“To get good with a bow,” Murdock said, “you have to practice a couple hours a day, every day.” He demonstrated the proper form and breathing. “Don’t hold your breath and relax. You fire after you exhale.” He drew back and let an arrow fly toward a deer hide he had suspended from a tree limb.
Annie and Zeke did their best to imitate his actions. Their arrows missed the massive hide. Annie’s fell short and stuck in the ground. Zeke’s went wide and stuck in a tree to the left of the target.
“Your arrows are going to be hard to come by, so retrieving them is essential. You have to draw the bow with your shoulder, not your arm.”
It was getting close to sundown when Murdock called the practice session to a halt. Zeke had managed to hit the hide twice, and Annie hit it once.
“Understanding t
