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Eighteen inches above the handle it is 1-1/8 wide by 7/8 thick. Twenty-four inches above it is 15/16 wide by 3/4 thick. Thirty inches above it is 11/16 by 9/16 thick. At the nock it is practically 1/2 by 1/2 inches. Having got the bow down to rough proportions, the next thing is to cut two temporary nocks on it, very near the ends.
To avoid this and make a silent shot, the Indian bound his bow at the nocks with weasel fur; this effectually damped the vibration of the string, while the passage of the arrow across the bow, which gives the slight crack, is abolished by a heavy padding of buckskin at this point. Ishi never wore an arm guard or glove or finger stalls to protect himself as other archers do.
But here comes my harness, and I must to work, for I cannot slip into it as I was wont when first I set my face to the wars." Meanwhile there had been bustle and preparation in all parts of the great vessel. The archers stood in groups about the decks, new-stringing their bows, and testing that they were firm at the nocks.
Each drew his string from its waterproof case and bent the huge arc of his war-bow as he fitted it into the nocks. "Now, master, we are at your back," said they as they pulled and tightened their sword-belts. But already Cock Badding had been carried away by the hot lust of battle and had thrown aside every fear and doubt which had clouded him.
Having got it to the required finish, size the exterior again with very thin glue, and it is ready for the final stage. 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 glue; the ordinary liquid variety will do. Glue a thin strip of wood on the back of the bow to round out the handle.
Having read this and determined to try the experiment of dextrous shooting, I constructed a dozen light arrows having wide nocks and flattened rear ends so they might be fingered quickly.
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 unbraced. The nocks for hunting bows should be short and stout, not over one and a half inches long, for they get a lot of hard usage in their travels. They should also be broader and thicker than those used on target bows.
Two nocks having been roughly finished, they are loosened from their wooden handles by being soaked in boiling water, and are ready for use. Cut the ends of the bow to fit the nocks in such a way that they tip slightly backward when in place, but do not attach them yet. At this point we back the bow with rawhide.
By chewing these tendons and separating their fibers, they became soft and adhesive. Carefully overlapping the ends of the numerous fibers he covered the entire back very thickly. At the nocks he surrounded the wood completely and added a circular binding about the bow. During the process of drying he bound the sinew tightly to the bow with long, thin strips of willow bark.
I file all my nocks to fit a certain two-inch wire nail whose diameter is just that of my bowstring. After arrows have been shot for a time and their feathers have settled, they should again be trimmed carefully to their final proportions. The heads, if found too broad for perfect flight, should be ground a trifle narrower.
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