The first thing to ascertain is whether it is quite straight, which is
done by bringing the tips of the thumb and two first fingers of the
left hand together and laying the arrow thereon, while it is turned
round by the right hand. If it goes smoothly, it is straight; but if
it jerks at all it is crooked. Then make sure that it is stiff enough
to stand the force of the bow without bending, as, if too weak, it
will never fly straight. The pile or point should be what is called
the square-shouldered pile; some prefer the sharp pile, but the other
answers best for all purposes. The nock should be full and the notch
pretty deep; a piece of horn should be let in at the notch to prevent
the string splitting the arrow. The feathers should be full-sized,
evenly and well cut, and inserted at equal distances from each other,
as shown in the plate. It has been much disputed whether the
Bobtailed, the Chested, the Barrelled, or the Straight arrow is the
best to shoot with (see Glossary). Horace Ford, the champion shot,
decides in favor of the straight arrow, and our readers cannot do
better than take his advice. The arrow should be carefully wiped each
time it is picked up, and this not only to preserve it, but also
because the least particle of dirt clinging to the pile will
effectually spoil the flight of the arrow. Every care should be taken
to keep the feathers smooth and stiff; if attention be not paid to
this point everything else will be in vain. Should they by chance
become ruffled, a little warming in front of a fire (not too close)
will generally restore them.