut be divided equally 



